Thom Loverro
Columns by Thom Loverro
Capitals fans finally get shot to see a title series on home ice
Now, finally, with Game 3 Saturday night, Washington fans get the gift of watching a championship game live, in their own city. Published May 31, 2018
Capitals blew chance to beat the house in Las Vegas in Game 1
The house won, with Vegas coming away with the 6-4 win and you have to walk away from that game Monday night wondering if you're ever going to draw as good a hand as you did in Game 1. Published May 29, 2018
George McPhee, Vegas general manager, built much of Capitals roster
McPhee, who was the general manager in Washington from 1997 until he was fired in April 2014, is responsible for more than half of the Capitals roster that won just its second Eastern Conference championship and it playing in just their second Stanley Cup Final. Published May 27, 2018
Alex Ovechkin leadership made a difference
Getting older sometimes means getting wiser. That's why this version of the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals is different. Published May 24, 2018
Capitals need someone in Game 7 to take legendary ‘one giant leap’
Now the Capitals need someone to be Buzz Aldrin -- the second man to take that legendary "one giant leap." The Capitals need someone to write a new name into the history books Wednesday night and lead the team past the tenacious Tampa Bay Lightning and into a showdown with the fairy tale Vegas Golden Knights. Published May 22, 2018
Braden Holtby holds key to Capitals’ fate
The Capitals can dominate, but are not dominant in the most important moments. The Capitals can play well, but they cannot sustain success. The Capitals are capable of winning, but seem far more comfortable folding. The answer? It's been the same since this round of the playoffs started -- Braden Holtby. Published May 20, 2018
MGM National Harbor boxing has fallen short of expectations
After all, the MGM has long been a player in the boxing business, and the Washington area needed the right location to host top-rated fights. For whatever reason, they have fallen far short of those expectations. Published May 17, 2018
NFL catches life preserver from Supreme Court with legalized sports betting ruling
The Supreme Court threw a life preserver to football and the National Football League this week with its ruling that struck down a 1992 federal law that banned most states from legalizing sports betting. Published May 15, 2018
LeBron James is the GOAT only if history is discarded
You can't make that argument -- that the greatest of all time is either LeBron James or Michael Jordan -- unless you ignore all the pesky history and stats that don't fit your narrative. Published May 13, 2018
Frank Howard’s power rampage helped fuel icon status 50 years ago
In the midst of the turmoil that rocked the country in the summer of 1968, the Washington Senators slugger went on his own rampage. From May 12 through 18, Howard blasted 10 home runs in 20 at bats, with at least one in six consecutive games. Published May 10, 2018
Alex Ovechkin has chance to elevate his legacy
The distance between the Stanley Cup and the greatest goal scorer of his era seemed destined to grow each year with every early Capitals playoff exit. Today, Ovechkin is closer than he's ever been, thanks to Monday night's win. Published May 8, 2018
Braden Holtby saves Capitals fans from more despair
Braden Holtby wants you to know that when you were sitting in your seats at the Capital One Arena or on the couch at home Saturday night in despair after that Game 5 second period when it seemed the Washington Capitals were on the brink of their familiar collapse against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was sitting right there with you. Published May 6, 2018
Directing blame for Redskins cheerleader scandal
If you are a Redskins fan and have read the New York Times story about how some of the team's cheerleaders claim they were pressured into serving as escorts for clients and felt uncomfortable during topless photo shoots on a trip to Costa Rica, you're probably angry. Published May 3, 2018
How 1988 losing streak gave birth to Camden Yards
At some point, Baltimore and Orioles fans embraced the losing streak of 1988 and turned it into a badge of honor -- at least for the start of the season. By the end, with a 54-107 record, it wasn't as much fun. Published May 1, 2018
Ted Leonsis should know better: this team isn’t close
The Wizards just closed down another yet forgettable season in a half-century-long run of mediocrity. Change, from top to bottom, should be a topic for discussion. Published April 29, 2018
Washington’s sports Mount Rushmore would have six names
Mount Rushmore opened in 1941, and we've been rebuilding it ever since. It's become a popular measuring stick for sports greats — the Mount Rushmore of baseball players, the Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches, the Mount Rushmore of pickleball greats, among many others. Published April 26, 2018
Braden Holtby has to get hot, stay hot
If 2018 is to be the year that Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals finally make it past the second round, Holtby is key. Published April 24, 2018
Bruno Sammartino sold credibility, respectability in business that had little
I was going to see Bruno Sammartino -- the greatest wrestling champion of all time, who passed away last week at the age of 82 -- at Madison Square Garden, perhaps the greatest gift a young Italian Brooklyn boy could receive from his father. Published April 22, 2018
Dusty Baker’s impact adds up to more than 1s and 0s
Dusty Baker talks with Thom Loverro about his decision last season to stick with Jayson Werth -- arguably one of the decisions that may have led to his departure. Published April 19, 2018
Dez Bryant only has himself to blame for Dallas ouster
The reality is that Bryant will never find a more protective atmosphere than he did under Jason Garrett and the Cowboys -- a staff and organization far more willing to accept Bryant's personal baggage, his lackluster effort at times showing up teammates and other issues. Published April 17, 2018
