Thom Loverro
Columns by Thom Loverro
Mike Shanahan is gone; time for RG3, Redskins to get busy livin’
We've heard subtlely and not so subtlely that Mike Shanahan held talent hostage. Now that he's gone, it seems everyone at Redskins Park is feeling like Andy Dufresne walking on a Mexican beach. Published April 30, 2014
LOVERRO: Nene-less Wizards come up big when it was absolutely necessary
Up 2-1 in the series, after losing Game 3 at home, Game 4 was of course a big game. You don't want to go back to Chicago with the series even at 2-2 – especially, when, for anyone watching this series, it's obvious the Bulls can't match the Wizards talent. Published April 27, 2014
LOVERRO: Nene gives Wizards a foundation they never had in Arenas era
There may be no truer cliché in sports than defense winning championships. Playoff teams that can't play defense fall by the wayside quickly. This Wizards squad is led by a player with a brain, heart and conscience. Published April 24, 2014
LOVERRO: Why celebrate ‘Bad Boys’ when ‘Eden’ awaits?
The Detroit Pistons teams that filled the void following the Magic and Bird era, and did so with elbows, fists, and bad basketball. There is nothing to celebrate about those championship teams. They should be buried, not praised. Look around, children of that time, for something better — something that was beautiful. Published April 22, 2014
LOVERRO: Bryce Harper-Mike Trout comparisons may be a career-long thing
Mike Trout and his Los Angeles Angels teammates come to Washington for a three-game series at Nationals Park, the first time that Trout and Harper will be on the field as Major League Baseball competitors. Published April 20, 2014
LOVERRO: On the Wizards’ trip to Brazil, a miracle happened
The Washington Wizards Most Valuable Player is 83 years old, stands 98 feet tall, weighs, 700 tons, is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone and sits on top of a 2,300-foot mountain. Published April 17, 2014
LOVERRO: Capitals’ major challenge is finding someone who can win with Alex Ovechkin
George McPhee has failed to capitalize on the success of one of the best goal scorers of his time, a three-time NHL Most Valuable Player. That's what all this comes down to. He hasn't figured out how to win with Alex Ovechkin. Published April 15, 2014
LOVERRO: Bo Belinsky, Sonny Liston share a cemetery - one found peace, the other didn’t
I figured I owed Sonny a moment in the sun. He settled in Vegas in his final years, but never found peace. Then again, this town is the last place to find that kind of peace. Bo Belinsky, though, did. Published April 13, 2014
LOVERRO: Injured hand didn’t keep Scott Christopher from a life of baseball and art
The strange, curious, painful and wonderful life of Scott Christopher has taken the path from a Falls Church park to the pages of Sports Illustrated to the dugout with Cal Ripken to a private moment with Michael Jackson that produced what is considered the greatest photograph ever of the pop icon. Published April 10, 2014
LOVERRO: It’s time for the Wizards to be bold and go get John Calipari
John Calipari can coach. Sometimes all the bombast and hair gel gets in the way of noticing that. But his Kentucky team's run to the NCAA title game this year – even though it lost to Connecticut -- woke people up to Calapari the coach. Published April 8, 2014
LOVERRO: Gary Williams earned Hall of Fame through sweat equity
Gary Williams sweated his way to fame, and those who watched him get the most out of his teams, from American University to the University of Maryland, admired and enjoyed every bead of sweat, because you knew it was devoted to winning. Published April 6, 2014
LOVERRO: Nationals have a chance to set the tone early vs. Braves
This weekend at Nationals Park, starting Friday at the home opener when Washington faces the Atlanta Braves, is Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran. It's this coming season's Washington Redskins opener vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (bet on it). Published April 3, 2014
LOVERRO: DeSean Jackson’s red flags don’t seem to worry Redskins
The reality is that most NFL franchises could field a special teams unit full of players with red flags. If teams stayed away from players with bad associations and outrageous lifestyles, the NFL would be 7 on 7 football. Published April 1, 2014
LOVERRO: Nationals might be good enough to live up to expectations this time
We know Matt Williams can make the trains run on time. And we know he can come up with a daily quote to keep his players focused. We don't know if Williams can manage a team to a World Series championship. Published March 30, 2014
BASEBALL 2014: LOVERRO: Behold, MLB’s four kings
Bryce Harper knows who his peers are. He knows how he will be measured, perhaps for the rest of his major league career. Published March 27, 2014
LOVERRO: Behind Bobby Magruder, D.C. boxing scene lives on
Remarkably, kids are still showing up in boxing gyms in Maryland, Washington and Virginia looking to be the next Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. Or maybe even Bobby Magruder, a four-time Washington Golden Gloves champion who fought Sugar Ray Leonard three times as an amateur. Published March 27, 2014
LOVERRO: The NFL’s $45 million donation to USA Football seems like a desperation heave
The NFL threw a Hail Mary pass Monday when its charitable foundation donated a whopping $45 million to USA Football to expand the organization's Heads Up Football program that attempts to each a safer way to play the violent game. Published March 25, 2014
LOVERRO: With Klitschko brothers, boxing and politics intersect again
It may not carry the same weight it used to — at least in the United States, given the pathetic state of heavyweight boxing — but in Europe, and obviously in Ukraine, the power and influence of heavyweight champion goes beyond the ring. Published March 23, 2014
LOVERRO: If Mount Rushmore doesn’t float your boat, may I interest you in an ark?
The "Mount Rushmore" craze has gotten out of control. But I've been inspired by a new film — "Noah" — to create a new measurement of historical greatness. Published March 20, 2014
LOVERRO: Barry Bonds returns to baseball, but the asterisk remains
Bonds himself told reporters his stint as a spring training instructor was "baby steps" but he is available if the Giants need him for other duties — you know, maybe like a goodwill ambassador. Wouldn't that be rich. Published March 18, 2014
