Colin Wilcox is one of 10 finalists in The Washington Post’s D.C’s Greatest Sports Fan contest.
About me: Devoted DC sports fanatic. Check out my twitter (@cdublin) and you'll see that 90% of my problems and happiness in life come from D.C. sports.
Defining moment as a D.C. sports fan: My defining moment came in 1999 when Dan Turk botched the snap to his brother Matt Turk in the second round of the playoffs against Tampa. Being a D.C. sports fan unfortunately goes hand-in-hand with being heartbroken, and that was the first time I remember feeling genuine pain in seeing one of my teams lose. It wasn't just that we lost, it was the matter in which it happened. Truly one of the most heart breaking ways imaginable. As a 9-year-old, this was my first lesson in being a DC sports fan. It was my way of learning that as much as a team can break your heart, you've got to stick with them. I have not yet witnessed a DC sports championship, but I believe that night strengthened me as a sports fan. Loyalty and faith is all we have.
Unheralded local athlete: The most unheralded local professional in my opinion is Marco Etcheverry. If a player of Etcheverry's stature had done for one of the other D.C. teams what he did for D.C. United, his name would be equal to that of a God. He managed to lead D.C. United to three league titles (the same as our beloved Darrell Green of the Redskins). Etcheverry's name is very celebrated amongst D.C. United fans, but we all know that number can be scarce at times when compared to the other 4 franchises in D.C.; thus making Etch the victim of being overlooked at times. You could make the case that Etch was the greatest player of all time in his league. No other D.C. athlete can come close to that praise. (Although Walter Johnson could get a nod for best pitcher ever).
Why I should win: I leaked the Wizards new logo to the Post months before it came out. Losing games are literally painful to me. I still cringe thinking about LeBron TRAVELING to beat the Wizards in the playoffs in 2005. I cried when Sean Taylor died. I remember frantically trying to listen to Game 4 of the 1998 Stanley Cup with a battery-powered radio during a power outage. I have a Heath Shuler Redskins jersey among my dozens. I was a witness of one of the greatest games in Michael Jordan's career: A 51 point performance as a member of the Wiz. I've been heckled in half a dozen cities and overdrawn on my bank account just to see the Nats play of the road. I was at Strasburg's first game and almost puked I was so excited. I was NEVER an O's fan.
What the judges had to say:
Tracee Hamilton: I like that he chose Etcheverry as his unheralded athlete instead of one of the popular choices — like any Redskin or Rod Langway.
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