It's late February and that means two things for Wizards fans: (1) the trade deadline has passed and (2) the Wiz are asking their loyal season ticket holders for some cash for the next season. This year, those two events could be seen as intimately entwined with one another and I'm having difficulty seeing that as a good thing in any way right now. Throw in a catastrophic John Wall achilles injury and a very vocal quest for the postseason issued by the team (which might also be seen as a distraction from what was really a cost cutting exercise) and this season might test season ticket holders' mettle more than any other year in recent memory.
Time to head out and get the pulse from five members of the Wizards DC12 Club on five very relevant subjects in Wiz-land. Oh, and by the way, this team ain't making the playoffs no matter how much they tell Trevor Ariza and Jeff Green that they love them. These are perilous times indeed for Washington basketball fans. Let's see what our panel thinks about the state of the team and whether tickets are worth it at all anymore. Five questions. Five people. 25 answers.
1. Season Ticket Prices for the 2019-2020 season were announced last weekend. At least for next season, prices are frozen. How do you feel?
Patrick (Section 421; Season 4): The only seats I'd ever consider (unless my salary reaches six digits) are in the 400s. As the prices have continued to increase during my four-year tenure as a season ticket holder, I decided to stick to seats within the similar price I have been paying. The seats I pay for in Section 421 didn't change and it looks like most, if not all, seats in the 400s didn't change. I'm disappointed that season ticket rates did not go down. The rates this season were already higher than they should have been. Considering John Wall is most likely not going to play next season and, who knows, maybe Brad won't be around next year, Monumental should be lowering the prices!
Josh (Section 109; Season 6): Ted and Monumental probably thought they were throwing us a bone by not raising prices but this season my prices were 20% higher than last. So that still works out to a 10% annual increase and I don't think the organization has performed well enough to "earn" such a raise. The idea, which they are touting in their materials, that next year's upgrades to the TV screen/scoreboard at center court and the ability to have wraparound advertisements on an LED strip is a new "benefit" for season ticket holders is a bit insulting.
Kim (Section 117; Season 11): The freeze placed on the ticket prices is a marketing strategy to hopefully entice season ticket holders to renew since the team has played so poorly. Ernie Grunfeld's mid-season trades did not help the team synergy or the morale of the fans.
Marcus (Section 104; Season 5): Prices stayed the same, which feels right. As much as we may have hoped for it, I didn't think they would actually lower the prices. Any increase, however, would have been a disaster.
Jonathan (Sections 109/415; Season 19): How do I feel? Relieved. For the first time in a few years, neither my lower level seats nor my upper deck seats increased in price. This is a good move by the team considering I didn't really expect them to cut prices (which would have been a better move). Next year is likely going to be seen as a wasted year by a portion of the fan base and if they end up locking up Trevor Ariza or Jeff Green on long deals or sign Jabari Parker or Bobby Portis to deals with player options, they might be right. Raising ticket prices would have killed renewals in my opinion. My 400 level seats at $40 per game are still a complete waste of money that can easily be bested on the secondary market most games. My seats in Section 109 are still about the same price they were before Ted Leonsis slashed prices after the 2010-2011 season. It's ironic but one of the worst things Ted did to himself was to cut season tickets in some locations in half. He could have maintained those seats at the same price for eight years in a row. Instead, he's gotten them back to about where they were in 2010 and faced criticism for raising prices multiple times.
2. Otto gone. Oubre gone. Kieff gone. Mahinmi still here. Wall out 'til 2020. Where does that leave the Wiz?
Patrick: It's going to be a depressing season next season, especially if the franchise has the same coach and general manager. I had already tuned out of this season a couple of months ago when I realized I couldn't get consistently decent entertainment from watching this Brooks-led team. Considering that there will be only five players coming back next year for sure (I expect Dwight Howard to take the player option and, no, we are not paying Jabari Parker $20 million next year), this team is in total disarray and I don't see how the Wizards can be a formidable playoff team for the next couple years. At the very least, I would hope that the team can offer us fans entertaining basketball, even if in a losing fashion. That's all I'm asking for. Hey, Ted, Remember your 10 point plan?
Josh: The Wiz situation is just horribly depressing. I became a season ticket holder towards the end of Brad's first year. I went to Florida, so having Brad, and also remembering how awesome John was at Kentucky, made me excited about what was about to happen with the team. Then they made the playoffs for the first time in the Wall era my first full year as a ticket holder. There was just so much promise and excitement. Now it has all come crashing down - with a ton of disappointment along the way. Bad coaching and even worse management and, of course, some bad injury luck. Ugh it's just so bad.
Kim: It leaves the team in the basement...rebuilding again with everything on Beal and Satoransky. Thomas Bryant needs to hit the weight room to bulk up a bit so that he doesn't get pushed around as much. He's a "diamond in the rough" and looking forward to his development. Mahinmi...(heavy sigh) such an albatross. $15.9 million bench-warmer who is laughing all the way to the bank.
Marcus: In trouble. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any hope for the Wizards in the near future. John's injury is a major blow to the franchise. It's very possible that he will never be the same again and the supermax will really hinder the Wizards' potential and flexibility for the next few years. The only real hope is for the ping pong balls to have that Irene Pollin magic.
Jonathan: Drifting. Honestly, what's the plan? Are we going to just say we expect to contend each year, put a toe over the luxury tax line and then decided to sell off players and give away picks when it turns out we are not as good a team as ownership says we should be? And then do the same thing over and over again each year? Is anyone going to figure out a short term or long term plan because this "win now" mentality that's driven the team to make band-aid move after band-aid move without ever actually "winning now" is nuts.
3. Did you try selling any of your tickets this year? How did that work out for you?
Patrick: I will be attending the fewest number of games I've ever attended these past four years. I maxed out the number of games I could return via the Fluid Ticket Program and tried to sell the other tickets. Unless the Wizards are playing a marquee team like the Warriors, there is no way I could break even on my tickets. My section isn't particularly a place where a potential buyer would prioritize, but looking at prices on third-party sites makes me wish I just bought my tickets on StubHub.
Josh: I tend to get to only 12-15 regular season games a year, and this year I went a bit less because of how depressing the team has been. I depend on the resale market to help me afford my tickets but the resale market has been depressed too and I will probably end up with double the costs for my tickets compared to last year, even when adjusting for the season ticket price increase.
Kim: No. Not applicable for me.
Marcus: I've sold more tickets this year than I have in any of the past years as a season ticket holder. The Ticketmaster site keeps getting increasingly difficult to use. They've taken away some of the useful stats of actual seats sold to help you with pricing. They have implemented a "recommended price" feature that I've used with some success. The biggest issue is that there isn't really too much demand for Wizard basketball outside of LeBron or Steph coming to town. It really seems like a better deal to not have season tickets.
Jonathan: I did because I felt I had to. The increased cost of season tickets meant unfortunately I wanted to recover some of my cost so I sold the Golden State and Lakers games without thinking about it. I also have upper deck seats so I tried to unload at least two tickets per game. It was tough. 400 level tickets by and large are worthless. Of the 26 home games so far, I've sold just four games for more than I paid. Of the remaining 22, I've sold 10 for $10 per seat or less and I've eaten two more entirely.
4. The Wizards promotional schedule has a bobblehead giveaway on April 5. Who should it be?
Patrick: This is a no brainer for me but let me think about this more strategically. Let's see...who on this team actually deserves some recognition? It should be someone who has been playing a decent number of minutes. Therefore, it can't be the rookie. My favorite bench warmer, Jason Smith, is no longer around. It should also be someone who has been on the team for a while. *looks at roster* Wait a minute...how many players were even on this team before this season?!? Since John and Brad already have had their own bobblehead nights, I'll name my favorite non-All-Star player on the roster: Tomas Satoransky.
Josh: Ooof. Tough one. I guess Thomas Bryant has been the most fun player to root for this year? I'd like a Kara Lawson bobble - she's so great, my daughters (who I take to all of the games) love her, and she and Buck make me more proud of the Wiz organization than anyone else at this point.
Kim: Tomas Satoransky. He has really stepped up as the most improved player in my opinion for the last two years while John Wall was out injured. His confidence has greatly increased and he's not hesitant like he used to be. They should put his jersey in the team store as well.
Marcus: Thomas Bryant. That would be my dream. It's probably Bradley; I don't think that he's had one in quite a while.
Jonathan: Tomas or Thomas. If I were asked to make a prediction, I'd say it's going to be an All-Star Bradley Beal bobble, which would be the fourth team-issued Beal bobble. It's too bad the Wizards self-limit their own options here. I'm sure they want to hand out something that will make fans turn out for the giveaway alone and scheduling just one bobble per year gives them no flexibility to give a role player and possible future star a shoutout for hard work and good play. The solution here, of course, is to give away more than one per season like a lot of other teams do. I'm rooting for Satoransky or Bryant and expecting Beal. And as a side note, the Wizards are masters at self-limiting their own options across the board.
5. 2019-20 season: in or out or on the fence?
Patrick: I'm not COMPLETELY out. If I had to give a percentage, I'm about 99.99999999% out. If Ernie Grunfeld is fired before the renewal date, I'll renew my tickets, but pay for the cheapest seat available. The benefits and incentives we get as the most basic of season ticket holders (i.e. not Courtside, VIP, etc.) have gotten worse over the years to the point I don't think we are being appreciated. *sigh* Why do I even root for this franchise?
Josh: I will temporarily renew to hold my tickets but if Ernie is still the GM heading into the draft I am canceling my tickets. Ted blocked me on Twitter, so that's the only way to make my frustrated voice heard at this point!
Kim: On the fence!
Marcus: Extremely on the fence for a couple of reasons. Like I stated before, it seems like it would be cheaper to find secondary market tickets for every game than to have season tickets. The other is a personal reason; my wife and I are about to have our first child due in March and I'm sure that will mean fewer trips to Capital One next year. I love my current seats, though. That might be what will keep me in.
Jonathan: Right now I'm on the fence. This is my 19th year and I always said I wanted to make it at least 20. I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say? I appreciate the gesture by the team to keep ticket prices the same next year. Some of my years as a season ticket holder have been pretty good to me from a finacial standpoint. I'm willing to give it at least one more year if the team will let me not renew my upper deck seats. If they won't do that, I might be leaning towards out.
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