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.
Tyler Clippard. Photograph by David J. Phillip/AP Images.
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.
Teddy of the Racing Presidents. Photograph by Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Images.
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.
Handing Out Awards for the Best In DC Sports
Hollywood award season is in full swing, and with the sports calendar hitting a bit of a lull, now’s a good time to hand out trophies of our own.
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.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025
Rock Creek Isn’t Safe to Swim In. RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.
Jeanine Pirro: 5 Things to Know About the Fox News Host Trump Picked to Be DC’s Top Prosecutor
Trump Fires Librarian of Congress, Fox News Host to Be Next Top DC Prosecutor, Possibly Rabid Actual Fox Terrorizes Arlington
Humorless Scolds Fret About Trump’s Free Plane From Qatar, RFK Jr. Swam in Rock Creek, and We’ve Got 20 New Restaurants for You to Get Excited About
Washingtonian Magazine
May Issue: 52 Perfect Saturdays
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
DC Might Be Getting a Watergate Museum
DC-Area Universities Are Offering Trump Classes This Fall
Viral DC-Area Food Truck Flavor Hive Has It in the Bag
Slugging Makes a Comeback for DC Area Commuters
More from News & Politics
Federal Agents Arrest 189 in DC Immigration Crackdown
Five New Galleries Are Opening at DC’s National Air and Space Museum in July
DOGE’s Geniuses Are Bad at Math, Ed Martin’s New Job Is to “Shame” People, and the Commanders Will Play in Spain
A New Book About Joe Biden Has Washington Chattering, the Library Wars Continue, and the Wizards Lost Out in the Draft
Meet the Duck Whisperer of DC
Rock Creek Isn’t Safe to Swim In. RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.
Humorless Scolds Fret About Trump’s Free Plane From Qatar, RFK Jr. Swam in Rock Creek, and We’ve Got 20 New Restaurants for You to Get Excited About
This Pop-Up Museum Is All About the Teenage Experience