The Amazingly Suck Theodore Leonsis Thread

[cwb3]

With 11 home games played (among the highest number of home games for any team so far this season) the Wizards now have the lowest attendance since ESPN began tracking that stat in the 2000/2001 season.

The team that year:

Courtney Alexander
Calvin Booth
Hubert Davis
Obinna Ekezie
Richard Hamilton
Juwan Howard
Popeye Jones
Gerard King
Christian Laettner
Felipe Lopez
Tyrone Nesby
Cherokee Parks
Laron Profit
Mitch Richmond
Michael Smith
Mike Smith
Rod Strickland
David Vanterpool
Loy Vaught
Jahidi White
Chris Whitney

That's right, this rag tag group of has beens and never was's had a better attendance record than Grunfeld's 13th year anniversary roster.

How did we NOT win multiple titles during a decade long blaze of excellence with that squad?!?

Well, a least we have roster stability this year!

[cwb3]

You know this current years Wizards roster could really use a Chris Whitney type player who could spell JW at pg for 15 to 18 minutes and keep the offense flowing. I recall Whitney being a decent backup and floor manager. He got to roster intending to spell Strickland, (or assume heavier minutes when Rod would overdose on chili dogs just before tip off). I forget, was Whitney awful on defense? I know he was pretty small/short.

[Dat2U]

You know this current years Wizards roster could really use a Chris Whitney type player who could spell JW at pg for 15 to 18 minutes and keep the offense flowing. I recall Whitney being a decent backup and floor manager. He got to roster intending to spell Strickland, (or assume heavier minutes when Rod would overdose on chili dogs just before tip off). I forget, was Whitney awful on defense? I know he was pretty small/short.

I remember him as being a smart, heady offensive player who could knock down open shots but someone who was over-matched on defense against most good PGs. Not only was he small, he wasn't overly quick either. I'd compare him frame wise to Eric Maynor but Whitney a much better shooter.

[keynote]

I didn't notice this until now.

https://tedstake.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/2017/01/15/small-steps-forward-for-washington-wizards

The Washington Wizards are showing progress on the court after a very poor start to the season where we went 2 and 8. If you cruise around some high level stats provided by the NBA, you will see some examples of our small steps forward. I thought the following notes and high level stats were of interest.

Small steps forward: Wizards have best streak of wins at home in NBA now at 11 in a row, thanks to our great fan base.

Small steps forward: Wizards are now at 20-19 and the 6th spot in the East (and only two games out of the 4th spot and home court advantage). Our 18-11 surge has put us among only 14 teams in the NBA with a .500 or better record.

One of "only 14 teams" out of 30!? Talk about an exclusive group. Didn't realize that the Wizards were hobnobbing with such elite company in Elysium.

Small steps forward: Wizards now 4th in NBA in field goal percentage.

Small steps forward: Wall and Beal in top 20 of NBA in points per game.

Small steps forward: Wizards 2nd in NBA in hustle stats for deflections.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 3rd in NBA in "clutch" wins stat.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 4th in NBA in points per game by its first round picks.

What does that even mean!? I assume that this metric doesn't include the zero ppg provided by Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton.

Small steps forward: Wizards 5 man starting line up ranked second in NBA; see advanced stats here .

As noted, these stats are just a small sample size. We will be at the halfway point of the season 41 games) when we conclude our current homestand with games against Portland tomorrow and Memphis on Wednesday.

We are taking small steps forward, and hope to take a bigger step in the next month with the return of Ian Mahinmi to the lineup. Once he has worked himself back into shape, he will add the interior defense, rebounding and toughness to our team that we envisioned when we signed him as a free agent and improve the quality of our bench play as we hit the stretch run of the season.

I'm still not convinced that Mahinmi is the panacea for all of the bench's woes (he's certainly not the dynamic scorer or playmaker our bench sorely needs). So, while it's good that Ted recognizes the obvious -- namely, that our bench stinks, he's bought into the EG Survival Narrative that Mahinmi's absence is The Reason why our incredibly expensive bench has been a dumpster fire. No reason to blame EG for giving up an asset for Burke (who's probably putting out feelers to European real estate agents as we speak). Or for signing the unplayable Uncle Denzel to a 4-year deal. Or for backing up his fragile SG with Marcus Thornton. Nope, it's Ian Mahinmi's inexplicable absence.

Man, what must it be like to lack all self-awareness? To assume that every decision made is the right one, and that negative outcomes are solely based on a historic string of bad luck?

[Meliorus]

I didn't notice this until now.

https://tedstake.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/2017/01/15/small-steps-forward-for-washington-wizards

The Washington Wizards are showing progress on the court after a very poor start to the season where we went 2 and 8. If you cruise around some high level stats provided by the NBA, you will see some examples of our small steps forward. I thought the following notes and high level stats were of interest.

Small steps forward: Wizards have best streak of wins at home in NBA now at 11 in a row, thanks to our great fan base.

Small steps forward: Wizards are now at 20-19 and the 6th spot in the East (and only two games out of the 4th spot and home court advantage). Our 18-11 surge has put us among only 14 teams in the NBA with a .500 or better record.

One of "only 14 teams" out of 30!? Talk about an exclusive group. Didn't realize that the Wizards were hobnobbing with such elite company in Elysium.

Small steps forward: Wizards now 4th in NBA in field goal percentage.

Small steps forward: Wall and Beal in top 20 of NBA in points per game.

Small steps forward: Wizards 2nd in NBA in hustle stats for deflections.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 3rd in NBA in "clutch" wins stat.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 4th in NBA in points per game by its first round picks.

What does that even mean!? I assume that this metric doesn't include the zero ppg provided by Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton.

Small steps forward: Wizards 5 man starting line up ranked second in NBA; see advanced stats here .

As noted, these stats are just a small sample size. We will be at the halfway point of the season 41 games) when we conclude our current homestand with games against Portland tomorrow and Memphis on Wednesday.

We are taking small steps forward, and hope to take a bigger step in the next month with the return of Ian Mahinmi to the lineup. Once he has worked himself back into shape, he will add the interior defense, rebounding and toughness to our team that we envisioned when we signed him as a free agent and improve the quality of our bench play as we hit the stretch run of the season.

I'm still not convinced that Mahinmi is the panacea for all of the bench's woes (he's certainly not the dynamic scorer or playmaker our bench sorely needs). So, while it's good that Ted recognizes the obvious -- namely, that our bench stinks, he's bought into the EG Survival Narrative that Mahinmi's absence is The Reason why our incredibly expensive bench has been a dumpster fire. No reason to blame EG for giving up an asset for Burke (who's probably putting out feelers to European real estate agents as we speak). Or for signing the unplayable Uncle Denzel to a 4-year deal. Or for backing up his fragile SG with Marcus Thornton. Nope, it's Ian Mahinmi's inexplicable absence.

Man, what must it be like to lack all self-awareness? To assume that every decision made is the right one, and that negative outcomes are solely based on a historic string of bad luck?

Yea, Manhimi isn't the solution to our bench, Gortat is. Manhimi is our starting center.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I didn't notice this until now.

https://tedstake.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/2017/01/15/small-steps-forward-for-washington-wizards

The Washington Wizards are showing progress on the court after a very poor start to the season where we went 2 and 8. If you cruise around some high level stats provided by the NBA, you will see some examples of our small steps forward. I thought the following notes and high level stats were of interest.

Small steps forward: Wizards have best streak of wins at home in NBA now at 11 in a row, thanks to our great fan base.

Small steps forward: Wizards are now at 20-19 and the 6th spot in the East (and only two games out of the 4th spot and home court advantage). Our 18-11 surge has put us among only 14 teams in the NBA with a .500 or better record.

One of "only 14 teams" out of 30!? Talk about an exclusive group. Didn't realize that the Wizards were hobnobbing with such elite company in Elysium.

Small steps forward: Wizards now 4th in NBA in field goal percentage.

Small steps forward: Wall and Beal in top 20 of NBA in points per game.

Small steps forward: Wizards 2nd in NBA in hustle stats for deflections.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 3rd in NBA in "clutch" wins stat.

Small steps forward: Wizards ranked 4th in NBA in points per game by its first round picks.

What does that even mean!? I assume that this metric doesn't include the zero ppg provided by Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton.

Small steps forward: Wizards 5 man starting line up ranked second in NBA; see advanced stats here .

As noted, these stats are just a small sample size. We will be at the halfway point of the season 41 games) when we conclude our current homestand with games against Portland tomorrow and Memphis on Wednesday.

We are taking small steps forward, and hope to take a bigger step in the next month with the return of Ian Mahinmi to the lineup. Once he has worked himself back into shape, he will add the interior defense, rebounding and toughness to our team that we envisioned when we signed him as a free agent and improve the quality of our bench play as we hit the stretch run of the season.

I'm still not convinced that Mahinmi is the panacea for all of the bench's woes (he's certainly not the dynamic scorer or playmaker our bench sorely needs). So, while it's good that Ted recognizes the obvious -- namely, that our bench stinks, he's bought into the EG Survival Narrative that Mahinmi's absence is The Reason why our incredibly expensive bench has been a dumpster fire. No reason to blame EG for giving up an asset for Burke (who's probably putting out feelers to European real estate agents as we speak). Or for signing the unplayable Uncle Denzel to a 4-year deal. Or for backing up his fragile SG with Marcus Thornton. Nope, it's Ian Mahinmi's inexplicable absence.

Man, what must it be like to lack all self-awareness? To assume that every decision made is the right one, and that negative outcomes are solely based on a historic string of bad luck?

Ted is a troll.

[queridiculo]

A few more NBA rankings Leonsis forgot.

Worst bench production: ranked 1st

People that prefer yard work over watching the Wizards play live: ranked 6th

Cap dollars spent on backup centers: ranked 1st

2nd round picks teams won't have to worry about signing through 2022: ranked 1st

Percentage of seats in the arena unencumbered by wear and tear: ranked 4th

Least number of nationally televised games: tied for 4th

Urinal cake freshness: 1st

Number of WNBA attendance banners: 1st

Squandered lottery picks over the past decade: 1st

[P'Oed]

My season ticket-holding friend has just informed me that Ted is raising ticket prices 17% for next season. Can anyone corroborate?

[BigA]

My season ticket-holding friend has just informed me that Ted is raising ticket prices 17% for next season. Can anyone corroborate?

I'm interested in whether the steep increase in ticket prices over the past 4-5 years is widespread through the league or whether the Wizards are unusual in that. I might have time to start digging around in a couple weeks. It's not as if they are close to selling out the best games at current prices.

[montestewart]

My season ticket-holding friend has just informed me that Ted is raising ticket prices 17% for next season. Can anyone corroborate?

I'm interested in whether the steep increase in ticket prices over the past 4-5 years is widespread through the league or whether the Wizards are unusual in that. I might have time to start digging around in a couple weeks. It's not as if they are close to selling out the best games at current prices.

Higher ticket prices make for higher face value to write off as charitable contributions and perhaps other avenues of fudging losses against profit.

[BigA]

My season ticket-holding friend has just informed me that Ted is raising ticket prices 17% for next season. Can anyone corroborate?

I'm interested in whether the steep increase in ticket prices over the past 4-5 years is widespread through the league or whether the Wizards are unusual in that. I might have time to start digging around in a couple weeks. It's not as if they are close to selling out the best games at current prices.

Higher ticket prices make for higher face value to write off as charitable contributions and perhaps other avenues of fudging losses against profit.

This had never occurred to me. If the teams really don't want to show a significant profit, and there are important reasons why they wouldn't (e.g., not having to pay the players more in the next CBA, justification for extorting more $ out of local communities for new arenas), the big influx in TV money presents a problem. Manipulating the live gate to show a loss is one response to that. So I'd expect this to be a common strategy for NBA franchises.

Two weeks ago most of the 400 level end sections for the Utah game were unsold and now they're sold out. If the Wizards give those seats away to community groups, they can report tens of thousands of dollars in charitable contributions while still filling the seats.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I'm interested in whether the steep increase in ticket prices over the past 4-5 years is widespread through the league or whether the Wizards are unusual in that. I might have time to start digging around in a couple weeks. It's not as if they are close to selling out the best games at current prices.

Higher ticket prices make for higher face value to write off as charitable contributions and perhaps other avenues of fudging losses against profit.

This had never occurred to me. If the teams really don't want to show a significant profit, and there are important reasons why they wouldn't (e.g., not having to pay the players more in the next CBA, justification for extorting more $ out of local communities for new arenas), the big influx in TV money presents a problem. Manipulating the live gate to show a loss is one response to that. So I'd expect this to be a common strategy for NBA franchises.

Two weeks ago most of the 400 level end sections for the Utah game were unsold and now they're sold out. If the Wizards give those seats away to community groups, they can report tens of thousands of dollars in charitable contributions while still filling the seats.

Yep. Until Generalissimo Trump eliminates the charitable deduction.

[Kanyewest]

I'm interested in whether the steep increase in ticket prices over the past 4-5 years is widespread through the league or whether the Wizards are unusual in that. I might have time to start digging around in a couple weeks. It's not as if they are close to selling out the best games at current prices.

Higher ticket prices make for higher face value to write off as charitable contributions and perhaps other avenues of fudging losses against profit.

This had never occurred to me. If the teams really don't want to show a significant profit, and there are important reasons why they wouldn't (e.g., not having to pay the players more in the next CBA, justification for extorting more $ out of local communities for new arenas), the big influx in TV money presents a problem. Manipulating the live gate to show a loss is one response to that. So I'd expect this to be a common strategy for NBA franchises.

Two weeks ago most of the 400 level end sections for the Utah game were unsold and now they're sold out. If the Wizards give those seats away to community groups, they can report tens of thousands of dollars in charitable contributions while still filling the seats.

The Wizards had a promotion in giving away tickets to the Pacers and Jazz game via their Instagram account. I went to the Indiana game and saw that a couple of rows were seated with 3 rows of school children (around 50 kids). Leonsis and the Wizards may have given those tickets away.

[BigA]

Bumping for Ted pushing Phil Chenier out from his analyst position to a no-show job at Porate Nership.

[montestewart]

Well, he lied about what Pollin did to the Bullets NBA title trophy, and he probably got Phil Chenier fired, but apparently The Best Is Yet To Come.

The fans are responding to Ted's uplifting Stake (Steak?) with uniformly positive visions of the future. Just check his tweet and the amazing responses.

Read on Twitter

And then there's this:

Read on Twitter

He's moved on from personally checking the urinal cakes to personally checking condiments. Hope he washed his hands.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

What's the difference if he infects the condiments? He's saddled us with a bacterial infection of a GM.

It's built up our immune system. I won't even feel nauseated when he trades next year's #1 for Kyle Korver.

[montestewart]

What's the difference if he infects the condiments? He's saddled us with a bacterial infection of a GM.

It's built up our immune system. I won't even feel nauseated when he trades next year's #1 for Kyle Korver.

I can see whoever the **** is Chenier's replacement undermining Buck's dagline with a newly minted ANOTHER KK TREY!

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[closg00]

ALERT!!! Call to arms, Ted is currently ranked 16th in the this Hoops Hype poll of NBA owners that is open to the public, make your voice be heard.
http://hoopshype.com/2017/08/01/rank-the-nba-owners-from-best-to-worst/

[verbal8]

ALERT!!! Call to arms, Ted is currently ranked 16th in the this Hoops Hype poll of NBA owners that is open to the public, make your voice be heard.
http://hoopshype.com/2017/08/01/rank-the-nba-owners-from-best-to-worst/

Is it a poll, or was it done by the staff. I think there are some owners who clearly deserve a lower ranking than Ted, like Dolan. But I don't think middle of the league is accurate.