Greetings from The Booth!
It doesn’t happen often, but on Saturday the stars aligned and I had the perfect sports day. That doesn’t happen very often because I am a fan of the WVU Mountaineers, who have crushed my hopes and dreams time and time again. I am also a fan of the Washington Football Franchise, a laughing stock for over 20 years now. I also root for the Washington Capitals, who, with the exception of their 2018 Stanley Cup, always seem to be one and done in the playoffs. Saturday, I hit the trifecta.
My perfect sports day began around 5, when West Virginia Men’s Basketball took the floor of the WVU Coliseum against #2 Iowa State on Jerry West Day, as the packed house celebrated the life of the most famous sports icon in the history of the Mountain State. Surely, “Zeke From Cabin Creek” would be looking down on the boys as they tried to take down their 4th nationally ranked team of the season. And that’s exactly what happened, as Darian DeVries’ gritty Mountaineers stunned the Cyclones. WVU boasts one of the top players in the country in Javon Small, and he took over the game down the stretch, as the Mounties improved to 13-4. When the clock hit zero, and fans rushed the floor to sing Country Roads, I knew it was going to be a good day.
At about 7, the Capitals hit the ice to take on their archrival Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps have been a pleasant surprise in a season that was supposed to be all about Alex Ovechkin’s all-time goals record. Instead, the Capitals have the NHL’s best record, and seem poised for a Stanley Cup run. In contrast, the Pens are going in the other direction, and the game was no contest, as Washington easily won 4-1.
Finally, the cherry on the sports sundae was the stunning 45-31 victory by the Washington Commanders over the number-one seed Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional round. Playing in a hostile environment against arguably the best team in the NFL did not faze the Commanders, as the legend of Jayden Daniels added another chapter. The moment was not too big for the rookie QB, who kept the high-scoring Lions at bay time after time with clutch plays. Despite giving up over 500 yards, the burgundy and gold defense forced five Detroit turnovers as Washington shocked the football world, and is now just one win from playing in the Super Bowl. The game may not have ended until almost midnight, but the clock has not yet struck twelve for the Commanders, who kept their magical season alive for at least one more week.
So, thank you Mountaineers, Capitals, and Commanders for a great sports day this past Saturday! My only regret is that I didn’t buy a lottery ticket.
Until the next visit from The Booth…”LET’S GO!” “ALL CAPS,” and “HTTC!”
RW
