Off-Topic: The Washington Wizards Thread

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

 

[lavar703]

https://www.alxnow.com/2023/12/13/just-in-washington-capitals-and-wizards-are-officially-moving-to-potomac-yard/

 

My god the Wizards sub reddit is hilarious right now. You'd think the teams were moving to Seattle. Potomac yard is so close to DC that if you go in the parking lot half the cars shopping have DC or MD plates. Literally crying over 6 miles. SIX. SIX WHOLE MILES. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by lavar703

[naptownskinsfan]

22 hours ago, lavar703 said:

https://www.alxnow.com/2023/12/13/just-in-washington-capitals-and-wizards-are-officially-moving-to-potomac-yard/

 

My god the Wizards sub reddit is hilarious right now. You'd think the teams were moving to Seattle. Potomac yard is so close to DC that if you go in the parking lot half the cars shopping have DC or MD plates. Literally crying over 6 miles. SIX. SIX WHOLE MILES. 

 

[Thaiphoon]

22 hours ago, lavar703 said:

https://www.alxnow.com/2023/12/13/just-in-washington-capitals-and-wizards-are-officially-moving-to-potomac-yard/

 

My god the Wizards sub reddit is hilarious right now. You'd think the teams were moving to Seattle. Potomac yard is so close to DC that if you go in the parking lot half the cars shopping have DC or MD plates. Literally crying over 6 miles. SIX. SIX WHOLE MILES. 

This is what I don't get from my DC and MD brethren (not all of you - and present company excluded - but most that I've seen on social media are this way). And that is:

If the football stadium is in Landover, it's fine for the VA people to keep driving all that distance (*). But as soon as anyone wants to move it to VA suddenly it's like having to trek across the Great Plains in Conestoga Wagons on the way to the Northwest Passage for MD and DC folks to go there.

If the Wizards and Caps are located downtown, it's fine for VA folks to have to drive in or metro in. But if it gets moved 6 miles west to VA, suddenly it's repeating the game Oregon Trail in real life for MD and DC folks to attend games.

I get that most people are looking out for self-interest. I just think it's funny that VA folks are supposed to cater to the DC and MD folks but not one care in the reverse (**).

 

(*) Note - I'm on record as saying I want the stadium kept right where it is. Yes, it sucks to have to put those miles on my car, but I far prefer it there to DC.

(**) Before anyone here gets mad, I'm speaking of the people freaking out on social media about the move/potential move. There's a ton of entitled people acting in ridiculous fashion.

[lavar703]

7 hours ago, Thaiphoon said:

This is what I don't get from my DC and MD brethren (not all of you - and present company excluded - but most that I've seen on social media are this way). And that is:

If the football stadium is in Landover, it's fine for the VA people to keep driving all that distance (*). But as soon as anyone wants to move it to VA suddenly it's like having to trek across the Great Plains in Conestoga Wagons on the way to the Northwest Passage for MD and DC folks to go there.

If the Wizards and Caps are located downtown, it's fine for VA folks to have to drive in or metro in. But if it gets moved 6 miles west to VA, suddenly it's repeating the game Oregon Trail in real life for MD and DC folks to attend games.

I get that most people are looking out for self-interest. I just think it's funny that VA folks are supposed to cater to the DC and MD folks but not one care in the reverse (**).

 

(*) Note - I'm on record as saying I want the stadium kept right where it is. Yes, it sucks to have to put those miles on my car, but I far prefer it there to DC.

(**) Before anyone here gets mad, I'm speaking of the people freaking out on social media about the move/potential move. There's a ton of entitled people acting in ridiculous fashion.

Yeah, I was told on reddit that that is somehow different. That football team moving isn't the same thing. Yeah, you know why, because people actually went to their games. The Wizards were a perennial playoff team under Eddie Jordan and nobody went to the games. The same when Wall and Beal were young, hardly anybody went. Personally, I'm happy about it. I live in Old Town, which according to Reddit also means I'm a rich prick, but I will definitely go to Wizards games when they'll be that close. My wife is a huge Caps fan so we'll definitely be attending more of their games. 

The other funny thing about it is the people from MD claiming they'll no longer go to games if the team is in Virginia. I live right next to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Every morning on my way to work, which goes past Potomac Yard on my way to Arlington, I'd say 90% of the cars have Maryland plates. For a bunch of people who are so terrified of coming to VA for a Basketball game it sure doesn't seem to bother them to come here for work. 

[Thaiphoon]

45 minutes ago, lavar703 said:

Yeah, I was told on reddit that that is somehow different. That football team moving isn't the same thing. Yeah, you know why, because people actually went to their games. The Wizards were a perennial playoff team under Eddie Jordan and nobody went to the games. The same when Wall and Beal were young, hardly anybody went. Personally, I'm happy about it. I live in Old Town, which according to Reddit also means I'm a rich prick, but I will definitely go to Wizards games when they'll be that close. My wife is a huge Caps fan so we'll definitely be attending more of their games. 

The other funny thing about it is the people from MD claiming they'll no longer go to games if the team is in Virginia. I live right next to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Every morning on my way to work, which goes past Potomac Yard on my way to Arlington, I'd say 90% of the cars have Maryland plates. For a bunch of people who are so terrified of coming to VA for a Basketball game it sure doesn't seem to bother them to come here for work. 

Yup. For me I HATE going into DC. Even for Caps games and other events (re: concerts) at the Cap One Arena. I do them sparingly because of special events. But I would absolutely go more if they were in Alexandria/Arlington area they are considering. I know the area well (my wife lived just off Duke St near where Generous Georges used to be right after she graduated from college. Lots of trips to Krispy Kreme on Rt1 when the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was on). But I'll do the trip to Cap One occasionally (without my kids - no way am I taking them into city past the museums and monuments). And I'll definitely do the trip with my kids to where Fed Ex is. I'll even do it if they find a way to build it in MD near MGM (not sure how but if they do, it's infinitely better than DC - but they'd need a metro stop for the "metronians"). But it's ridiculous for the MD/DC people to state that it's okay for the VA fans to travel (and from what I've read we've been the majority of the hometeam fans at Fed Ex) but they can't be arsed to get in their cars or take a long(er) metro ride.

[turtle28]

On 12/14/2023 at 3:49 PM, lavar703 said:

Yeah, I was told on reddit that that is somehow different. That football team moving isn't the same thing. Yeah, you know why, because people actually went to their games. The Wizards were a perennial playoff team under Eddie Jordan and nobody went to the games. The same when Wall and Beal were young, hardly anybody went. Personally, I'm happy about it. I live in Old Town, which according to Reddit also means I'm a rich prick, but I will definitely go to Wizards games when they'll be that close. My wife is a huge Caps fan so we'll definitely be attending more of their games. 

The other funny thing about it is the people from MD claiming they'll no longer go to games if the team is in Virginia. I live right next to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Every morning on my way to work, which goes past Potomac Yard on my way to Arlington, I'd say 90% of the cars have Maryland plates. For a bunch of people who are so terrified of coming to VA for a Basketball game it sure doesn't seem to bother them to come here for work. 

I disagree that ppl didn’t go to games during the MJ, Arenas  & Wall/Beal eras, they didn’t sell out every night bc most night they play middle of the week but when they were playoff caliber ppl went & they went from all over the DMV.

This post will skirt on the edge of race but what I’m seeing in the socials is really discouraging. Ppl trying to say certain things about Nova which just isn’t true but they don’t even go there so how do they know?

And I hate to call Thai out but I see it sometimes from ppl who live in Loudon county on PW county about downtown DC. Most of the stereotypes both ways just are not true.

I am a guy that bc of my job in one day can be in Moco where I live, in Triangle Virginia where my HQ is for my job & then on Capitol Hill, in Chinatown & at Senator Warner’s house all in one day. I did it just a month ago. Yes, all areas are different with different people doing different things & I feel a bit uncomfortable at times in Chinatown but there’s cops everywhere before and after games, same with Nats games. I’ve never felt unsafe.

Ppl need to quit the undertones. It’s not a cultural abomination for a basketball team to build a stadium across the river in Alexandria. It’s just effin ridiculous, NOVA people have been going to Wizards games for 40 plus years going across that river to DC or Landover, and with us Moco people.

If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have a DC basketball team.

And if those guys in PG & DC don’t to go to a game in Alexandria then just don’t, Ted doesn’t need you. Most of these people complaining don’t even go to many games.
 

They just want to act like somehow a white kid from Gaithersburg, Md can’t love basketball as much or more than them. I’ve loved basketball since I was 6. I used to play one on one with my black neighbor who was 4 years older than me growing up who treated me like a younger brother. He didn’t have to play ball with me, but he did everyday! 
 

In a total mind blower to those guys on twitter, I was better at bball than him, and loved it more. He was a pitcher in baseball & pitched in college.

So how bout them apples?

Also, my sister and brother in law played high school bball. My sister started since she was a sophomore in bball & she was always the 2nd or 3rd best player on the court despite not really caring enough to practice. She could’ve played D2 or 3 if she wanted to but her first love was soccer and she played college soccer.

I have 3 nieces that absolutely love basketball as much or more than soccer. My oldest 12 year old niece just made her middle school team. My 10 year old niece quit soccer to focus more on 1st love of basketball. She plays on the city rec team which my brother in law coaches and on a club team. She has basketball practice 3 times a week. She dressed as Steph Curry for Halloween.

My 8 year old niece shows so much promise that she’s on my 10-year old nieces team & is the youngest by a year and a half on the team but she’s got my sisters competitiveness. She’s not the most skilled right now but she gives 110% effort on D like Deni!

My brother in law takes my nieces to a few Wizards games every year.

Edited December 16, 2023 by turtle28

[naptownskinsfan]

16 hours ago, lavar703 said:

Yeah, I was told on reddit that that is somehow different. That football team moving isn't the same thing. Yeah, you know why, because people actually went to their games. The Wizards were a perennial playoff team under Eddie Jordan and nobody went to the games. The same when Wall and Beal were young, hardly anybody went. Personally, I'm happy about it. I live in Old Town, which according to Reddit also means I'm a rich prick, but I will definitely go to Wizards games when they'll be that close. My wife is a huge Caps fan so we'll definitely be attending more of their games. 

The other funny thing about it is the people from MD claiming they'll no longer go to games if the team is in Virginia. I live right next to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Every morning on my way to work, which goes past Potomac Yard on my way to Arlington, I'd say 90% of the cars have Maryland plates. For a bunch of people who are so terrified of coming to VA for a Basketball game it sure doesn't seem to bother them to come here for work. 

I will probably still attend a handful of Caps games a year regardless.  Neither myself or my fiance have seen an NBA game live so that’s on our list.  The extra <4 miles from southern Anne Arundel County makes little difference.  

[Thaiphoon]

2 hours ago, turtle28 said:

I disagree that ppl didn’t go to games during the MJ, Arenas  & Wall/Beal eras, they didn’t sell out every night bc most night they play middle of the week but when they were playoff caliber ppl went & they went from all over the DMV.

This post will skirt on the edge of race but what I’m seeing in the socials is really discouraging. Ppl trying to say certain things about Nova which just isn’t true but they don’t even go there so how do they know?

And I hate to call Thai out but I see it sometimes from ppl who live in Loudon county on PW county about downtown DC. Most of the stereotypes both ways just are not true.

I am a guy that bc of my job in one day can be in Moco where I live, in Triangle Virginia where my HQ is for my job & then on Capitol Hill, in Chinatown & at Senator Warner’s house all in one day. I did it just a month ago. Yes, all areas are different with different people doing different things & I feel a bit uncomfortable at times in Chinatown but there’s cops everywhere before and after games, same with Nats games. I’ve never felt unsafe.

Ppl need to quit the undertones. It’s not a cultural abomination for a basketball team to build a stadium across the river in Alexandria. It’s just effin ridiculous, NOVA people have been going to Wizards games for 40 plus years going across that river to DC or Landover, and with us Moco people.

If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have a DC basketball team.

And if those guys in PG & DC don’t to go to a game in Alexandria then just don’t, Ted doesn’t need you. Most of these people complaining don’t even go to many games.
 

They just want to act like somehow a white kid from Gaithersburg, Md can’t love basketball as much or more than them. I’ve loved basketball since I was 6. I used to play one on one with my black neighbor who was 4 years older than me growing up who treated me a younger brother. He didn’t have to play ball with me, but he did everyday! 
 

In a total mind blower to those guys on twitter, I was better at bball than him, and loved it more. He was a pitcher in baseball & pitches in college.

So how bout them apples?

Also, my sister and brother in law played high school bball. My sister started since she was a sophomore in bball & she was always the 2nd or 3rd best player despite not really caring enough to practice. She could’ve played D2 or 3 if she wanted to but her first love was soccer and she played college soccer.

I have 3 nieces that absolutely love basketball as much or more than soccer. My oldest 12 year old niece just made her middle school team. My 10 year old niece quit soccer to focus more on 1st love of basketball. She plays on the city rec team which my brother in law coaches and on a club team. She has basketball practice 3 times a week. She dressed as Steph Curry for Halloween.

My 8 year old niece shows so much promise that she’s on my 10-year old nieces team & is the youngest by a year and a half on the team but she’s got my sisters competitiveness. She’s not the most skilled right now but she gives 110% effort on D like Deni!

My brother in law takes my nieces to a few basketball games every year.

Turtle, it's not stereotyping when it is demonstrably true. DC crime has skyrocketed. You can say YOU feel safe all you want. And 9 days out of 10 that is probably true. But that is also probably because that area is normal to you as you have to frequent it for your job. You know what and where (and when to avoid). Cops are only immediately around the venue. Go a few blocks (where people would park or walk to metros) and the situation becomes very different. 

Add to that the fact that in DC, it's a tale of two cities. West of Rock Creek Park has fewer incidents of crime. East of RCP? Tons. 

https://opendata.dc.gov/datasets/DCGIS::crime-incidents-in-2022/explore?location=38.917394%2C-76.983479%2C13.00

https://crimegrade.org/violent-crime-washington-dc/

EXPAND that ^^^ out to Potomac Yards and to NoVa in general past Arlington.

https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/10/03/dc-crime-by-neighborhood-2023

See that last link? From the article:

Between the lines: The tension over where to deploy police resources played out early this year as well. Sports teams and their owners had sought more security around Capital One Arena and Nationals Park.

 

Now why would Cap One Arena and Nats Park be asking for additional security if everything was hunky dory?

Like I said. People with families are the ones that are going to keep the team going into the future. And for the past 10+ years, the majority of fans have been coming from VA. I seriously doubt the slogan of "hey the city's crime rate has skyrocketed, but don't worry we're sure it won't happen while you're here" will work. I know it won't work for me and is the biggest reason I don't take my kids into the city. It's sad, but my daughter's never been to a Caps game. And she's been to exactly one Nats game (Saturday Noon game the year they won the Series). Do I want to take my family to games? Absolutely. But I'm not taking that chance (*).

There are no "undertones" here with me. Only what I know to be true as well as my perception from the information available to me. 

 

(*) I realize there's crime everywhere. And no place is 100% safe. But take a look at those maps and tell me...if you were looking to buy a house and raise a family. Where would you feel safer/more comfortable buying a place to live?

[turtle28]

1 hour ago, Thaiphoon said:

Turtle, it's not stereotyping when it is demonstrably true. DC crime has skyrocketed. You can say YOU feel safe all you want. And 9 days out of 10 that is probably true. But that is also probably because that area is normal to you as you have to frequent it for your job. You know what and where (and when to avoid). Cops are only immediately around the venue. Go a few blocks (where people would park or walk to metros) and the situation becomes very different. 

Add to that the fact that in DC, it's a tale of two cities. West of Rock Creek Park has fewer incidents of crime. East of RCP? Tons. 

https://opendata.dc.gov/datasets/DCGIS::crime-incidents-in-2022/explore?location=38.917394%2C-76.983479%2C13.00

https://crimegrade.org/violent-crime-washington-dc/

EXPAND that ^^^ out to Potomac Yards and to NoVa in general past Arlington.

https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/10/03/dc-crime-by-neighborhood-2023

See that last link? From the article:

Between the lines: The tension over where to deploy police resources played out early this year as well. Sports teams and their owners had sought more security around Capital One Arena and Nationals Park.

 

Now why would Cap One Arena and Nats Park be asking for additional security if everything was hunky dory?

Like I said. People with families are the ones that are going to keep the team going into the future. And for the past 10+ years, the majority of fans have been coming from VA. I seriously doubt the slogan of "hey the city's crime rate has skyrocketed, but don't worry we're sure it won't happen while you're here" will work. I know it won't work for me and is the biggest reason I don't take my kids into the city. It's sad, but my daughter's never been to a Caps game. And she's been to exactly one Nats game (Saturday Noon game the year they won the Series). Do I want to take my family to games? Absolutely. But I'm not taking that chance (*).

There are no "undertones" here with me. Only what I know to be true as well as my perception from the information available to me. 

 

(*) I realize there's crime everywhere. And no place is 100% safe. But take a look at those maps and tell me...if you were looking to buy a house and raise a family. Where would you feel safer/more comfortable buying a place to live?

I’m not buying a house. I’m going to a sporting event or concert with 20,000 to 70,000 people. 
 

Landover where you go to watch the C’s play is nearly as bad for crime, do you feel unsafe when leaving the game with tens of thousands of people and cops all around?

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]