Thom Loverro
Columns by Thom Loverro
‘Hands of Stone’ real story better than Hollywood’s
Former mobster Michael Franzese testified about how organized crime used inside information to manipulate boxers to benefit the interests of organized crime, and cited the Roberto Duran fight with Davey Moore as an example. Published August 30, 2016
Colin Kaepernick has same right to sit during national anthem as one has to criticize
Kaepernick has every right not to stand for the National Anthem before NFL games, just like anyone who believes otherwise has every right to be critical of him. Published August 28, 2016
Frank Howard, former Washington Senators slugger, was a gentle giant, but fearsome at the plate
It wasn't even the size of Howard -- 6-foot-8, 280 pounds -- that made Howard great. Howard's greatness has been his heart -- a heart bigger than his stature, statue or statistics. Published August 25, 2016
Stephen Strasburg’s latest DL stint kicks up memories of his shutdown
Former MLB pitcher Jim Kaat was critical of the Nationals' decision to shut down Strasburg in 2012. He tells Thom Loverro that he sticks by those words, and Loverro reminds that any Strasburg injury will cause the shut down debate to resurface. Published August 23, 2016
Preseason ritual makes Redskins fans foolishly believe in what we see
We remain at the mercy of the NFL's preseason folly -- a four-game schedule of delusion and illusion -- simply because it is the first football we see after the Super Bowl ends the season before. Published August 21, 2016
Melissa Belote was D.C. area’s original Olympic super swimmer
Belote, born in the District and raised in Springfield, Va., was the 15-year-old local Olympic swimming star when she won three gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Published August 18, 2016
Little-known Olympic boxer Chuck Walker’s feats unmatched 40 years later
Sugar Ray Leonard was the star of that 1976 Olympic boxing team, but he might have had to share the spotlight if Walker had won the gold medal. Walker's story was the most unique and his presence on the team the most unlikely of all those boxers. Published August 16, 2016
Jonathan Papelbon was not an experiment of any kind
Thom Loverro says handcuffed general manager Mike Rizzo did the best he could in acquiring Papelbon, a well-liked teammate whose past strong playoff results presented a clear upgrade over Drew Storen. Published August 14, 2016
Tim Tebow should pay attention to just how hard it is to reach major leagues
Recent Nationals call-up Brian Goodwin picked up his first MLB hit Wednesday after five years in the minor leagues. Thom Loverro wonders if Tebow understands how difficult it is to get that first hit. Published August 11, 2016
Washington’s first preseason game will begin the Nate Sudfeld era
Thom Loverro says Thursday night's first preseason game will begin Sudfeld's journey as the QB in Washington because general manager Scot McCloughan wants to play his draft picks and pay multiple players, not just Kirk Cousins. Published August 9, 2016
Alex Rodriguez, the Fraud of the Yankees, calls it quits
Thom Loverro didn't buy the redemption of Alex Rodriguez last year. He's sure not buying it now that Rodriguez is retiring to a cushy position with the organization until his enormous contract ends. Published August 7, 2016
Baseball still trying to find firm ground at the Olympic Games
The sport has gone in and out of the Olympics for more than 100 years. Now coming back in 2020, Thom Loverro wonders how baseball can find a permanent home alongside other summer Olympic sports. Published August 4, 2016
When some look at former Redskins GM Bobby Beathard, they see Scot McCloughan
Former players are drawing parallels between the architect of the Redskins' success in the 1980s and the approach of their current general manager, Thom Loverro says. Published August 2, 2016
Once again, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo works an impressive trade
Acquiring Mark Melancon did not cost any of the Nationals' top prospects. Like the trade for Jonathan Papelbon a year ago, acquiring Melancon in this way was another shrewd move by Rizzo, Thom Loverro says. Published July 31, 2016
Kirk Cousins enters camp as part of a different kind of QB controversy
The Redskins know who their starting quarterback will be, but that does not mean there aren't other issues around the position thanks to the lack of a long-term deal for Cousins. Published July 28, 2016
NFL players’ union keeps on taking the hits in efforts to stand up to league
No players union has a tougher job fighting for its members than the NFL Players Association. Nobody is promised tomorrow on a football field. That is the leverage the league will always have over the union in any so-called labor war. Published July 26, 2016
Ken Griffey Jr. not on a list of top 10 greatest baseball players is foolish
On the day that Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought it would be valid and appropriate to compile my personal top 10 list of all time -- especially since the kiddie corps at ESPN didn't think that Griffey was one of their top 10 of all time. Published July 24, 2016
‘Who’s on First’ still bringing in the laughs at National Baseball Hall of Fame 60 years later
Sixty years ago, the gold record of the greatest comedy skit of all time -- "Who's on First" -- was donated to the hall, and remains part of the exhibits, playing continuously on speakers on the third floor of the museum as people pass through. Published July 21, 2016
An undefeated season from Stephen Strasburg would bring attention and debate
Strasburg is 13-0. If he makes it to 20-0 with solid numbers, does he receive credit for doing something no one else has done, despite pitcher wins no longer considered a significant statistic? Published July 19, 2016
Kirk Cousins found out what the Redskins thought of his value: Not much
Once the 2017 season arrives, after a year under the franchise tag, Cousins is likely to play where he is "wanted" most and that probably will not be Washington. Published July 17, 2016
