- The State of the NFL in Washington? Not good. I mean, really not good. The Redskins are a joke. They hired a two time Super Bowl winning coach, who has gone out and won less games in two years than Jim Zorn. The Redskins have no quarterback. They have no wide receivers. They have no consistently healthy running back. Their best offensive weapon of the past 5 years, Chris Cooley, missed the entire season. Their second best weapon, along with their supposed franchise left tackle, were suspended the last 4 games for marijuana. They have three defensive stars who are playing in a system that doesn't really fit them. Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo would be better served as true defensive ends, and London Fletcher still managed to be the NFL's leading tackler when playing in a 3-4.
And with all this, the truly awful thing about the Skins is that they won enough to cost them a franchise QB in the draft. Unless they trade up, they will not be able to take Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Were I the Skins, I would hire Bill Polian as fast as possible, resolve the QB situation somehow (helloooo Matt Flynn), and build the offensive line and weapons through the draft. Jonathan Martin or Ryan Reiff at the #6 pick would be fine unless Griffin or Justin Blackmon is available. Nick Toon or Michael Floyd in Round 2. A developmental QB like Nick Foles from Arizona would be a great pick as well. But I am afraid nothing will change as long as the Shanahans are in charge.
- As if it were possible to be worse off than the Redskins, the Wizards have succeeded. The State of the NBA in DC can best be summed up this way: The Wizards would have been better off if the season was cancelled. The 2011-2012 Wizards are on their way to being the worst professional sports team in the history of Washington. Currently sitting at 0-7, they seem to have no answer for the Can't Win Blues. John Wall is very talented, but is being asked to do too much. Jordan Crawford and Nick Young are fine, but they aren't superstars. JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche are fairly useless and need to go. Rashard Lewis is just a big contract. Jan Vesely is still making out with his very attractive but tall girlfriend. Flip Saunders isn't able to coach up a young team like the Wizards. They have sleek new uniforms and a terrible product to go in them.
The worst part for the Wizards? No one cares. The NBA is easily the #4 sport in the city right now. Even DC United has more die-hard fans that this group of kids. The team needs to be blown up. Flip has got to go. John Wall needs to have people around him that can help him grow as a player. Think of him as Rajon Rondo a few seasons ago. While he had games where he took over, he didn't always have to. No, instead he could pass the ball to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or KG. Wall doesn't have those options. The only thing the Wizards are guaranteeing now is that their #1 pick won't be around for a second contract.
- The state of the NHL in Washington is a little bit better, though not where it has been the past few seasons. The Caps started off rockin red-hot, 9-0. Since then, they have stumbled, dropped out of the playoffs, fired Bruce Boudreau, seen Ovie slump then get hot again, changed goalies every other game, and finally (we hope) get back on a 4 game winning streak. While the Capitals are still one point out of the playoffs, they are only 4 back of the Panthers for first in the Southeast, which means 3rd place in the playoffs. Furthermore, they have a fairly friends schedule coming up over the next month, so by the beginning of February the Great 8 and his men could be right back in the thick of things.
- The best team in Washington right now? The sport whose State might be greatest? Shockingly enough, it is my (yes, I said my. I pay for season tickets, I can call them that) Washington Nationals. The future is very, very bright for this team. While they traded away some top prospects Brad Peacock, Derrick Norris, AJ Cole and Tommy Milone, they got an All-Star pitcher back in Gio Gonzalez. The best part? He is not being asked to be an ace. We have Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann for that. Gio will be a fantastic #3 in what has turned into one of the best young pitching staffs in the league. The bullpen is solid still. Henry Hot-Rod Rodriguez, who only throws in triple figures, set up man of the year Tyler Clippard and 44 save closer Drew Storen are all back and could be better than ever. There is, of course, one thing that will push the buzz in DC over the Nats over the top: Prince Fielder.
He is the #1 free agent left of the board. To some, he was the #1 free agent to begin with. The Nats do not have an answer at first base, unless we commit to Michael Morse there. We seem hesitant to do that, and I don't trust Adam LaRoche, so Prince would be a big time answer. The Nats would instantly be a wild card contender, if not NL East contender.... if not a World Series contender. Boy, does that make me grin from ear to ear like Mr. Morse.
- The state of soccer in DC? I have no idea... I think they are still trying to get their new stadium... Let's go with that!
- The state of college sports in DC varies, depending on who you root for. It seems, since the turn of the millennium at least, that local sports outlets (WJLA, WRC, The Post, etc) determined that University of Maryland was the college of the DC Metro area. If that is the case, then the state of sports is not good at all. Maryland football was awful. Maryland basketball is not playing well. The Maryland AD is cutting something like 8 sports to save money. I say we defy those that decided the Terps were #1 and concentrate on a happier program.
The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team is currently a top 10 power. They have only lost a close game to Kansas. They came back from 17 down to beat Marquette. They have defeated Memphis and Louisville. They are overachieving for a young team, and all this after taking on all of China over the summer! It is just a shame for them that they will lose to Syracuse on February 8th.
So there we are. A snapshot of DC sports at the year's beginning. Who knows where we will be at year's end. In an ideal world, the Hoyas will have made a run to the Final Four (losing to Cuse...); the Caps hoist the Cup, the Skins get a real GM, coaching staff and QB; the Wizards get another #1 pick to help their rebuilding phase (Harrison Barnes?); DC United gets their new stadium; and I am in the stands for the first playoff game in Washington Nationals history. Will it happen? Probably not. But damn, that would be fun.
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