Even though only one major sports team in Washington is still playing right now, things are already looking up for the rest of them. The Washington Nationals are sucking less than usual this year and are currently at .500 with a 22-22 record. (Maybe Obama throwing out the first pitch had something to do with it). The Nats are expected to call up their new ace, number one pick Stephen Strasburg which will only improve their pitching. But their good news doesn’t end there. The Nationals also have the number one pick for this year’s draft, and most people anticipate the team will select Sports Illustrated stud Bryce Harper. The Nats aren’t the only team with a bright future in D.C. — there’s plenty of reasons for optimism with all the teams in our nation’s capital.
First off, the Wizards won the 2010 NBA Lottery despite only having a 10.3% chance of doing so. Now the Wizards just have to use their number one pick wisely. This will most likely mean drafting John Wall and hopefully getting rid of gun baring Gilbert Arenas. Doing so will potentially free up a large amount of money on the payroll and bring a true point guard to the team.
The NFL off-season brought a big name to the Washington Redskins in newly acquired Donovan McNabb. The veteran QB was traded intradivisionally in April and I think this can only improve the Redskins offense. McNabb is a pro and it’s a positive for him to get away from the negative Philly fans. His addition, coupled with new coach Mike Shanahan, has increased the Redskins’ Super Bowl Odds to 25:1 which is the same as the Giants and Texans, teams that had significantly better records than Washington last year. Now, if everyone could just get on board on the defensive side of the ball *cough Albert Haynesworth cough*, we can see a pretty good team emerge out of Washington.
Last but not least, there are the Washington Capitals. Despite getting knocked out in the first round of the NHL playoffs the Caps are still a powerhouse. They secured a key piece of their offense by extending Nicklas Backstrom on Monday. Plus, they have to be ticked off that they were eliminated early in the playoffs and they have to be hungry to improve next season. I have a feeling that when we see this team return to the ice they are going to be back with a vengeance.
