“On behalf of the 700,000 residents of Washington, welcome to Sports Capital!” Bowser tightens his belt. “Let's play ball!”
She can now say the words “Sports Capital” with a smile. What a difference a week can make!
“Do you know how long I've been saying that?” Bowser said afterward outside his suite at Nationals Park. “for-Until now”
In a sense, the Nats' home opener — an 8-4 loss to the undefeated Pittsburgh Pirates in front of a crowd of 40,405 — was the same day Bowser, who owns the NHL's Capitals and Nationals last week, It has nothing to do with the fact that they signed Ted Leonsis. NBA Wizards keeps team in downtown arena. But damn it if that didn't feel like a reset for sports in the nation's capital.
Yes, the Nationals are in the middle of a rebuild, and there will be more days like Monday. But rest assured, area sports fans. No more threats to move the team to Alexandria, no more empty public relations efforts trying to convince people how much better it will be. (P.S. The next everyday fan I meet will be the first one to fully buy into the plan. How about you?)
Anyway, order was restored. Now: what to do with it?
“We are a world-class city,” Bowser said. “Some would say we are the most important city in the world. And we believe that arts, entertainment and culture are a big part of who we are. I've built muscles that can handle it.
“I was thinking to myself, Alexandrians, they’re not built to serve 20,000 people three or four nights a week. Right? We are teeth. And we have developed the ability to manage great events. That's part of it, but it's not a new focus either. ”
The mayor received mostly nothing but cheers when she was introduced Monday. Would that have been true at a sporting event if the Caps and Wizards were headed to Virginia?
it doesn't matter. How this happened is less important than the fact that it happened. So the mayor and D.C. Council weren't willing to work on a deal to keep the team downtown, Leonsis has a wandering eye, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) opposed the Alexandria plan. I will not be responsible for not adding fuel to the chaos in Congress. , the Virginia Legislature dropped the ball they didn't know was going to be handed over, and we're going to focus on what's important: what happens next.
It can't be about keeping Capital One Arena as it always has been. Capital One Arena is a modest but functional multipurpose arena located in a section of the city that once contributed to the city's recovery but has since fallen into decline. The roughly $800 million ($515 million of which will come from the district) will at least keep the arena up to date.
But go beyond that. Think big. Let's think boldly. How can an arena-based downtown become an absolute attraction rather than a deterrent?
“We had 400,000 people in the arena in March,” Bowser said. “can't believe it.”
What a great start. Now, like 10 years ago, to have them come downtown on nights when the arena is dark. And to have them eat out before or after, to make them linger and fall in love with the place because there's a pulsating, vibrant place around the next corner.
We can't go back to the pre-pandemic days when all offices were occupied from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. So we need creative ways to make downtown a destination again. The Bowser administration plans to renovate office space and attract 15,000 residents. Please keep thinking like that. This isn't just part of the city. Located four blocks north of the National Mall, it's a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike. For several months, it seemed like this opportunity was lost, when the Capitals and Wizards seemed to be headed south. i'm back. Hop on.
wait a minute. This year is baseball season. What does this have to do with the Nationals, who are currently 1-3? follow me.
If the Capitals and Wizards continue as they are, there could be a trickle-down effect on the Nationals, and thus on the entire city. Mark Lerner, the Nats' managing principal owner, arrived at the ballpark early Monday morning wearing a bright red stadium jacket, looking prouder than you'd think just hours before heading to his front-row seats.
Lerner said during spring training that his family is not actively pursuing a sale of the team they have owned since 2006. But some people close to the process, which began in spring 2022, read the statement this way: If they make an offer that they deem acceptable, and someone meets that price, the team will be sold within about a millisecond.
Remember, the most serious is probably only Serious – The Nationals' bidder in this process was Leonsis. Because he is well-funded and local, he is in a unique position to stay in touch and light the coals when needed. Mark Lerner is a friend and minority partner in his business. Leonsis is well aware of David Rubenstein, the private equity titan and D.C. philanthropist who just bought his hometown Baltimore Orioles, and believes that the MASN turmoil that has plagued the Nationals their entire lives will be It is perfectly reasonable to believe that it can be resolved.
Could that potential development make the Nationals even more valuable to Leonsis? It would seem so. Even before his fling with Virginia, his Monumental Sports and Entertainment company spent $80 million on a new on-site studio for a regional sports network at Capital One Arena. (I don't know if MASN has cost him $80 million to produce since it launched 20 seasons before his.) As a summer equivalent, he decided to broadcast baseball as a clearly superior broadcast product. The thought must have crossed Leonsis's mind.
It's the future, and it should be an exciting one for Washington sports. The Commanders have the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, and that selection will be made by an actual general manager who employs a modern, forward-thinking front office. Most of the best 2026 Nationals, for example, have yet to play their first game at Nationals Park. And the Capitals and Wizards remain in the District of Columbia, which shouldn't have been an issue in the first place.
The key is to make sure that reverting to the original state is no longer the norm. It's definitely not on the standings. And neither is the fan, and resident experience.
