JESUS!!

"Because when you see him throw, thats all you can say..."- Nyjer Morgan in spring training

There hasn't been a more hyped debut of a rookie in Washington DC history. Sure Jordan had hype. Gibbs 2.0 had serious hype. Diehard Caps fans were pumped about Ovechkin.

But nothing matched tonight. Ever

According to the Nationals, 200 media credentials were given out, which is about how many are given out for an LCS. ESPN's baseball crew was in town. The NBA Finals, Stanley Cup and World Cup going to page 2 for this.

And he didn't disappoint at all.

Stephen Strasburg's stat line

7 IP, 4H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 14Ks

Yes, that is 14 strikeouts, in only 7 innings and 94 pitches in his MLB debut. The kid only had the entire baseball world watching him.

JESUS!

Watching the game, you weren't just impressed by the 98 mph fastball, the raw power, the overwhelming stuff, you were impressed by the movement on his pitches, the sick curveball, breaking ball, slider, the quick pace he had, the focus, the "I am going to CRUSH YOU" attitude to his pitching, all you could say was "JESUS"

Most impressive was how he bounced back after the 4th inning. As a good friend of mine thought the Pirates were starting to figure Strasburg out, it turned out just to be a blip on a dominant night. Giving up 3 hits, and a 2 run HR in the 4th, Strasburg went on to retire the last 10 batters he faced, and struck out the last 7.

JESUS

For once, DC sports fans were not let down. For once, a Washington athlete delivered well beyond the hype. For once, we were able to cheer and say "this guy is ours"

Welcome to Washington D.C, Stephen Strasburg. The high bar you set in the minors has only gotten higher

The 2010s: A reversal of fortune for DC pro sports

When you look back at the 2000s, it was by far the worst decade for DC sports in over a generation.

No championships. No championship appearances. No semi final appearances

3 division titles (Caps 2008, 2009, 2010)

Only 3 playoff victories (Redskins 2005 vs Bucs, Wiz 2005 vs Bulls, Caps 2009 vs the Rangers)

And way too many last place finishes, head coaches, failed draft picks/FA acquisitions and general heart break to even count.

Folks, the tide is turning.

The Capitals are already a contender, and still young, despite the incredible disappointment from the playoffs this year. The team is going to be contending for a title each year for the next decade so long as Ovechkin and Backstrom stay healthy

The Wizards have new ownership, and are about to draft a star, both on and off the court. Ted Leonsis has proven that he can stay out of the way and let his people build a winner with the Caps, and will bring that to the Wiz.

Today is the biggest day in Washington Nationals history since they came to DC. The Strasburg era begins. Bryce Harper was just drafted a few hours ago. The team is on the upswing from back to back 100 loss seasons. The cupboard is full of young talent and an organization ready to take the next step in the next few years

And it finally appears, after a decade of mistakes, Dan Snyder is finally letting go of the reigns of the team and letting professionals run the show. Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan are successful football men that come with a winning pedigree. Kyle Shanahan is an up and coming coach who potentially could be the leader of the team for the next 2 decades after his father retires. The team has quickly re-tooled to compete now, and will hopefully start to re-stock the cupboard with more draft picks in the next few years.

It was a pretty crappy first decade of the century for DC. But today, June 8th 2010, is one of those watershed days where you can feel the tide turning for our sports teams