For the Love of the Game

From Kent Barnes. Follow him on Twitter @KentBarnes, email him at kent[AT]borderstan.com. It’s that time of year again. Love is in the air, romantic dinners are being planned and employees at Russell Stover, 1-800-Flowers, and Victoria’s Secret are working overtime. Valentines Day is the designated time of year to show that special someone in your life just how much you care about them. But what if you’re single, or just don’t feel like overpaying for chocolates, flowers and a prix fixe dinner? Embrace and celebrate your love of sports instead. Are sports perfect? Not even close. They frustrate us, make us argue, complain, shout and, occasionally, even drive us to tears. But so do our husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends.

So Consider This…

• Sports don’t expect you to cook dinner or do and fold all the laundry.
• Sports never ask us to do the dishes, vacuum the floor or make the bed.
• Sports don’t nag, ask you to cuddle or beg for sex when you clearly aren't in the mood.

If you’re ready to swap the roses and truffles for the love of the game, here’s what the local teams are up to on or around Valentines Day 2013:

• The resurgent Wizards are on a road trip until next week, but if you don’t mind celebrating a little late you can head to the Verizon Center on Tuesday, February 19, to see the team take on the Toronto Raptors.
• Just because the Capitals are off to a slow start doesn't mean you can’t forego a romantic candlelight dinner for a couple of hot dogs and some beer while you watch the team take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, February 14 at 7:30 pm. The team won’t be back in the District until late next week, but you can still give your significant other a taste of the team by ordering him/her a Slapshot Valentine’s Day Gram.
• Spring Training games don’t get underway until later this month, but Nationals fans will be in the mood to celebrate on Wednesday, February 13 when pitchers and catchers report to Viera Florida to kick off the season.
• D.C. United is currently down in Florida taking part in the Walt Disney World Pro Classic. After defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 4-0 last weekend, they take on Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, February 13 and the Montreal Impact on Saturday, February 16.  Both matches can be streamed live on the official Major League Soccer website.

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