For roughly a 5-year span from 2007-2012, certain D.C. sports teams were absolutely dismal. In particular, The Wizards, Nationals and Redskins all had stretches in which they finished in the bottom half of their respective leagues.

For years, the Wizards were a depleted team which lacked star talent. In the 5-year span from 2007-12, the Wizards won 131 out of 263 games.  After the exits of Gilbert Arenas, Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler, the team relied on bottom-feeder veterans like Kirk Hinrich, Mike Bibby and Andray Blatche. However, over the past two years the Wizards have entirely rebuilt their organization into a team that can compete each year in the Eastern Conference. The addition of young guard duo John Wall and Bradley Beal has proven to be incredibly dominant. They also have a supporting cast that altogether completes their team. The team also has key veterans like Marcin Gortat, Nene and Paul Pierce to help support and mentor the younger players.

The Washington Nationals-first entered the MLB in 2005. From 2007-2011, the team won a dreadful 340 out of 468 games, playing at the run-down Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) stadium in Northeast, DC. In 2008, the gorgeous Nationals Park was constructed in Southeast, DC, which began an era of rebuilding for the franchise. Since then, the Nats have acquired many future superstars, who are currently developing into sensational players.

Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Anthony Rendon are all first-round draft picks who are making huge contributions at the moment, and can only improve with time. Like the Wizards, the Nats are also stocked with talented veterans, such as sensational center fielder Denard Span. He is having one of his best season’s ever, tied for the league lead in hits and hitting .298 with 37 RBI’s. Doug Fister, a left-handed pitcher who was acquired this past off-season, is lifting the Nats to even greater heights of success, with a total of 15 wins for the season, and only six losses. The Nationals also have seasoned veterans on the bench, like Scott Hairston and Kevin Frandsen, and young talented pieces such as Michael Taylor and first baseman Tyler Moore. Heading into the playoffs with the best record in the national league, the Nats are surefire World Series contenders, a thought that couldn’t even be entertained in 2008.

The Washington Redskins have also seen a tremendous improvement since their rough spell in the late 2000s, where they only won 32 out of 47 games. With the leadership of quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Donovan McNabb, the Redskins struggled greatly.  The entire D.C. sports area changed in 2012, when the Redskins traded up to get the second overall draft pick and picked RGIII.  The Redskins had one of their best seasons in 2012 and made it in to the playoffs that year, although it was overshadowed by RGIII’s injury.  The next season he was not at full strength, he wasn’t a mobile QB like he had been in the past and many people thought that he was rushed back from injury too quickly.  The Redskins have some talented players, but it will probably be a few more years before this team is consistently a contender for the playoffs.

To conclude, any D.C. sports fan will only see better play and maybe a championship from some of these teams in the coming years.