ASHBURN, Va. - Of course Matthew McConaughey would want to hang with Robert Griffin III after a Washington Redskins practice. The Oscar-winning actor, a huge Washington fan who was in town to appear at a team charity event, wore an old-style Redskins yellow T-shirt and walked buddy-buddy with the franchise player as they strolled away from the field following Wednesdays off-season workout. Griffin was asked if he noticed McConaughey on the sidelines during practice. "I think if I was a woman, I would notice it a lot more," Griffin quipped. Still, RG3 was the player who drew the biggest scrum of reporters, and he remains the linchpin of the teams championship hopes. But this off-season is bit more tranquil for the 24-year-old quarterback with the disarming smile. Its not two years ago, when he was the shiny new centre of attention, the No. 2 overall pick with unlimited potential. And its certainly not last year, when he heaped attention on himself with his "All in for Week 1" campaign while recovering from a serious knee injury amid growing discord with coach Mike Shanahan. The RG3 of 2014 still loves his slogans — "The Movement" and "Win everything, win every day" are his current chart-toppers — but the knee brace is gone, and so is Shanahan. All is calm under new coach Jay Gruden, and, at least for the moment, Redskins stock doesnt soar nor crash every time Griffin opens his mouth. "Weve got a new coach, and weve got new additions, whether its DeSean Jackson, Ryan Clark, (Jason) Hatcher, all those guys that are here doing great things," Griffin said. "And the story lines dont all lead back to me. And thats fine." Its a firm reset for Griffin after a 3-13 year that included a late-season shutdown, but hes still the same image-conscious perfectionist. Hes learning a new offence, and his fundamentals are getting some tweaks under the new coach. Overall, however, Grudens take on Griffin sounds somewhat similar to Shanahans. "Hes mature beyond his years already," Gruden said. "Hes obviously got a lot more maturing to do, but as far as his work ethic is concerned, about how he handles himself on and off the field, I dont think thats going to be that big of an issue. Its just a matter of how you handle the media scrutiny sometimes. "Like I said, hes a perfectionist. He doesnt like negative publicity. He doesnt like negative plays to happen. He wants everything to be right. He wants everybody to love Robert, and thats not going to be the case at the back position." True to form, Griffin tried to set the record straight about his views on off-season work. A year ago, he was confident he could make a strong return from the knee injury despite missing off-season practices. He now wants all to know that he didnt mean to devalue the importance the April-June workouts. "When you have a hand dealt to you where you dont have an off-season, you dont use it as an excuse," Griffin said. "And that was the message that was trying to be sent last year. I didnt have the opportunity to have that off-season. I was getting healthy, getting ready for the season. You dont whine about it; you dont cry about it, and I think maybe it was taken the wrong way and people thought I didnt need it. You always need it." For the most part, though, Griffin has avoided talking about last year — because it would be tricky to do so without dissing Shanahan. No sense rocking the boat while everything is good. "Everybody wants me to compare this year to last year," Griffin said. "We havent played any games yet, and even when we do play the games, Im still not going to compare them. That question will not be answered." NOTES: WR Jackson remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Gruden called it a "minor tweak" and said he hopes Jackson is back next week. ... Gruden for the first time experienced the sauna-like conditions of the Redskins garage-style news conference room. "You guys cant afford an air conditioner in here?" the coach said. "You guys quit writing bad stuff about us and maybe well get an AC in here and move you out of the garage." The remark earned a rare ovation from reporters, and Gruden was brought a green towel to help wipe away his sweat. ___ AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAPWholesale Stitched NFL Jerseys .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . LOUIS -- The St. http://www.authenticchinawholesalejerseys.com/. The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . The 2014 edition will be the ninth meeting between the Caps and Vikes in a tradition that dates back to 2005. "Since the original Whitecaps, the club has enjoyed fantastic support from fans in Victoria and all across Vancouver Island," said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. Cheap Jerseys From China . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is joining the Major League Baseball Players Association staff as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark. Minaya spent the past three years with the San Diego Padres as a senior vice president of baseball operations. The 56-year-old Minaya will focus on the areas of domestic game development and international affairs and play. I have long considered myself a players administrator with a complete belief that the players are not only the face of the game, but they provide the sport with its heart and soul, said Minaya. I share the players and Tonys views on the state of the game, especially as they relate to what active and inactive players are doing to help develop the game, widen its appeal and excite the next generation of players, while ensuring the integrity of the competition on the field is maintained.dddddddddddd After injuries ended his playing career, Minaya joined the Texas Rangers scouting team in 1985, where he helped sign Sammy Sosa. Minaya became baseballs first Hispanic general manager when the Montreal Expos hired him in 2002. From 2005-10, he was the Mets GM. We feel fortunate to be in a position to hire someone with Omars experience and reputation, said Clark. His vast and diverse knowledge of all aspects of the sport will afford the union and our members an unprecedented and invaluable level of expertise in any of a growing number of issues of importance to players, domestically and abroad. Minaya joined the Padres in 2011. ' ' '