I’ve been a Redskins fan all my life. Ever since a friend bet me in third grade that the Cowboys would whomp up on the local team. Back then, I didn’t watch football, didn’t know anything about the game, but I knew that you supported your local team. I took the bet but didn’t watch the game. Who cares about football? When my dejected friend came in on Monday morning and paid me, I became a fan. In the 30 years since, I’ve missed watching three games. It was the first and only bet I’ve made on a Redskins game.
Last Sunday, like many Washingtonians, I felt frustrated and a little depressed by the latest Redskins loss. I never dreamed about what would happen in Miami just a few hours later.
Sean Taylor was a Pro Bowler, an NFL standout, a sports hero. He was 24 years old, with everything in front of him, including an 18-month-old daughter and a loving girlfriend. Right now, many of us are stricken. Redskin fans. Sports fans. Washingtonians. And some of us are asking, “Why?”
