Perhaps the next best thing to pleasure for a Washington sports fans is pain for a Dallas sports fan. And the self-destructive Dallas Cowboys certainly cause their share of pain for their fans.
But don’t cry for Dallas sports fans. Their suffering has certainly been eased over the past two years by playing host to some of the biggest events on the sports landscape, and the success of the city’s supporting sports cast.
To put in bluntly, it’s been a lot more fun being a Dallas sports fan than it has being a Washington sports fan.
Dallas just got done hosting three NBA Finals playoff games, and fans got to watch their team, the Mavericks, win two of those games against the Miami Heat to go up 3-2 in the series.
They’ve got to watch their team at home win playoff games over three previous rounds, against Portland, the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City.
Last October, Dallas fans had a front row seat to the Major League Baseball playoffs, with the Texas Rangers hosting postseason games in the division, league championship and, for the first time, the World Series.
Granted, fans got to watch their Rangers lose two out of three World Series games to the San Francisco Giants at the Ballpark in Arlington. But in the moment, they got to bask in the glow of the World Series spotlight for the first time since Dallas robbed Washington of its baseball team after the 1971 season.
Dallas fans have also enjoyed the bonuses of their region playing host to some of the biggest sports spectacles that have not included their team.
In February 2010, Dallas hosted the NBA All-Star Game. One year later, the Super Bowl took place at Cowboys Stadium, all thanks to Jerry Jones’ new sports palace.
While events like these don’t feature their hometown teams, they do bring a number of benefits for the local sports fans, such as parties, events and appearances by sports legends and entertainment stars (though at least Washington fans could take solace in the deep freeze that gripped Dallas during Super Bowl week and wiped out many of those benefits).
Contrast the experience of the Dallas sports fan to that of the local fan here. What have been the big moments for the Washington sports fan? A few early round Stanley Cup playoff home games.
There’s no Super Bowl coming to FedEx Field, though the Washington Nationals hope to host baseball’s All-Star Game in 2015 at Nationals Park. But until there are some restaurants and signs of life surrounding the ballpark instead of cement factories, there won’t be an All-Star Game in Washington.
But take note — Washington will host the Roger Clemens’ trial in federal court this summer. No city does trials like Washington.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
