Free Money!

This may be the shortest, most useful blog post I have ever written about the Wizards game experience.

Got Washington Wizards tickets? Got a Capital One card? If you answered both of those questions in the affirmative and you actually can stand going to Wizards games lately, you need to start putting those two things together, if you are not already.

There are many ways to enter Capital One Arena before a Wizards game. My pattern for probably the last 10 plus years or so is to usually go in through the main entrance on F Street or the back entrance in the alley near Clyde's and then head straight upstairs to the second level to buy the cheapest (and that's a really relative term) beer in the place up in the Budweiser Brewhouse from my bartender, Roxy. 

Now everything has changed.

Before this year, the last thing I would think of would be to enter Capital One Arena on the east side of the building. It's just further to walk for someone who is coming from either the Gallery Place Metro exit at the southwest corner of the building or from further west all the way at Metro Center. Plus it's not like there are lines at the door at most Wizards games I attend. Nobody is looking to see this team play the Jazz on a Tuesday or Magic on a Saturday. Do I really need a dedicated entrance with a marginally shorter line so I can inside the building maybe five minutes faster? Those five minutes may end up just offsetting the extra walk I have to make to the southeast corner of the building.

Thumbs up for the Capital One line!

The answer, as it turns out, is yes, I do really need to go to that dedicated entrance. It is a shorter line, although let's face it, the lines for the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans games weren't all that long to begin with. If nothing else, the whole metal detector process seems easier and quicker.

But the real reason I've been entering the building through that door is they folks checking my Capital One card have been handing me $5 off concession coupons every game I've done this. And $5 concession coupons means $5 off food like David Chang's new spot on the west side of the building or the build your own tater tots stand on the east side (I know they are bad for you but they are seriously really freaking good!). It also works on beer and in the Budweiser Brewhouse, which means my first 25 oz Budweiser is now $4.25. How awesome is that? And if you detest Bud, you can get something else (Budweiser is my only choice of beer at Cap One; just is) at a $5 discount instead.

Think that extra walk isn't worth anything? It's at least worth $5. Get yourself over there with your Capital One card tomorrow night against the Rockets. If nothing else, you'll likely get money off your beer or food (unless it's Dunkin' Donuts which isn't playing along here). No card, no coupon. But if you've got a card, you will likely get one. Hey, you might even get two. 

It's happened.

Says it's good on 100 and 400 levels only but it works at the Budweiser Brewhouse.