This is not a drill! The Capitals have brought back the Screaming Eagle for their third jersey this season, but with some never before seen twists.
First things first - if you're seeing this on the 15th, Dylan Strome is going to be at Nationals Park from 5:30pm ET serving free ice cream before he throws the first pitch at the Braves game tonight (presumably in the new sweater). Nationals will also be wearing a t-shirt version pre-game as part of the city-wide announcement.
Now, I need to be honest. I have waxed poetic about the unmatched superiority of the Screaming Eagle sweater designs before. And I stand by them. We didn't know what we had in last year's black iteration with that snazzy gold accent stripe. Chef's kiss.
Some are saying the new design is sharp and patriotic, but I beak to differ. There's "inspired by past classics", and then there's "We threw all the old jerseys into the washing machine and they got tangled and this came out. We don't know what happened to the eagle's other foot". No one said this to my knowledge, but I can't fathom how else we got here.
I DO like the subtle DC flag loop, even if no one will ever see it.
When we said we wanted a strong Right Wing this is not what we meant. We meant Tom Wilson. In a black sweater.
The internet informs me I'm in the minority. It seems to be taking off. There's a call for these to be the permanent home jerseys. Presumably they're all colorblind and hate joy.
Of course, I'll be cheering them on regardless. I've got their back. Which is definitely where my attention will be focused. So that I can look for the puck on the ice and not the eagle's other foot. The black and blue jersey versions of the Screaming Eagle also featured a one-footed eagle, and yet somehow, against the red, it's all I see.