Redskins lose - Kerry wins???

The Washington Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers on a contoversial flag that may have cost them a win. But that flag and loss may be good news for John Kerry. If history holds, the 28-14 result portends a victory for Kerry on Tuesday because the result of the Redskins' final home game before the presidential election has always accurately predicted the White House winner. If the Redskins win, the incumbent party wins. If they lose, the incumbent party is ousted. The streak began in 1933, when the Boston Braves were renamed the Redskins. Since then, beginning with Franklin Roosevelt's re-election in 1936, the trend has held, including a 2000 Redskins loss to the Tennessee Titans that predicted George W. Bush's win over Al Gore. Clinton Portis celebrated the apparent winning touchdown with a leap into the end zone, capping a 43-yard reception that gave the Redskins a one-point lead with 2:35 to play. Oops. Erase that touchdown. Late flag on the play. Receiver James Thrash was whistled for illegal motion, a call Thrash didn't understand and one that Washington coach Joe Gibbs called ``an absolute mystery.'' The flag was apparently thrown because Thrash was not set for a full second after going into motion on the play. He said he didn't want to comment on the call because he ``didn't know for sure'' if it was the right one. The Packers gained 361 yards, becoming the first team this season to tally more than 300 yards on the Redskins, whose defense entered the game ranked No. 1 after facing a string of weak offenses. Washington, meanwhile, still hasn't scored more than 18 points in a game. Fans booed quarterback Mark Brunell frequently and chanted for backup Patrick Ramsey several times. ``You don't feed off it, you never want it to happen and you certainly hear it,'' said Brunell, who went 25-for-44 for 218 yards with two touchdowns to Rod Gardner, two interceptions and was sacked four times. ``It's frustrating because you're not going to be perfect. You're not going to hit every throw. You'd certainly like to, but you just go out there and do your best.'' Favre picked on a secondary missing strong safety Matt Bowen, out for the season with a knee injury, and rookie Sean Taylor, inactive following his arrest Thursday on a drunken driving charge.