Top sports moments of the past decade unveiled

STAFFORD — When you say the year 2010, it almost sounds futuristic, almost like we should be driving flying cars and interacting with aliens. Those are, thankfully, never going to happen for the foreseeable years of our lifetime. What seems just as unlikely is the Washington Redskins having sustained success under their current regime. However, they provided a couple of the area’s top moments of the past decade. Below are the top five of the past 10 years.

Top Five D.C./Virginia Moments of 2000-2009

1. George Mason’s run to the 2006 Final Four
From an unknown to a beloved Cinderella, the Patriots captivated the basketball world with their unbelievable run. In fact, it’s still hard to believe how they did it. Wins over Michigan State, North Carolina, Witchita State and UConn propelled 11-seed GMU to the national spotlight.

2. Baseball returns to D.C. (2005)
It had been 30 years, many of them being close to seeing the nation’s capital landing a baseball team. Then, with the Montreal Expos’ desire to relocate, Washington proved to be the ideal landing spot. The Nationals’ first year, in which they were in playoff contention for the better part of the season made it that much better.

3. Death of Sean Taylor (2007)
Easily the most tragic sports story in recent memory, Sean Taylor was the Washington Redskins safety that, although led a troubled life for a while, was turning it around. What’s more, his career was taking off. He was a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the league’s best in the secondary. His death and memory was the inspiration for a spirited run to the postseason.

4. M.J. suits up for Wizards (2001)
Michael Jordan came to Washington as an executive. That was enough to pack MCI Center on a regular basis. Then came the return to the hardwood, and Wizards games were the hottest ticket in town. For the first time in over two decades, pro basketball mattered in D.C. Looking back, some called it an embarrassing end to a legendary career, but you can’t help but realize that Jordan, at 40, nearly carried a talentless team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, he was the one that acquired most of that lack of talent.

5. Return of Joe Gibbs (2004)
The hype for this story was incredible. The king was back. All was well at Redskins Park. Gibbs’ return was thought to guarantee immediate success. And while Washington had their best seasons of the decade in his tenure, they ultimately went no further than the NFC Divisional round (2005). Gibbs, Part II ended following the 2007 season.

Brian Wright is a contributing writer for the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.