Mr. Tony Kornheiser
The Washington Post
1150 15th St. NW
Washington, DC 20071

April 1, 2008

Re. The Biggest Hockey Game in D.C. in a Decade

Dear Tony:

What a spectacular week for the Washington sports fan! The Nationals the other night christened an impressive new stadium -- and in dramatic fashion. I'm sure you enjoyed the excitement of attending Opening Night in Nationals Park.

Imagine, though, if you could meet or even exceed Sunday evening's electric atmosphere at the ballpark, with a heart-stopping, high-stakes sports event tonight at Verizon Center. The likelihood is high that you can.

Incredible as it may seem, Tony, the Washington Capitals tonight are playing their most important hockey game since the Stanley Cup finals of 1998. At home. With a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, the Capitals -- lodged in 30th place out of 30 teams in the NHL at Thanksgiving -- would be tied for first place in the league's Southeast division in this the final week of the regular season. I'm not sure we've seen the likes of this kind of resurrection in all of professional sports this decade. What a story, right here at home!

Tonight at Verizon Center is an event I think that Washington's sports media ought to luxuriate in. In fact, the entire week and its three hockey games here ought to be hyped like hockey hasn't been in these parts ever. The entire town ought to get behind the Caps this week, and of course, local media play a pivotal role in that endeavor.

Which is kind of why I'm writing.

Great sports towns, it seems to me, are characterized by a local press reliably and spiritedly conveying that greatness. I'm one who's been of the opinion that we haven't quite had there here in some while (if ever). But rather than bemoan opportunities lost, I want to see new and old media alike get behind a once-in-a-lifetime talent in Alexander Ovechkin and his highly skilled and infectiously enthusiastic young teammates during this remarkable week of season-concluding play. The way they've represented Washington ever since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench merits it.

It can be alleged, without overstatement, that there is a playoff atmosphere to the Capitals' schedule this week. For what it's worth, yesterday's Washington Times claimed that the no.1 sports storyline in the area for the month of April was the Capitals' playoff chase. All three of the team's remaining games are at home, all of them "must wins," and beginning tonight, when 18,000-plus fans "red out" the Phone Booth, there will most assuredly be a playoff atmosphere in the city's hockey rink.

I'd like to see local media cover the games just like they would the playoffs. We've already got a terrific beat reporter on the job for the Post; I'd like to see Tarik joined by the paper's best photographer, Dan Steinberg blogging near me, and you joining the Cardiac Caps' party.

We can use this week as a launching pad to a revitalized sports culture in Washington. Southeast D.C. along the Anacostia with its new ballpark is being revitalized -- Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps are reviving hockey across town in Northwest.

I never believed that Washington had to be a second- or third-rate sports town, and I thought that one day an athlete so special in his skills, so magnetic in his personality, so dominant in his ability would arrive here and transform our sports culture.

He has.

Hope I see you tonight.