The Washington Capitals, who are on a Florida road trip, not only put another win under their belts but also scored a steak and seafood team dinner. The win happened Tuesday in Sunrise, where they beat the Florida Panthers for the second straight time. They then moved on to Tampa, where, after a light practice Wednesday, the team convened for dinner at the Ocean Prime steakhouse near the airport. Seated in the Frank Sinatra Room, they were served a special menu of filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, and assorted sides, including mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. Beer and wine were served, but most of the players didn’t drink at all, according to an attendee. Maybe that’s because Thursday night they play the Tampa Bay Lightning.
When we reached out to team spokesman Sergey Kocharov to confirm the dinner we asked whether there are ever any team dinners in Washington. He said they are usually on the road and typically at a few places well known for their protein and potatoes: Del Frisco’s, Capital Grille, and Morton’s. In DC, though, he said the players favorites include Cafe Milano, Capital Grille, the Source, and Sushi Rock in Arlington.
There’s apparently a new addition to the list, too.
Alexander Ovechkin tweeted a photo of himself
outside the new Mari Vanna on Connecticut Avenue. His
message, with his punctuation, was, “Gr8 place for Russian food
in DC!!!”
Gr8 place for Russian food in DC!!! twitter.com/ovi8/status/28…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) January 9, 2013
Tiger Woods is bringing his golf tournament, the AT&T National, back to Congressional Country Club this summer. The tournament, which raises funds for the Tiger Woods Foundation and honors the military, will run from June 24 through 30, with the traditional Pro-Am on Wednesday and the first round on Thursday, June 27. Last year Woods won. The tournament was also memorable for sweltering temperatures that reached into the 90s. The players visibly poured sweat. Due to the powerful derecho that brought down trees, the tournament also featured a peculiar Saturday where the third round was played but no fans were allowed on the course.
On Thursday a few Congressional club members said that shortly after this year’s tournament, the board of Congressional will meet to decide whether to continue the relationship with Woods and the AT&T National after its last contractual year, which is 2014.* One club member said the debate is expected to be fierce. It’s not because the tournament doesn’t do well and draw tens of thousands of paying fans—it does—but there’s some concern about disruption for members and club team practices and wear and tear on the course.The AT&T is fairly gentle, as these things go, but in 2011, when the US Open was played at Congressional, wet weather, with no time for the grounds to dry out, caused significant damage to the Blue Course, considered one of the best in the US. The wet conditions made the course fast, and a relative newcomer to PGA spotlight, Rory McIlroy, tore through one hole after another and won with a tournament record score of 16-under par.
What would happen if Congressional decides to break with the AT&T National? According to insiders who play at Congressional and closely follow the PGA, there are two Virginia courses that would like to host the event: the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Manassas and the Trump National Golf Club at Lowes Island near Sterling. Donald Trump played in the Pro-Am at Congressional last year.
*This post has been updated from a previous version.
The Sports Junkies, and the hosts of "Table Manners": Eric Bickel, John Auville, John-Paul Flaim, and Jason Bishop. Photographs by Carol Ross Joynt.
UPDATE: You can watch the premiere episode online now.
Collectively, their public persona is unapologetically a foursome of rubes from Prince George’s County, Maryland, who don’t know a wine glass from a water glass and who only recently learned that napkins come in cloth as well as paper. But as with almost anybody who has a public life as well as a private life, that’s only a half truth about the radio jocks known as the Sports Junkies: John “Cakes” Auville, Eric “E.B.” Bickel, John-Paul “J.P.” Flaim, and Jason “Lurch” Bishop. The other truth is that while they are local boys who made good in the competitive world of morning talk radio, who professionally thrive on their regular-guy-on-air patter, they are smart and savvy enough to also market themselves in a new medium: television. Their new weekly show, Table Manners, premieres tonight at 11 on Comcast SportsNet.
Monday night, on the eve of the show’s debut, the Junkies held a premiere party for fans and friends at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse, making it possibly the first time ever for a red-carpet television premiere in Arlington. But there were no klieg lights, no one called it a “gala,” no one got dressed up, and the overall mood was fun, intimate, and laid back. With four hours on the air each morning, the Junkies have a bond with listeners, who showed their loyalty by coming out 200-strong on a Monday night—and not just any Monday, but the day after the Super Bowl, when most sports fans are dragging.
While talking with Washington Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, a friend of the show, we wondered if Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday, because, really, how productive are tired and hungover football fans? “That’s what we were saying last night. That’s what my wife said,” he replied.
Other guests included Tony Perkins and Dave Ross of Fox 5, Britt McHenry and Steve Cheveney of WJLA-TV, and a group of 106.7 colleagues, including Sky Kerstein, Chad Dukes, and Danny Rouhier.
The Junkies will need the loyal radio fans to be just as loyal to this new venture, which is making them both happy and anxious. “What’s not to like?” Bickel said about branching into television. “But I am beginning to feel the pressure.”
The Super Bowl is a monster event, and for that reason it has an outsize emotional impact. Not only are there the passionate vows of loyalty to a particular team, but also a largely media-generated message that no one should be alone on Super Bowl Sunday—no matter what. Football fans bond over the primal event with a binge of drink and food, howling at the television, high-fives, and chest bumps. To be fair, non-fans also find comfort with each other in making an anti-Super Bowl statement. PBS, anyone?
The point is there’s a drive to connect. What does that mean to us? Easy: an excuse to jump into that Superdome of beguiling human expression known as the Craigslist Personals. We scanned “missed connections,” “strictly platonic,” “misc romance” and “casual encounters” for samples of the searching human voice, eager for contact that related—in one way or another—to the Super Bowl. To get our balance back, we ended with “rants and raves” and found, well, who was to blame for the power outage.
Here are our faves, including a few from Baltimore because, after all, it was their night.
Sean, the dominos delivery guy—m4m—32 (Brookland-CUA)
I know this is a long shot, but here it goes. You’re a tall and handsome black guy named Sean. You delivered my dominos pizza and food tonight (Super Bowl night). You were very nice to me, gave me a free soda, and asked me if I watch the game, but I’m from Europe and told you I only watch soccer when it comes to sports. You smiled and shook my hands. If you read this or deliver in the Brookland area please hit me up.
super bowl at Green turtle—m4w—25 (Ballston )
you were wearing red shirt and supporting Ravens.. I didn’t get chance to talk to you but you look so cute.. I hope you can find this message..
pediactric nurse from mt washington hospital?—m4w—38 (giant on york road by abc 2)
we talked in line yesterday about 6p... you are going to the super bowl party at your sister in laws.. you are a pediatric nurse that drives a bwm suv... i THINK its mt washington hosptial or george washington hospital... im the army guy that was really into you.. probably a long shot but you never know...
Smoothie next time?—m4m (WSC Downtown, Conn Ave)
Super Bowl Sunday: Wish we could have stayed longer at the gym. Next time will you join me for a Pinkberry smoothie?
I know this is a shot in the dark, and I’ve never used craigslist before other than buying furniture, but this is the first way I thought about when trying to locate you after the game was over and I could not find you. I think you are extremely beautiful, with a great smile and a great sense of humor. I really wanted to at least give you my number so we could see each other again after rioting in the streets after the RAVENS WON THE SUPERBOWL!!!!! Go Ravens!!!!!
Andy Najar, the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year and soccer star for DC United, has been sold to Belgian champions Anderlecht for approximately $2 million, according to a report in the Washington Post. Najar, a defensive midfielder, had been on loan to Anderlecht for the past month.
Born in Honduras, Najar went to high school in Alexandria and is a rising star for
the Honduran national team; he may play against the United States in a World Cup qualifying
match next week in San Pedro Sula. For more on Najar, read Luke Mullins’s feature,
which appeared in the March 2011 issue of
The Washingtonian.
Teammates of Ray Lewis and Colin Kaepernick have ties to DC. Images courtesy of Flickr users Keith Allison and Football Schedule.
Given that the Redskins aren’t part of the action, the Super Bowl is up for grabs for area football fans. But if you’re looking for a geographic reason to pick your team, the San Francisco 49ers are the way to go. We combed through the rosters of the Baltimore Ravens and the 49ers and discovered the California team includes four players from the metro area: tight end Vernon Davis, a DC native who played for Dunbar High School; Ahmad Brooks, who was born in Fairfax and played for UVA; NaVorro Bowman of District Heights, Maryland, who played for Suitland High School; and Cam Johnson, who was born in Greenbelt and played for Gonzaga College High School. Brooks, NaVorro, and Johnson are linebackers.
If you want a Redskins connection, the 49ers come up tops there, too. Kicker David Akers did his rookie season with the Redskins in 1998, and cornerback Carlos Rogers had six seasons in the Burgundy and Gold before signing with San Francisco in 2011.
The Ravens have only one former Redskin: defense tackle Ma’ake Kemoeatu, who played for Washington in 2010.
The Ravens roster also includes one player who’s a Baltimore native, wide receiver LaQuan Williams, and two players from Virginia: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was born in Hampton, Virginia, and wide receiver Torrey Smith is from Richmond.
DC Mayor Vincent Gray said he’s all in for the 49ers. His reason is a good one, too: He graduated from Dunbar High School, same as Vernon Davis. Other Dunbar grads in the NFL include Davis’s brother, Vontae Davis, who plays for the Indianapolis Colts; Joshua Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns; and Arrelious Benn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Recently engaged couple Cutter Dykstra and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Image courtesy of Sigler’s Instagram account.
There’s been quite a lot of hubbub in the media about the engagement announcement Monday from Cutter Dykstra and The Sopranos actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Dykstra is an infielder with the Washington Nationals, playing recently for their Hagerstown Suns farm team. Still, that’s enough of a connection for us to begin to wonder what’s in the water at Nationals Park. Love Potion #9?
There’s a romantic roll happening, with weddings already done, in the works, or rumored for five other Nats players—seven if you count the dear, departed Michael Morse, who married in the fall but has since been traded to the Seattle Mariners, and Edwin Jackson, who married this month at about the same time he signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Still with Washington is Ryan Zimmerman, who married Heather Downen about three weeks ago. Ross Detwiler married late last year. Jordan Zimmermann is married. Also engaged are Craig Stammen and Corey Brown.
This post has been updated from a previous version.
Robert Griffin III, Mike Shanahan, Mike Rizzo, and Katie Ledecky are among the award winners in the DC sports scene. Photograph of Griffin by Brian Garfinkel/AP Images. Photograph of Shanahan by Evan Vucci/AP Images. Photograph of Rizzo and Ledecky by Nick Wass/AP Images.
Best Team: Washington Nationals
RG3 mania aside, the Nats were the ones with the best record in their sport. This should be a nice consolation for that thing that happened in the playoffs that we will now agree never to discuss again.
Most Popular Team: Washington Redskins
Of course, record isn’t everything, and even a Nationals World Series banner wouldn’t put much of a dent in the Skins’ lead in this category. Such is life in Washington for non-football franchises.
Best Athlete in a Leading Role: Robert Griffin III
As if there were any doubt. RG3 is the king of DC. If he moved to Ward 8, he could unseat Marion Barry with ease.
Best Athlete in a Supporting Role: Tyler Clippard
This one goes to the best bench player in Washington. While the Nats’ starting rotation received plenty of love, Clip anchored a stellar bullpen. He was invaluable in his setup role, and when the team had no other choice, he transitioned into an effective closer.
Best Director: Mike Shanahan
Shanahan seemed to have this one wrapped up. He managed to prove his genius by guiding the Redskins to seven straight wins. The long-awaited NFC East crown was secured, and all he had to do was not cost the Skins a chance to win a playoff game while at the same time subjecting the franchise’s savior to further injury. He did both, and now everyone hates him. So the award should go to Davey Johnson, who had an excellent season as manager of the Nationals without setting his accrued goodwill on fire at the last minute.
Best Editing: Mike Rizzo
The architect of the city’s best team probably lost out on MLB’s Executive of the Year award for his controversial handling of Stephen Strasburg. However, Rizzo has far more supporters than critics in Washington.
Best Short: Washington Kastles
It can be easy to forget about World TeamTennis and, by extension, our own Kastles. However, that would be doing a disservice to the area’s most dominant franchise. The Kastles are the only team in town that’s won any hardware lately, and it’s been more than two seasons since they last dropped a match. If you haven’t caught them live, you should head to the Wharf this summer.
Best Costume Design: The Racing Presidents
Sometimes I find myself wondering if Screech, the official mascot of the Nats, feels slighted by all the attention paid to George, Abe, Thomas, and Teddy. Then I remember that Screech is terrible.
Best Group Performance: The Nationals’ Starting Rotation
The most effective quintet in baseball was the driving force behind the team’s incredible season.
Best Solo Performance: Katie Ledecky
The 15-going-on-16-year-old was easily the area’s most dominant athlete in the past year. When not attending Stone Ridge School, she enjoys dominating the 800-meter freestyle at the Olympics and listening to One Direction—probably.
Best Broadcast Booth: Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier
Buck’s signature “Dagger” will always be better than Bob Carpenter’s “Jammage.” There’s no argument here.
This article appears in the February 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
The attorney representing Fred Smoot says the former Washington Redskins cornerback did not urinate on himself after his recent arrest for driving under the influence, but was instead the target of a false claim intended to “embarrass” Smoot and “sensationalize” his arrest.
The Washingtonian on Thursday broke the news that Smoot was arrested on December 30 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug and operating while impaired. Smoot pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Phone calls to Smoot’s lawyer, Brian K. McDaniel, in advance of publication were not returned.
According to the affidavit of US Capitol Police officer Seth Carll, Smoot “peed his pants” while being processed at the police station. The urine created “a puddle on the floor,” Carll said in the affidavit. “[A police officer] witnessed the urine running down his pant leg and onto the floor. [Smoot] did not express that he had to use the restroom.”
But in a written statement to The Washingtonian Friday, McDaniel called parts of the affidavit “plainly erroneous and factually unsupported.”
Former Redskin Fred Smoot. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user dbking.
Former Washington Redskins defensive back Fred Smoot was arrested on December 30 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug and operating while impaired, according to documents filed with DC Superior Court.
Smoot pleaded not guilty to the charges. His attorney, Brian K. McDaniel, did not return phone calls requesting comment.
A Metropolitan Police officer arrested Smoot—who played seven seasons at corner back for the Redskins between 2001 and 2009—at around 3:30 AM on December 30 near the 100 block of Massachusetts Avenue, Northeast, US Capitol Police officer Seth Carll said in an affidavit.
The officer pulled Smoot over after he saw Smoot driving an Audi A7 with no tags, Carll said in the affidavit. According to Carll, Smoot did not have his registration tags inside the car and said his temporary tags had gotten snow on them and were wet.
During the traffic stop, the officer smelled “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from [Smoot’s] breath and person,” Carll said in the affidavit. “[Smoot’s] eyes were red and watery.”
Smoot also appeared angry, Carll said in the affidavit. When asked why, Smoot said “he got into it with his girl at the club,” according to the affidavit.
Smoot told the Capitol Police officer that he’d had one drink, according to the affidavit, and agreed to a field sobriety test. During a series of tests, Smoot demonstrated “many clues of impairment,” including swaying noticeably, Carll said in the affidavit.
