6:20 am in DC and there are no rats on the streets. It's as if DC's hottest new "it" tandem have baptized the nations capital in optimism the likes of which have not been seen since 1973's "Home rule" act.
In relationships, we call this the infatuation period, in football we call it 2-0. It's like Eric Bieniemy and Sam Howell came along and took the Commanders out of the friend zone and now this franchise is officially a "thing". Are we super bowl contenders or just division champs? No need to put labels on things. We're just going to take it day by day.
Howell and Bieniemy are on top of the world and rightfully so. This team is getting major press coverage and for once that's a good thing. Experts are power ranking this team in the top 10 and a lot of fans feel like this Washington team could win a championship while connecting to the heart of the DC fanbase in a way that they haven't seen since Lamont Peterson.
Things are great in DC. Fed-Ex field is sold out, no one is complaining about the quality of the stadium, The team name debate is all but a distant memory and you don't have to make a congressional salary to afford concessions at the stadium. This team no longer feels like a corporate boys club. There's a lot of elements of this team that remind folks of the good ole days.
But, like any good epic, theres a cautionary tale. There's a "fan favorite" mausoleum the length of U street filled with former fan admired legends turned sour.
My advice to Howell, and Bieniemy is simple. Win and remain true to yourself. Don't be a people pleaser nor a politician, DC has enough of those. Work hard at your craft and own your mistakes. Accountability goes a long way in this town. Oh, and beat the Cowboys.
The new ownership has empowered fans to feel good again. The new power duo will ensure that those feelings become justified.
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