This was written by Dan Steinberg from the Washington Post
Three years ago, Mike Wise wrote a column, dubbing Clinton Portis D.C.'s most popular athlete, ahead of Gilbert and Ovechkin. Two years ago, I did a similar Top Six list, leading with the same three names as Wise, but in a different order: Gilbert, then Portis, then Ovechkin. Then a few months ago, the AP's Joseph White wrote this:
Ovechkin has clearly become Washington's No. 1 sports star -- ahead of the Redskins' Clinton Portis (who seemed to spend all of last season grumbling about one thing or another) and the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas (who hasn't played all season because of a knee injury).So is it a done deal then? I certainly thought so, and for months I've told anyone who asked that Ovechkin has the crown, full stop, next question. But then I started chatting with Wise the other day, and he still disagreed. If we were in a room with Ovechkin, Portis, Gilbert and a random sampling of D.C. area residents, he asked, would Ovie really attract the biggest crowd? I said yes. Wise said no.
But who cares what we think? Let's find out what you think? Even cooler, I'm going to find out what the local media thinks, via the first ever D.C. Sports Bog Top 5 Athlete Poll. To me, there are only five reasonable answers for the top spot: the three names of above, plus Zimmerman and Cooley, but I'll let the people speak. And, of course, I asked some wise observers for their thoughts on who's most popular.Click to VOTE and read the thoughts of Portis, Cooley and Smoot below.
8 comments:
Honestly this depends on backround and race.
There is two D.C's after all.
Nationally there is no question that Ovechkin would be number one... there is even a case internationally that he is the most popular Hockey Player.
Ovie is well known in D.C. ... but more popular (as in liked in) then a Redskin in D.C??? No
I'd say Cooley, Portis, Ovechkin.
I say Cooley because I beleive that most Ovechkin fans that like the Skins are crossover Cooley fans... and he is probably in the Top 3 Popular Redskins so that averages out to #1.
I mean we have to start with the obvious...
almost anyone who reads this is already a Cooley fan and probably will vote for you as their #1...
that being said, i think if you, clinton, gilbert, and alex were in a room together, hands down you and cp would garner the most attention.. partially because you two are smart, engaging, and extremely entertaining individuals on and off the field but also because gilbert might not physically be able to make it to the room and alex sounds like he's juggling plums in his mouth when he tries to talk...
keep up the good work.
"This is the first year anyone's cared about hockey," Cooley disagreed. "It'd be me or you. And if a quarterback came here and played, it's 100 percent the quarterback."
So Chris doesn't think we have a quarterback on the team. Hmmm, sorry Jason.
If you are polling folks on a Cooley website, you might find your answers are skewed by your sampling technique. Just sayin'.
I don't want to sound corny but I'm glad we have all of them. I've met Ovie personally and he was a really nice guy.
I say Cooley strickly because of his sausage!!
I voted for you of course Chris, but coming in second to Ovie isn't such a bad thing in my opinion. Ovie is the shi*! Can't wait for hockey season!
Most popular, or most recognizable??
For pure recognition in a randowm crowd of DC people, it would have to be CP or Jason.
Ovie looks like some random guy asking for change at a metro stop, and has anyone seen Gilbert this year?
1. CP
2. Jason
3. Zimm
4. Cooley
5. Ovie, or maybe even Santana
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