(Caps Outsider)
After the Caps won the Stanley Cup, all Washington Capitals fans, no matter what their beliefs, found themselves united in a phenomenon we use to escape the grind of everyday life: Sports. We felt collective, undivided happiness over raising Lord Stanley, and the party lasted all summer.
As expected, the news of the Caps planning to go to the White House drove a huge wedge into that unity, as many of us took sides to condemn or praise the Caps – or individual players – because of personal feelings that have nothing to do with the sport itself.
The pragmatists among us know that the White House visit for a championship team is about the team getting together to celebrate in a traditional spot, not about who the president happens to be. For the Caps, it’s likely the last chance for them to get together with the Stanley Cup to celebrate their 2017-18 accomplishment, as the playoffs are right around the corner.
For the most judgmental among us, I’d bet you draw your own boundaries for your passion, lest you follow your beliefs to their logical conclusion: Boycotting the players, the team, or even the sponsors.
There will be a photo of Donald Trump standing next to Alex Ovechkin, holding a Trump Capitals jersey. Some of us will love it. Some of us will hate it. We’ll yell at each other. We’ll condemn each other and accuse each other of being all sorts of things based on our reaction to that photo.
If the players – who clearly have differing beliefs over this matter – can still love and support each other, then us fans can take our places, be respectful, and understand that this is about celebrating their accomplishment and nothing more.
Go Caps.
