Has DC sports already peaked?
By Nick Ashooh
We've heard the narrative about as much as we heard the phrase "Kirk Cousins' contract" over the last few years: DC sports is cursed.
As a fanbase, we've spent countless hours complaining about second-round playoff exits and unreached expectations.
But a thought hit me during the Caps' marathon Game 3 win in Columbus Tuesday night, right after another Wizards loss in Toronto...has DC sports peaked?
No, this wasn't the extra large nightcap that kept me sane during the second overtime that was talking.
This was a real, clear thought, that may also be a real, clear possibility.
The Wizards are down 0-2, after falling all the way to the 8th seed, and once again came up short even before the playoffs when it came to expectations. They've failed to take the next step for sure.
The Capitals almost descended into an 0-3 hole, losing their first two games at home, while still looking to just get a conference finals on their resume.
The Nationals, even though it's early, just climbed back to .500, and now have legit competition in their division from the Mets, while they try and just win a playoff series again this October.
The Redskins are, well, the Redskins. We're just hoping Alex Smith gets them to 8-8 in 2018.
For all the hopes and dreams we've had as a city, have you noticed every team seems to be trending in the wrong direction?
The Nationals may be our best hope, but if they fall short again of a trip to the World Series, we have no idea how different this team could look in 2019, even with Mike Rizzo sticking around.
The Wizards, as I've been saying all year, seem to be stuck in a place they may not get out of. Just a middle-of-the-pack team in the East that doesn't have enough to contend, while others around them start to pass by in the fast lane.
The Capitals have had expectations of a Stanley Cup for years, but even those dwindled before the season. It's at the point now where that conversation has regressed back into the shadows.
Of course we should always expect titles from our teams, even if it's a bit out of reach. But we may really have already seen the best years of this current era in DC.
It worries me to say this, but we may have already seen the peak of DC sports.