[Rumour] Capitals moving to North Virginia

[timun]

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

- Notwithstanding all of this, Gallery Place is an inherently excellent location for an arena. It sits above 3 metro lines and has the other 2 only 3 blocks away at Metro Center. This is by far one of the best entertainment locations in the region.

[...]

- The proposed Potomac Yards location sucks. It's a freaking Target and strip mall right now. If they move the team there, it is going to feel like the most artificial suburban towncenter ever. Yuck! Also, it's a terrible metro location as it is only served by the Blue Line and the exiting the station you have to cross rail tracks to get anywhere.

[...]

- I still think this is all a ploy to extract more concessions out of DC and that the Caps and Wizards end up in a renovated Capital One.

Technically Potomac Yard is also served by the Yellow Line. And the walk from the Metro station is still only about 250 m—around half of the walk in Calgary from Victoria Park/Stampede Station to the Saddledome.

That said, yes absolutely it suuuuuuuuuucks as compared to the ease of getting to Gallery Place. For those Flames fans and others who've never been to a Caps game, the Metro station quite literally sits right underneath the arena: you just get off the train, go up to street level and BAM! you're there.

I also think this is still just a ploy to extract more concessions out of DC, and that they still end up at a renovated Capital One Arena. Leonsis is a parasite just looking for VA to give him a handout. His biggest complaints—"the worst arena deal in pro sports"—are that he has to (gasp!) pay his ####ing mortgage and pay to maintain the building he owns: that doesn't just disappear if he moves the Caps and Wizards to a new arena in Alexandria.

If the Caps/Wizards do move I wouldn't put it past him to go for a nuclear option with respect to Capital One Arena though: pay off the mortgage, then just stop paying the (land) lease payments to DC. What're they gonna do? The only thing they can do at that point is seize the building from him, which he'd quite happily let them have at this point.

[tripin_billie]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Thanks for this insight. Do you think the new $500 million offer from DC will make any difference or will Leonsis want more?

I think it's a good opening offer that Leonsis can work with. He wants a bunch of taxpayer money to keep the teams in Gallery Place and knows that the city is desperate to keep them there because without the Wizards and Caps, the neighborhood goes completely into an abyss.

I think Leonsis talks a bunch of sentimental BS about loving the neighboring and DC, but he only cares about the money. If DC's offer looks more profitable to Leonsis, he'll bail on VA. It was pretty telling that his agreement was "non-binding."

[tripin_billie]

Originally Posted by timun

Technically Potomac Yard is also served by the Yellow Line. And the walk from the Metro station is still only about 250 m—around half of the walk in Calgary from Victoria Park/Stampede Station to the Saddledome.

That said, yes absolutely it suuuuuuuuuucks as compared to the ease of getting to Gallery Place. For those Flames fans and others who've never been to a Caps game, the Metro station quite literally sits right underneath the arena: you just get off the train, go up to street level and BAM! you're there.

I also think this is still just a ploy to extract more concessions out of DC, and that they still end up at a renovated Capital One Arena. Leonsis is a parasite just looking for VA to give him a handout. His biggest complaints—"the worst arena deal in pro sports"—are that he has to (gasp!) pay his ####ing mortgage and pay to maintain the building he owns: that doesn't just disappear if he moves the Caps and Wizards to a new arena in Alexandria.

If the Caps/Wizards do move I wouldn't put it past him to go for a nuclear option with respect to Capital One Arena though: pay off the mortgage, then just stop paying the (land) lease payments to DC. What're they gonna do? The only thing they can do at that point is seize the building from him, which he'd quite happily let them have at this point.

Fair enough! I usually end up in a car when I'm out that way (usually at the Target which is what Potomac Yard is in a lot of people's minds).

Totally agree with your take on Leonsis. He is a complete parasite. I really wish José Andrés wanted to own an NHL team... That would be an owner that truly stood by his word!

[timun]

Ha, I've driven along the GW Parkway and taken the Blue Line to Franconia (have family out that way), but it has never ever occurred to me to stop at Potomac Yard.

[sureLoss]

Alexandria says no thanks

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773073066416877632

[Toast_Man]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Alexandria says no thanks

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773073066416877632

Makes sense, Virginia fought for the confederacy.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773081424775540881

[Reggie Dunlop]

A reboot of the old ABA Virginia Squires would've been a cool name for the basketball team.

[Toonage]

Virginia Slims was right there

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Yes let's keeping doing this making the rich richer capitalism BS that has gotten us into this hellscape. Because it’s going so well.

Is that what we’re doing now?

It’s camouflaging itself surprisingly well as socialism.

[Alpha_Q]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Virginia Slims was right there

I was really hoping they'd be named the Monologues.

[timun]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773081424775540881

C-c-c-c-called it!

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

I still think this is all a ploy to extract more concessions out of DC and that the Caps and Wizards end up in a renovated Capital One.

Originally Posted by timun

I also think this is still just a ploy to extract more concessions out of DC, and that they still end up at a renovated Capital One Arena. Leonsis is a parasite just looking for VA to give him a handout. His biggest complaints—"the worst arena deal in pro sports"—are that he has to (gasp!) pay his ####ing mortgage and pay to maintain the building he owns: that doesn't just disappear if he moves the Caps and Wizards to a new arena in Alexandria.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Alexandria says no thanks

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773073066416877632

LOL, a half hour before the Caps/Wizards and the city call a press conference to announce they've made a deal. It's like going to your ex's engagement party to let everyone know you have no interest in getting back together with her.

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1773081424775540881

I for one am shocked... SHOCKED... that the Virginia play was all just a ploy to get the city to make a deal to keep them downtown.