It's finally happened. I no longer care about the Wizards.

[nate33]

I think I've hit rock bottom as a Wizards fan. I feel detached. I no longer care when they lose or if they win. It's just a quiet acceptance that there is no hope. I can watch the games in bemusement, but I no longer have an emotional interest.

This is honestly new territory for me. For the first time, I'm ready to consider attaching my allegiance to another basketball team.

I'm not sure why I feel this way. The Wizards have stunk for ages but I always felt that there was hope. I thought that EG and the ownership were basically competent (though clearly not visionary) and they were merely the victim of bad luck. I no longer feel that way. The three disastrous moves in the last 3-1/2 years (Mike Miller, Vesely and Okariza) have convinced me. I'm now completely certain that it will never get better until new leadership is brought in. And with Ted showing no signs of changing leadership, I've lost the will to care anymore. Why care about a franchise that doesn't appear to care about winning?

[keynote]

Hear you. My wife has been trying to convince me to root for the Nets now that they've moved to Brooklyn (we live in Harlem, but I work in Brooklyn and we've both lived there before). Her rationale: their new arena is amazing and they have better fan gear.

Yes, I admit, I briefly considered it.

[penbeast0]

I feel you Keynote, I live in Fort Lauderdale. I even have a Bosh jersey because one Christmas I sent my nephew and brother the LeBron and Wade jerseys (they are both better than I am so I figured it was more appropriate). Easier to be a Redskin fan despite the continued record with RG3; keep waiting for the Wiz to be worth rooting for though I haven't felt they were on a smart path since Jeff Ruland started showing back problems. That's a long awful time ago; it's a frustrating franchise to follow.

[blazinskillz]

Me too. It's sad. i just want to see some changes

[queridiculo]

Watching those games I feel much the same way, the apathy is overwhelming. In years past I'd still get excited when the Wizards went on their in game moral victory runs, but even those don't really bring much joy anymore.

There was a glimmer of excitement with Beal flashing some of his skill against the Pacers, but the big picture is just so overwhelmingly depressing that I can't bother to care much anymore.

I also live in South Florida, and the company I work for has a bunch of Heat season tickets. It would be so easy...

[AFM]

I can't be anything but a Wizards fan. It's like being born attracted to brunettes. No matter how much aversion conversion therapy I try, I still have this sick attraction to bricked free throws, passes off player's feet, moving picks, 3 second violations, blown coverage, missed layups, forgotten boxouts... I feel like I need a Chris Hansen intervention....

[fishercob]

First, it's a little rich posting this on a Wizards message board. Legitmate apathy means you stop coming here altogether.

Second, no one knows if we care if they win or lose -- because they haven't won yet. Watch, Nene and John come back, they reel off a few W's, look moderately impressive in doing so, and we're all sucked back in.

Third, I mentioned to a friend and fellow board member earlier today that for the first time EVER I have adopted a second team to root for -- the Grizz. It feels reasonably safe to me in that they're in the west, under-appreciated, have a Buckeye, and Marc Gasol is awesome.

So, I feel you. And I think it's all about being hopeless -- seeing with our own eyes every night that Vesely is an unmitigated disaster and that OkaRiza is the same. And both represent massive, unquantifiable opportunity costs in terms of bringing this team to respectability.

But Ernie will be fired at some point. If they drop to 0-16 or 2-30 or something, Ted will make a change. Even if it's not that bad and it's just a significant disappointment of a season, they'll give him his walking papers this summer. Remember, Ernie was extended for two years, but it's effectively a one year deal. No coach or GM works on a one year deal (unless they're making massive money like a Phil Jackson).

Once Ernie goes, there will be hope -- particularly if Troy Weaver or someone of that ilk gets the job.

[closg00]

I wish I could quit her, but I can't. Once-again I am dreaming of Ernie getting fired during the off-season, but I put the chances at less than 50%. Eventually, Nene and Wall will be playing together this season and Ted will crank-up his PR apparatus.

[Wizardspride]

I don't know what took you so long, Nate.

I detached myself from this team last season.


Much more focused on the Skins and Nats.

[Induveca]

Feel the same, but just considering another team doesn't have any appeal. The Wizards used to be lovable losers....now they are just pathetic family members I feel I have no choice but to watch. Maybe one day.....

[Upper Decker]

My problem with this team is three fold:

1) I have a genuine disdain for management. I seriously get nauseated by Grunfeld and particularly Ted. Grunfeld is clueless and completely reckless as a GM. However, Ted’s schtick more is pathetic and is total loser talk. The way he tries to spin his message to the fans on Ted’s Take is insulting. Every time he posts he pisses all over us and calls it rain. They’re beyond Snyderatto.

2) There is zero connection between the players and the city. I feel like it’s 2000 all over again and this is a team of nothing but Tyrone Nesby’s. Honestly I couldn’t care less whether the team wins or not because I don’t care for the players one iota. The whole starting 5 is filled with NBA journey men probably playing on their last contract or young NBAer’s who project to be potential role players down the line. Beal and Seraphin have potential, however, neither projects to be a perennial all-star so it’s really difficult to get excited for anyone playing on the team.

3) The broadcast is terrible product. Steve Buckhantz is the Andy Reid of NBA broadcasters. He’s been pretty good for a long time, but it’s just his time to move on. Him and Chenier are very lacking in analysis or insight. I know it’s tough to be a local broadcaster because you have to toe the company line, but there is a huge gap between being totally unabashed homers and being critical cynics. It’s like you need to put on waders before watchin Buck because you’ll be swimming in it before the games out. I simply had to turn off the game last night because Chris Millers twitter bit of ‘which offense will do better?’ I just rolled my eyes because it seemed like the Q&A was pulled from Mike & Mike, what’s next, twitter question 'which team has a cooler logo?'

[miller31time]

You're right, Nate.

And honestly, it's not even so much the record -- I made a statement before the season started (and before the injuries to Wall and Nene) that I haven't been this ho-hum about the start to a Wizards season in my almost 15 years of rooting for the team. I watched the friggin Rod Strictland/Richmond years and had more excitement than I do now.

You hit the nail on the head when you talked about the room for growth and a plan for the future -- we don't have either right now. Before, you always had something to look forward to....a glimmer of hope. I don't see that now. I see a team full of guys who would love nothing more than to be anywhere else but here. I see a front office that sees mediocrity as success and tries to spin absolutely everything so that we can look at the team in an acceptable light. It's loser talk. it's a loser's mentality and it's contagious.

I really wish I wasn't so invested in this team because all they do is anger me.

You'd all be surprised at how positive and upbeat of a person I am in real life -- I don't look for things to complain about and even if something isn't going how I'd like, I realize there are more important things in life. I'm totally different here -- I'm mad constantly and have nothing but contempt for Ted, Ernie and even the players (and honestly, it isn't their fault they suck).

I'd like to take a vacation from this habit but for some terribly ironic reason, it just keeps sucking me back in.

[mhd]

The way the team treated Gilbert is certainly part of my displeasure with management. Gilbert gave them so much money and joy. He rescued this franchise from the abyss. I think Ted is utterly clueless as an owner with his decision on accepting the Okariza trade and his continued employment of EG.

[MJG]

Ditto, though this started for me last year - this year just confirmed that those feelings weren't an aberration. The only part of this team that interests me at all any more is this board, and even with that, I honestly think the only reason I come this site and post here at this point is out of habit. And even when I do post, 90% of the time, it's just to snark at what a depressing, terrible organization we are. That's all I can do any more, because I've more or less stopped watching our games, so I'm not even qualified to comment on what actually goes on on the court. It's kind of crazy, because 5+ years ago, one way or another, I literally would watch every minute of all 82 games we played each year. Now, when I can even remember that we have a game, I actively choose not to watch most of the time. Sadness.

[Illuminaire]

I hear you Nate. Back before the draft when there were rumors about the Wizards possibly trading out for a veteran player, I flatly told my wife that would end my fandom. I'm prepared to be the hardluck fan, but I refuse to be a battered wife.

The Okariza trade has left me numb too. It smacks of poor vision and kills my confidence in the team's direction. Since the present isn't any good, lacking any hope of it getting significantly better is a cold and empty feeling.

I'm consoling myself by running through the Association mode in 2K13; it takes a surprisingly short amount of time to reload with cap space and draft picks once I personally replace Ernie with competent leadership.

[truwizfan4evr]

Nate, I Feel you pain but I'm still going to support my wizards because i love them even though we suck.

[tontoz]

@ nate's new avy.

[Dat2U]

Ditto to what MJG said. I'm watching less and less, have only watched one full game this year. There where years where I watched every single game. But I gave up on Ernie a long time ago. The Miller/Foye deal was strike three times infinity in my eyes. Something that was totally indefensible. From that moment on, he became the worst GM in all of basketball. And his extension probably sealed the deal as far as killing any small glimmer of optimism I may have had because I had now lost hope in Ted for rewarding repeated failure.

Ernie & Ted is the Wizards version of Vinny Cerrato & Dan Snyder. At some point, Teddy is going to cut basketball ties with his buddy if he wants to upgrade from complete laughingstock status. That's what Ernie has brought us consistently the last 5 years. We've had one of the worst five year stretches in the history of professional basketball.

[hands11]

No way am I where you guys are. But I did start to feel it after 3 quarters of last game. Then Livingston came in and Price didn't see another minute. And Randy went.

Livingston, Beal, Booker/Singleton, Barron and it worked great.

Not giving up until I see Price out of the starting line up and see how they look when Nene and then Wall return.

They just added Livingston and after only two games, he should have worked his way into either the starting line up or a 25 minute sub. And since all we have seen so far are the compliment pieces to Wall and Nene without even Crawford at PG to start a game, I think we have seen the worst of it. And even with that, they have been in most games.

Now the schedule has been pretty easy so even adding better players is just going to be playing catch up to some degree, but they are not going to play these extended periods of suck once Randy gives up on Price as the starting PG and we start to get our main two starters back.

You'll should have just tuned out until they got through the start of this year. Actually, save yourselves since you don't have to stomach for it. Just come back and watch after Price is benched and at least one of Nene or Wall is on the court.

[closg00]

Dead last in the ratings, first-time that I can recall being ranked at the bottom.
http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings/_/year/2013/week/3