Wizards and Caps could be moving to Potomac Yard

[Anonymous]

Defund the police and find out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/12/12/potomac-yard-leonsis-youngkin-arena.html

And just yesterday people on this board were telling me this was all a negotiating ploy and no move was going to happen...

Back in the 1990s Bob Kraft joined Connecticut Governor John Rowland at an event announcing that the Patriots were moving to Hartford and building a new stadium alongside the Connecticut River. It was all an elaborate ploy to light a fire under Massachusetts legislators to come up with enough dough to keep to Patriots in Foxboro and offer enough public incentives to build what is today Gillette Stadium. Massachusetts responded and the Patriots left backed out of the Connecticut deal leaving Rowland high and dry.

I'm not saying the same thing is happening here. However, the devil is in the details and the deal isn't done until shovels are in the ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t for a second think the Russians and Putin do not have anything to do with this travesty. They would like nothing more than to embarrass the President by moving our teams out of the District.

Take your meds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Defund the police and find out.

+1 Yep. It turns out that allowing your city to turn into a crime-ridden dystopia filled with ski mask-wearing teens doesn't exactly encourage business development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Defund the police and find out.

Hey, at least the city council has made life easier for "justice-involved" individuals!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t for a second think the Russians and Putin do not have anything to do with this travesty. They would like nothing more than to embarrass the President by moving our teams out of the District.

Take your meds, PP.

Leonsis held a press conference in March 2023 to express concerns about the neighborhood around the arena, including his employees being attacked. It has not improved in any significant way. He and Younkin go way back. DC was put on notice, now we may be in the "find out" portion of the lesson.

I think it could help the city in the long run, there are no signs of reversing course on many disastrous policies and changes to laws @ juveniles, maybe this could serve as a wake up call.

[Anonymous]

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DC will pony up. With all the businesses leaving and work from home DC can’t afford to lose the events.

DC can't afford both the Caps/Wizards and to go after the Commanders or whatever their name is. The council chairman believes that the NBA and NHL teams are the better bet because the arena is used much more than a football stadium would be, and is therefore the stronger economic engine. Bowser is chasing football, when MD is likely to bid aggressively. DC may end up losing all of the teams.

I think this is a real possibility.

Losing the arena may be the kind of consequence DC needs to snap out of the thrall to Democratic Socialists of America and Harriets Dreams, so, could be beneficial in the long run.

So DC should stand up to socialism by giving a private corporation $600 million?

What DC has right now is… the Wild West more like it. There is zero enforcement of laws on the streets - except for parking laws. Parking laws are still strictly enforced at all times. But dangerous driving? No. Carjacking and Hijacking? No. Armed Robbery? Again no.

[Anonymous]

I got to Cap One far less often and no longer bring the kids for games or events. 2 junkies fighting with knives one Saturday afternoon and blood all over the sidewalk made such outings seem less than family friendly. As did the visible drug use including shooting up sitting on the sidewalk outside on a game day.

I've been in DC 30 years and live in upper NW. If they go to Potomac Yards I'd enjoy it feeling less like some Hunger Games gauntlet to get to the doors when going to a game or concert.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad to see the teams come to DC but I really feel bad for the remaining restaurant and property owners. Will the city do anything to try to salvage the Chinatown area?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Oh HELL no. The Maryland drivers already make driving on Rt 1 a constant shitshow. And where would it even go??

Don’t worry MD drivers won’t go to VA.

When I go to the Potomac Yard Target the lot is full of MD plates.

It’s interesting because I once stopped by the Oxon Hill, MD Target across the bridge and there were hardly any VA plates. I guess a lot of MD residents like making the trip to Potomac Yard?? Or is it because a lot of MD residents commute to NoVA for work and go by Potomac Yard on the way home?

Those plates are from just over the river PG County. That is different than the people who generally are going to Caps games.

So people from PG County don't count? Why? Lovely sentiment.

I guess all the Moco people who think their $hit don't stink will have to die mad if the caps move like 3 miles away. Y'all are ridiculous.

No, it is about geography. PG county is closer to Potomac Yards than parts of Fairfax. But neither are convenient for people who live in the northern and western suburbs of both VA and MD. That is why it makes sense to keep the teams and venue in town, so everyone has about the same travel to get to it.

Stop ascribing motive to other people's words.

So it only makes sense for everyone to suffer, because equity?! Why?

See how much the fan base drops when you move the team to Virginia. As an example, look at what happened to the "DC" NFL team. Within 5 years, Dan Snyder not withstanding, fan interest and attendance at Raljon, fell off the cliff.

That's all you got? Oh well. If you think Marylanders in mass are going to make this stand then more power to you. But literally, it's probably just as easy to get to Potomac Yard from MoCo (you can take AL bridge to parkway or 495 all the way around to route 1 or telegraph) then it is to literally drive through all of DC to get to Judiciary Square/Chinatown. Potomac Yard and Cap One arena are about 3 miles apart. You pitching a fit over 3 miles, then stay home.

I think Potomac Yard is easier and faster to reach from some areas in MoCo and PG county than downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad to see the teams come to DC but I really feel bad for the remaining restaurant and property owners. Will the city do anything to try to salvage the Chinatown area?

Maybe they can move the Mystics from Alabama Avenue to Capital One?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I guess it is a done deal

If true, this is really going to put pressure on DC’s leaders to get the Commanders back in the city despite most residents opposing it.

But how will feral DC youth attend Caps/Wizards games if they have to go all the way to Virginia? What about equity?!

they can take the metro, just like they do to get to Pentagon City Mall and Tysons. It's not hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/12/12/potomac-yard-leonsis-youngkin-arena.html

And just yesterday people on this board were telling me this was all a negotiating ploy and no move was going to happen...

Back in the 1990s Bob Kraft joined Connecticut Governor John Rowland at an event announcing that the Patriots were moving to Hartford and building a new stadium alongside the Connecticut River. It was all an elaborate ploy to light a fire under Massachusetts legislators to come up with enough dough to keep to Patriots in Foxboro and offer enough public incentives to build what is today Gillette Stadium. Massachusetts responded and the Patriots left backed out of the Connecticut deal leaving Rowland high and dry.

I'm not saying the same thing is happening here. However, the devil is in the details and the deal isn't done until shovels are in the ground.

I certainly hope as a Virginia and Alexandria tax payer that my tax dollars have not been spent for some fake ploy and ruse against Bowser. I don't like Youngkin, Justin Wilson or city council, but I sincerely doubt theyd be spending so much time and money for some elaborate scheme. I don't know what happened in the 90s but I don't think that is remotely the same.

[Anonymous]

I am leaning towards not a ruse at this point. But hey, Bowser got that European water park so...

[Anonymous]

Maybe low income housing with bike lanes?