WASHINGTON — 98 days after the Boston Red Sox won the World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, the New England Patriots topped the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Those two victories mean a four-month-old baby in Boston has already experienced more championships than a 26-year-old Washington sports fan has seen in their entire life.
Including the 2014 and 2016 Patriots Super Bowl titles, a six-year-old Boston sports fan will have already seen four times as many championships as a 26-year-old Washingtonian.
Since the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, the only one of the big four sports franchises to deliver a title to DC was the 2018 Capitals.
While Boston’s success has become frustrating for fans outside of New England – especially in markets like Washington where championships are desperately scarce – the city’s professional sports prowess is undeniable.
Since the start of the 21st Century, Boston’s four major teams – the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins – have won a combined 12 championships. Washington’s Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, and Capitals have won a total of five combined, all-time.
Boston’s era of dominance began with the 2001 Patriots, who went on to claim titles after the 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons. The Red Sox have won World Series titles in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018, while the Celtics won the 2008 NBA Finals, and the Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
The city’s era of dominance does not seem poised to end any time soon, as the Celtics and Bruins are both likely to reach the 2019 NBA and NHL playoffs respectively. Couple that with the fact that the Red Sox and Patriots are already legitimate championship contenders for the upcoming MLB and NFL seasons, Boston’s embarrassment of riches could easily continue years into the future.
Thankfully we have the Kastles, DC United, the DC Divas, and the Valor. Those four franchises have combined to win 14 league titles since the start of 1996.
