Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Crime is not the issue. The main thing they don't like about their current location is that the city isn't paying for upgrades to the facility that the team wants. Since the city seems to be a bit of a sucker for paying for stuff for sports teams (see: Nationals Park; massive infrastructure expenditures for Audi Field; long-planned move for the NFL team back to RFK site), maybe they'll get what they want if they threaten to move.
+1, the idea that an NBA team would move to the suburbs due to crime is laughable. Have you ever been to an NBA game in another city?
But that doesn't mean the facility can't be nice. The bigger issue is that the Wizards aren't that profitable. They just don't have the same fan base as other teams and they rarely sell out games, plus they don't sell nearly as much gear as either other NBA teams nor other DC sports teams.
I do think it's weird that the facility isn't nicer given that it's shared by three professional teams, regularly hosts high profile college basketball games, and is a major arena venue for touring shows. Even though the Wizards aren't nearly as profitable as teams like the Lakers/Warriors/Knicks/Bulls/etc., there's no reason that venue should be hurting for cash. Between hockey, touring shows, and college hoops, it must make a lot of money.