What's New At Cap One

We are now four regular season and three preseason games in to the 2019-2020 Wizards home schedule and if you haven't been down to 601 F Street NW yet, you are in for a few changes when you get here, assuming the current Wizards roster actually piques your interest.

This summer, Capital One Arena went through phase two (of two, I believe) of a renovation that started in the summer of 2018 using (and I'm assuming here) a massive influx of Capital One sponsorship cash. Last season we saw the concourses renovated on all levels, the old Acela Club moved out and replaced (yes, I know the Acela name is years old...), some new seats installed and some snazzy new signage. This summer, they finished the job. Mostly. Here's what to expect.

The Scoreboard

So let's start with the most obvious upgrade over the summer: the new massively bright scoreboard right in the center of the arena. I remember when the former scoreboard was installed in what was then probably MCI Center. I recall reading how Abe Pollin was determined to have the first high definition scoreboard in the NBA. So he did. That was a long time ago.

It's aged a bit since then and as I've traveled around the NBA, I've realized just how much technology has passed the Wizards' home by. It was especially noticeable in Detroit last year. This thing brings us on par with the rest of the league. While the sheer surface area of video display is probably overwhelming, I love the advanced stats available (no longer have to look to the corner of the upper deck and wait for the stats to get to the home side) and the coordinated displays with the rest of the signage in the arena during team introductions are pretty impressive.

The Other Video Displays

So you can't talk about the scoreboard without noticing the rest of the video displays installed in the arena. The video bands below the 200 and 400 levels pretty much match what was there last year. But above the 400 level there's a larger video ring and the old black and yellow bulb stat displays in the upstairs corners are gone and replaced with massive LED full color screens that slide up and down depending on how full the upper deck is. The overall effect is pretty spectacular. Worth all the money? I don't know. But the larger screens in the corners of the upper deck are very welcome.

The District

If you are are completely in love with the new scoreboard and video screens, let me bring you back down to Earth a little.

As if crowd noise wasn't enough of an issue in the Wizards home building, ownership has, in all its wisdom, decided to actually remove seats from the floor area of the arena. That's right, they decided over the summer to add a standing area at the east end of the building for VIP ticket holders to eat and drink beer (or whatever else they want, I guess) while they try to see over the five rows of tiered courtside seats in front of them.

This sucks. It's a distraction to people like me who sit all the time at the Wizards bench end of the building and during times of the games when you need a ton of crowd noise (it DOES happen sometimes for the Wiz), there's going to be a huge hole in the crowd. Someone somewhere in the hierarchy of Monumental Sports must have thought (a) this was a great idea or (b) it would make ownership a couple of bucks more. If it was the first one, it's not a great idea.

Budweiser Brewhouse / Devil's Backbone Lounge

It's been a pregame ritual for me for the last few years to spend time before games with my favorite bartender, Roxy, at the Budweiser Brewhouse on the club level. This year, it's gone. Under renovation. Or more accurately right now, NOT under renovation but still closed.

So where to get a pregame $12.25 25 oz. can of Budweiser before the game. Well if you want to hang out with the Budweiser Brewhouse crew. head up the 400 level to the Devil's Backbone Lounge. It was sparsely populated during the season opener. It was dead by game three vs. the Pistons and it wasn't much better last Friday night against the Cavs. I get that it's a long way to go but you'll get great service (I mean, hey...there's nobody there) and you can get the $3 season ticket holder discount on your overpriced Bud or Bud Light. If you decide to stop by, say hi to me. I'll likely be there.

Silver lining here? Beer price didn't go up over the summer, at least not for the large cans of Bud and Bud Light. Yep, I know these things are like $2 or something at 7-11.

New TV Crew

So in general the exiling of Steve Buckhantz after kicking out Phil Chenier two seasons prior is a super dark cloud over the decision makers at Monumental Sports and Zach Leonsis in particular who allegedly runs the media arm of the the Wizards. Maybe they needed someone cheaper because they can't really have been seeking an upgrade for Buck. They replaced Kara Lawson (who was awesome and for me an upgrade over Phil) who quit with a combination of Drew Gooden (who's terrible) and Caron Butler (who I haven't heard call a game but come on...Tough Juice is a Wizards legend).

I get that whoever's calling the game on TV doesn't affect folks at the game itself because they don't broadcast over the sound system. But for those of us on the aisle between Sections 109 and 110, it's awesome to see Caron Butler stride to the announcing table and be able to yell "Tough JUUUUICE" as he walks by. It's the small things, I know.

Row Markers

Speaking of small things...

Phase one of the renovation last year got rid of all the purple seats (I mean...why??) and the purple and yellow (again...why??) signs on the concourse. But they didn't purge the entire place of purple. They missed the circular row markers cast into the concrete steps at the lowest level of the building. This time, they got them. And replaced them with red and white lettered markers. This is a good thing.

Rui Hachimura Shirts

And I mean lots and lots of Rui Hachimura shirts. For the past few years, Wizards fans have had to content themselves with slim pickings when it comes to player specific shirtwear (jerseys do not count as shirts). Want a John Wall t-shirt of some sort? Got a bunch of those! Brad Beal, too? Yep, Beal too. Anyone else? Not so much. Rui is different.

They have a bunch of different choices for Rui apparel over at Capital One Arena (remember, there are discounts on merch using either your season ticket holder pass or Capital One card). These include the jersey-like t-shirts with the number 8 and Hachimura on the back just like there are for Wall and Beal. But there are also other shirts including the one above and a giant silhouette of Rui's head with hair and his name in enormous letters where his face should be. That last one's pretty cool. Had to pick myself one of those up at the season opener.

I'm sure I've missed some things but that's what I've got out of my first few games this year. There are some new food options but they are not as sweeping as the past couple of years. Alex McCoy's Lucky Buns is gone this year and replaced with a Ben's Chili Bowl. No loss for Wizards fans there I don't think. 

There's still the issue of what happens to the Budweiser Brewhouse but it looks like the transformation of Cap One is complete. I'm just hoping they replaced the roof while they were doing all this.

400 Level Farewell

This post is short and stupidly (and I really mean STUPIDLY!) sentimental.

In the fall of 2000 I decided (along with a coworker) to buy Washington Wizards season tickets. The tickets cost $10 per game or $410 for the whole season (I can't remember if our package included preseason games or if we just bought right before the season but the $410 number sticks in my head). We got some tickets in Section 402, Row G near the end of the row away from center court. One year later, Michael Jordan returned to the court to play for the Wizards. Cool.

A few years after the Jordan era (and with per game prices now boosted to a whole $15), I moved my season ticket seats in 402 right to the other end of the same row, closer to center court. I had also by this time switched (or upgraded if you prefer) the co-worker I was sharing games with. I used to love mid-week games against non-popular opponents up in Section 402. There were some games where there was literally nobody higher up in the section that us so we could stand if we wanted or walk around during a tense part of a game during timeout. We also had some great memories taunting opposing fans when they came in to the building to see their team beat the Wiz only to be disappointed. It was most fun against Celtics fans and our seats were perfectly positioned to wave and say goodbye to the other team's "faithful" on their way out of the building before the end of the game.

Then one year I bought a 10 game package down in Section 103 right near the tunnel where the Wizards enter and exit the court. That 10 game package grew to a 21 game package then to a full season along with a move across the arena to Section 109 where I have seats today. While I was doing that, I kept my upper deck seats, although we moved across the building upstairs too to Section 415 right on the end in Row C. I think I can get to the bathroom at Capital One Arena faster than anyone else from those seats. It's the secret charm of those seats.

Over time, the $10 per game seats in the 400 level have increased up to $40 per game, which is a complete swindle. No way should those seats cost that much. So next season for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, I will not hold Wizards season tickets in the 400 level at 601 F Street NW. And I likely never will ever again. I'm not going backwards from my lower level seats.

Last night I sat in Seat 13 in Row C of Section 415 for the last time as a season ticket holder. It's been a good ride upstairs, although let's face it the team accomplished pretty much nothing. Somehow it's just not as fun when the cost is 3-4 times as much as it should be. I'm not saying I'll never sit in the upper deck at Capital One Arena ever again for a Wizards game, but I won't do it as a season ticket holder. It's time for someone else to take over that real estate.

400 Level Signage Ranked, Part II

This is my last post about the new picture signs installed over this past summer at Capital One Arena. I promise. In November, I posted my ranking of the 22 signs installed in the 100 Level of the building assuming that was all the money Capital One cared to spend on these things. About a week later I made my first trip of the season to the 400 Level and found 34 more signs. I posted part one of my countdown on that level last week. Now I'm handling the top 17 on the upper deck. Then I'll be quiet about signage in the building for a while. Probably.

Let's see what I found on the top level of Cap One that's better than what I showed last week.

17. Playoff Bound (408/409)

Sometimes the playoffs are something to celebrate so I'm putting this sign at the 17 spot in this countdown. I do find the concept of this one a little curious though. I mean it's not like the Mystics had some long playoff drought. This sign is dated 2006. The Mystics made the playoffs in 2004, 2002 and 2000. Why this year? They made it as the four seed with an 18-16 record. Don't think I'm going to figure this one out.

16. Young Guns (410/411)

So let me get this straight: this sign celebrates the fact that the Washington Capitals found multiple young players in the draft that are actually good. In many, many ways this speaks volumes about the ownership of the Capitals and by default also the Wizards and Mystics. And Valor I guess; I keep forgetting that's a sport. This ranks 16th on this list because this standard is like a minimum bar for some franchises. Of course, these young guns did go on to win a Stanley Cup I guess.

15. Bondra's Goal (402/403)

I guess this is good for Peter Bondra. Score three goals in a game and get a contract extension. And we wonder why Andray Blatche got an extension for a couple of good months of play.

14. Holtby Saves 44 (406/407)
So it seems to me that this sign isn't really celebrating Braden Holtby saving 44 shots in a single playoff game; it's more about the fact that his effort in this one game propelled the Caps to a series win against the Boston Bruins. And maybe recognizing Holtby individually for being between the pipes for the 2018 Stanley Cup championship run. Why do I think that? Because yes, the Caps got by Boston but they bowed out in the very next round in the 2012 playoffs. And 44 saves isn't like an NHL record or something (it's 92, if you were wondering). Still this signs sits 14th because it spotlights Holtby and he deserves his own spotlight.

13. Wes Unseld Named NBA MVP (400/401)
Only one Wizards / Bullets / Zephyrs / Packers player has ever been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player and that's Wes Unseld (obviously). No, it didn't happen in Washington; he played for the Baltimore Bullets. But as a basketball fan, I think it deserves a sign celebrating the accomplishment. Oh...and Wes was also Rookie of the Year this same season. Only player to ever win both of those in a single season.

Oddly enough Alex Ovechkin has won the Hart Trophy (the NHL's MVP award) three times and he gets no sign for that. Even though he did it in the building. Can't figure out the logic behind some of these things. 

12. Dozen Goals (417/418)
It's not often a hockey team scores 12 goals in a single game. The Caps have done it once since the current building opened and that was in January of 2003. I'm having second thoughts about putting this one ahead of Wes Unseld's MVP season but it did happen in the building after all.  I need to post this before I change my mind.

11. Dale Hunter Number 32 Retired (412/413)

10. Phil Chenier Number Retired (431/432)

There are a total of six retired number signs that were added over the summer. Earl Monroe, whose number was retired after the move to MCI Center / Verizon Center is down on the 100 level. You can find the other five upstairs. I ranked Gus Johnson, Elvin Hayes and Was Unseld 21st, 20th and 19th respectively in last week's post because their numbers were retired before the Wizards moved to downtown Washington. Chenier's and Hunter's numbers were not; they were retired right at 601 F Street NW. Chenier's ranked higher because basketball is better than hockey.

Phil Chenier's 45 is the fifth number retired by the Bullets / Wizards and all five of those players are represented on signs in the building. The Capitals have retired four numbers and oddly enough, only Hunter is celebrated in sign form around the concourse on the 100 or 400 level. I don't know what Rod Langway (#5), Yvon Labre (#7) or Mike Gartner (#11) did to deserve to be snubbed but they were.

9. All-Star (John Wall) (433/400)

8. The #1 Pick (428/429)

John Wall has played a huge part in the identity of the Washington Wizards franchise over the last nine seasons (how has it been that long??) and deservedly so. I ranked him as the best Wizard all time (Wizard, not Bullet)  a couple of years ago based on his play over the years and his five All-Star appearances, which is two more than any other Wizard.  These two signs mark two pretty important milestones in John's career: his selection number one overall in the 2010 NBA Draft and his selection to the All-Star team for the first time.

7. Eastern Conference Best (405/406)

Yep, believe it or not, the Washington Mystics were the WNBA Eastern Conference's best in the 2010 season, long before they made the Finals this past season. They also started three players (Monique Curry, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne) in the WNBA All-Star game. Of course, there's a picture celebrating the regular season because in the postseason they bombed, losing 0-2 to the four seed Atlanta Dream.

6. 300 For Kölzig (423/424)

Olaf Kölzig in the Capitals' all time leader in games won and he won a lot of them at the MCI Center / Verizon Center. There's a lot of value in celebrating accomplishments accumulated one game at a time over the span of years. Kölzig did something here worthy of note. And sure, Olie won 300 but he only went one over that number. His career total stands at 301. Braden Holtby has 245 as of this past Sunday. What happens then? 

5. U2 (404/405)

I put most of the concert signs in the 400 level in the mid-20s (22 through 28 to be exact) of this sign rank. Well, except for Keith Urban who is deservedly dead last. But U2? No way could I put this band with the rest of the acts 17-23 spots higher. U2 is a breed apart in this bunch. As an aside, can you imagine even seeing U2 at a venue this small (which is bigger than most bands will ever hope to play)? Crazy that they weren't already doing stadium shows when MCI Center opened in 1997.

4. Community Assist (403/404)

What beats U2 and team success by the Mystics? John Wall giving back to the community, that's what. Every year since the 2011-2012 NBA Season, the NBA has handed out an annual award to a player to honor their community engagement and charitable work and/or philanthropy. At the end of the 2015-2016 season, John Wall received the award for his work making Washington, D.C. and Raleigh, NC. This is important stuff. In many ways much much more important than winning on the court. Well done, here. Proud of John for this one.

3. The Dalai Lama (427/428)

I get what you are thinking: is the Dalai Lama really more important that all this Wizards and Capitals stuff? More important than the Mystics and Valor? Than Keith Urban and U2? Yes, he is. Much more important. One could argue as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and international peace symbol and conscience of all that is good that he should be number one. But he's not on this countdown. Not today. The Dalai Lama played 601 F Street. How cool is that?

2. 17-Game Win Streak at Home (416/417)

This seems like a distant memory at this point but two years ago (yes, just TWO YEARS ago) the Wizards ran off 17 straight wins at home on their way to their first and only division title in my 19 years of being a Wizards season ticket holder. Since then? Not so much success. We'll always have the 2017 playoffs, I guess. Can't see the Wiz having the same success this year.

1. Finals Win (430/431)
Just as was the case with the 100 level signs, there is no accomplishment in the building better than the Stanley Cup Finals win so any sign celebrating anything to do with that series and that championship comes first, number one, all the time. This sign outside sections 430 and 431 commemorates the first win in Washington that put the Caps up 2-1 en route to winning four straight and closing out the Golden Knights in Vegas five days later. 

That's it. Until they put some of these on the Club level, which they likely won't. But if they do, they should right the wrong that they have done by omitting all mention of the Wizards post name change and pre-Leonsis ownership. Those players on the mid-aughts team are not a stain to be erased from the team's and building's history. Happy about this current Wizards team making the second round of the playoffs and putting two players in the All-Star Game? We should be equally happy about the team 10 to 15 years prior doing the same thing, only with three All-Stars.

400 Level Signage Ranked, Part I

If you've been reading this blog at all in the last couple of months, you'll know that there was a significant renovation of Capital One Arena this summer. Heck, you might even accuse me of being a little obsessed with this building renovation and I wouldn't dispute it. A couple of months ago, I posted my ranking of the best new signage installed over the summer at the entrances to the 100 level seating sections. At that time, I figured the lower level of the building would have been the only spot in the building that management (or Capital One, depending on your perspective) would have sprung for some new signage.

Turns out I was wrong. About a week after I published that November post, I made my way upstairs in the building (to pour my own beer, if you must know) and found a whole new set of signage up on the 400 level. So now I have to rank the upper deck signage also of course. The same disclaimers apply: generally basketball beats hockey, events in the building beat events not in the building and concerts and shows usually take a back seat to sports. I'm not making any effort here to provide a consolidated ranking of all signs in the building. Honestly, I don't see the point. I mean, after all, this blog is mostly pointless anyway.

There are 34 signs on the 400 level. I'll be counting down from 34 to 18 in this post and then doing the top 17 in another post. It would be just too long to do all 34 in a single sitting.

34. Keith Urban (426/427)

Keith Urban? Really? There were 56 picture signs installed around Capital One Arena last summer including 12 related to concerts (3 downstairs and 9 upstairs) and they picked Keith Urban as one of those 12? I've seen Bob Dylan in the building twice and he's not one of them but Keith Urban is? And no Madonna either? Although the last omission is likely due to Madge going on stage 2-1/2 hours late for one show which did not make Ted happy. This sign is the worst. 

33. Arena Construction (418/419)

As I mentioned during my first post, posts about the building are not events that happened in the building. Sure the construction was important because without the construction there wouldn't be a building at all but this does not qualify for a sign. They should remove this one immediately. Well, after they take the Keith Urban one down that is. :)

32. International Horse Show (414/415)

31. Disney On Ice (424/425)

Every year it seems the Wizards go on the road for about a week or maybe a little more and either the horse show or Disney on Ice moves in. I've never been to either of these events but they rank this low on this list because they are not in any way unique to the building. Disney gets the nod over horses because horses kind of freak me out. 

30. ArenaBowl Champions (401/402)

I guess I feel happy for these guys who won the ArenaBowl. Most people will never win a professional sports championship even if it was in a four team league and the team's regular season record was 2-6. I also in theory genuinely root for these players in life. This is their shot at glory and some may actually make it out and make it big a la Kurt Warner. But this signs sits at 30th on this list because it's just not a relevant sport. Sorry for being petty but that's how I feel.

29. Harlem Globetrotters (429/430)

The Globetrotters might have been easily ranked with the horse show and Disney On Ice. I elected to put them here because I think Arena Football is more pointless than watching the 'Trotters beat the Washington Generals every night. They can't rank too hight though because it's totally non-competitive basketball. Then again, there have been seasons that you could easily say that about the Wizards. 

28. Foo Fighters (407/408)

27. Andrea Bocelli (420/421)

26. Justin Timberlake (415/416)

25. Bruno Mars (411/412)

I mentioned under the Keith Urban entry above that there are nine signs featuring concerts on the 400 level. I'm electing to group seven of the other eight in the next seven spots, starting with artists that I have not seen at MCI Center/Verizon Center/Capital One Arena. Foo Fighters, Andrea Bocelli, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars are ranked in the order I would probably go see them. There is one more artist I haven't seen in the building on a sign but they are just head and shoulders above these four (and the next three). Go ahead and mock me for putting Foo Fighters last. 

24. Christina Aguilera (422/423)

23. Bon Jovi (432/433)

22. Lady Gaga (419/420)

And then there are the artists I have seen at MCI Center/Verizon Center/Capital One Arena. Yes, I have actually seen Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga there (I've also seen Britney Spears there but they chose to not give Brit her own sign). These three are listed in the order that I would probably go see them again. I debated about this list a good bit but ultimately Gaga would win out over Bon Jovi.

21. Gus Johnson Number Retired (425/426)

20. Elvin Hayes Number Retired (409/410)

19. Wes Unseld Number Retired (421/422)

When MCI Center opened in 1997, there were three retired numbers from the Washington Bullets hanging from the rafters (there are now five; Earl Monroe and Phil Chenier have been retired since the building opened). The retired numbers of Gus Johnson, Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld are all celebrated in the 400 level signs. If the retirement happened at MCI Center or Verizon Center or Capital One Arena, they would surely be higher on this list. However, they didn't; so they aren't. I've ranked these three based on my perception of their value to the franchise and its history. Debate away. I'm sure if anyone wanted to, they'd have to get through their disgust at my musical artist rankings right before these three. Except for the Keith Urban thing, that is.

18. All-Star (Bradley Beal) (413/414)

More stuff that didn't happen in the building. Sort of; I mean obviously Beal spent half (give or take) of his audition for the All-Star game at 601 F Street NW. In a spoiler alert, there's another one of these for John Wall elsewhere on the 400 level; Wall just gets ranked higher than Beal because I like Wall more than Beal. Although this season is certainly changing my opinion of Brad in a big way.

So at this point in my ranking of signage on this level, there are three retired Bullets players (don't worry - Phil's coming too) and recognition of All-Start appearances by Beal and Wall. There is nothing about the teams in between the Bullets and Ted's 2010-and-after version of the Wizards. And I think this completely sucks. There are a ton of fans including me who watched Arenas, Butler and Jamison play in the building and they get nothing. Not a single sign. No mention. For a team that at one point in 2007 led the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break. Eddie Jordan coached the All-Star team that year. Couldn't that get a mention even? Over Keith Urban maybe? Guess not. The revisionist history here is annoying to me. Those guys deserve better.

End of Part I. Part II next week.

Random Observations

It's been about a month since we've seen either John Wall or Markieff Morris on the court in a Wizards uniform and I was actually enjoying the team the Wizards are fielding these days. They were scrappy, they were trying hard, they move the ball well and they were winning, albeit at home more often than not and not necessarily against the cream of the NBA crop. Then they played the Cavs this past Tuesday and the Spurs two nights before that. Defense? What defense? Two big issues still loom over this team apart from their defensive prowess in the last week: (1) they have to (and I really mean HAVE to) fix that salary cap situation unless Ted Leonsis is on board with exceeding that luxury tax line next year and (2) I'm sure that Scott Brooks is going to hit the reset button on everything next season when Wall and Dwight Howard will be back in the starting lineup.

Do I still think the team should sell at the trading deadline and give up on their chances to make the playoffs and get out of the first round? You bet I do; they won't make it out of the first round anyway. In the meantime, I'm still heading to games will be rooting as hard as I can for the team.

Over the last couple of months it seems like there have been a bunch of really odd or random things happen around the court at Capital One Center. None of these things warrant a post in and of themselves so I've been saving these up for a compilation of random thoughts type post. I've now got enough to write a full post I think. Here goes nothing.

Why Do They Do That?

In about the first or second game of the season this year, I noticed the Wizards pep squad or ground crew or whatever they are moving a beige cloth over the center court logo and the two lanes under the baskets at either end of the court right before the starting lineups were announced. This didn't make any sense to me from my seat in the lower level, especially since they sometimes had to wait for the opposing team to get out of the way down at the far end (from my perspective) of the court so they could cover that lane.

Then I sat upstairs and lo and behold, there's some fancy pregame laser projection during the introductions. I assume this is part of the arena upgrades that happened this summer since I haven't noticed it before this year. I get that most people in Capital One Arena are likely not confused about this but I was and it's not a bad pregame effect. Definitely an improvement over past years. The view of what it's like from Section 415 is in the cover photo of this post.

Crowded House

I rarely hang around for halftime shows at Capital One Arena. I'm usually too busy heading somewhere in the building for a halftime beer and have been conditioned over the last few years to getting nothing but non-professional halftime performers (Red Panda, I miss you!). But earlier this month against Milwaukee I stuck around and witnessed what has to be the single most dense mass of people I've ever seen on a basketball court in person. It was some kind of coordinated cheer session with multiple multiple different groups. It was pretty stunning. See if you can see any reasonable space in the picture above. I can't.

Random Jerseys

Every so often, you'll see someone at a Wizards game with a completely random opponent jersey that just makes you wonder what was going on in their head to make them buy the jersey they have on. On MLK Day this year I walked by some dude wearing a number 7 Brandon Jennings Pistons jersey (I complimented him on his choice!) which amused me because I don't think Jennings' time in Detroit was especially notable. And yes, I do have Brendan Haywood, Andray Blatche and Chris Singleton jerseys in my closet at home.

But the one that got me most in recent memory was some guy in the second or third row at the Bucks game in early January wearing a T.J. Ford number 11 jersey. I get that Ford was a pretty high draft pick for the Milwaukee franchise back in 2003 but he only stuck around for three years (he was injured one of those three) and those were not particularly remarkable in any way. But his last year in a Bucks' jersey was 2006 for crying out loud. So this guy's been either stashing this thing in his closet waiting for his next NBA game to roll around or he wears this often to go see the Bucks play. Whatever's going on, this guy has my complete and utter respect. This is solid.

Where's G-Man?

For the first time in like forever (at least that's the way it works in my memory) during the Philly game (great win by the way) on January 9, the Secret Service Dunkers made an appearance. I don't really go for any sort of timeout type entertainment but there's something about these guys that I love. Might be the name and the uniforms, which I think are super creative and super Washington, D.C. It's certainly not the dunking, which I guess is what they are really all about. 

They were introduced that Wednesday night not as the Secret Service Dunkers but as G-Man and the Secret Service Dunkers. They even had that name on the large red mat they land on after they dunk. Only...no G-Man. There hasn't been any G-Man in years has there? Didn't the Wizards kill him off like four or five years ago? I can't remember seeing him recently and he wasn't there during the game against the Sixers. Yet he was introduced and his name is on the equipment. Is Ted just too cheap to spring for a new pad?

Beal vs. Wall

In the offseason three years ago, Monumental Sports installed a Wizards Franchise History display that showed the history of the team's primary uniform all the way from the franchise's inception in Chicago in 1961 to today. Or at least through the 2015 offseason anyway. The display is shown in the photograph above and features jerseys all the way from Walt Bellamy with the Chicago Packers (number 8 top left) to John Wall (number 2 top right) with today's team.

In the last couple of months or so, the team has swapped out the current primary road uniform (what Nike now calls the Icon Edition) for this season't City Edition, the black version of last year's white City Edition featuring not Washington or Wizards across the chest but The District of Columbia. It makes sense, right? I mean you want the hottest version of your unis in a case like this I guess so more people will go out and buy one.

The only curious thing is they switched John Wall's jersey out for a Bradley Beal jersey. Because Wall's injured I guess???

I'll end with that. Milwaukee up next Saturday night. Assuming it's going to be a little more difficult this time.

Wall out. Beal in.