Curse of the Wizards

It has become apparent that the Washington Wizards are not just an awful franchise, but they have been cursed for the last 25 years. When the curse was placed on the franchise, its originator played the cruelest of tricks. Not only were the Wizards made eternally awful, but they were allowed a 2 and a half year period of hope before everything was dramatically pulled away. How else can you explain the events surrounding the Wizards in the last week?

The Bullets/Wizards have been an awful team as long as I've lived. It was always so hard to get behind them because they just didn't win a lot of games. They also never had any marketable stars in the area. Good players never seemed to last long in DC, and being a fan of the team was tough. Then a couple of years ago the Wizards started making good moves. First it was Gilbert Arenas, a rising star who had yet to enter his prime, then Antawn Jamison, a proven scorer, and finally Caron Butler, an aggressive slasher who is also an offensive force.

Not only did this team continue to get better over the last few years, but they were fun to watch. Sure...they didn't play great defense and didn't have a quality big man. But this is the Eastern Conference!!! They don't need those things. Winning the Southeastern division and having home court and a good matchup are what fans want to see. We don't expect a Championship team yet, but we were making progress towards that type of team.

Now the Wizards are a playoff team again for the third year in a row. They were battling the Heat for their divison lead, and things were looking well. DC fans finally think they have a great team, but then the curse's twist kicks in. Caron Butler break his hand. DAGGER! ok... we can live with that...it will be hard but the Wizards can succeed. DAGGER!!! Gilbert Arenas tears his meniscus.

Crap! The Wizards just lost their two best players with just a few weeks before the playoffs start. Antawn Jamison is still a good player, but he can't create his own shot like Caron and Gilbert. He doesn't play as well on his own as the other 2 guys would. The Wizards lost the 2 most important pieces on their team, and will struggle the rest of the way. Can anybody else remember another team losing their 2 best players this late in a playoff year? Its so bizarre to see that happen in a sport where most injuries leave a guy out for just a few games. This isn't football, where season ending injuries are more common.

I'll still be rooting for the Wizards to win, just like always. However, my hopes have vanished. I don't see the team being competitive in the playoffs, and its already time to start looking towards next year.
This truly must be a curse.