Management of the Washington Post is impressed with how the paper handled the Metro crash and the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson. Memo, after the jump, says it’s now time for the sports section to shine.

We’ve had a raft of news this past week, and stellar coverage of everything thrown our way. It started Monday with an early evening Metro crash. Anchored by Lena Sun and Lyndsey Layton, but with dozens joining in, our newsroom delivered swift, enterprising coverage instantly for the web and into the next day’s paper. Throughout last week the staff stayed with the story, surfacing some of the best accountability reporting against a highly competitive field. When Mark Sanford took to the podium for his bizarre confessional, the National staff jumped in with coverage that was as colorful as the calamity itself. And when Michael Jackson died unexpectedly, right at deadline, we rose up again, this time with Style in the lead. Yesterday’s paper was The Washington Post at its best, crowned by Eli Saslow’s poetic masterpiece, a narrative intricately and emotionally woven together from the tireless efforts of many. The photographs and design were as compelling as the story.

Sports is now due. Perhaps a winning streak by the Nationals?