Guns, Rapper Feuds, and Basketball

The sport of basketball in DC, well three teams come to mind instantly: the Washington Wizards, Georgetown and George Washington University. Some might say The Maryland Terps, but lets be honest they are only the red headed step child of DC Sports, close enough to count but there teams are long past the glory days. Regardless my point here is to discuss the pathetic excuse of a team that the Wizards trot out on the court night after night.

On Saturday night I went to the Wizards-Magic game at the Verizon Center. Lately the only reason I'd spend money to go to the Verizon Center is to the see the South East Division Champion Washington Capitals, but I received free tickets to the game from my storage unit facility. I was surprised that so many people were at the game when we got to our seats, but when they are giving tickets away for free it makes a little bit of sense. My buddy Jake and I knew the Wizards had no chance against the defending Eastern Conference Champions, but were hoping that if the Wizards couldn't make it competitive that at least Dwight Howard and Vince Carter could turn it into there own personal Dunk contest.

The game started and the Wizards jumped out to an 8-2 lead and we got excited. Andray Blatche was hitting everything. Later in the 2nd the Wizards were up 35-20 and we started to think we could win this game. Then at half the Wizards were down 2. The game was close and Howard hadn't really taken over the game, but he never really does either. By the end of the third period the Wizards were down by double digits. This is when I turned to my buddy Jake and said, "our starters are not that bad, they seem to be able to play with teams, but man does our bench stink." He just shook his head in disgust. The Wizards went on to lose by more than 20 points, it was sad.

Let me fill you in on my buddy Jake, you see Jake is not only a bigger Wizards fan then I am, but probably a bigger basketball fan. I like to attend an occasional game and follow the local team, but I wouldn't call myself a Wizards fan, not like Jake at least. I grew up across the river from Philadelphia, Charles Barkley was my favorite player and it hurt when the Sixers let him go, I was only a kid then, but I followed Sir Charles to Phoenix and then to Houston. But my heart as a fan was always in Philly, I remember the years of Shawn Bradley (Javale McGee reminds me of him, sorry Wizards fans), I remember Jerry Stackhouse and then Allen Iverson coming to town. I knew we would be great, but Stackhouse and Iverson couldn't co-exist, It became Iverson's team and they made a few playoff runs and in 2001 they made it to the Finals to hit a brick wall known as the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. But after that I slowly started to not pay attention and then when Iverson was run out of town (deserved or not) I stopped caring. I almost started to care again this year when Iverson came back, but the NBA doesn't do it for me anymore. But Jake still cares and one day I hope the Wizards figure out what they are doing and can make a run of there own.

The past 5 years in DC have been plagued with injuries and drama. Arenas hasn't played a full season in over three years, Butler and Jamison have had there injuries too. Then there was the feud with Stevenson and Lebron that let to a feud with Soulja Boy and Jay Z somehow, then Arenas brought guns into the locker room, the locker room of a team that once changed its name from the Bullets so they didn't promote violence. We had a good team, but that good team could never beat Cleveland a team that at the time had one guy, the Wizards had three. Butler, Jamison, and Arenas, they were supposed to take us to the promised land. Now Butler is in Dallas and Jamison is in Cleveland, both preparing to make a playoff run and most likely further then the 2nd round. The Wizards trot out unknowns in the basketball world. There starters keep them close and there bench puts them in a hole. This season Wizards fans just hope that the Nets don't surpass them in the win column.

The future of the Wizards right now is an unknown. Abe Pollin the long time owner passed away this year, he did many great things for this city and team. Abe's business partner Ted Leonsis looks to be the front runner to take over the team, if he does Wizards fans should get excited, because all you have to do is look down the hall at the Capitals locker room to see the success he has as an owner, the Caps are three time division champs and look to make a long run in the playoffs this year. They have an high powered offense and fill the arena every night. DC used to be a football and basketball town, but with neither of those teams doing anything in recent history and both heading into a rebuilding era, DC is a Hockey town, maybe soon the Wizards will make it a basketball town and add another banner to the rafters.