Alex Ovechkin has never been too big for his britches, and this is another example of that.
Sunday, while sitting in gridlocked traffic to get to the Washington Commanders game, a Capitals fan noticed Ovechkin slowly roll by in the passenger seat of a car. The fan, Will Reilly, immediately put two and two together and then worked up his courage to make a request to The Great Eight since the road had essentially become a parking lot.
Will didn’t want an autograph or a selfie. He wanted to know if Ovi would give a shoutout to his mom, a diehard Capitals fan.
The legendary goal-scorer obliged, and this is the resulting video.
“My mom’s such a huge fan of yours,” Will says. “It would mean a lot if you could say hi to Beckie Reilly for me, my mom.”
“Beckie Reilly, what’s up?” Ovechkin responded. The Capitals captain then gave a thumbs up.
Beckie shared the video with RMNB after a friend, JM, gave us a heads-up. She was obviously floored by the thoughtfulness of her son.
“I was so thrilled to have received such a sweet video,” Beckie told RMNB.
“Will was in traffic heading to the game and passed by the car that Ovi was in, and he said, ‘That’s Ovi,'” Beckie told RMNB. “Then he got out of the car and he went over and talked with him and captured the video! He was so excited.”
Beckie said she’s been a Capitals fan since the age of eight and the team’s inception in 1974. Her father, who grew up in Boston, was one of the Capitals’ original season ticket holders, making the timing of this shoutout even more remarkable considering it’s the Capitals’ 50th anniversary season.
“We have been cheering on the Caps as a family for their entire existence,” Beckie said. “When my kids were born, they also became a part of the legacy of cheering on the Caps. We were even at Capital One Arena when they won the Stanley Cup.”
As a Capitals fan and a father of a (perfect) son, this selfless gesture especially hits home for me. Imagine your child meeting someone famous, but instead of focusing on themselves, they think of you. It’s hard to wrap your head around.
It’s also worth stating the obvious: I wouldn’t recommend getting out of your car to approach someone on the road — even if you’re not moving. It’s dangerous out there. Please be safe. But it also really puts into perspective how awful traffic is to Northwest Stadium. Please, Commanders owners, get this team back into DC and close to a Metro stop ASAP!
