Overall it’s a great time to be a sports fan in the DC region. The Nationals look solid and should be major players in the MLB post-season. The Redskins seem to be the favorites to repeat as NFC East Champs (and, for the first time in a while, they appear to have a proved franchise-type quarterback). The Wizards are coming off a disappointing season and have renewed optimism with Scott Brooks taking over as head coach. The Capitals also had a quicker-than-expected end to their playoff run, but still have a quality team coming back next fall.
One question popped into my mind when thinking of all the success in the DMV region right now…who’s the best athlete in town?
THE TOP SUSPECTS…
John Wall
There would not nearly be the amount of optimism there is in DC right now among basketball fans if not for the fact that Wall is still in his prime. The former Kentucky product will still be just 26-years old as next season opens and he’s coming off a season in which he reached career highs in points, assists, and steals per game and hit a personal best 115 three pointers, combined with a career high 35% shooting from behind the arc.
Failing to make the playoffs this year was a major disappointment, but Wall’s ability to do many things well, and his proven ability to show unselfishness is a major plus as the Wizards look to add some much needed pieces to the team. His lack of ego should make for a smooth transition when (if?) they add a major free agent or player-trade addition (and don’t count on Kevin Durant).
For several reasons it is clear that the Wizards must improve this year and make a major playoff run. While Wall has been completely loyal and has said all the right things, one has to wonder that if the Wiz rebound dramatically in 2017 (and he gets closer to becoming a free agent), Wall might look elsewhere to try to capture an NBA championship. Hopefully, a deep post-season run keeps even a thought of departing from the mind of one of the classiest players in town.
Alex Ovechkin
While a little older than Wall, Ovechkin (who’ll turn 31 in September) was a steady as even during the regular season, totaling a team high 50 goals and was only surpassed by Evgeny Kuznetsov in total points (77 to 71). Ovechkin held up well over the course of the season by play in 79 of the team’s 82 regular season contests. While not as vocal on a national level as the other members on this list, he has clearly established himself as one of the greatest Washington pro hockey players of all time.
The Capitals left wing was the main focus of the Flyers in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and he proved he’s still the man with a key performance in the game two contest against the Flyers (two goals, including the game winner, and an assist).
Ovechkin followed it up against the Penguins with two goals and seven points in the series (82 points in 84 post-season games). Unfortunately, his team once again failed to get passed the second round of the playoffs.
While he is not to blame for the earlier than expected departure from the post-season again this spring, as the leader, the Cup drought has been a small blemish on an otherwise outstanding career.
Kirk Cousins
We had several football media members on our “SportsTalk” show last summer and in early fall—nearly all of them felt Cousins would not be a successful starting quarterback with the Redskins—let alone a franchise QB.
Flash forward to this summer and Cousins has become one of the most recognizable sports stars in the region. With a catchy motto and the support of his teammates following the falling-out with Robert Griffin III, Cousins now looks to prove the 2015 season wasn’t a fluke—both on an individual level and for the entire organization.
The Redskins added some nice pieces and solid moves in the draft (see our “Draft Recap” blog below), but Cousins must sustain success for both himself and his team this fall in order to be considered among Washington’s most elite athletes.
Bryce Harper
He has become one of the most recognizable and outgoing personalities on a short-list of Major League Baseball’s greatest current stars.
He’s attacked baseball’s slow-pace and lack of youth appeal (and he wasn’t wrong) and he’s trying to reinvigorate a National Pastime that has seen its popularity fall far behind that of the NFL’s. He’s backed it up with solid, all-around play (not just great hitting) and a passion for the game (granted, his ejection the other night was a little over the line). He’s become the cornerstone of a team that should contend for a World Series championship—probably for many years to come.
There’s been speculation that the 2018 free-agent-to-be could command as much as a $400-million dollar contract—an issue we debated on last week’s “RCN SportsTalk” show (see this program On-Demand or hear our podcast, here (LINK).
He’s clearly the most vocal and the most recognized nationally of this group…but is he the best?
Email us (rcnsportstalk@rcn.com) your vote on who you think is the most valuable professional sports player in the Washington area and be sure to join the sports conversations on our live “SportsTalk” show (Thursdays, 7-8pm, RCN-TV).
