RG3 in DCCCCCccccc!

This might have been one of the best weeks to be a DC sports fan in a very long time.  Let's consider:

-The Caps beat the Bruins 2-1 in overtime on Wednesday night.  I listened to John Walton's call on the radio.  That call alone of Joel Ward's game winner has just made John Walton my favorite radio announcer in any sport today.  He puts Larry What's-his-name who pretends to call Redskins games to shame.  I used to like Steve Kolbe, the old Caps announcer, but John Walton's call of the GWG in game 7 clinches it.  What a series.  I know I dogged them a bit in my last post (Dustin kind of called me to the carpet on that one), but perhaps playing in 7 one-goal games against a team that was supposed to blow them away in far fewer shows that these guys do have the grit to go the distance in the playoffs.  Who would've thunk it?  In years when the expectations were through the roof, they don't deliver.  In this season, they're playing with house money as a 7-seed.  This is fun, they are playing like a team that has nothing to lose, and that makes them VERY dangerous going forward.  Look out New York.  Also, I find it very fun that a team from DC KO'ed a team from Boston.  I might not loathe Boston as much as I loathe, say, Philadelphia, but their fans are almost just as obnoxious (just look at all the filthy tweets that have been coming from that city in the last couple days).  They have won enough (3 Super Bowls...cheating, 2 World Series, an NBA title, and Stanley Cup all in the last 11 years). 

-Local baseball is kicking tail and taking names.  We haven't been able to say that for a LONG time.  The Nationals (even though they lost last night), have been competing with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the game!  Who knew?  These are not your granddaddy's Nats (or Expos).  14-4 is the best start in franchise history.  They don't score a whole lot, and many games they have played have been decided by one run, but just like the Caps, they look at that as a good thing.  They are in EVERY ballgame.  They have a chance to win EVERY ballgame, and that's what you want.  You want games to matter going into the 8th and 9th innings, and with the pitching the Nats have right now, they do just that.  Consider that the starters have a combined ERA of less that 2...less than 2!  The Nats staff was projected to start the season strong, but I don't think anybody could have imagined this during the month of April.  Hopefully they can keep it up during May through September and October (yes I said October).  Up in Baltimore, the Orioles are surprising as well.  Their pitching, with a bunch of guys that I probably couldn't pick out of a lineup, have been mowing down the competition as well on their way to a 12-7 record so far, tied for first in the AL East.  Their only problem is that they cannot beat the Yankees, even though in 2 of the 3 games they played they went to extra innings.  If they can figure that out, watch out, Beltway World Series anyone?  OK...THAT may be a bit premature!

-Finally...
HAIL TO THE REDSKINS
HAIL VICTORY!
BRAVES ON THE WARPATH
FIGHT FOR OLD DC!

I'm just quoting Robert Griffin III, people!  He sang the song during a conference call interview.  HE SANG THE SONG!  The man is excited, what can I say?  Yesterday the Redskins did what the whole world thought they would and took the Baylor quarterback with the second overall pick.  Not only did he sing the song, he got his #1 jersey with "Griffin III" already on the back.  He even wore socks that matched the Redskins' color scheme!  You think the man knew what was coming?  The expectations on him are out of this world, and I'm not going to declare us Super Bowl champs this season or next, far from it, but with the addition of a dynamic player the likes of which we may have never had before gives us something that our offense has been starving for for years: a playmaker.  Yes, I know there will be a learning curve, and I'm not expecting 13 wins this year, but give it a year or two (and let's hope that Uncle Dan doesn't have an itchy trigger finger with the firing button like he usually does) and we'll be right up there competing for a division title that has eluded us for 13 years.

DC!