Will you welcome Arenas back? POLL

[Donkey McDonkerton]

I saw some peeps asking for a poll, but nothing came up, so I'll start it. Donkey is for the people.

I'd openly welcome Arenas back, no question.

Return of the Tedi

Agent Walker
Princess Miller
CB3PO
Antawn Calrissian
Brendan "chewie" Haywookie

bench
Boyoda
Young Anakin Skywalker
Javale the hut

[MJG]

I cannot think of any reason not to welcome him back. I still think the best long-term move is to get away from his contract, either with a trade or voiding if possible, but if neither is going to happen, then of course I'd welcome him back. He's still a very good player.

[doclinkin]

you know my vote.

[Ruzious]

Yes. By next opening day, it'll all be forgotten - much less forgiven.

We know this whole thing was staged just to get the Wiz under the 09/10 lux tax and to get more ping pong balls.

[Wizards2Lottery]

Only if he is a part of the rebuilding plan. I'm tired of this big three and we can with this squad nonsense. This thing needs to be blown up.

[gesa2]

Not just because I root for him and think the best ending for this would be his redemption/maturation as a Wizard, but because if we don't bring him back, we'll probably end up trading him for freakin' Eddy Curry and the like.

[bulletproof_32]

I voted "yes".

So far, it's unanimous. All 11 votes are for "yes".

Close the poll already, Donk and forward to Tedi.

We’ve decided. Gil stays.

[verbal8]

I hope if Arenas comes back it is to a serious defensive minded team.

[Bickerstaff]

Yup.

[AlohaWiz]

100% yes. He made some monumentally bad mistakes, but he's not a bad guy or a thug or whatever else some idiot in the press decided to label him as.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

duh. I think what he did was wrong and stupid but I don't hate him for it. It's a forgivable offense, nobody got hurt and to quote Bill Cosby "you might have learned something from it. Hey hey hey!"

[montestewart]

Yes. I've generally liked Arenas, and usually liked his game too.

I hope he learns from his experience.

I hope he stops pointing fingers at others and takes accountability for his life.

I hope he can dedicate himself to continuing the direction of his recovery, and maybe developing a better sense of defensive responsibilities.

Finally, I hope if his return isn't all I'd hoped for, it at least rehabilitates his on-court and off-court reputation enough that he can at some point be traded for something better than Effries and Too Much Curry.

[DallasShalDune]

Abso-freaking-lutely.

[GoneShammGone]

I been a Wizards/Bullets fan a looooong time. I remember watching Bullets games in B&W on WDCA20 with original series Star Trek re-runs coming on after. The first game I saw in person at the Capitol Center our starting center was Charles Jones. I remember being excited that our point guard problems were solved when we signed Leon Woo(d). I've seen Ledell Eackles block a David Robinson jump shot. Did I mention its been a long time?

In all those years, I've learned that being a fan of this team requires a complete suspension of disbelief. Considering all of the build-up and disappointment we fans have endured over the years...

Jeff Ruland ---> his shoulder
Moses Malone ---> age
John Williams ---> donuts
Pervis Ellision ---> his knees
Juwan ---> his contract
CWebb ---> pepper spray
MJ ---> Kwame
Kwame ---> bad Chinese food

and now this whole situation with Gil, you can't remain a fan of this team unless you can put aside rational thought and find a way to believe that things are going to get better. My head tells me that Gil will never play for the Wizards again, but the fan in me thinks that there may just be some way that it all works out and he's back here next year.

If so, I'm 100% for it.

In my time as a fan, we have never had a player as exciting/compelling/entertaining as Gil. The three months in the 06-07 season where he was blowing up, hitting game-winners, and dropping 50 points on multiple teams, were the three most exciting months of Washington basketball in a quarter century. Maybe that's all gone and never coming back, maybe I'm living in the past... but if we have even a small chance to recapture that magic with Gil, I say hell yeah, go for it!

[JWizmentality]

Hell Yes...as long as the current ownership isn't running the show....and Grape drink and the like have been traded.

[penbeast0]

Sure, I'd welcome him back. What he did was stupid but not the kind of thing where I want him run out of town. However, that's a different question from whether the team would be better off if they void his contract.

[miller31time]

Sure, I'd welcome him back. What he did was stupid but not the kind of thing where I want him run out of town. However, that's a different question from whether the team would be better off if they void his contract.

Agreed on both counts.

What Arenas did isn't bad enough for me not to continue rooting for him and wanting him to be in a Wizards uniform. However, that is only looking at the situation non-financially and without the long-term best interest of the team in mind.

Can this team become a title contender with a man who only plays on one half of the floor and is eating up 20 million a year (super-star salary reserved for top-5 players)?

That's the debatable argument. Personally, I'm leaning on the "no" side, but I'd like nothing more than for us to become elite with Arenas a major part of the process.

[JWizmentality]

I see that Javaris has submitted his vote.

[queridiculo]

I see that Javaris has submitted his vote.

That and the two Cleveland fans trolling the Arenas thread with their Delonte man love.

[Bickerstaff]

It would be nice to know if any of those NO votes actually came from Wiz fans...