A Game of D.C. Thrones

 This spring season has seen an unprecedented boon of success, talent, and hype surrounding D.C. Sports, and very little has to do with the Washington Redskins.  For the first time in history the Wizards and Capitals have made it to the second round of the playoffs, and with players that are at the top of their profession in Alex Ovechkin and John Wall. The Nationals caused the DC area to go to DEFCON 1 with their slow start amidst astronomical expectations put on them by the off season signing of Max Scherzer and the coming of age of Bryce Harper.  These three teams have provided an unbelievable level of sports entertainment this season, and their support of one another may be a signal of a shift in the balance of power in the Westeros that is the DC sports landscape.

The evidence for such a power shift is undeniable, starting with the picture above of Marcin Gortat, Rasul Butler, Paul Pierce, and John Wall.  They all sat at the glass of Game 7 against the Islanders.  Maybe Leonsis flashed their paychecks in their faces and "suggested" that they attend, but they all came with Caps sweaters on and really got into the game. These images from Russian Machine Never Breaks should highlight that fact.  Paul Pierce was high fiving fans, banging the glass, and taking a leisurely constitutional around Verizon Center amongst the unwashed masses that showed a level of solidarity between the Caps and Wizards.  That is not hard to believe considering they are owned by the same person, but the Nationals showed up almost two weeks later in full force to lend their support to the Capitals' playoff drive.  The Nationals were watching from the more friendly confines of the Verizon Center Suites to watch Andre Burakovsky beat the Rangers in Game 4 of the series.  They were having a great time, and even took a group photo with numerous Capitals in their locker room.  This probably would not have happened had the Capitals lost, but if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump it's ass when it hopped.  The Capitals, Nationals, and Wizards have shown that they will share in their collective success, but the Redskins have been noticeably absent in this gathering of euphoria.  The only power the Redskins could muster is a lowly RG3 sighting at a Nats game where Stephen Strasburg hurt himself.  This is not to say that these teams are more popular now than the Redskins.  They are not. Not by a long shot, but their ongoing success may endear them more to a fan base that has not seen reciprocal success or showings of solidarity from the Burgundy and Gold.

The Redskins have been content with sitting on their wealth and not caring about what goes on around them like House Lannister.  They grow complacent by the day knowing that their offseason support in bolstered by dubious internet traffic.  It is great to see RG3 out there at the Nationals game, but where are the other Redskins to support their fellow Washington athletes?  The Redskins are on their offseason for god sakes, but they seem content with sitting in their Red Keep while Bryce Harper and the Nationals attend the Caps playoff game after they finished their game that afternoon.  The Wizards are in the middle of a playoff push,  but their superstars found time to sit with the fans during the most important game of the season for the Caps at the time.  It is easier for the Wizards because the NBA takes a week off between playoff games, but the Redskins have nothing else to do.  It would be good to rally support to their cause because the other teams are doing just that by supporting each other. 

The Capitals have rallied powerful allies to their cause like House Baratheon.  A house that is not as old as the others, but who have amassed enough wealth and power to challenge the Throne.  Robert Baratheon became the focal point for a rebellion against the Mad King (I know he was a Targaryen but just go with it) and the Capitals have become the focal point for crazed fandom outside of the Redskins.  They have been able to grow in popularity over the past eight years to the point where they have been able to draw the biggest names in DC sports to their games.  They rallied the Wizards who are House Stark.  A house just as old as any other, but who fell on hard times and are looking to reclaim their position.  The Caps have also rallied the Nationals who are House Targaryen.  They once held the throne long ago, but were exiled and now seek to take the throne back with newly acquired dragons that sign 200 million dollar contracts.  

Just like the Lannisters, the Redskins are on top and probably always will be.  But this playoff season for the Capitals has shown that the Redskins are also like the Lannisters in that they seem on an island when it comes to DC Sports brotherhood, and they can no longer afford to rest on their laurels when it comes to winning the hearts of the fans.  The Redskins popularity in this region is being challenged like no other time by teams that are beginning to out pace the Redskins in both sustained success and hype.  These teams have shown solidarity by supporting the Caps in their playoff efforts, and while neither one of these teams will single-handedly take the top spot from the Redskins, together they may prove to be a formidable force that the Redskins must face head on.  If the Capitals can somehow defeat the Rangers at MSG Wednesday night, it may behoove some of the higher level Redskin players to make an appearance at Verizon Center for the Eastern Conference Finals because, as crazy as this sounds, the Redskins may need to kiss the ring of a proven winner to gain some traction with a wavering fan base that is beset on all sides by teams that provide a better stadium experience, more likeable players that support one another, and a consistent winning atmosphere.  These teams may never overtake the Redskins as King of the Realm, but as Varys said "Power resides where men believe it resides", and the Caps, Wizards, and Nationals are building that belief one day at a time.