There have been some nice weeks in Washington sports activities historical past.
Of course, any championship would make for week. The week of Jan. 30, 1983, was a fantastic week — the Washington Redskins’ first Super Bowl championship. Five years later was one other nice week – Jan. 31, 1988, their second Super Bowl title. And the third one — the week of Jan. 26, 1992.
January was a good time within the Washington metro space.
The week of June 7, 2018, was memorable — the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup championship, adopted by the Nationals’ World Series victory on Oct. 30, 2019. Good occasions, parades and events.
Everyone definitely celebrated when Major League Baseball introduced the week of Sept. 29, 2004 that the Montreal Expos have been transferring to the District, after which the primary recreation with baseball again at RFK Stadium the week of April 14, 2005.
Fun occasions, little doubt.
But 50 years in the past, the primary week of December might have been one of many all-time weeks in sports activities in Washington, proper up there among the many greatest.
Could have been.
As it was, the primary week of December 1973 round right here was fairly good. But it might have been a lot extra. At the time, it definitely appeared that manner.
The yr earlier than was a bipolar yr for Washington sports activities. It was the yr the George Allen-led Redskins received the NFC championship and went to the Super Bowl. They misplaced 14-7, to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. But there had not been a season like that in Washington for the reason that Sammy Baugh days.
The remainder of 1972? Nothing.
The Washington Senators left for Arlington, Texas, after the 1971 season. There was no NBA franchise or NHL crew. Buffalo had three skilled sports activities groups – the Bills, the Braves within the NBA and the NHL Sabres.
The nation’s capital had one.
That was about to alter, although. Baltimore Bullets proprietor Abe Pollin introduced in February 1973 he was transferring the NBA franchise to Washington — particularly, Landover, Maryland. He was constructing a brand new area that may open on Dec. 2, 1973, which might even be the house to a brand new NHL franchise in 1974.
Four days later, baseball house owners voted to approve the sale of the struggling San Diego Padres franchise for $12 million to Washington businessman Joseph Danzansky, who learn this assertion the subsequent day:
“We went to Boston and we came away empty,” Danzansky mentioned, alluding to his last-ditch effort to purchase the Texas-bound Senators at a gathering of American League membership house owners in September 1971. “We went to Chicago and we came away disappointed. We went to Cincinnati and we were disappointed once again. Today we stayed home and got a ball club. Home is where we belong and where the National League belongs and where the Padres franchise belongs.”
It certain appeared that manner.
Danzansky, president of Giant Food Inc., had been on a quest to save lots of baseball in Washington. This time, it appeared he had lastly succeeded.
There have been Topps baseball playing cards printed up for a brand new Washington baseball crew and its gamers, together with Willie McCovey and Nate Colbert. There have been uniforms made — one is on show within the pressbox entrance off the elevators at Nationals Park. There was a reputation chosen — the “Stars.”
But there have been issues. San Diego metropolis officers threatened to sue the Padres, a 1969 growth crew owned by C. Arnhold Smith, who turned out to be a con artist and convicted felon. Smith struggled to discover a new purchaser till Mr. Royale With Cheese learn within the paper concerning the Padres mess.
McDonald’s proprietor Ray Kroc had already missed out on his try to purchase the Chicago Cubs. He wasn’t going to overlook this chance. He had the $12 million, so he wound up with the franchise — which stayed in San Diego.
As many people know, there have been different failed efforts earlier than that nice week of Sept. 29, 2004, when baseball formally introduced the return of the sport to the District.
But 50 years in the past — that first week in December 1973? It appeared just like the world was about to alter in Washington.
You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.
