Why DC is such a weird town, explained through basketball

This has nothing to do with counterinsurgency, but it's a great piece of sports and political journalism:

For people who don't spend much time in Washington, all this can be confusing. What's the difference between hanging out and networking? Isn't a cigar sometimes just a cigar? Washington doesn't really make sense until you understand that a moment almost always exists on two levels. There is the moment itself, not unlike a moment anywhere else in the world. Then there is its political shadow, which is far more significant.

Update: Hahaha. The Onion explains as well.