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If you guys all leave the Wizards, tell me who you want to root for. 'Cause about the only reason I still follow them is because I like the posters on this board.

I'm telling you: working in Brooklyn about a subway stop or two away from the new Barclays Center... I'm tempted.

Lol, I have three dewars club tickets for the Wizards game in Miami on Saturday.

The Wizards will be tired from playing the Lakers the night before and the Heat will quite likely still have a sour taste in their mouth from their embarrassing loss against the Wizards last week.

Should be a good time to showcase my brand new Lebron James jersey.

gesa2 wrote:If you guys all leave the Wizards, tell me who you want to root for. 'Cause about the only reason I still follow them is because I like the posters on this board.

I like the Spurs, Grizzlies and Sonics. Fired up for this Seattle Arena plan that is inching slowly forward.

Is there any real hope the Kings will move to Virginia?

gesa2 wrote:If you guys all leave the Wizards, tell me who you want to root for. 'Cause about the only reason I still follow them is because I like the posters on this board.

It's funny. I know I can't leave the Wizards but around the time Tapscott took over captaining the Titanic known as the Washington Wizards, I started rooting for other teams. I became a fan of the NBA in general.

I can't be a fan of another team but I like the moves Charlotte made this summer. That team's not better than the Wizards right now, but they made some terrific moves to get things turned around.

I hate watching the Cavs but they've made solid moves, if not unconventional ones.

I liked, temporarily loathed, now like what Morey is doing with the Houston Rockets. I love the talent on their roster even though I think they've got a bad coach in Kevin McHale.

If there's one team I can say I truly like and root for outside of the lowly-assed Wizards, it is the Memphis Grizzlies. I absolutely enjoy that team. Blue collar. Tough team. Old school coach who is a wise, good motivator.

The one thing I do like about this Wizards is I totally have enjoyed Randy Wittman. He is a stand up guy. This crap of a team is not his fault. I root for him and the players to do well, in spite of Ted Leonsis and Ernie Grunfeld.

Illuminaire wrote:After this, though, I'm drawing the line. It is no longer reasonable to hope for the best - not as long as the current regime is in place. I'm giving the Wiz until the all-star break to clean house and bring in a competent GM and front office staff. If that doesn't happen (and I don't expect it to), I am officially breaking up with this team.

Well, Ted is apparently "all-in" on Wall turning things around once he's healthy. But, at this point, it doesn't seem like we'll see Wall until maybe January. Factor in an adjustment period, and I don't think Ted will be willing to blow anything up by the mid-Fed trade deadline. No, he's going to hold out hope of a late season run that will justify his plan.

Also, if he makes any coaching/GM changes mid-season it will mean that he's paying the 7-figure salaries of up to 3 ex-employees at once (Flip, Ernie, and Witt). Considering that he went out of his way to get something in return for Lewis, I don't see that happening. IIRC waiting until the summer at least means Flip will be off the books.

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:The one thing I do like about this Wizards is I totally have enjoyed Randy Wittman. He is a stand up guy. This crap of a team is not his fault. I root for him and the players to do well, in spite of Ted Leonsis and Ernie Grunfeld.

Aye. That.

As for moving on... I don't know if I can. I may have to be team-neutral, or I'd always feel like a sports adulterer. I'm not leaving these boards though... you guys are like family.

LyricalRico wrote:Well, Ted is apparently "all-in" on Wall turning things around once he's healthy. But, at this point, it doesn't seem like we'll see Wall until maybe January. Factor in an adjustment period, and I don't think Ted will be willing to blow anything up by the mid-Fed trade deadline. No, he's going to hold out hope of a late season run that will justify his plan.

Also, if he makes any coaching/GM changes mid-season it will mean that he's paying the 7-figure salaries of up to 3 ex-employees at once (Flip, Ernie, and Witt). Considering that he went out of his way to get something in return for Lewis, I don't see that happening. IIRC waiting until the summer at least means Flip will be off the books.

I expect you are correct, Rico. Such a scenario is highly plausible... and would tell me all I need to know about Ted's judgment and priorities.

LyricalRico wrote:Well, Ted is apparently "all-in" on Wall turning things around once he's healthy. But, at this point, it doesn't seem like we'll see Wall until maybe January. Factor in an adjustment period, and I don't think Ted will be willing to blow anything up by the mid-Fed trade deadline. No, he's going to hold out hope of a late season run that will justify his plan.

Also, if he makes any coaching/GM changes mid-season it will mean that he's paying the 7-figure salaries of up to 3 ex-employees at once (Flip, Ernie, and Witt). Considering that he went out of his way to get something in return for Lewis, I don't see that happening. IIRC waiting until the summer at least means Flip will be off the books.

This is highly plausible...it seems as though Ted is penny-wise, pound-foolish so far with the Wizards. Instead of getting competent people who can come in and start their evaluations as soon as possible (and the sooner the better), I can see Ted waiting until dead money comes off the books. Only thing is, he's just screwing himself over by not getting rid of the current establishment immediately.

Illuminaire wrote:The Harden thing is a nail in the coffin for me too. I've never quit a team before. Ever. I've been a hardluck fan of the Bullets, the Wiz, the 'Skins, and the Orioles for twenty+ years.

After this, though, I'm drawing the line. It is no longer reasonable to hope for the best - not as long as the current regime is in place. I'm giving the Wiz until the all-star break to clean house and bring in a competent GM and front office staff. If that doesn't happen (and I don't expect it to), I am officially breaking up with this team. I wouldn't stay in a romantic relationship this dysfunctional and hopeless; I won't be tied to a sports one either.

I'd rather be an NBA orphan than a Wizfan, as long as Teddy is patting himself on the back for how smart he and his broskie Ernie are.

Amen. I almost drove off the road this morning when I heard about this. What a piss poor situation this franchise is in. Sad thing is, Leonsis owns the Caps too. Luckily McPhee is somewhat competent, but still, he should've been fired as well a couple of seasons ago. The Wizards futility knows NO BOUNDS. I'll root for a loser as long as the organization and players act like they give a ****. I'm a diehard Skins, Caps, and Wiz fan. But geez, it might just be the Skins and Caps in a year or two. My brain literally wants to explode upon hearing this information. But I can't say I'm shocked. You know what the real **** thing about this all is? I doubt they even came to Wall and sought out his opinion on it. Ya know? Your franchise cornerstone who you place so much expectations on. Yeah, that guy... I'm gonna let this season play out and see who we draft, and see if Ted has the balls to fire EG and get a real GM in here, but I doubt it.

If Wall walks after next season, I'm walking with him. Why should I care about a team that doesn't care about me as a fan? We pay money to watch this ****. It's embarrassing. Again, I'll root for a loser if the organization and players are at least trying out there, but this front office is not trying and continually screw us, the fans, over...and over..and over. It's beyond pathetic at this point. This team hasn't even been a championship contender in my 26 years on this Earth. How PATHETIC! Ted, if you're reading this, you're a coward and you should sell the Wizards.

Someone made a comment on Bulletsforever regarding the NHL lockout and how that might be effecting things on the Wizards side as far as spending is concerned. It makes the Okafor/Ariza trade look even worse.

The crazy thing is they how they jumped the gun, not just before free agency but long before the draft itself. They were apparently so scared of what might not happen that they guaranteed $43 million over the next two seasons before you could even blink an eye. It seemed liked they took the first deal offered. Had they been patient, just waited a bit, maybe up to the draft, maybe they'd get a better deal. Maybe NO would have offered the #10. Or better yet, OKC would have called and you'd have $22 million more (+$21 mil for Lewis' deal) reasons to consider the Harden trade. I never understood why they rushed into that deal. Something just doesn't quite add up there.

Now it's not just a bad trade. It's become the type that sets your franchise back for a few years.

Imagine what Wall is thinking right now. I think the dude is a special kid. Because of the restraint he's shown thus far. He hasn't said a negative word about the organization as of yet.

But I bet he's thinking a lot about free agency and hoping to get out of dodge.

And potential free agents now know for a fact Leonsis isn't serious about winning.

Oh, Michael Lee finally earned his salary this year (bout damn time!). Teddy is probably not a happy camper that this got out. This sounds like a rumor one of Grunfeld's associates would leak to take the heat off him.

Arenas was a ****' basketball Gawd. Let's not compare anyone to Arenas. Dude had balls bigger than Crawford's.

Dat2U wrote:Teddy is probably not a happy camper that this got out. This sounds like a rumor one of Grunfeld's associates would leak to take the heat off him.

Hey, I have a rock solid alibi!

LyricalRico wrote:

Dat2U wrote:Teddy is probably not a happy camper that this got out. This sounds like a rumor one of Grunfeld's associates would leak to take the heat off him.

Hey, I have a rock solid alibi!

The leak only benefits one person, Ernie Grunfeld. Ernie no-doubt presented the offer for Ted to make the decision, that's what he does. To fire Ernie would be for Ted to fire himself.

Maybe there was something good out of not doing the trade? Anybody come up with something?

fishercob wrote:

gesa2 wrote:If you guys all leave the Wizards, tell me who you want to root for. 'Cause about the only reason I still follow them is because I like the posters on this board.

I like the Spurs, Grizzlies and Sonics. Fired up for this Seattle Arena plan that is inching slowly forward.

Thanks fish. I'm there with you on the Spurs and Grizzzlies, and it would be easy to take on a revamped Sonics (or a Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach team if that ever happens) Spurs and Grizzlies are good teams with players that are easy to root for. West coast time is an issue though. Do you post on their boards too? If I'm gonna pick a secondary team to water down my Wizdespair, it'd be nice if I could lurk on an intelligent message board.

Living in NY, being a follower of the Knicks since Ewing left Georgetown, I've always enjoyed watching them (even though the bull ownership shenanigans with the Dolans, and of course, the Isaiah era) so it's not hard for me to become more invested in watching that team. I do want the Wizards to succeed, but **** this clown car ownership/front office. When EG goes i will get reinvested.

Tyrone Messby wrote:If Wall walks after next season, I'm walking with him. Why should I care about a team that doesn't care about me as a fan? We pay money to watch this ****. It's embarrassing.

I am unfortunately at this crossroads as well. Right now, I think I'm will Illuminaire. If Ted doesnt step the f*** up to the plate soon and basically clean-house management wise, I am done.

I used to be a Sonics fan. Right now, the vision of my future NBA fandom would be the Kings being sold, bought by the Microsoft guy and moved to Seattle to become the Supes again, they clear salary enough to re-sign cousins, and Wall jumps ship to join forces with him.

Of course, I'd much rather the Wizards sort their sh*t out.

The crazy thing is Beal has been balling the last 4 or 5 games. Kinda unfair to the kid, IMO. We're sitting here with what if's, and we may already have a guy who could be on that Harden pedestal in a year or two.