Alex Ovechkin is now the sole face of Washington
Bryce Harper and Alex Ovechkin. Two of the biggest names that once came to mind when it comes to the biggest faces in Washington, D.C. sports. Now there’s only one player that has become the sole face of the city.
For several years, this topic sparked a great debate. Which athlete was the bigger face in Washington? Alex Ovechkin has torn it up since entering the NHL, leading the league in goals in eight of his 14 seasons. That includes this season where he currently has 46 goals. Ovechkin has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP three times and has scored a total of 653 goals in his career.
Bryce Harper became the biggest name in baseball before he was even drafted number one overall by the Washington Nationals in 2010. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old. He made his MLB debut at the age of 19. Harper spent seven seasons as a member of the Nationals and helped lead them to four National League East division titles and won an MVP award in 2015 for smashing an MLB-leading 42 home runs that season.
Harper left Washington for good on Feb. 28 when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for a 13-year, $330 million deal with no opt-outs. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has remained in D.C. determined to help lead the Capitals to a repeat this June.
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Both athletes were responsible for two of the biggest highlights for Washington fans last summer. Ovechkin hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in the Capitals 43-year history. The championship also ended a 26-year generational title gap among the four major Washington D.C. sports teams (Redskins, Nationals, Capitals, Wizards).
Then the spotlight moved to the diamond in the middle of July as Nationals Park hosted the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. The night before the midsummer classic belonged to Harper, who rallied to win the Home Run Derby.
There are two differences to each milestone. Ovechkin’s title was for an entire city, an entire Capitals fanbase that has waited four decades for this moment. Capitals fans both young and old were impacted positively by seeing their team finally win the Stanley Cup and each fan has their own story on how much the Cup meant to them.
Harper’s Home Run Derby title was a big one for… Bryce Harper. After struggling in the first half of the season, Harper needed that spark to help get his confidence going in the Nationals’ second-half push towards the playoffs. That push didn’t turn out so well. The Nationals finished the year a dismal 82-80, falling short of their lofty expectations.
Perhaps I started leaning more towards Ovechkin during that Finals for the simple fact of seeing Bryce at Game 4 sporting a Vegas Golden Knights jersey and hat in the stands. I get that he’s from Vegas and that’s his team, as anyone can expect that. What didn’t sit well with me was that an athlete in their contract year attended a championship-level game in his team’s city but instead wore the logo of their opponent in said game. Had Harper simply worn neutral street clothes, it would’ve been a better look than making it seem to the hometown fans that he didn’t love his city or that he didn’t want to be back next season.
Bryce Harper wore a Vegas Golden Knights jersey during last night's Game 4 of the #StanleyCup Final. https://t.co/rYGAvOYnN4 pic.twitter.com/bmjEtq4gTw
— 7News DC Sports (@7NewsDCSports) June 5, 2018
Now Harper is gone and other than the occasional walk-off home run, the hair flips, the regular season success, there won’t be much legacy to his name when it comes to sports in this city. He was on some good Nats teams but they have yet to win three playoff games to advance out of the NLDS. He not only left town, but he also left town to play for a bitter rival in a bitter city that has had history against Washington no matter the sport.
Ovechkin, although signing a rich contract himself after his rookie season that was ironically 13 years for $124,000, chose to remain in Washington. Even though he played on some great Capitals teams that had also fallen short of postseason expectations, he stuck with the program remaining laser-focused on his goal of bringing a championship to the city of D.C.
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It is this reason of loyalty why Alex Ovechkin is the sole face of D.C. sports. He never gave up even when it seemed like things would never change. He reaped the rewards of lifting a Stanley Cup, having a ring and watching a beautiful banner go up. He partied as we all did in college multiplied by 10. He will always be remembered for last year’s run.
In 13 years from now, we could likely see a statue of Ovechkin outside of Capital One Arena. As for Bryce? His contract will be up but don’t count on any statues in D.C.