In a City of Sports Stars, Who Shines Brightest?

Three years ago, Post columnist and local radio personality Mike Wise wrote a column dubbing Clinton Portis D.C.'s most popular athlete, ahead of Gilbert Arenas and Alex Ovechkin. Two years ago, I compiled a top-six list, leading with the same three names as Wise, but in a different order: Arenas, then Portis, then Ovechkin. Then a few months ago, the Associated Press'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. But then I started chatting with Wise the other day and he still wasn't convinced. If we were in a room with Ovechkin, Portis, Arenas and a random sampling of D.C. area residents, he asked, would Ovie REALLY attract the biggest crowd?

On Thursday, I presented five choices and asked Washingtonpost.com readers to weigh in; being sensible sorts, they agreed with me. And, of course, I asked some sage local observers for their thoughts on the area's top-five athletes.

"After me?" Chris Cooley asked.

"Probably Freddy Adu," Portis said.

"Freddy Adu?" Cooley repeated. "You're [extremely] crazy. Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss . . ."

"I don't think so," Portis said. "I think Alana Beard. What's the dude's name from the Nationals?"

"[Ryan] Zimmerman," Cooley said.

"I'll tell you right now, if you vote, there's gonna be three Redskins," Cooley added. "If you have a vote, there's gonna be three Redskins picked in the top five."

And who's No. 1?

"That's a great question," Cooley said. "Clinton might be number one."

"I wouldn't even say me at number one," Portis said. "I think Ovechkin, I do."

"This is the first year anyone's cared about hockey," Cooley disagreed. "It'd be me or you. And . . . if a quarterback comes in here and takes us to the playoffs, it's him, bar none, no questions asked." Then I asked Fred Smoot, whose opinion I trust.

"The five most popular?" he repeated. "Ovechkin. Gilbert. Clinton. Jason Campbell IS the quarterback, so Jason. Nationals? Nah, not quite getting there yet. So I'm gonna have to say Caron Butler."

And on top?

"Ovechkin MAY be number one," Smoot said.

I also asked Randy Thomas for the top name on his list. "Probably Chris Samuels," he said. "Great guy." I started laughing. "See, you think I'm joking about that," he said. "What, O-line can't be the most popular?"