I tried to find a different way to articulate how it feels to be a Wizards fan, especially after the NBA Draft Lottery
I wanted to try to capture what it’s like to be a Wizards fan and have to try find new reasons to hope for the future each year despite them never really paying off in my lifetime. It often feels like we never catch a break, although that’s frequently been self-inflicted, and yet we still hold out hope that things are finally looking up for us. Or at least I try to most days.
This poem was my attempt to convey my usual range of emotions when rooting for this franchise. Maybe some of you will relate, others may not. Either way, we all still want the same thing at the end of the day, so, “Go Wizards!”
Capital Punishment
My heart is stained black, bronze, and teal blue,
A tortured soul, forever true.
Each season starts with whispered hope,
But within weeks Draft focus becomes how we cope.
.
We’ve drafted names that fade to dust,
A few have soared, most betray our trust.
Picked so high, failing should not be a fear,
Yet many warm benches by their third year.
.
Our player growth? A withered tree,
Where promise dies so painfully.
Prospects come, then stall, or flee,
Rarely leaving fans with any glee.
.
Past execs said these moves were essential,
Yet nothing came from this promised potential.
Trades that baffled, departures that stung,
Can Dawkins ensure that a banner gets hung?
.
Guns in the locker room, almost more than I could take,
The Webber trade, another lasting heartache.
Each year they say, “We’re building it right!”
When really they’re playing blindfolded darts at night.
.
Each time we pray for lottery balls to bless,
Another spin, another mess.
Yet still I watch, through loss, and pain,
A court-side seat inside my brain.
.
To love the Wizards is to endure,
To dream despite no real allure.
But maybe one day, stars will align,
And victory, at last, shall be mine.
.
On this day, I pledge again,
To be with this franchise until my end.
A fan through drought, despair, and regret.
One day things might go right…but not just yet.