George Allen did wonders with the NFL’s Washington Redskins.  So much so that his son was able to use the name recognition to get elected Senator.  George had a philosophy of trading draft choices for veterans, and sometimes it worked.  The team won a few Super Bowls.  Unfortunately, the past few years have yielded a sad state of affairs.  They added coach Mike Shanahan.  They have been unable to add a quarterback, having no success with Jason Campbell or even Donavan McNabb.  Their owner is not well respected and has been known to make splashy signing that are not good for the team.   But, the Redskins are part of the premier traditional rivalry in the NFL – with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, this quartet has developed a form of football that other teams follow.  Here’s to you, Rex Grossman.

The Washington Senators of MLB played in the old Griffith Stadium.  But they weren’t the earliest Washington DC team.  A previous rendition moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.  People in government seemed to have better things to do than watch baseball games.  And like the Senators before them, the Senators – 2 also moved, to near Dallas, Texas to become the Texas Rangers.  Then, the hapless, and country-less former Montreal Expos needed to be someplace.  Rather than find some other team to join them in shutting down completely, Washington, DC, got them, and they became the Nationals.

I got to see the Nationals play spring games at their home in Viera, Florida, a couple miles from my house.  They are young and exciting, and with Steve Strassburg ready to start this month, and a few well selected, highly regarded players in the minor leagues, look for them to be competitive in the near future.  Since I am moving to the Washington, DC area, I look forward to following the team.

The Washington Wizards, formerly the Baltiimore Bullets, now have a decent arena and a decent player with John Rose.  They just need to build off of it and perhaps in a few years can compete for the NBA championship. 

The Washington Capitals have arguably the best player in the NHL – Alexander Ovechkin.  The last two seasons have been disappointing in that they were favorites to win the Stanley Cup.  But, look for them to succeed this year.

The Georgetown Hoyas provide Big East Basketball for the area, so Washington, DC does have some college sports, and if you go a few miles out of town, you can see college sports at the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia and the Naval Academy.