Thom Loverro
Columns by Thom Loverro
Anthony Rendon’s free agency won’t be Bryce Harper-esque
This sequel will be different. Rendon, 28, is no more at ease with the media attention -- he would rather chew broken glass than do a press conference -- than Harper, but there were no threats to walk out. There was a recognition of responsibility. Published February 20, 2019
Trea Turner brings similar expectations to Manny Machado, just at a lower price tag
Turner cost Washington $577,000 last year. He will cost them $3.7 million this year. He won't be eligible for free agency until 2023. And Turner may be just as exciting to watch as Machado this season if he delivers on Nationals manager Davey Martinez's goal for him. Published February 19, 2019
Juan Soto steps into spotlight that was Harper’s
20-year-old Juan Soto arrived at spring training in West Palm Beach Monday amid the kind of attention and fanfare typically paid to team leaders and stars. Published February 18, 2019
Dan Snyder the ‘peddler’ can’t sell a Redskins stadium
No one wants to stand next to Snyder these days, save those getting paid to do so. His public image has never been lower. It's as if the years of losing, the heavy-handed mismanagement and the long list of other issues -- including the controversial Redskins name -- are finally dragging under a franchise that was once an NFL showcase. Published February 17, 2019
Maryland Terrapins will be able to play with anyone come March
That Maryland team we saw in the second half on Tuesday is a second-weekend tournament team. Those players who dominated the floor in the final 20 minutes against the Boilermakers could -- and should -- find their way to at least the Sweet 16 in March. Published February 14, 2019
Otto Porter trade is Ernie Grunfeld’s latest attempt to put out Wizards fires he started
General manager Ernie Grunfeld has spent years putting out fires he himself set -- the latest being the trade of Otto Porter and the $106 million max contract the Wizards gave him in August 2017. Published February 12, 2019
Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson set tone for O’s
At a time of often bitter confrontation between black and white America, Frank Robinson, a black baseball player, and Brooks Robinson, a white baseball player, forged a friendship that would last a lifetime. Published February 10, 2019
Frank Robinson was a gift to the game of baseball, fans everywhere
Robinson meant a lot to the game and meant a lot to the fans everywhere he went. He was smart, funny, compassionate and competitive, and, even at the age of 70 here in Washington, we saw all of that. Published February 7, 2019
John Wall is out but will fans notice
The news that John Wall ruptured his Achilles following surgery he had weeks before is devastating. But this fan base may be so damaged that it's numb to such bad news. Published February 6, 2019
Bill Belichick legacy cemented with No. 6
The heavyweight matchup between the playoff-veteran New England Patriots and the newcomer Los Angeles Rams didn't pack many punches, at least not offensively. But, like a wily old boxer, Patriots coach Bill Belichick controlled the fight until the championship rounds -- the fourth quarter. Published February 3, 2019
Doug Williams moonlighting says lot about Redskins
What NFL franchise lets their top personnel guy take on another commitment during a crucial stretch of the season? The Redskins, of course. Published February 3, 2019
Bill Belichick began his Super Bowl brilliance as a Giants assistant coach
Officially, the New England Patriots coach, who has also lost three Super Bowls, has five Super Bowl championships as a head coach, with three losses, and the record will show he will be going for his sixth NFL title in Sunday's Super Bowl LIII contest against the Los Angeles Rams. But if we chose to truly believe the evidence, the Giants' win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV should be Belichick's win. Published January 31, 2019
Jackie Robinson once faced a Kyler Murray-like decision between baseball and football
In the middle of this week-long celebration of football leading up to the most popular sporting event in America -- the Super Bowl -- a year-long celebration of the 100th birthday of arguably the most important athlete in American history will begin. Jackie Robinson didn't play football. But he could have -- and may have wound up one of the all-time greats. Published January 29, 2019
NFL’s gambling boom will come with a price
If Art Schlichter is in good enough shape to sit in front of a microphone when he is released from federal prison, he will likely be the star of radio row at the Super Bowl a few years from now. Published January 27, 2019
Mike Mussina crafted his Hall of Fame work in Baltimore
It was his 10 years in Baltimore where Mussina separated himself as a future Hall of Famer. Published January 24, 2019
Dan Snyder still meddling
They like to say there are only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL. The reality is that there are only 31, and then there is the Redskins job. It stands alone in the league, with more baggage than a Diana Ross tour. Published January 22, 2019
Bill Belichick, Dark Knight, vs Sean McVay, Golden Boy
Super Bowl LIII will be a matchup of the old and new NFL genius -- arguably the greatest coach in the history of the league versus the prototype of the 21st-century football coach. Published January 20, 2019
Micah Bowie, Ex-Nationals pitcher, needs help from players union to stay alive
The costs to keep him alive have been prohibitive, and taken its toll on his family. Bowie qualified for government disability payments, but that didn't come close to helping pay his medical bills. So Bowie went to his union -- the Major League Baseball Players Association -- for help. There was none. Published January 17, 2019
Baseball Hall of Famers should be selected for impact, not just stats
Voting has already taken place among the eligible baseball writers, and the results will be revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Many ballots have already been made public by voters, and I'll make mine public here. But as I have often said, the vote often turns into a venom-filled referendum on truth and justice instead of simply a decision about a baseball player's career. Published January 15, 2019
Bruce Allen’s stranglehold on Redskins tightens with Brian Lafemina’s departure
Yes, of course Allen is coming back. He didn't drive Lafemina and his team from the building only to surrender power. Not only is Allen, who has become the object of the wrath of an angry Redskins fan base, staying on as team president in charge of football operations, but he is taking over the business side as well -- the job that Lafemina had. Allen drank Lafemina's milk shake. Published January 13, 2019
