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The Next DC Sports Hero

Authored by Jason Rosenthal - August 18, 2005 - 9:54 am

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August 18, 2005 By Jason Rosenthal Two years ago, we went searching for the next DC Sports Hero. Who is the next athlete to own Washington in a way that Cal Ripken or Darrell Green, my childhood heroes, did? I ranked the top 10 most likely candidates, but that list is best forgotten. The only player worth his billing was Arenas, who hadn’t even played a game in Washington. The three other Wizards to make the list — Jerry Stackhouse, Kwame Brown, and Juan Dixon — aren’t even on the team. Vladimir Guerrero never made it to Washington, the Orioles traded Matt Riley to Texas where his career dangles precipitously, and Jay Gibbons has been solid but unspectacular (although I still think he has a 40-homer season in him). The three Redskins on the list? Ramsey and LaVar make the list again, but both are coming off forgettable years. Champ Bailey was traded last offseason. Now it’s time to revisit the list and do some incantations to avoid a localized SI cover curse. A couple ground rules before we get started. Orioles players are eligible, but Ravens aren’t. Many in DC grew up as O’s fans, and will remain so even with the Nationals in town. For most Washingtonians, the Ravens might as well be in Guam. Second, only major sports apply. Hockey and soccer don’t matter enough to count in this area. Finally, the heroes are judged not only for what they do on the field, but what they do off it (or what they might do). So who are the Top 10 most likely to assume the mantle as the next DC sports hero? Let’s take a look at the candidates. 10. LaVar Arrington — I want to believe in LaVar like a five-year old believes in Peter Pan, but let’s face facts: as a football player, Arrington is overrated. Any comparison with Ray Lewis should have ended a long time ago. The Skins haven’t been to the playoffs in his five years. That’s not all his fault, but LaVar hasn’t been the offense-wrecking, terror-inducing, “did you just see that?” defensive freak the Skins thought they were getting. Injuries and a strange dispute over bonus money (now going on for over a year) don’t help him score points. When healthy, he can wreak havoc, but he’s just as likely to blow an assignment or miss a read. LaVar is personable, a media favorite, and arguably the most charismatic person on this list. And who couldn’t love those Eastern Motors commercials? But with the free agent departures of Antonio Pierce and Fred Smoot, the team needs a dominant do-everything season from Arrington. And that’s the only thing that’ll move him up this list. 9. Erik Bedard – Bedard will try to avoid duplicating what happened to the last O’s pitcher to make this list, Matt Riley. Bedard has made great strides this season and at only 26, could develop into a number one pitcher. He walks too many batters, but makes up for it with strikeouts. The O’s have stunk since 1997, but with Bedard, Danny Cabrera, John Maine, and Hayden Penn, the O’s have a bevy of young arms that could lead to a revival in Charm City. Now if someone could just bean Peter Angelos. 8. Antawn Jamsion – ‘Twan was the winner of the 2005 Magic Johnson Award , which rewards “excellence on the court with outstanding cooperation with the media and, by extension, the fans.” His engaging Darrell Green-like smile, his rapport with media and fans, and his undeniable leadership abilities should probably land him higher on this list. But he’s no better than third on his own team when it comes to DC Hero potential. While talented, he’s nearing 30 and coming off knee surgery. He could still be a piece to a championship puzzle for the Wizards, but his minutes and role will probably decrease with each passing year. 7. Caron Butler – You are Caron Butler. You led UConn to a Big East title and the Elite Eight. You dropped to the tenth pick in the 2002 draft, behind luminaries such as Nickoloz Tskitishvili and Dajuan Wager. You’ve been traded twice in three seasons. Once for Shaq, which you could stomach. But now for Kwame Brown? You are fierce competitor. You are in a contract year. Show us what you have, Caron. 6. Sean Taylor – Most players would be buried by stuff like not showing up for offseason workouts, not returning a Hall of Fame coach’s repeated phone calls, and — oh yeah — getting hit with a felony gun charge that carries a three-year prison sentence. But…have you seen him play? I visited training camp at Redskins Park last year and was immediately blown away. He’s the size of a linebacker but with the speed of a cornerback. He’s as physically intimidating as Ronnie Lott, but can cover top receivers all over the field. His freshman season was a good one, and he’s only going to get better. If Taylor can figure out the intricate workings of the telephone, put the gun away, and channel his energies to the football field, he could lead the ‘Skins back to dominance, and all transgressions will be forgotten. Exhibit: Ray Lewis was charged with murder (murder!) five years ago, yet his legacy will be far from that of a criminal. 5. Miguel Tejada – Like Ripken, Tejada never misses games — he hasn’t missed a contest in more than five seasons. He won an MVP with the Oakland A’s, but Tejada will need to carry the Orioles to a pennant, or at least the playoffs, before any of his gaudy Orioles stats will matter. 4. John Patterson – Patterson is the only National to make the list, making it over team ace Livan Hernandez, closer Chad Cordero, and the team’s best all-around player – Brad Wilkerson. Why? Because he’s got a 2.52 ERA and 1.12 WHIP to go along with128 K’s in 132 innings this year. Just 27, the former Arizona Diamondback farmhand is having a breakout year. Patterson has gotten better each month this season and has had a couple Clemensesque performances, including a complete game 13-K shutout of the Dodgers two weeks ago. He’s been helped by RFK, a severe pitcher’s park, he’s been pretty good on the road too. It often takes pitchers a few seasons to figure things out, so don’t be surprised if Patterson winds up with a Cy Young in the next five seasons. 3. Patrick Ramsey – It’s now or never for Ramsey. For better or worse, he’s still the starting QB of the Redskins. With Jason Campbell breathing down his neck, Ramsey needs to produce. Gibbs’ benching of Ramsey for Brunell, and then steadfastly sticking with Brunell in the face of persistent suckitude before finally turning to Ramsey, tells us that either Gibbs’ decision-making process isn’t what is used to be or that Ramsey just isn’t that good. However, if the ‘Skins go back to the playoffs with Ramsey at the helm, the Post might rename their sports section after him. 2. Clinton Portis – One of the reasons for the Skins feeble offense last season, was Gibbs curious use of Portis. A smallish guy with great speed suggested a running game designed to stretch defenses and attack the edges. Gibbs used him like a sledgehammer. When the passing game — to put it charitably — failed (I’m trying to have the Mark Brunell Experiment surgically removed from my memory), defenses ganged up on Portis. Gibbs needs to create plays for Portis’ abilities to get more results like his first-ever carry as a ‘Skin — a 64-yard touchdown. Like Taylor — both went to U of Miami — Portis has a peculiar personality, but it’s one that could endear him to a generation of ‘Skin fans begging for a return to the glory days. 1. Gilbert Arenas – He’s so good, the lawyers at the NBA had to name a rule after him. It’s not quite on the level of the Larry Bird Exception, but the Gilbert Arenas Provision will do just fine, thank you very much. The rule makes it much easier for teams to retain second round picks on two-year contracts. Remember, the Wizards lured Arenas from the Warriors mainly because Golden State couldn’t match the Wizards offer. Now, as long as teams have their Mid-Level Exception available to them, they can match any offer. There’s a 99% chance that Arenas would still be a Warrior if this deal was in place back in 2002. As is, a little luck finally shined on the Wizards. As a Wizard, Arenas has matured into an all-star, leading the team to its first playoff series win since 1983, and has quickly become a fan favorite. He already has an iconic moment -- his game five buzzer-beater vs. the Bulls , which could be the "Jordan over Ehlo" highlight for Gilly the Kid. When Arenas isn’t working on his game (he’s a hardcore gym rat with his own key for late-night workouts, and he’s not afraid to mix it up on the blacktops of DC), he’s also getting it done in the community. He takes kids to movies, acted like a big brother to a kid who lost family in a fire, and gives guided city tours to random tourists. (OK, I made the last one up.) His quirky personality makes him a media favorite and a delight to interview, and he’s only 23? Arenas’ presence on the roster means the Wizards have the best player from the 2001 draft. That guy was supposed to be Kwame Brown, who turned out to be an uber-sized bust. In Arenas, the Wizards are in good hands, but to own the town, he needs to complete an Unseldian task — lead the Wizards to a championship. Also receiving consideration: Livan Hernandez (Nationals), John Maine (Orioles), Jason Campbell (Redskins), Jon Jansen (Redskins), Andray Blatche (Wizards), Brendan Haywood (Wizards), Chad Cordero (Nationals), Brad Wilkerson (Nationals), Daniel Cabrera (Orioles), Brian Roberts (Orioles) Jason Rosenthal is the content supervisor at WizFans.com. Got a comment on the the list? Send him an email at jmrosenth@yahoo.com.