Wizards, Caps will reluctantly accept $500 million to stay in DC

InstaFace

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
22,287
Pittsburgh, PA
She might be 80 years old, but Lucas can sure hire a social-media team.

View: https://twitter.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1765555820584894754?s=20

edit: and another one!

View: https://twitter.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1765816635414180060



Perhaps Leonsis will now come crawling back to the table with Muriel Bowser and take her offer to upgrade the existing joint. As the article says:

in December, Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) had offered Leonsis $500 million in public funds to upgrade the teams’ current home at Capital One Arena, though Leonsis announced the tentative deal to move to Alexandria the following day.​

Nice play for negotiating leverage, Ted! Unfortunately, you just got out-leveraged.
 
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AB in DC

AB in DC

OG Football Writing
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Jul 10, 2002
13,872
Springfield, VA
...and the DC deal is already done.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/27/dc-capitals-wizards-capital-one-arena-alexandria-bowser-leonsis/

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and Capitals, said Wednesday they were finalizing a deal that — if approved by the D.C. Council — would keep the teams in downtown D.C. until 2050, ending the owner’s planned move to Virginia.

An announcement is planned for late Wednesday afternoon at Capital One Arena downtown.

Under the terms of the deal, D.C. would spend $515 million over three years to help Leonsis modernize the arena and the owner would sign a new lease keeping the teams in D.C. for 25 more years.
The agreement includes other provisions that address some of Leonsis’s concerns about the state of downtown and allow his company, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, to additionally expand in the city.

Among the provisions to which the two sides have tentatively agreed, D.C. would allow Leonsis to take over management of the Mystics home facility in Southeast D.C., utilize parking at some District-owned buildings for Monumental employees, keep a minimum number of police officers downtown and plan for a new future downtown practice facility for the Wizards.
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@jose melendez time for a thread title change...
 
AB in DC

AB in DC

OG Football Writing
SoSH Member
Jul 10, 2002
13,872
Springfield, VA
Virginia remains the answer to one of my go-to trivia questions: "What's the largest state by population that doesn't have a single major league team in any sport?"
 
jose melendez

jose melendez

Earl of Acie
Lifetime Member
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Oct 23, 2003
31,159
Geneva, Switzerland
InstaFace

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
22,287
Pittsburgh, PA
jose melendez said:
Yes, I’m sure he thought she was wonderful once he lost his other choice.
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I mean I posted the thing because the story (as he tells it, but with plenty of detail) is more nuanced than just defaulting to the most cynical conclusion one could reach for.

Not that I'm a fan of his, by any stretch, but for example it left me with an impression of DC government as far more functional than I'd realized.
 
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