The Washington Commanders captivated NFL fans around the world with a meteoric rise to prominence in the first season under general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. Unfortunately, that didn't resonate with everybody.
In particular, one recent NBA Draft pick.
The Utah Jazz spent the No. 21 pick on Will Riley, a gifted wing player standing 6-foot-8 with the ability to make things happen. His rights were then traded to the Washington Wizards in one of the many complex deals that transpired over the two-day event.
Will Riley omitted Commanders from D.C. sports teams, but the backlash is harsh
Riley caused a stir with his comments to the media after hearing his name called. The incoming rookie was asked about what he knows about D.C. as a sports town. He listed a lot of things, but the Commanders weren't one of them.
"The first time I visited was when I went to work out for them. And, you know, it was a great city. It's a sports city in a lot of ways. I'm pretty sure they've got three sports: baseball, hockey, and basketball. I don't know if they have any other sports. But it was great when I visited there. It seems like the fans are very passionate, the people are very nice, and it was a good vibe overall."Will Riley
It didn't take long for this to go viral on social media. And it didn't take long for Commanders fans to point out his glaring omission from the list of sports teams that run D.C.
In fairness to Riley, he was probably speaking figuratively. The Commanders don't play in D.C. right now. They play in Maryland, although that will hopefully change if the new venue proposal at the RFK Stadium site receives city council approval.
The Commanders might be the most popular sports team in the D.C. area, but it's not their home. It was and will be again, but it's not at the moment.
Riley was taking the literal approach, so any backlash he's receiving is incredibly harsh. And this was his first taste of the national media to such a magnitude, so there were always going to be some nervous slip-ups.
It won't take long for Riley to figure out which sports team is king of D.C. when football season arrives. The Commanders are riding on the crest of a wave with a legitimate superstar in quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the charge. They harbor Super Bowl hopes once again, and the entire region behind the franchise is united after decades of disillusionment under the previous owner.
If Riley isn't aware of that now, he will be shortly.
