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WP: Ovechkin and Zimmerman, D.C.’s longest-running bromance, stole the show at Nats Park

Sticksboi05

By Sticksboi05
in The Tailgate

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Sticksboi05

Sticksboi05

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Alex Ovechkin and Ryan Zimmerman, D.C.'s two longest-tenured active athletes by a couple of years, shared a moment on the Nationals Park field before Game 4 of the NLDS on Monday. Ovechkin, who began his 15th NHL season with the Capitals earlier this month, was on hand to throw the ceremonial first pitch, and looking to avoid tossing the ball to the backstop as he did from the same mound last year. Zimmerman, the Nationals’ first draft pick back in 2005, was hoping to help his team stave off elimination against the Dodgers and force a deciding Game 5 on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

 

...

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/08/ovechkin-zimmerman-dc-longest-running-bromance-stole-show-nats-park/

 

I know many here don't care about hockey and some don't care about baseball, but we really should be appreciative of these two athletes and how they've represented the city for the past decade and a half. A TON of community service for both, great memories including the first championship in 26 years, the walk-off to open Nationals Park, the HR last night to save the season etc.

 

And perhaps what's really cool is neither has ever held their franchise hostage in terms of contract negotiations and threatening to leave. They both wanted to be here for their careers and hopefully Zimm can cap his with (knock on wood) a you know what. That is so rare in today's sports landscape.

 

Hats off to Zimm and The Great 8.

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thebluefood

thebluefood

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That picture of them embracing should be on the walls, desks, or bureau of every dyed-in-the-wool D.C. sports fan, especially of my generation, because it is a symbol of most everything that's been good about professional sports in this town during the 21st century. 

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Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

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32 minutes ago, thebluefood said:

That picture of them embracing should be on the walls, desks, or bureau of every dyed-in-the-wool D.C. sports fan, especially of my generation, because it is a symbol of most everything that's been good about professional sports in this town during the 21st century. 

 

I love that a Redskin isn't included.  

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thebluefood

thebluefood

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10 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

I love that a Redskin isn't included.  

Nor a member of the Wizards, I fear. It's a total 180 from my father's prime years in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was, basically, a football and basketball town (the Capitals existed but were so wretched they barely registered). New facilities, new faces, new teams, and new focal points - at least in the long term. Unless things change dramatically sooner than later, D.C. may very well be a baseball and hockey town and we can thank these two men for it.   

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Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

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2 minutes ago, thebluefood said:

Nor a member of the Wizards, I fear. It's a total 180 from my father's prime years in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was, basically, a football and basketball town (the Capitals existed but were so wretched they barely registered). New facilities, new faces, new teams, and new focal points - at least in the long term. Unless things change dramatically sooner than later, D.C. may very well be a baseball and hockey town and we can thank these two men for it.   

 

Didn't even think about the Wizards :ols: 

 

I agree on all points.  IMO, Redskins are getting to a point where I like a lot of the guys on the team as individuals and it pains me to say this but...I just hope 0-16 happens.  And again next year.  And the year after that.  Until Bruce is gone.  

 

Zimmerman has had a really good career and he deserves to go out as a champion.  He's been a great teammate, player, and a member of the community.  He deserves all the good things that are coming his way.  Of course I want to see the home team win it all...similar to being happy for Ovi for hanging tight through all the hard times, it'd be just as nice to see Zimmerman come through and win a ring.  Wiz, Skins, take note.  

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Renegade7

Renegade7

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13 minutes ago, thebluefood said:

Nor a member of the Wizards, I fear. It's a total 180 from my father's prime years in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was, basically, a football and basketball town (the Capitals existed but were so wretched they barely registered). New facilities, new faces, new teams, and new focal points - at least in the long term. Unless things change dramatically sooner than later, D.C. may very well be a baseball and hockey town and we can thank these two men for it.   

 

You can make the arguement DC is a basketball town that has been dominated by a football team (with more championships then the other 3 combined) where the hockey team has been the most successful this century and a successful baseball team that came out of nowhere at the same time. 

 

I'm not sold any one sport will dominate the way the Redskins did, this is a true 4 sports town now where anyone of them can take over as the most popular based on who's having the best run.  Especially hockey with it being the least popular of the 4 in the country.

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Popeman38

Popeman38

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41 minutes ago, thebluefood said:

Nor a member of the Wizards, I fear. It's a total 180 from my father's prime years in the 1970s and early 1980s when it was, basically, a football and basketball town (the Capitals existed but were so wretched they barely registered). New facilities, new faces, new teams, and new focal points - at least in the long term. Unless things change dramatically sooner than later, D.C. may very well be a baseball and hockey town and we can thank these two men for it.   

The Capitals of the 80s were not wretched. They meade the playoffs in 83 (lost in 1st round - Islanders), 84, (lost in 2nd round - Islanders), 85 (lost in 1st round - Islanders), 86 (lost in 2nd round - Rangers), 87 (lost in 1st round - Islanders), 88 (lost in 2nd round - Devils), & 89 (lost in 1st round - Flyers).  The made the ECF in 90. The Capital Centre was rocking white outs in the 80s, and was packed.  Some of the best Caps teams in history played in the 80s, but ran into stiff Patrick Division competition in the 1st and 2nd rounds (Islanders were SC champs in 80-83).  People tend to forget these teams because they never made it to the conference finals. 1988 & 1989 Caps were MONSTERS...

1983 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1983.html

1984 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1984.html

1985 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1985.html

1986 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1986.html

1987 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1987.html

1988 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1988.html

1989 - https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/1989.html (defense - Rod Langway, Scott Stevens, Kevin Hatcher, Calle Johansson, Larry Murphy, Neil Sheehy)

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thebluefood

thebluefood

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1 minute ago, Popeman38 said:

The Capitals of the 80s were not wretched.

You're absolutely right, they weren't wretched throughout 1980s. That's why I specified the 1970s and early 1980s. Before the 1982-1983 season, they never came close to .500 and could only muster 8 wins their first season, the fewest wins after the 1967 expansion season and a record that may never be broken. Even for an expansion team, that is horrific. 

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Popeman38

Popeman38

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Just now, thebluefood said:

You're absolutely right, they weren't wretched throughout 1980s. That's why I specified the 1970s and early 1980s. Before the 1982-1983 season, they never came close to .500 and could only muster 8 wins their first season, the fewest wins after the 1967 expansion season and a record that may never be broken. Even for an expansion team, that is horrific. 

Look at the expansion rules for the Caps:

 

Quote

The rules of the 1974 expansion draft were almost exactly the same as they were in 1972.  The existing clubs were allowed to protect 15 skaters and a pair of goaltenders. (After each selection, the team got to add another protected player to replace the chosen player. So as the drafte went on, the pickings really got slim.)

 

The Scouts and Capitals were the unfortunate victims of the rise of the WHA and arguable over-expansion by the NHL: the talent pool was notably thin for this expansion draft. You may have noticed that a few notable players were left off the protected lists, such as Frank Mahovlich of the Canadiens and Dave Dryden of the Sabres. It was already known that these players were going to the WHA.

Several newspapers (Toronto Star and Montreal Gazette for example) commented that this draft was easily the worst expansion draft yet, and the $6,000,000 expansion fees exacted from the Capitals and Scouts was the most amount of money paid for the least amount of talent in any expansion draft to date at the time. Several players didn't play in another NHL game again after this draft, and many more played less than a season's worth. In fact Tom Peluso, chosen 31st overall by the Scouts from the Black Hawks and Steve West, chosen 40th overall by the Capitals from the North Stars, never played in the NHL at all.

An NHL lineup features 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and a goaltender.  18 skaters and a tender. So the Caps had to pick an NHL team made up entirely of bottom 3 forwards and bottom 2 defensemen, minor league players, and minor league goaltenders. Add to this that the WHA.

 

 Of course they were horrible.

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thebluefood

thebluefood

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And all that is understandable - not blaming anyone for the Capitals poor performance coming out of the gate. The fact they were able to turn it around so quickly in '82-'83 is amazing and their sustained success afterwards - they've only missed the playoffs 7 times between then and this past season - is something I wish was mentioned more often. I would kill to see that level of consistency from the town's other teams (though hopefully, the Nats will be on their way to that). To be sure, things have changed. I saw it myself. I was at the watch party June 7, 2018 and the turnout was incredible, never seen anything like it.

 

All I was saying was that through those years - and this is according to my father's own testimony (which is usually reliable) - the Capitals weren't nearly on the level of the 'Skins or Bullets in part because they weren't very good but also because they were a new team in a new market and only the 2nd team in the league based south of the Mason-Dixon Line. I haven't found anything reporting the contrary in my own research. 

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Riggo#44

Riggo#44

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49 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

^^^ Look at that! A tweet from a President where he doesn't insult anybody and all the words are spelled correctly!

 

I'll still never forgive him for this one:

 

Image result for obama nationals first pitch

 

But yeah, I want the Nats (obviously) and the Wiz to be the next up, so Dan Snyder and sit and stew with jealousy

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