It’s an honor to be a D.C. sports fan, but it is also painful. For the past few years the sports teams in Washington, D.C. has disappointed many of their beloved fans.
It has gotten to the point where fans are starting to question the teams they root for. One of the biggest questions that go through a D.C. sports fan mind is; why can’t the teams be successful? What’s keeping them from being a successful sports town like Boston and New York?
There will be times when D.C. teams will look awful and have a terrible season. In the 2013 NFL season, the Washington Redskins went 3-13 after winning the division the season before. In 2012, the Washington Wizards started off the season 0-12 and ended with one of the worst records in the NBA that year. Not to mention all the losing seasons the Redskins, Wizards, and Nationals had in the past.
There will be times when a D.C. sports teams will have a good season, but choke in the playoffs. The Nationals won the NL East division in 2012 and 2014, but failed to make it out of the NLDS. The Nationals have a team that can go all the way, but for some reason they can’t. The Wizards made it to the playoffs last season, but choked in the second round against the Indiana Pacers.
DC sports teams have attracted some talent players but they failed to contribute due to injury. Let’s start with the Washington Wizards. In 2006-2007, Gilbert Arenas was the one of the top scorers in the NBA. He was averaging 29.0 points per game, and he had a few games where he scored 50 or more points.
Arenas “Agent Zero” was developing into one of the league’s most elite players at that time. Later that year, Arenas injured his knee during a game and was out for the next two years. When Gilbert made his return in the 2009-2010 seasons, he got arrested and suspended for bringing guns into the locker room. The Wizards traded him to the Orlando Magic a year later.
The Redskins are known for acquiring talented players that tend to get hurt. Former Redskins running back, Clinton Portis is a prime example. Clinton was an excellent player when he was healthy. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and was named one of the 80 Greatest Redskins players. Clinton’s biggest problems when he was wearing the burgundy and gold was that he constantly got injured. He was a good player, but his injuries made the Skins release him in 2008.
The Redskins made a big deal with the St. Louis Rams in 2012 that led to drafting quarterback Robert Griffin III with the second pick in the NFL Draft. During his rookie season, Griffin was phenomenal. He won Rookie of the Year award and led the Redskins to the playoffs.
During the playoff game against Seattle, Griffin injured his knee and was out for the rest of the game. The Skins ended up losing 24-14 after going into halftime with a 14-0 advantage. Griffin overcame his injury and played during the 2013 season, but it wasn’t as good as his rookie season as Griffin was benched during the last three games of the season.
This season was supposed to be a whole different season for the Skins especially for Griffin. They got a new head coach in Jay Gruden, and acquired Desean Jackson and Jason Hatcher during free agency. In the second game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Griffin went from healthy to cripple when after he injured his ankle. He managed to return this past Sunday, but the team still lost to the Minnesota Vikings.
D.C. sports teams always find a way to disappoint their fans. They are either unsuccessful or choke during big moments. It is so bad that it’s a habit. Fans are desperate for at least one D.C. team to win a championship. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Wizards or the Capitals, just win a championship. Fans are getting tired of sadness and disappointment.
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