Sports Illustrated, as far as I know, doesn’t own the concept of a sports person of the year. And even if it does, the magazine doesn’t narrow its field to Washington. Since the end of the year warrants such reflection about accomplishments during the 12 months on the calendar, there’s no reason why a Washington Sports Person of the Year can’t be celebrated — at least in this space.
Looking back, it wasn’t exactly a banner year on the Washington sports scene — all the more reason to celebrate people who gave us moments and accomplishments to savor.
Here are four worthy candidates:
Gary Williams » We said goodbye to one of the area’s legendary coaching figures when Williams retired as the Maryland men’s basketball coach in May.
Williams, a future Hall of Famer and Maryland alumnus, took over a program that was as low as we’ve seen in college basketball in 1989 and led it to a national championship in 2002. His intensity and commitment came through every time he came out on the court to coach.
Lamont Peterson » The District fighter and his brother, Anthony, were homeless as children, only to find a home at the boxing gym. Peterson stunned undefeated super lightweight champion Amir Khan on Dec. 9 at the Washington Convention Center.
Peterson, seemingly overmatched early in the fight, fought back to make it a memorable bout, winning a controversial decision as nearly 9,000 fans were on their feet cheering for most of the 12 rounds.
Michael Morse » The outfielder/first baseman was a pleasant surprise for Washington Nationals fans. He was acquired in a 2009 trade when the Nationals dealt Ryan Langerhaus to Seattle, and two years later the 29-year-old emerged as one of the top hitters in the National League.
Morse batted .303 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI, finishing in the top 10 in the NL in all three categories. And since he earned a little more than $1 million for all this production, he was the antidote to the high-priced, low-production poster boy in baseball this year, Jayson Werth.
London Fletcher » The linebacker has been a beacon of light in the darkness that has engulfed the Washington Redskins since his arrival as a free agent in 2007. He is in the final year of his Redskins contract.
Fletcher, who has played in 223 straight games, shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 36, coming off a 17-tackle game against the Vikings. He leads the NFL with 163 tackles, the most of his career. And he always has been a class act.
The winner? Gary Williams. As great a night as Peterson gave us, as great a season as Morse gave us, as great a five-year run as Fletcher gave us, Williams changed the sports landscape in Washington. And he will be missed.
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].
