Section Row Seat

Beware: Snarky post! After that Wizards third quarter in Utah last Friday and the fourth quarter in Denver on Saturday, I think I have the right to be.

Last night the Washington Wizards played home game number 34 of the 2015-2016 NBA season. This year, I've been there in person for all of them. For all but three of those games, I've sat in my season ticket seats in Section 109 of the lower level of Verizon Center. I like my seats there. They are close enough to see the faces and more importantly the eyes of the players in addition to being within earshot of the court which allows me to enjoy the game on another level. Sure, I can't see much of the three point line on the north side of the court and I can't see any of the sideline on that side but I'll trade that off for being that close.

Every so often when I get to a game, there's someone sitting in my seats. This doesn't happen very often and usually the people know they are in the wrong seats and are hoping I just don't show up. But sometimes, the people sitting in my prized seats are convinced they are in the right spot. This doesn't just happen to me either. Every few games there will be a mid-game shuffling of confused people near me getting out of the wrong seats and into the right seats. Of course, usually this occurs when the game is going on and the people are inevitably in front of me. That's ok, guys, I didn't need to see that part of the game anyway.

Can't see guys! Find your correct seat this time. PLEASE!!!

The last time the Wizards played the Boston Celtics this year, I walked down the aisle between Sections 109 and 110 to Row E and found two dudes sitting in our seats. Turned out they were father and son and they stood to let us pass when we stopped at the end of the row. But I didn't want to pass; I wanted to sit where they were sitting. The ensuing conversation went something like this:

Me: You guys are actually in our seats.

Dad: I DON'T THINK SO!

Me: I do. We have season tickets and those are our seats.

Son: We are in Row F, right?

Me: No, you are in Row E.

Dad: Sorry, I was just believing anything my son told me.

I'm paraphrasing a bit here (I don't generally tape every conversation in my life so I can write about it later) but the "I DON'T THINK SO!" is an actual quote. Perhaps the all caps and the exclamation point gives a bit of the wrong impression because he didn't actually yell, but he was completely convinced that there's no way I could be right and made that clear to me. Turns out I was right, although I knew that already. My question here is why can't people find their way to the right seats in the arena? Is it that difficult?

Well, it must be, right? Otherwise there wouldn't be people in the incorrect seats like all the time. So I'm going PSA in this blog post. For all those non-Wizards regulars and that includes all the people that get up and move during game action and all the Lakers turned Heat turned Cavs fans, here's a guide to finding your seat at a Wizards game. It's pretty simple, I think.

First Step: Section

Verizon Center is divided into three levels (I'm not counting the Lexus Suite level here). These are labeled the 100, 200 and 400 levels. My impression is most people get this right, although I'm sure the ushers help some here.

Each level is divided into a series of numbered sections. The sections are numbered consecutively in a counter-clockwise direction starting at mid-court on the F Street side of the building. Sections are entered off one of the three main concourses in the building meaning when you walk from the concourse into the arena itself, you are walking between two different sections.

This is important and people make this mistake all the time. If you don't know which side of the aisle is your section, don't guess. You'll be wrong (by the odds) half the time. Believe it or not, the section number is painted on the back wall of the section. Look and then pick the number that matches the one on your ticket.

Second Step: Row

Each section in Verizon Center has rows. These rows are designated with letters. Generally speaking outside the hockey boards, Row A is in the front of the section and believe it or not, they are in alphabetical order moving towards the rear of the section, although there is no Row I (looks too much like 1 I guess). The row letters are on the floor of the stairs.

If Row A is at the front of the section and you are walking up the aisle (meaning climbing), Row B is next followed by C before you get to D and so on. If you are walking toward the court (or descending), it's the exact opposite. In the lower level, this means T-S-R-Q-P-O-N-M-L-K-J-H-G-F-E-D-C-B-A. Look and then pick the row that matches the one on your ticket.

Final Step: Seat

So you've found your section and your row. Congratulations! Now you just need to pick your seat. But guess what? You don't even have to do that because it's written on your ticket.

The seat numbers are on the front of the folding part of each seat. If the seat is empty, it's easy to see. If someone's sitting in it, not so much. So this may be a little tricky I guess but the seats aren't that far apart that you can't see the number on the seat adjacent to someone who's already seated. Look and make a decision.

One final note on the seats, if you see a seat with the same number as the one on your ticket, don't just sit there and assume you found the right one. Check the section number again and check the row number. Then sit down.

I hope that helps newcomers to Verizon Center. I know finding a seat can be sometimes confusing and disorienting. But follow the signs and the simple rules I've laid out for you here and you'll likely be OK. And no standing during game action to get to your correct seats. Please. I know there are a lot of points scored some games. I want to see all of them.

Thanks everyone. And go Wizards!