Photo: @Capitals
After the Capitals defeated the Penguins to get past the second round of the playoffs, Michael Wilbon of ESPN called Washington, D.C. a “minor league sports town”. This comment came after Caps fans rightfully celebrated the defeat of a familiar playoff foe to advance past the second round for the first time in 20 years. Whether you were in the streets of Washington D.C. or watched on TV, you saw first hand how the city of Washington came together to get behind the Capitals. That’s the beauty of sports. It’s got a unique way of bringing people together.
When thousands upon thousands get together behind a team, nobody cares what your background is, or your race, religion, gender, beliefs, etc. Capitals fans showed the world throughout the spring that there is nothing “minor league” about Washington, D.C. as a sports town.
They packed practices at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, they sold out Capital One Arena whether it was a hockey game on the ice or an away game watch party. If the fans didn’t have a ticket to the games, they still played a part in the hockey craze by filling the surrounding streets and flooding sports bars throughout the DMV.
There’s even more beauty to the Capitals Stanley Cup victory celebrations from the course of the last several days. Aside from the excessive drinking, the Washington Capitals made the celebration just as much about the fans as it is about them. They brought the Cup to Don Tito in Arlington. They brought it to Nationals Park. And they even partied with the fans at Georgetown Waterfront.
Tuesday morning was the biggest party of them all. A parade down Constitution Avenue followed by a rally right at the National Mall. Whether you were standing along the route watching the team pass by or on the Mall, there was a sea of red that stretched miles.
Washington, D.C. is once again a city of Champions. Enjoy the summer Capitals fans. The Stanley Cup is right where it belongs.
By Michael Marzzacco
Follow @marswaggo
