Category Archives: Sports Fix

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Monday Morning Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Crash the net’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

Capitals
Record: 43-21-6
Last Two Weeks: 3-3
Place: 1st in the Southeast, 3rd in the East

The first half of March wasn’t very kind to the Caps. Four straight losses (to Florida, Carolina, Toronto and Pittsburgh) put the hurt on the Caps record pretty fierce. But, the Caps rallied on their short road trip, beating Nashville and the Flyers, and followed it up with a shoot-out win over the Hurricanes.

There are just 12 games left for the Caps, and they’re about to start a 5-game road trip. Joining them from Hershey will by Brian Pothier and Simeon Varlamov. Pothier is returning to the Caps after a 14-month absence after a severe concussion last January, which left him with blurry vision. He just completed a four-game tune-up with the Hershey Bears.

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Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Snow Day Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Caps Game Face-off’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Capitals
Record: 40-19-5
Last Two Weeks: 4-3
Place: 3rd in the Eastern Conference, 1st in the Southeast.

Just 18 regular season games remain for the still-strong Caps, it’s looking pretty good for a playoff berth. The Trade Deadline looms large this week, coming Wednesday afternoon at 3pm. Will the Caps wheel and deal, looking for a deadline deal? It’s not clear. They’re doing so well, that the only thing they might look for is someone in the net, but nothing will happen until Tuesday or so. The Caps are close to the salary cap, and are at their player contract limit, so this one may be much ado about nothing.

The Caps are on a three-game homestand this week, facing Carolina, Toronto and Pittsburgh. Look for some big games here from Ovechkin, as he pushes to maintain the league lead in goals. He’s also got some work to do to catch up with Malkin in Pittsburgh for the points lead. Look for some solid hockey.

Wizards
Record: 14-45
Last Two Weeks: 3-3
Place: Last in the Eastern Conference

Friday was a good night for the Wizards. Rebecca was there for the big victory over the Bulls at Verizon on Friday, so if you haven’t yet, read her account from the game. Of course, that’s about all that you can say for the sub .250 Wizards. They’ve got about 20 games left, so it’s not totally done and counted, but it sure looks like a rough ride.

Agent 0, though, is back in practice, starting late last week, so it’s not too early to start thinking about next year. I hope that Gilbert sees that coming back now, too early, would be a pyrrhic victory for a team that doesn’t need more long-term baggage. Stay on the bench and wait until next year, Agent 0, we’ll need you then.

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News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Bye Bye Bowden?

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Nationals Executive Offices’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

The long nightmare of Jim Bowden may finally be over for Nats fans. Baseball Prospectus is reporting that the Nats are close to firing Bowden, and replacing him with Tony LaCava from Toronto Blue Jays’ front office. Bowden’s currently under FBI investigation for involvement in a bonus-skimming scandal that has been going on since the mid 1990s. Bowden’s right hand for scouting in Latin America, Jose Rijo, is about to be fired for his part in the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal.

Most interesting in all of this, is that Bud Selig has reportedly issued the Nats an exemption from the “Rooney rule” which would require them to interview at least one minority candidate in the process. While I’m generally for diversity, this seems to be a special exemption due to the fact that our GM could be about to be fired for cause. This close to the start of the season, it would be rather unfortunate to have to spend a lot of time interviewing candidates.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Pin the Name on the Recruit

Photo courtesy of
‘nick was practicing my signature! lol’
courtesy of ‘irina slutsky’

It seems the Nationals are in a bit of trouble with their latest prospects.

Gonzalez’s current agent, Stanley King, said early Wednesday morning he was shocked by the revelations.

“I hope this is a mistake,” King said via telephone. “I was at his house this winter and he answered by his [baseball name]. I will look into this.”

I’m not exactly sure what goes between those brackets that makes any of it look less damning. Looks like that contract’s going to be void, and that the Nats might have to figure out who they really signed…

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Capital Delight

Photo courtesy of
‘090127 Alex Ovechkin’ courtesy of ‘Dan4th’

Ben here, filling in for Tom as he wings his way back across the Atlantic. He’ll have more National angst in a couple weeks, I’m sure.

Capitals
Record: 36-16-5 (77 points)
Position in Division / Conference: First / Tied for second

Two words to describe the current sports darlings in town: On fire.

And at just the right time. The Caps enter this week, just about 2/3rds through the season, at a red-hot pace and fighting with perennial standings goliath New Jersey on a near-nightly basis for the second spot in the Conference. The Caps are 9-2-2 in their last 13, though their road record needs some work, evening out at 14-12-4.

Ovie, to no one’s surprise, has scored 27 goals in his last 29, including a hat trick last night against a surprising Florida team. Alex Semin knocked in another point last night as well, notching himself as the teams’ fourth 50-point scorer this year. Mike Green had a NHL record eight game point streak for defensemen come to an end, however, but his success is typical of a well-oiled hockey team just hitting the right stride for the upcoming playoffs.

With the NHL trade deadline nearing, it’ll be interesting to see how McPhee sees the team and if any moves might be made. Barring a total failure by Theodore – who’s been showing consistent signs of his early Vezina career – the team look solid enough to go far come April and May.

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News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Sign Adam Dunn

Photo courtesy of
‘Ken Griffey and Adam Dunn’
courtesy of ‘SD Dirk’

The Nats have finally given us all here in DC something to cheer about, with the signing of Adam Dunn this afternoon to a 2-year deal for an unspecified amount of money. Dunn, traditionally an outfielder, will probably play some at first during Spring Training, or possibly as part of a platoon in the outfield. Dunn brings a nice powerful bat to the Nats, who’ve traditionally lacked for anything resembling a power hitter. With 206 homers in the last five seasons, Dunn represents a major power punch to the Nats Lineup.

Look for a bit more detail in Monday’s Sports Fix column on Dunn’s arrival in DC, plus the reporting of Pitchers and Catchers on Saturday (3 days til Spring Training! Woohoo!)

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Football Hangover Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘So’s your mother!’
courtesy of ‘phi’

Yesterday’s dramatic finish in Tampa brought a smile to many a face in the DC area yesterday, as DC has become home to many who’ve left Pittsburgh for warmer climes. While at least one Cards fan I know is putting an asterisk on the final result, for the lack of review on the “fumble” on the last play of the game, I’d say it’s a pretty clear victory for the Steelers, and, well, for freedom and puppies, too. So, football is done, and now we’re into the loneliest month in all of Sports: February. Sure, we’ve got the Caps and the Wizards, but it’s awful quiet out there, otherwise. Here we go, into the Recap!

Capitals
Record: 32-15
Last Two Weeks: 2-2
Place: 1st in the Southeast!

Ovechkin put up a Hat Trick against the Sens last night, his second of the season, as the Caps strung together a pair of wins after a pair of losses. The win against the Red Wings late last week also brought back Defenseman Tom Poti who’d missed 15 games with a groin injury. It’s good to have him back, as he had 5 blocked shots, the most of either squad that night.

The Caps face the surging Devils in New Jersey on Tuesday night in what should definitely be a killer game. The game’s on VS in HD, so check your local listings for a quality game. They’ll face the Kings on Thursday at the Phone Box, followed by the Panthers on Saturday. Tickets are available for both home contests. Get out and see some awesome hockey! Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Caps Continue Dominance

caps.jpg
IMG_1380 by jonlarge

Capitals
Record: 29-14
Place: 1st in the Southeast, 12 points ahead of the Panthers.
Last 2 Weeks: 3-3

The Caps may want to avoid any political holidays in the future, especially those involving the Senators. You know, the ones up in Ottawa.

Last night’s 3-2 loss was a tough one, as the Sens scored with less than two minutes remaining. The power play goal by Brendan Bell late in the third broke a Washington comeback and their three-game win streak as the NHL’s All Star break begins for the Caps.

Back on Election Night, Nov 4, the Caps faced Ottawa and lost then, too, in a 2-1 contest. Apparently, big political days and Caps hockey don’t mix. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Penn Quarter, Sports Fix, The Features
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Caps Extra: Halfway There

Photo courtesy of clydeorama
Boudreau and Capitals at Bench, courtesy of clydeorama

I recently had the pleasure of chatting about hockey with John Buccigross, ESPNEWS Anchor and SportsCenter host – and the former primary host of NHL 2Night when ESPN covered NHL games. Bucci’s (as many call him) columns on hockey on the ESPN website are often insightful, humorous and engaging. Just don’t call him ESPN’s “hockey guy.”

Since the Washington Capitals have hit the halfway point, I wanted to give a mid-season review, so why not Bucci?

Sum up the Caps season so far. At or above expectations?

[Bucci] Right about where I thought they would be. Maybe a little better. They are certainly among the NHL elite. Time will tell if they can win low scoring playoff games and if they have enough playoff defense and goaltending when they play a good team every night for two months.

Areas of improvement?

[Bucci] Team defense, blueline, a goaltender to trust to win for two months, and keeping their goals against lower.

Goaltending. Can they be successful with just Johnson and Theodore (and some solid minor-league backups), or is this where McPhee needs to pull a trade-trigger?

[Bucci] This where GM’s earn their money. They get paid to make tough decisions. They have to make a determination if they have the goaltending to win the Cup. I would think they don’t because they are not a great defensive team. But, if they can improve in that area and they keep scoring goals, they might have enough. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Capitals Soar, Wizards on Floor

Celebrate.png

Ovechkin Celebrates by clydeorama

Capitals
Record: 26-11-3
Last Two Weeks: 6-0
Place: First in the Southeast

The Caps roared through the holidays, racking up a six-game win streak and handily beating down the Rangers on Saturday in a defensive slugfest. The 2-1 victory saw the return of Alexander Semin as well as Semin’s first (slap)fight of his NHL career. With the injury bug now behind them, the Caps are in prime position to pull away from the ‘Canes (10 points behind) and cement their playoff position for April.

Ovechkin and company have the best 40-game start in franchise history, another feather in Coach Boudreau’s cap. However, Ovechkin was snubbed on Saturday when the NHL All-Star teams were announced; due to Montreal fan chicanery, Ovie finished sixth in the overall voting and won’t be on the starting lineup. Boudreau’s quote on ESPN: “It’s dumb. It’s not right the best player in the game is not a starter.”

All of us here at WLDC totally agree (even Ben!). Ovie should be joining Crosby and Malkin on the top line, not on-again-off-again Kovalev, oft-injured Koivu or flash-in-the-pan Tanguay. But alas, Habs fans are rabid and were out to fix the voting, hence Ovie receiving less than 500,000 votes (compared to the 1.2 million each Habs player received). We’ll see who the real All-Star is come January 25th.

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Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Redskins, Wizards, Caps and Mark Teixeira

Santa's Helpers.jpg
Santa’s Helpers by M.V. Jantzen

Redskins
Record: 8-7
Last Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Last in the NFC East

With just a week left in the regular season, it’s good to know that, at least, Jim Zorn’s first season will be .500 or better. With a 10-3 victory, that came down to the very last play, the Redskins sewed up a dead-even season at a bare minimum. The playoffs? Let’s not hold our breath, shall we? The losing streak in the middle of the season made that impossible, I’m afraid.

Next week, the Skins play a pretty meaningless game against the fairly meaningless 49ers. It should be a pretty good time, so long as you like seeing the sixth and seventh string guys in. Sorry, Skins fans. It’s been a tough season to endure. A win next week ties us with last season’s record. The losses to the Rams and the Cowboys at home, though, will be all we can imagine for a while.

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People, Sports Fix, WTF?!
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Minding the Net

Photo courtesy of ivanomak
Jose Theodore, courtesy of Ivan Makarov

I watch hockey. A lot. So when stuff happens that seems unusual, I’m not entirely phased. Tonight, however? Yeah, totally amusingly unusual and worth posting here.

My friends and I were engrossed in Boston’s ugly beat down of Atlanta tonight before we switched to Chicago’s eventual win over Colorado when we got wind of the ‘unusual’ over at the Caps game.

We’d heard that Theodore went down with a hip injury (or is that a “mid-body injury,” to use the NHL’s new method of reporting boo-boos?) earlier in the day and that Brent Johnson – he of the hot glove hand lately – would be in the net against the Senators. The NHL Network had been reporting Sergei Varlamov’s call-up to back up Johnson, so what was all the buzz about?

Lo and behold, Varlamov was going to be running late flying in from Houston where his other team – the Hershey Bears – was on the road and wouldn’t make the start of the game. Yeah, I know, it doesn’t sound unusual. Yet. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Redskins Slide, Caps Keep Division Lead, Wiz Make Changes

raven.jpg
Raven at the Tower of London by Stephen Bolen

Redskins
Record: 7-6
Last Two Weeks: 0-2
Place: Last in the NFC East

I went to college about 75 miles south of Cleveland. When I arrived in late 1996, the area was in a funk over their beloved and now-departed Browns. Say the name “Art Modell” aloud, and you risks an ass-whupping. I learned to hate the Ravens. Everyone would boo in the sports-bar in Newark when they’d break to show their highlights, flip off the TV, and then go back to cry silently in their beers. So, I tend to think of the Ravens much like I think about, say, certain political television personalities in bow-ties. It’s not very nice.

Sadly, they were the better football team yesterday, winning 24-10 in a game that wasn’t even that close. Ed Reed picked off a pair of Jason Campbell’s passes, and the Baltimore Defense kept Clinton Portis to just 32 yards. That’s a recipe for domination, right there, and the Redskins just couldn’t overcome it. Three games remain for the Skins, and they’ll need to win them all if they want a shot at the playoffs. They’re 9th in the NFC, a half game behind Philly. Two out of those three games should be easy triumphs: next weekend against the Bengals, and then in three weeks against my beloved, yet utterly hapless, 49ers. The real game here is in two weeks against Philadelphia, who disarmed the Giants this weekend. Tune it up, Redskins, you’ve got to come up big for your city these next three weeks. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Redskins Win, Caps Look Good, Wiz Look Really Bad

FedEx Field
FedEx field by Gnomedude

Redskins
Record: 7-4
Past Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Tied for Second in the NFC East with the Hated Dallas Cowboys.

Two ugly games in a row for the Redskins. This week, unlike last, the Skins came out on top. Clinton Portis continues to be a dominant force in the Redskins offense, with 143 yards on 29 carries, including some second-half sprints that rocketed the Skins to victory. Jason Campbell had an off-day, going 20 of 33 for 206 yards and a single TD. The defense, though, couldn’t stop the 2-9 Seahawks from putting up 228 offensive yards, most of that on the ground. They did, however, force a turnover with under a minute to go as the Seahawks were driving toward the end zone, putting the kibosh on the Seahawks’ last rally.

Up next? The 10-1 Giants. They’ll be here at FedEx on Sunday, and the Redskins will need an impressive showing to take down the top of the NFC East. Currently, we’re tied with the Hated Cowboys, and next week they play the Seahawks while we’re facing the Giants. Not exactly the matchup that we’re hoping for. So, if they want to keep their place, it’s win or die against the Giants. I’m not hopeful. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Leisurely: Broomball

This is the start of a new column for us here at We Love DC. We’re going to do pieces on a lot of the different “leisure sports leagues” that are organized here in this area. Sure, some of them will be more leisurely than others, and our starting sport is certainly one of the more intense ones. Are you in a leisure sports league? Are you interest in fame and fortune, though legally we can guarantee neither? Email us with your story at tom at welovedc dot com.

Swinging
Swinging by tbridge

The drive up to Reisterstown to visit the Baltimore Broomball Club was nothing short of exhausting. 2 hours from door to door, in rainy traffic at first, and by the end a pea-soup sort of fog that hid the Reisterstown Sports Plex, except for a vivid fog halo from the lights. Inside, on the cold rink, hockey practice was ending, and the zamboni was on the ice. 25 people had braved the fog, the traffic and the late fall chill to come suit up and play Broomball.

Broomball’s origins are a bit blurry, but is said to have evolved in Canada, like most games played on an icy surface. It’s not to be confused with curling, though, which is a subject for a wholly separate story, as there is a DC Curling Team of some repute. The game is straight forward: think of Soccer, crossed with Hockey. Two 18-minute periods make up the game as a whole, and six players from each team are on the ice at any given point, one of which is generally the goalie. Each player gets a helmet and a “broom”, and wears special shoes that grip the ice a good bit better than your average hiking shoes. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Caps & Wiz, Redskins Bye

hockey.jpg
Nice save on the Post by pimguy

Before there was West Wing, there was Sports Night. One of my favorite piece of comedic/dramatic television ever is the Pilot of that show is the Pilot, wherein we get to meet the cast. The first introduction of Jeremy, the stats guy and sports nut, is hysterical, and it sums up my general problem with today’s column. See, I’m a baseball/football kind of guy. The winter sports are hard for me. But, because I’m a trooper, let’s take a look at how the local teams fared this week.

The Caps
Record: 7-5
Past Two Weeks: 3-2
Place: 2nd in the Southeast.

The story of the season so far has to be Alexander Semin. While he’s fallen from the top of the points chart, he’s still got 21 points in just 12 games, and his +/- of +11 is first in the NHL. The Caps’ front line of Semin, Ovechkin & Federov sounds an awful like a Russian Mob Law firm, and their effects on the Caps’ opponents might be equivalent. They ended up +7 on Saturday, though Federov left in the 3rd period with an unknown injury.

I keep waiting for Ovechkin to show off the superstar quality that he shined to a high gloss last season, but it just doesn’t seem to be coming. He’s stuck with just 8 points, and only two goals. If the Caps want to be a 1st place team, and I think Ted Leonsis wants them to be, then Alex is going to need to find where he left his accuracy. 4% accuracy just isn’t going to cut it in the NHL. Caps play the Lightning at the Phone Booth tonight, then head out to Carolina for the Hurricanes on Wednesday. Let’s see if you can’t get a few points, eh, Alex?

Continue reading →

Alexandria, All Politics is Local, Arlington, Life in the Capital, Sports Fix, The District
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Absentee Voting Attracts Crowds

Polling Place Sign

Voting Place Sign, by Jonathan

As we close in on the election next Tuesday, the press has been having a field day with the “early voting” going on across the country.  Not to be left out, and having to file an absentee ballot myself, I decided to see just what was happening in Arlington.

First, all the registrars wanted me to point out that no one in the area has “Early Voting”.   Maryland, Virginia, and the District all provide for Absentee Ballots, which means you can only vote early if you have a valid reason.   Both the District and Virginia provide for absentee voting in person or by mail.  In Maryland, you can only vote Absentee by mail.  And that deadline has already passed, so if you missed the absentee ballot in Maryland your only chance is Tuesday.  (Don did a great job of covering all the details in his previous post, so I won’t belabor the point.)

So, if you want to vote in person, when should you go?

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Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: A Plethora

united.jpg
Crew VS DC United by tuxxme

DC United

This Week: 0-2
Current Record: 11-15-4
Current Place: Out of the Playoffs

It’s a game of inches, sometimes, and yesterday’s final & decisive match against the Columbus Crew came down to the ruler. Unfortunately for us, the two near misses for United, with both shots hitting the goal posts, lead United to elimination. The last week’s been something of a rollercoaster for the club, as it was looking fairly grim a week ago that they’d even have the chance to make the playoffs under their own steam. However, it all lead up to yesterday’s showdown with the Crew. The loss moves United out of the playoff picture entirely, for the first time since 2002. DC’s winningest franchise is done for the season. It’s not all bad, though, as the return of Santino Quaranta is nothing short of amazing. He’s almost a shoo-in for the Comeback Player of the Year, after his multi-year bout with addiction.

The Redskins

This Week: Victory.
Current Record: 6-2
Current Place: 2nd in the NFC East

Another victory for the Skins this weekend in Detroit, but it was probably the ugliest I’ve seen. At halftime, they were down to the Lions. The Lions! The Hapless Lions! I’ve got a feeling it takes a special level of emotional resilience to be a Skins fan. At one point, things were getting pretty tense on the sidelines, as Jim Zorn let Clinton Portis have it with both barrels on the sideline as the star running back swooped a towel over his head and ignored the head coach.

It was Santana Moss who got things going for the Skins in the second half, with a pair of TDs. His 50-yard TD reception, burning the Detroit secondary like so many rioters burning houses, got things off on to a good start in the second half. His second TD, an 80 yarder, on a punt return, took the last of the fight from the Lions. Jason Campbell looked solid again, over 300 yards and just five incompletes against Detroit’s last in the universe Defense. They’ll face the Steelers in an election-week grudge-match that will likely have die-hard Skins and Steelers fans rooting for the other guys. The Redskins are one of the best sports/politics indicators. If the Redskins win the week before the election, the incumbent party keeps the White House. If they lose, it goes to the challenger. So, Skins fans, will you be putting your fanaticism before party, or vice versa?

Read on for Capitals, Wizards & Nationals News
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Sports Fix
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Charging Fort Stevens Fantasies

Imagine the broadside from this cannon!

Imagine the broadside from this cannon!

On a long run recently, I cam across Fort Stevens and was surprised at the National Park Service setup.

Here on a hillside in modern DC is a full Civil War fort, compete with cannons looking out over neighbourhoods. Much more detailed, if way smaller than Fort Slocum, it still calls out to the little boy inside me. I want to come back and attack this fort right – in complete childhood fantasy style!

Imagine leading the charge of cardboard Samurai as it crested the ramparts into withering rubber band machine gun fire just as the pumpkin trebuchets fired overhead.

Now that would be so cool!

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nationals Pay Rent. Finally.


Nationals Red Neon
Originally uploaded by tbridge

The Nationals and the City have finally resolved their differences regarding rent at Nationals Park. The Lerner family has promised to pay $3,500,000 or so in rent payments for this year’s games to the City on Monday. Bout damn time, guys. If I was this late on a mortgage payment, Sheriff would’ve come by and thrown my ass out.