Photograph courtesy of Flickr user Keith Allison.

A number of media outlets are reporting that the Wizards have fired coach Flip Saunders. This is probably not much of a surprise to anyone, because the Washington basketball team has had a dreadful, near-dysfunctional season so far—a record 2–15. Earlier, management had said Saunders’s job was secure. CBS Sports may have nailed it, though: “Disappointing losses to the struggling Boston Celtics in a winnable game at home followed by a thrashing by the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night may have changed ownership’s mind.”

WTOP has confirmed Saunders’s firing.

“I’ve never liked sports,” said Serena Williams in Brisbane recently. Photograph by Flickr user James Boyes.

Serena Williams doesn’t like her job. Well, take a number. The line forms over there.

The former number-one player in the world made her frank declaration two weeks ago at the season-opening tournament in Brisbane. “I don’t love tennis today, but I’m here,” she said. “I’ve never liked sports and could never understand how I became an athlete.”

Her statement smacks of resentment—resentment toward a sport that has simultaneously consumed her life and provided her untold riches and comfort. She has a gift, but according to this recent proclamation, it’s a gift that has been foisted upon her without her consent. Hard to imagine Yo-Yo Ma resents the cello, but Williams resents tennis.

While the Redskins often dominate the local sports discussion, Washington remains a basketball city at its core. The city’s relationship with Captain Blatche and the Wizards may be a bit tepid these days, but you can always count on local high school basketball games to fill up the gym.

The Washington area boasts three high schools in the USA Today Super 25, led by the undefeated Gonzaga Eagles. The traditional power out of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference are on the rise in local and national rankings after a week that featured two huge wins. Last Monday they outlasted Baltimore power Patterson High in front of a packed gym at DC’s Coolidge High School, despite playing without future North Carolina Tar Heel Nate Britt. They doubled the feat over the weekend with an even bigger win, this time over DeMatha Catholic. More than 3,000 fans filled American University’s Bender Arena to witness the city’s best rivalry in person.

These games offer the kind of atmosphere that is sometimes lacking at Verizon Center. Fortunately there are still plenty of notable games left in the season. Here’s a look at some of the match-ups you may want to check out in the coming weeks.

Giants fans will convene at 51st State for this weekend’s game. Photograph by Flickr user Travis S.

With the Redskins out, maybe you’ve thrown your weight behind the next closest franchise in Baltimore . . . or maybe not. Or maybe you’re a Washingtonian who originally hails from San Francisco, New York, or New England. Whatever your reason, you’ll be rooting for someone this Sunday, and we have great options for watching this weekend’s games. Here’s a list of the best bars around town to catch your team on a big screen with like-minded fans.

Could Peyton Manning replace Rex Grossman? Photograph by Brian Murphy.

Washington Redskins president of operations Dennis Greene was overheard telling people at a Washington Economic Club luncheon today that a new quarterback has been chosen, “and fans will be elated.” Greene said the mystery player’s name won’t be revealed until April, when the NFL draft occurs.

Speculation has been ripe as to whom the team would pick as Rex Grossman’s successor. Some candidates: Andrew Luck of Stanford, Heisman winner Robert Griffin IIIof Baylor, and injured Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl vet Peyton Manning. Other college quarterbacks who are putting themselves up for the draft included Brock Osweilerof Arizona State, Darron Thomas of Oregon, and Barrett Trotter of Auburn.

The 2012 NFL draft is set to happen April 26 through 28 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Redskins, with a 5–11 record, have the sixth overall pick behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, the St. Louis Rams, and the Colts, who have first dibs.

We have contacted a spokesperson for the Redskins and will update if and when we receive comment.

Update: Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie had this comment: "We have not named our 2012 starting QB."

Jack Kogod won’t root for John Harbaugh’s team, no matter how often he asks. Photograph by Flickr user Keith Allison.

Once again, our acquaintances in Baltimore are in the midst of a playoff run, while Redskins fans are left without a rooting interest. It’s certainly nothing out of the ordinary, but lately there’s been a lot more talk about Washingtonians donning the purple. That horrible, horrible purple.

Blame John Harbaugh. The Ravens coach just won’t shut up about expanding his team’s fanbase into Washington. Back in the preseason, he told reporters how he wanted to “keep growing our fanbase into this whole Mid-Atlantic.” More recently, he invited Redskins fans to Baltimore, saying, “We want to be their AFC team.”

Stop it. Just stop it now. We don’t like you, Baltimore. Nobody does, according to this highly scientific ESPN poll. We’ll take your groundbreaking crime dramas, but not your NFL team. Choosing to root for them would be weird and wrong. Like dating your dimwitted cousin because it’s geographically convenient.

I can understand picking a favorite playoff team, but the list of reasons you shouldn’t root for the Ravens is longer than Joe Flacco’s Fu Manchu’d face. Baltimore’s quarterback has won more plaudits for his overgrown eyebrow(s) and ridiculous mustache than he has for his role in the team’s success.

While he’s been whining about a lack of respect, his own teammate has openly questioned his grasp of the offense. I hope he does just well enough to force the Ravens to commit to him with a contract extension, because he’s terrible, and he’ll eventually make Baltimore fans miserable.

And oh, how I want to see that. The only thing worse than a Cowboys fan inside the Beltway is a guy from Dundalk with a closet full of purple camo. And what’s with the guys in cowboy hats and dusters? You live in Maryland and your mascot is a bird.

Sharing a stadium with the Hogettes is bad enough. Do you really want to compound the unpleasantness by associating with these people?

Is it that you don’t enjoy being a Redskins fan? Because of course you don’t. Being a Redskins fan is horrible. Except for those rare times when it isn’t, which is kind of the point of being a fan to begin with.

So go Patriots. Because I’d rather be a bitter Redskins fan hoping for the Ravens to lose than to be a Beltway bandwagon jumper.

The player for which the chief venue at the Australian Open is named, Maragaret Court, has come under fire for recent vehement anti-gay-marriage remarks. Photograph by Flickr user bradt.ca.

I arrived this week in Melbourne, Australia, at one of tennis’s four sacred grounds. It is the only one to which I haven’t previously made a pilgrimage. I grew up in New York, sneaking into the US Open through the catering kitchens that once opened onto Flushing Meadows Park. I asked my wife to marry me at Wimbledon in ’96. We took our first trip to Roland Garros in Paris in ’02, with our soon-to-be-born son along for the ride.

Since those initial visits to the sites of three of tennis’s four majors, I have returned to each on multiple occasions in my role as a tennis commentator. This trip to Melbourne completed my broadcaster’s grand slam. But as I arrived at what Aussies affectionately call the “Happy Slam,” it was apparent that not everyone was happy—and with good reason.