Thom Loverro
Columns by Thom Loverro
LOVERRO: Commanders ax Fan Cruise as details of business partner’s shady record emerge
It appears that the first Washington Commanders Fan Cruise has sunk before the ship has even boarded. Published January 25, 2023
LOVERRO: Silence on Ovechkin skipping Pride Night activities speaks volumes on Russian relations
Ivan Provorov did not participate with his teammates in the Flyers pregame warmup Tuesday, which included wearing special Pride-themed warmup jerseys with players' names and numbers in rainbow colors. He wasn't the only one to opt out of the commitment to diversity and inclusion. Published January 19, 2023
LOVERRO: Dolphins not likely to have perfect 1972 season if Jurgensen avoids injury
Miami defeated Washington 14-7 in a forgettable Super Bowl VII -- except for Washington players and fans, who for 50 years have still wondered what might have been, and for Miami players and fans, who have toasted their perfect 17-0 1972 season every year since. Published January 16, 2023
LOVERRO: Cash-starved, payroll-shedding Nationals primed for miserable season
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was fortunate enough to find some change in the cushions of the couch in his office -- perhaps leftover from the last time owner Mark Lerner was in the building -- and used the found money to drive by 7-Eleven to pick up another player. Published January 12, 2023
LOVERRO: Sale of the team is the silver lining behind another disappointing season
Sunday's win over the visiting Dallas Cowboys may very well have been the franchise's last game under the ownership of Skipper Dan the Sailing Man. Published January 9, 2023
LOVERRO: Storied Jurgensen-Kilmer rivalry shaped identity of franchise
Sonny Jurgensen became a beloved figure for Washington sports fans in part because of the storied rivalry he shared with Billy Kilmer -- a fierce competition that grew into a lifelong friendship. Published January 5, 2023
LOVERRO: Wentz fiasco, Browns loss should seal Rivera’s fate
The decision to sit Heinicke in favor of Wentz is reason enough to fire Rivera. But add to that the bizarre postgame comments, in which Rivera seemed surprised that because of the loss to the Browns, his team faced playoff elimination if the Packers defeated the Vikings later that day. Published January 2, 2023
LOVERRO: NFC title win 50 years ago still glows amid the darkness
They were conquering heroes. They had vanquished the hated Dallas Cowboys, 26-3, just a few blocks away at RFK Stadium in the NFC Championship Game, sending the Redskins to their first Super Bowl. Published December 29, 2022
LOVERRO: Rivera owes the journeyman, but the owner signs his check
Ron Rivera publicly committed to Taylor Heinicke. Imagine what he told the journeyman quarterback behind closed doors. I suspect it was a more passionate pledge, as coaches typically do to their players in those moments. There was no such commitment Tuesday. Published December 27, 2022
LOVERRO: The World Cup, which embraced Qatar, passed on Snyder, FedEx Field
Ghost Town Field, officially named FedEx Field, was offered by Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder as a potential host stadium for games by the DC2026 World Cup bid committee. But the stadium was a nonstarter before the local bid was even submitted. Published December 25, 2022
LOVERRO: Hard truth is the Giants just tougher than Commanders
This is clear -- the Giants are tougher. Washington has a better roster of players. But New York's roster plays at a higher level of intensity and has bought in fully to rookie coach Brian Daboll's message of commitment, just a bit more than Ron Rivera's players have. Published December 19, 2022
LOVERRO: Any conversation about Ovechkin among D.C. greats must include Johnson, Baugh, Gibson
Alex Ovechkin being the greatest athlete in Washington team sports history isn't a declaration, as much as some would like it to be just that. It's a conversation. Published December 15, 2022
LOVERRO: Among those who faced him on the court, Bird’s legacy undeniable
In a 1997 interview with sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, when asked to select the greatest players they had ever seen other than themselves, Wilt Chamberlain picked Bird. Russell selected Bird third after Magic and Jordan -- not Oscar Robertson, who he played against, but Bird. Published December 12, 2022
LOVERRO: House probe may be done, but still many shoes remain to fall
The House Oversight Committee's probe of Dan Snyder may be done, but there are still four - count them - four different ongoing investigations being conducted by highly-ranked criminal justice officials. Published December 8, 2022
LOVERRO: There’s no going back to Wentz, the legend of Heinicke is now the story of this team
The Commanders (7-5-1) may have a good defense and two studs up the middle in Jon Allen and Daron Payne. They may have a great running attack, rushing for 165 yards Sunday. But perhaps no one represents this season's success to date more than Taylor Heinicke Published December 5, 2022
LOVERRO: What was once bemusement at Qatar’s antics should be replaced these days by disgust
Qatar is having a pretty good time watching the world come to its manufactured doorstep and pay tribute to the tiny country. That's what you're doing if you are in Qatar, paying thousands of dollars to watch the World Cup in person or TV, which would lead you to believe it is taking place in Disney World. Published December 1, 2022
LOVERRO: Rivera may be the bright spot franchise has been searching for in the dark
I still don't know how good of a coach Ron Rivera is. But as a leader -- really, the part that counts the most for a head coach -- he ranks among the best we've seen here in Washington, maybe since the glory days of Joe Gibbs. Published November 27, 2022
LOVERRO: Commanders said they wanted their day in court. Then they settled instead with Maryland AG
Doesn't the Commanders' settlement with the Maryland attorney general validate Jason Friedman's committee testimony, first reported in the Washington Post and outlined in a letter from the committee to the Federal Trade Commission? After all, there is no Maryland investigation without his testimony. Published November 24, 2022
LOVERRO: Rivera’s coaching shakeup now looks like the right move
Given the dominant performance of this defensive line, my money for the Commanders' turnaround is on the day Ron Rivera announced he was firing his longtime coaching colleague Sam Mills III and replaced him with assistant defensive line coach and 17-year NFL veteran Jeff Zgonina. Published November 21, 2022
Zero was no hero: Honoring Gilbert Arenas is a franchise low mark
The franchise whose name was changed by the late owner Abe Pollin in 1997 because "the name 'Bullets" is no longer appropriate for a sports team is now honoring a player who celebrated guns and bullets so much he brought them into Pollin's building. Published November 17, 2022
