Robert Griffin III apparently is coming to Washington. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Indianapolis told Andrew Luck it will select him with the first pick in the NFL Draft. Sure, the Colts haven’t said it publicly, but that would leave Griffin for Washington at No. 2 as expected.
It’s funny how mind games work one week before the NFL Draft. By not saying outright they’re choosing Luck, the Colts are leaving their options open should something unexpected happen in the next six days. It makes sense. Why get tied down when it’s not necessary?
So, yeah, there’s a 1 percent chance Griffin will go to Indianapolis. But it’s still 99 percent he’s coming to Washington.
At this point, Redskins fans might be disappointed to get Luck. Hundreds paid $100 for Griffin to sign their Redskins gear at a recent card show. Griffin even told Sports?Illustrated.com he expects to come to Washington.
“But when you talk about the fanfare and the fan hype right now, I think it would be very disappointing for Washington, D.C., if I didn’t get drafted there,” Griffin told the website. “Honestly, it was surreal being up there. Because you go to a city you’ve never lived in and immediately when you get there you’re instantly a star, and you haven’t even been drafted there yet.”
Oh, Griffin instantly will be the most popular athlete in the nation’s capital. Alex Ovechkin can summer in Russia. John Wall may as well go dance. Stephen Strasburg drew just 16,245 for his last appearance.
The Redskins have slipped as the dominant local sports team over the past few years. FedEx Field has been having a seat sale after 14,000 were yanked out of the upper deck to avoid TV blackouts.
But the most popular athlete in town will always be a Redskins player — unless one of those other teams produces a champion. The Redskins have been a little light on stars lately, though. Chris Cooley’s jersey seems to be the most popular at the stadium, but missing the final 11 games last season diminished his stardom. London Fletcher is popular but no star.
No, the Redskins’ starting quarterback should always be the marquee player, and Griffin soon will be the face of the franchise.
“It’s not just about me. It might seem like it’s about one guy, but I don’t think it is,” Griffin told SI.com. “I think it’s about one puzzle piece because that’s all a quarterback is, a puzzle piece. So I wouldn’t say stop [to Redskins fans], and I wouldn’t say keep going. But I’m not going to shy away from it at this point just because I have no idea where I’m going and they don’t know where I’m going. But I sure know where they want me to go.”
To Redskins Park.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
