We Keep Believing...

I lived in Dallas for part of its Super Bowl run in the 1990s. I clearly remember being down on Greenville Avenue (lower Greenville, in case you know the area and care) the night of one Super Bowl win, watching the traffic crawl and people behave like complete nutters and not caring at all.

Leaving the Verizon Center after the Capitals/Lightning game last night was a similar experience... the crowds screaming "Let's go Caps! Let's go Caps!" and "MVP! MVP!" all the way down the escalator and out on the street (despite the cold rain falling), even into the Metro stations, a sea of red everywhere you look. Riding the Metro in Caps gear is a friendly experience now, the red gear sure to start a conversation if not a cheer. On Tuesday night, we were stopped by several people on the street in Bethesda asking about the results of the game - a level of curiosity about hockey I've never before seen here.

This run to the playoffs is turning into a heady experience for DC, one that I hope carries through regardless of its outcome. Washington has long experienced the problem of being a city of transients, many (myself included) with other hockey allegiances who never could give Washington a piece of that loyalty because of its hit-and-mostly-miss play over the last several years. I hope that is changing for the franchise - all the pieces are in place for the Capitals now and I suspect this ride will continue to be an exhilarating one. Props to Ted Leonsis and his ownership group for delivering a product that should keep people coming back game after game!