This introduction isn’t that complicated. Certainly less so than the journey here.

First off, spoiler alert: I am joining The Athletic to cover the Redskins and Wizards. Before revealing any other details, know that I’m stunned and thrilled for the opportunity. Full stop.

This native Washingtonian and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School alum helped shake the stands at RFK Stadium and spent countless nights at Capital Centre.

John Riggins breaking that tackle had me roaring. Fred Brown throwing that pass left me crushed. The Bullets reuniting Chris Webber and Juwan Howard led me to spend rent money on a partial season ticket plan. I’m still not ready to explore all the ways Len Bias’ passing changed me.

I read everything from Tony Kornheiser, never missed a viewing of The George Michael Sports Machine, and listened with rapture to Ken Beatrice exclaiming, “Yaw next.”

Now I’m about to cover D.C. sports for a premier national outlet with David Aldridge as my boss and a list of talented teammates longer than Montez Sweat’s wingspan. That reality has me stupefied.

I have more experience with the subscription model than most — hold that thought — and I believe it’s the best way to tell stories and have the insightful conversation fans covet about the teams they love.

Another factor in this pinch-me moment: About 20 months ago, I gave myself an ultimatum.

Following a decade of riding the reporter roller coaster, which I hopped on unconventionally in the first place, it was time to figure out a long-term plan or hang up my credential-carrying lanyard. I was getting too old for this shit (Danny Glover voice).

After studying journalism at UMBC and covering the men’s basketball team for the student newspaper long before it was cool, my initial working years were spent at a D.C. law firm, two financial service industries, and a mortgage company. When the last decade’s housing crisis sacked many consumers, my entire department was placed on waivers.

Rather than return to those previous industries, I turned back to journalism, or more honestly, my interest in the conversation around sports.

Some light freelance work covering the Wizards and the nascent Nationals era turned into steadier gigs. More significantly, my passion grew even though senior colleagues wisely told me nobody survives the freelance-as-the-main-job for long. They weren’t wrong. I was legitimately too stubborn or dumb to listen.

Seeking insight, relevancy, and any foothold, I showed up at Wizards practices, Georgetown men’s basketball media availabilities and Mystics’ home games even when not paid for the day. Eventually, I ran my own professional Redskins website for two years, watched Paul Pierce call game from press row, and mostly found my footing as a reporter. I went from cheering for Patrick Ewing and Doug Williams to covering them objectively.

Seemingly every break eventually cracked. Some jobs disappeared as newspapers and websites couldn’t work out the best monetization models. Their attempted fixes left my consumer side annoyed, and my worker half fearful.

The idea of a local subscription site began swirling in my head around the time The Athletic started elsewhere. The no-advertisement model made sense.

Going that route without a bankroll did not.

Somehow colleagues Todd Dybas and Brian McNally agreed on this path. We launched The Sports Capitol, D.C.’s first sports subscription site, in February 2018. Whether Todd or Brian knew it or not, this was my professional Hail Mary. Their commitment and patience helped save my dream.

It worked, enough. Over the next eight months, during which The Athletic arrived locally, the three of us worked 24/7. Collectively we gained momentum, subscribers, the adverse effects of sleep deprivation — and the attention of NBC Sports Washington. They hired all three of us in October. The freelancer became full-time.

In the following months, I kept thinking about the subscription model we left behind. I couldn’t shake the overall benefits for the writers and readers, for those seeking an honest discussion about the teams they love.

The Athletic opportunity means a primary focus on the Redskins. I’m excited to work with Rhiannon Walker in Richmond for training camp and throughout the season.

As the longest-tenured Wizards writer on the beat, trust me when I say I’ll be around, though the enthusiastic Fred Katz doesn’t require much help. I hope to chip in immediately with free agency approaching. There’s also a GM search to cover.

The days of me rooting for the local teams are long gone, but I remain invested with the who, what, where, when, and Y-receiver routes. That’s important to know since I hope current subscribers continue and others decide they want to join the conversation with someone who has done whatever possible to keep talking and writing about D.C. sports.

This same someone will never forget what Riggo’s run meant in these parts. He also has a cat living in his house named Lenny.

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(Photo of Dwayne Haskins Jr.: Geoff Burke / USA Today)