As we pass into the New Year, let’s take a final look at 2011. We could all live without a repeat of it in 2012. The only winning franchise in town was the Washington Capitals, who then proceeded to get swept in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Redskins lost. The Wizards lost. The Nationals lost a little less than they had in the past.
The Maryland’s men’s basketball team failed to make the NCAA tournament again — or any postseason tournament, for that matter — and legendary coach Gary Williams retired. Georgetown made the NCAA tournament and got bounced early.
But there were some moments in 2011 when it felt good to be a sports fan in the D.C. area. They were few and far in between, so before we move on, let’s revisit them one more time:
Lamont Peterson’s upset of Amir Khan » If you were one of the 9,000 people at the Washington Convention Center last month, you were treated to a great night of boxing, culminating in the stunning decision win by Peterson, the hometown kid.
The Redskins’ season-opening victory over the Giants » Anything seemed possible after that 28-14 win over New York at FedEx Field. The Redskins had beaten a division rival who had owned them for years. Their No.?1 pick, Ryan Kerrigan, made a big defensive play that turned into a touchdown. Rex Grossman seemed like a visionary when he predicted the Redskins would win the NFC East.
It was all downhill from there.
Stephen Strasburg’s return to the mound » The ace may have beaten the Washington curse. Strasburg tore elbow ligaments in 2010 and missed more than a season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He came back as if nothing had happened, allowing two hits in five shutout innings Sept. 6 at Nationals Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It wasn’t like his tremendous debut that became a historic event the year before against the Pirates, when Strasburg struck out 14 in seven innings. But it was a big moment for D.C. sports fans — the hope of a brighter future. In fact, in his fifth and final start, he allowed one hit and struck out 10 in six shutout innings.
The Capitals’ Game 5 win over the Rangers » Since the Caps failed to get out of the first round the year before against Montreal, the 3-1 victory at Verizon Center that clinched the series against New York was a moment of satisfaction for D.C. sports fans — even if it was erased by their four-game sweep by Tampa Bay in the next round.
As we all know, 2012 marks the end of the world on the Mayan calendar. So for D.C. sports, it’s this year or bust.
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].
