The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[GoSkins561]

Thanks for your optimism.

Just a quick drive by to share some reality with you NBA/Wizard loyalists.

---------- Post added May-10th-2011 at 09:28 PM ----------

Thanks for your optimism.

Just a quick drive by to share some reality with you NBA/Wizard loyalists.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Just a quick drive by to share some reality with you NBA/Wizard loyalists.

Thanks. :pfft:

[Gator Bait]

Now I can't wait to see the name change. I understand if they want to go back to Bullets... with the history and good will... but if they're changing the name completely, I hope they stick with the DC theme (like Nationals and Capitals).

it still goes along with the theme...haven't you been to SE east of the river lately? Come on man....bullets are flyin' son

---------- Post added May-10th-2011 at 09:20 PM ----------

i saw the bullets championship!!! Live!!! Live i tell ya!!!! Bow down before me. My memories as a child 30 years ago trumps your nonstop wizards devotion today!!! Did you see wes unseld play? No? You know nothing!!!

P.s. John wall is prius. I sat courtside!!! Courtside!!!

I wonder if being a witness to the bullets championship makes him feel special and any future wizards success threatens that in some way? On some sort of subconscious level.

courtside.....****......courtside................respect my courtside............****................blahhhhhhhh courtside mutha ****a courtside!

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Just a quick drive by to share some reality with you NBA/Wizard loyalists.

Cool story bro! :thumbsup:

Out of curiosity, who do you think the Wiz should take with their first 1st?

---------- Post added May-10th-2011 at 09:46 PM ----------

Kevin and Rock has endlessly pushed that the name should be changed to Regulators. Washington Regulators. It's too Wild West and/or West Coast G Funk for the DC area imo but I figured i'd throw it out there.

Edit: why in the world do I keep skipping the "ton" at the end of Washington when I post from my phone?

Edited May 11, 2011 by G.A.C.O.L.B.

[MattFancy]

Home jerseys look sick, road not so much

[No Excuses]

I wonder if being a witness to the Bullets championship makes him feel special and any future Wizards success threatens that in some way? On some sort of subconscious level.

I don't know, because he does the same **** in the Capitals threads too but the Caps don't have a championship so who knows.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Home jerseys look sick, road not so much

It's still better than that Blue and Bronze.

Now we just gotta change the name.....

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I don't know, because he does the same **** in the Capitals threads too but the Caps don't have a championship so who knows.

Oh does he? I didn't know that. Seems like he's trying to find positives in being old.

[chipwhich]

Oh does he? I didn't know that. Seems like he's trying to find positives in being old.

Don't hate G.A.C.O.L.B. Did I get your periods correct

Listen I want the Wizards to be good. They have been a bottom 5 franchise (in my opinion) my whole life.

The Caps and the Wizards sucked due to poor ownership.

Susan O'Malley??? Really???

Shipping out HOF'er and Youth for old washed up players...Really???

You talked **** in the Terps thread and dropped hate, then you are going to call me the hater...Really???

Loosen up my brother. We all want the same thing. Championships in the area.

Love ya booh.

[Gator Bait]

Don't hate G.A.C.O.L.B. Did I get your periods correct

Listen I want the Wizards to be good. They have been a bottom 5 franchise (in my opinion) my whole life.

The Caps and the Wizards sucked due to poor ownership.

Susan O'Malley??? Really???

Shipping out HOF'er and Youth for old washed up players...Really???

You talked **** in the Terps thread and dropped hate, then you are going to call me the hater...Really???

Loosen up my brother. We all want the same thing. Championships in the area.

Love ya booh.

I'd love an opportunity to hate on chipwhich...because I agree with the YOUNG guys...but I just can't. This was a pretty good post. I can't say I blame him for the pessimism most of the time anyway....I get grumpier and grumpier over the years because of my retched teams....he has endured like 100 years of it!

Although...I must say...I think guys right around my age...between the ages of about 25-30 have had it the worst of any DC fan....we are old enough to endure countless disappointing seasons by all the sports franchises in DC...and we are also too young to have experienced and really enjoyed the glory years of the Redskins to it's full extent.

speaking of old timers....what the hell happened to Hands?

[Skin'emAlive]

Hands disappeared after the fall of the Wizards forum from what i remember.

[No Excuses]

I

speaking of old timers....what the hell happened to Hands?

He posts on another Wizards forum. He's one of the most insanely boring people to read. He has a gift of saying the same thing in five different ways.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Hands disappeared after the fall of the Wizards forum from what i remember.

He posts on another board.

---------- Post added May-11th-2011 at 03:11 AM ----------

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2011/5/10/2164209/elvin-hayes-wizards-new-jersey#storyjump

Elvin Hayes Thrilled With New Wizards Jerseys' date=' Team's New Alumni Program[/b']

Elvin Hayes couldn't help but get a subtle little dig in at the old Wizards' management during the team's new jersey unveiling at the Verizon Center on Tuesday. The Bullets great meant no harm, of course, but whenever you express your pleasure at something new, you inevitably include some unintended displeasure at something old. The new Wizards' jerseys are no different.

"When I looked at the Wizards when they played in the teal, I did not really recognize them as part of the Bullet organization," he said. "It was like another team had began to represent them because they changed their name and they changed their colors and I think it was so drastic. As a player who played here, when I watched it on television, I think you had a disconnect. I think that all of a sudden, it's a great reconnect."

Hayes was one of 27* former Wizards/Bullets present at the jersey unveiling, in what was a major sign of the success of the team's new alumni program. Spearheaded by Ted Leonsis and chaired by former Bullet great Bob Dandridge, the team has made a concerted effort reaching out to its former players, holding alumni events and inviting them to spend time with the team. Hayes reminded me that he traveled with the team on a road trip to San Antonio and Houston, attending practices and just generally being around. He couldn't be more thrilled with the new arrangement.

"When the players left, there wasn't a foundation. There wasn't a connection. The players played here, they left and they kind of went away," he said. "I think that when I retired, I might have returned like one time. And now, I think Ted has really reached out to the former players to reconnect. He's bringing the players back into an organization where they have many wonderful memories and wonderful thoughts here in Washington D.C."

I asked Hayes what about having a strong alumni connection is so important to the success of the franchise. He immediately referred to the Celtics, who have such a loyal alumni presence in so many ways.

"Whenever you go into Boston Garden, you see Bill Russell, [John] Havlicek and all of these other guys there. The foundation of an organization is in its past, and I think that in Boston, that's really truly alive. When you have a winning organization, it is very important for that organization to have that history and to keep that alive."

Hayes concluded our interview by saying, very simply, that he "really enjoys" being a part of the team. That's the kind of thing that goes beyond a jersey change. The new Wizards' colors certainly pay homage to the team's past, but the truth is the Wizards have been doing that ever since Leonsis took over. This is just the latest victory.

"These are great men and great players," Leonsis said. "They can serve as role models to our players."

*Those 27 players, via Wizards PR: Michael Adams, Mark Alarie, Dudley Bradley, Phil Chenier, Bob Dandridge, Bob Ferry, Kevin Grevey, Clem Haskins, Hayes, Tom Henderson, James Jones, Rick Mahorn, Stan McKenzie, Gheorghe Muresan, Doug Overton, Kevin Porter, Rich Rinaldi, Mike Riordan, Dan Roundfield, Jeff Ruland, Larry Stewart, Awvee Storey, David Vanterpool, Phil Walker, Ennis Whatley, Gary Witts, Larry Wright.

Edited May 11, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[CrypticVillain]

I'd love an opportunity to hate on chipwhich...because I agree with the YOUNG guys...but I just can't. This was a pretty good post. I can't say I blame him for the pessimism most of the time anyway....I get grumpier and grumpier over the years because of my retched teams....he has endured like 100 years of it!

Although...I must say...I think guys right around my age...between the ages of about 25-30 have had it the worst of any DC fan....we are old enough to endure countless disappointing seasons by all the sports franchises in DC...and we are also too young to have experienced and really enjoyed the glory years of the Redskins to it's full extent.

speaking of old timers....what the hell happened to Hands?

That 25 needs to be dropped down to about 22 or 21. Lord knows I have had my fair share of disappointments from the sports teams in this area.

I really needed the Caps to win the Stanley Cup this year to ease the pain :doh:

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Don't hate G.A.C.O.L.B. Did I get your periods correct

Listen I want the Wizards to be good. They have been a bottom 5 franchise (in my opinion) my whole life.

The Caps and the Wizards sucked due to poor ownership.

Susan O'Malley??? Really???

Shipping out HOF'er and Youth for old washed up players...Really???

You talked **** in the Terps thread and dropped hate, then you are going to call me the hater...Really???

Loosen up my brother. We all want the same thing. Championships in the area.

Love ya booh.

Chipwhich is my ES stalker. Anywhere I go, he follows. Did I bring him up here? No. Yet he addresses his post to me. I'm truly flattered.

Notice how everything you mentioned happened 15 years ago? You wanna know why? Because you don't follow the Wizards anymore. You used to. (And sitting COURTSIDE!!! twice a year doesn't change that.) Thus the rest of us have moved on and are looking at brighter days, and you're still stuck between 1978 and 1995.

You're stuck on Abe Pollin, we're on Ted Leonsis. You're stuck on Susan O'Malley, we're on Ernie Grunfeld (who is hated but he damn sure isn't Susan O'Malley/Wes as GM bad). You're stuck on Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond, we're on John Wall (the Prius according to you), Jordan Crawford, Booker, McGee, two more 1sts this year and a **** ton of cap space. Time has passed you by old man.

So yeah, here's a suggestion: STFU and get up to date. Then I'll start taking your opinion seriously.

P.S. I wasn't hating on the Terps. I was hating on the hire. You went from an A+ hire in the bag, to Plan B (or even Plan C or D according to some sources). Just like the football hire. That's it. God help me for pointing that out.

[Going Commando]

Flying Squirrels wasn't picked by the fans. The Owners picked it.

They conducted fan polling through the Richmond Times Dispatch to settle on the name. There were like five different choices and most of them sucked. Flying Squirrels was the worst choice though and that's the one that won the poll and so that's the one we ended up with.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

You ever heard the choices for the Wizards name change Steve? Classic.

And it's funny reading stories about the uniform swap. "Wizards Change Uni's--But what about the name?" This whole thing is definitely adding fuel to the fire.

[Going Commando]

You ever heard the choices for the Wizards name change Steve? Classic.

And it's funny reading stories about the uniform swap. "Wizards Change Uni's--But what about the name?" This whole thing is definitely adding fuel to the fire.

I haven't paid attention to the choices whatsoever. I bet most are absurd. All I know is it better not get changed to the Generals.

I definitely think the name change is on the way now. It seems like there is a huge demand for it. People are in the mood to change. It's all about a new era here and that would feel like the biggest disconnect from the mistakes of the past.

I don't know, I've just got a good feeling about this team. Maybe we'll be rooting for John Wall and Derrick Williams throwing down pick and rolls and alley-oops for the Bullets in the playoffs in two or three years. Leonsis has the magic touch and the East is clearly realigning. I watch some of these East teams play in the playoffs and think to myself, some of them are not that much better than we were at the end of the year. Every Eastern playoff team has pretty big flaws. In some cases the main difference between us and them was just confidence and the motivation to play hard.

Edited May 11, 2011 by stevemcqueen1

[Kosher Ham]

Love the new/retro jerseys. Much better than the horrible looking previous Wiz jerseys.

I always liked the name "Red Tape" for a DC sports team.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Don't you know Steve? We traded Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond 15 years ago, we'll NEVER be good. Now please stop being stupid and get back on the negativity wagon where Wizards fans MUST be. Thanks.

I've posted this piece before. It's probably Steinberg's best work and it should be required reading for Wizards fans imo. Here's the part where "Wizards" comes into the picture. I really think a piece of my soul dies every time I read tshe finalists:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/02/why_abe_pollin_went_from_bulle.html

The Wizards

The ensuing contest was indeed run through Boston Market, and the restaurant reportedly received 500,000 name suggestions involving around 3,000 separate names. Some of them were classic.

They "ranged from what you'd expect, like the Washington Generals or Washington Stars or Washington Monuments, to some strange ones," team spokesman Matt Williams said at the time. "Antelopes, Astronauts, Geckos--that's a lizard, I believe--and the Funkadelics. You wouldn't believe it."

Other choices included Accelerators, Zulus, Wolverines, Litigators, River Dawgs, Power Cats, Glory, Fury, Cobras and Monuments.

The finalists--chosen by a panel that included Pollin, Susan O'Malley, George Michael, Juwan Howard and others--were Sea Dogs, Express, Stallions, Dragons and Wizards. Fans had three weeks to vote among the five finalists via a 1-900 line; the $1 cost was given to anti-violence efforts. And the choices were roundly skewered.

Norman Chad:

Hey, who slipped something in Susan O'Malley's mineral water? his is the lamest group of choices since Chevy introduced its luxury Geo line....

Let me tell you something, my good friends: You don't go through 500,000 submissions and come up with "Washington Sea Dogs" unless the other 499,999 suggestions were all "Washington Gerrymanderers." Who was on this panel, the folks who signed off on New Coke?

I would take the Washington Wildebeests, the Washington Wallaroos, the Washington Whippoorwills, the Washington Whirligigs, the Washington Whammos or the Washington Whoosh before I'd take the Washington Wizards. And those are just names I made up while showering 15 minutes ago!

Post editorial:

Except for Sea Dogs, which is simply inexplicable, they look like the output of the same computer programs that create names for new car models and laundry detergents.

One other thing they have in common: None of these names has a thing to do with the city, its climate, flora, fauna, landmarks, geographical features, history or primary activity, which is the government.

Tony Kornheiser:

They're kidding, right? They've got to be kidding.

These proposed nicknames all stink. And when I say "stink," I mean like a dead skunk in the middle of the road. Or should I say a Sea Skunk?

How could people come up with such bad names? And I say that as someone named Anthony Irwin Kornheiser, one of the silliest names imaginable. If I was given the chance to choose a totally new name for myself, do you think it would be LaPhonso Steinberg?

And so on. O'Malley said that copyright restrictions had kept the franchise from considering many more traditional sounding D.C. nicknames. Fans and writers unleash a torrent of other possibilities. The Post ran a poll with the team's five choices, "None of the Above" and "Bullets;" the latter two combined for 85 percent of the votes. (Sea Dogs led of the other choices with about 5 percent.) Chris Webber suggested River Dogs; "The Potomac River is right here," he explained, making the choice more logical than Sea Dogs.

When Wizards was chosen, the president of the D.C. chapter of the NAACP said it invoked images of the KKK and should not be used. A New Jersey-based barnstorming basketball team known as the Harlem Wizards filed a trademark infringement suit. Many fans said the deck had been stacked for Wizards, and Pollin said it had been one of his early favorites.

It's someone who can do things," Pollin said. "It's magic, flamboyant, smart and a winner. All those things connote a winner. Once we get the new logo and uniform and colors it'll be fantastic. The NBA has very creative people."

And he talked again about why he was making a change.

"Bullets has been a very important part of my life," he said. "In fact, it has been more important than most people know. The Bullets came at a time in my life when I'd just lost a daughter. I was really not in life. The opportunity to buy the Baltimore Bullets brought me back into life. I won a world championship with it. I have a ring that says Bullets' and Pollin' on it. I'm prepared to give that up. If I can maybe make a difference and save some lives, that's more important than the history that will be lost. I finally decided if there was the possibility of making a difference with this anti-violence campaign, it's more important than the nickname of a team."

The skeptics remained. Like Kornheiser:

I appreciate how sincere Pollin is in his desire to stop violence. But not all of us connect the nickname "Bullets" with some drive-by sniper. Some of us hear the name "Bullets" and think of Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes. I hope that doesn't make us insensitive louts.

Regardless, after the 1996-'97 season, the franchise officially became the Washington Wizards.

---------- Post added May-11th-2011 at 01:52 AM ----------

[/color]http://www.bulletsforever.com/2011/5/10/2164209/elvin-hayes-wizards-new-jersey#storyjump

*Those 27 players, via Wizards PR: Michael Adams, Mark Alarie, Dudley Bradley, Phil Chenier, Bob Dandridge, Bob Ferry, Kevin Grevey, Clem Haskins, Hayes, Tom Henderson, James Jones, Rick Mahorn, Stan McKenzie, Gheorghe Muresan, Doug Overton, Kevin Porter, Rich Rinaldi, Mike Riordan, Dan Roundfield, Jeff Ruland, Larry Stewart, Awvee Storey, David Vanterpool, Phil Walker, Ennis Whatley, Gary Witts, Larry Wright.

WOW.... I just noticed that. How the hell did that happen? We might as well add Peter John Ramos and make it 28.

Oh and Hands was responsible for my one ban on this site. Probably five years ago? Me and twenty-eight cracked a joke about his uncomfortable, slightly disturbing Blatche mancrush and he reported us. TK came in like a madman, threatening to delete the Washington Basketball forum entirely and banned me and twenty-eight for like a month. Oh the memories. And yes, he's on realgm now. Part of the reason I never floated over there. I do miss twenty-eight though

Who was the other guy in the old Wiz forum on here that was real annoying. Like Chipwhich x 20 negative. Can't remember his name.

Edited May 11, 2011 by G.A.C.O.L.B.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Proud to report that in the two NBA forums I visit, the reaction to the new uni's is overwhelmingly positive. Even seen some mentions of them now being their favorite jersey in the league. Just gotta get that name right.

[chipwhich]

So yeah, here's a suggestion: STFU and get up to date. Then I'll start taking your opinion seriously.

Here's a clue. Check my posts. I AGREED with you about Ernie Grunfeld. I was one of the few people on here saying stop the madness. I was the one saying Ernie Grunfeld did more for this franchise with Arenas and company than anyone I had seen in years. I was the one saying be careful what you wish for running Arenas and company out of town because people were witnesssing the best Wizards basketball in a decade. I was the one saying we have to walk before we can run.

Everyone else has been talking all this smack about firing EG, it was all his fault.

Here is a clue, EG got the most out of this franchise than anyone else in 15 years.

Stop misrepresenting me.

And stop talking about me when I am not around

[pjfootballer]

I like the RW & B. Not sure if I like the away jersey. Home jersey looks good. Still hate the Wizards nickname. Bullets only kill when loaded into a gun by a human. Change the damn name back Ted!!

[MattFancy]

Proud to report that in the two NBA forums I visit, the reaction to the new uni's is overwhelmingly positive. Even seen some mentions of them now being their favorite jersey in the league. Just gotta get that name right.

Did you see the post by Steinberg about the next step could be naming them the Washington Monuments? I'm praying they don't, I didn't think they could do worse than Wizards, but Monuments is just terrible.

[StillUnknown]

Did you see the post by Steinberg about the next step could be naming them the Washington Monuments? I'm praying they don't, I didn't think they could do worse than Wizards, but Monuments is just terrible.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/so-is-the-next-step-the-washington-monuments/2011/05/11/AFTjdCpG_blog.html

After reflecting on all the changes unveiled by the Wizards on Tuesday, the very wise Jamie Mottram had a thought. It went like this:

Would you like it if the #Wizards changed their name to Monuments? Because it’s kind of setting up that way, and I don’t like it one bit.

So then I thought about it, and yeah, there’s a certain logic here.

* The ownership group has been renamed “Monumental Sports & Entertainment.”

* The team is clearly de-emphasizing the hell out of the “Wizards” name, and also the wretched red Wizard logo that caused such a fuss when it was prematurely leaked in March. I’ve been told fans won’t really see that monstrous Wizards logo on anything produced by the team.

* What’s replacing the Wizard logo? Among other things, the Washington Monument basketball logo, seen above.