DC Expos?

[Buccaneer]

Another example of what happens when you give lawyers too much power (see: Congress).


Thursday, September 23, 2004



ESPN.com news services

According to two baseball officials involved in the discussions, the most likely resolution of the Expos' situation would have Bud Selig announcing that the team will move to Washington next year, pending the approval of funds to renovate RFK Stadium, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has learned.



However, Selig may portray the decision as a temporary solution, which would be dependent on Washington finalizing plans to build a new ballpark. By describing the decision as temporary, the sources said, Selig would have more time to make some sort of deal with Orioles owner Peter Angelos.



Baseball had hoped it could satisfy Angelos by giving the Orioles a portion of the purchase price when the Expos are finally sold, and by helping to create a second regional sports network that would allow the Orioles to continue to televise their games in Washington and Virginia.



However, one baseball official says Angelos continues to adamantly oppose any and all solutions that have been tossed his way.



"Bud hasn't come close to finding a way to satisfy him," the official said. "I'm not saying he won't find a way. But if he does, it won't be with money. He's saying there's no number in the world that would be acceptable. You wouldn't believe the (dollars) that have been thrown around, as recently as this week. And he's had absolutely no interest."



The league's relocation committee, of which Angelos is a member, met Thursday for three hours in Milwaukee, but made no formal recommendation on whether the Expos should move to Washington next season.



Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said the meeting at commissioner Bud Selig's office was amicable.



"Mr. Angelos expressed his views," DuPuy told The Associated Press. "Mr. Angelos' concerns, which are shared by the commissioner and have been all along, have always been a serious issue."



Angelos was not available for comment following the meeting. DuPuy hopes to have a decision by the end of the regular season on Oct. 3.



"I think we're all running out of time," he told the AP.



Downtown Washington appears to be the favorite to land the Expos, who were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. Washington's bid group met for 11½ hours last week with members of baseball's relocation committee and went over intricate details what a move would entail.



Northern Virginia officials also met with last week with baseball, but their meeting was much briefer. Northern Virginia has proposed building a stadium in Loudoun County near Dulles International Airport, about 60 miles from Camden Yards.



"I was not expecting a final decision today, and thus am not disappointed by the outcome,'' said Bill Hall, chairman of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission's baseball committee. "I'm encouraged by the statement that the decision will be made by the end the next week, and hope that will be sooner, and remain optimistic that it will be Washington D.C."



DuPuy said negotiations on a move have taken longer than anticipated because everybody on the council wants to explore all the ramifications of a move. Baseball at first hoped to have a decision by mid-2002, then pushed it back a year, then delayed it another year.



"Commissioner Selig likes to develop consensus and we were not satisfied with where we were a year ago," DuPuy said. "We're much more satisfied with where we're heading, but nothing ever goes as quickly as you like."



He expected Selig to contact all the council members in the next few days to get their views. Once Selig makes it a decision, it must be approved by all owners and financing for a new ballpark must be finalized. In addition, the Expos' former limited partners say they will attempt to block a move in federal court, and Angelos could attempt legal action.



Virginia's bid has stumbled in recent weeks, partly because Gov. Mark R. Warner will not support a plan to build a ballpark using bonds backed by the "moral obligation" of the state.



Warner's spokeswoman, Ellen Qualls, said Thursday that the governor's own concerns about the use of moral obligation bonds, as well as opposition from key legislators, forced him to look for other alternatives.



"He's pushing for a different financing mechanism," Qualls said.



Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[stevew]

This could be the third version of the Washington Senators maybe?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Yay, the New Orleans Zephyrs just switched affiliations from the Houston Astros to the Wherever Expos. Oh boy.

[cuervo72]

Angelos can pack sand.

[Suicane75]

Why don't they just move them Minnesota, I hear they got rid of their team a few years back. Bud Selig and Peter Angelos and post 1994 Baseball can suck my hairy swingin sack.

[Ksyrup]

Another example of what happens when you give lawyers too much power (see: Congress).
Not sure what you are referrring to. If it is Angelos, he wasn't given power, he bought it. Angelos is an example of what happens when a lawyer hits the jackpot on a class action lawsuit.

[CamEdwards]

Washington D.C needs to spend money on a stadium like Mary Kate Olsen needs liposuction. I'd love to see the Expos in Northern Virginia, but if D.C. uses public funds to renovate RFK or to build a new stadium I'll make a point to never go see a game.

[stevew]

Whatever the hell they are doing, they need to do it now. 29 teams owning the 30th one is insane.

[tucker rocky]

Leave the Expos in Canada, Medicine Hat is a good place. :D

Medicine Hat: http://aolresearch.mapquest.com/atlas/main.adp?region=alberta

[Samdari]

Washington D.C needs to spend money on a stadium like Mary Kate Olsen needs liposuction. I'd love to see the Expos in Northern Virginia, but if D.C. uses public funds to renovate RFK or to build a new stadium I'll make a point to never go see a game.

Didn't you hear the council member explain a few weeks ago how a stadium which is paid for out of public funds, is not actually publicly financed.

It was like a primer in political doublespeak.

[CamEdwards]

I'm so glad I didn't let my wife talk me into living in the District.

[JPhillips]

I think part of the problem for baseball is that three anti-stadium candidates won council seats. There is a real doubt that a stadium financing plan could pass the council.

Cam: Do you support the NOVA plan? It seems to me that putting it out by Dulles would be a nightmare until the roads/Metro get built to handle the added crowd. I know there is a plan to add Metro to Dulles in 2012, but there would be several years of car only access.

[rkmsuf]

I can't totally blame Angelos here. How would John Henry feel if a team relocated to Springfield, MA.

[gottimd]

I think part of the problem for baseball is that three anti-stadium candidates won council seats. There is a real doubt that a stadium financing plan could pass the council.


That is what I heard as well. Due to the recent nominations/elections into City Council, they had to speed up the process because the newly elected are against these plans.

Isn't the stadium proposal on M and the Anacostia River?

[JPhillips]

I think that's right. I've also heard a plan for a stadium on New York, but I think the waterfront stadium is the most likely plan. I've also heard some rumblings about upgrading RFK, but I don't think MLB would move a team into an old stadium.

[gottimd]

On the Waterfront would be a good place, especially there with the Metro access. As for upgrading RFK, that is a horrendous idea. I used to go there all the time, the stadium is utter crap. But I guess if it comes to costs, and what would bring that team here, than I guess that is what the fans will have to deal with.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I would prefer that the expos move here to Vegas. Everything was laid down for a down town stadium and mayor Goodman and co. had a great plan. I think it would have worked here.

[Young Drachma]

They should move to Jersey. Nothing like a third team in the Metro area to throw things off.

[gottimd]

They should move to Jersey. Nothing like a third team in the Metro area to throw things off.

No, they should move to California, they don't have any baseball teams do they?

[Samdari]

I can't totally blame Angelos here. How would John Henry feel if a team relocated to Springfield, MA.

Is Springfield, MA a separate, major city?? With a population by itself capable of supporting a major pro franchise. And besides, putting a MLB team there would not cost Boston a single ticket sale (at least not one that would not be purchased by someone else).

It is really frustrating to me when people lump Baltimore and Washington together. They may be geographically close, but they are really completely different places (that hate each other, btw). Going from one to the other is considered a long trip by residents of either city, as well as something akin to a prison sentence. Don't let the 30 mile nominal distance fool you, it is a minimum 1.5 hour trip, and about 3 hours if you want to make a weeknight Oriole game.

Colin Cowherd had a great point today - Baltimore and the MD counties surrounding it have more population base available to support it than half of the major league cities. If Angelos put a decent product on the field, he would not have to worry about drawing distant fans.

[Desnudo]

I can't totally blame Angelos here. How would John Henry feel if a team relocated to Springfield, MA.

He'd probably laugh. I know I would.

[JPhillips]

All of the local media keeps talking about is lost ticket sales for the Orioles. That misses the point. I think Angelos can still keep ticket sales up if he has a solid team. What he undoubtedly will lose is media money. Right now the Orioles are carried on both radio and television in the DC market. Its very unlikely that Angelos will either keep both outlets or keep them without a significant reduction in the contract. It really will be a blow to Angelos and the Orioles.

[Buccaneer]

Interesting tidbit

The Rangers retain ownership of the name "Washington Senators," baseball spokesman Carmine Tiso said after consulting with Ethan Orlinsky, a lawyer for Major League Baseball Properties, the sport's licensing division
I did not realize that. I, of course, followed that franchise move when I was 11 but had never thought about what happened to the Senators name. I had thought it had belonged to the Twins since they still hold their records and just accomodated the new Senators as a condition of relocation. But if I recall correctly, when the Senators II moved to Texas, no one in baseball cared - not the league, not the fans and no one in DC.

[Bubba Wheels]

I vote for the Washington Swift Boats vets.

[gottimd]

Washington House of Representatives?

Washington Warlords?

Washington Trouts?

[Butter]

I wish they'd hurry up and make a frickin' decision. This has dragged on for how many years now?

[Huckleberry]

Washington Pork Barrels
Washington Taxes
D.C. Doublespeak

[Abe Sargent]

Why not Mexico City?

-Anxiety

[gottimd]

Because I said so.

[Young Drachma]

Washington Grays (http://rememberthegrays.org/)

Here is a movement aimed at naming the team the Washington Grays, rather than the Washington Senators..which everyone thinks will happen (though since the Rangers own the name, maybe not?)

[sterlingice]

Why not Mexico City?

-Anxiety The players union would throw a fit.

And that's before even thinking about how economically viable it is in a city with a very low per capita income.

SI

[Samdari]

The players union would throw a fit.

And that's before even thinking about how economically viable it is in a city with a very low per capita income.

SI

Yeah, the "family of four night at the ballpark" costs for the Orioles are very likely more than the average annual income of most Mexico City families. And you think Kansas City has low revenue?

[SackAttack]

Why not the Washington Interns? They suck enough for it, that's for sure.

[Coffee Warlord]

Las Vegas Expos dammit.

[SplitPersonality1]

Why not piss everyone off and add a second team to Milwaukee.

[Young Drachma]

Why not piss everyone off and add a second team to Milwaukee.

They still have baseball? I thought the Braves moved?

[SplitPersonality1]

They still have baseball? I thought the Braves moved?

Asshat!

Good one. :)

[SackAttack]

Nah, if you're gonna move a second team to Wisconsin, put it in Green Bay. Hell, follow the Packer model and sell shares in the team to the fans in whatever city you relocate to. Guaranteed attendance + civic pride = no crowds of 2,000 in a 50,000 seat stadium.

[SirFozzie]

GUH. Just saw this thing from Jayson Stark at espn.com about all the goodies that MLB is offering Angelos to get him to not sue the DC Expos move.. Christmas in September...


What is it worth to Peter Angelos to pull up his roadblocks and allow Major League Baseball to move the Montreal Expos 40 miles down the highway from Camden Yards?

According to baseball sources, MLB has offered the Orioles owner two fascinating incentives:

# Baseball is willing to guarantee that the Orioles will earn a still-to-be-negotiated minimum in annual revenues. If their revenues fall below that figure, MLB would make up the difference.

# Baseball also is willing to guarantee a minimum franchise value for the Orioles. So if Angelos attempts to sell the team and can't find a buyer willing to pay that amount, MLB also would make up that difference.

Beyond those measures, baseball will help establish a new regional sports network in the Baltimore-Washington area that would enable the Orioles to continue to televise games in Washington and its Virginia suburbs.

Baseball's president and COO, Bob DuPuy, was in Baltimore on Tuesday, attempting to finalize negotiations with Angelos.

Assuming DuPuy and Angelos can reach a deal, an announcement is now tentatively expected Thursday. One reason for the selection of that date, it's believed, is that it would come a day after the Expos' final home game in Montreal -- which would minimize the possibility of any messy goodbyes.

Thursday is also an off-day for the team before it begins a weekend series in New York. So scheduling the announcement Thursday would enable some Expos personnel to attend the news conference.

[sterlingice]

Ok, that's hideous. MLB is going to guarantee minimums without any sort of expenditure floor?

EDIT: Wait. That opens up even more problems. That's one hell of a peachy deal. Angelos could freeze ticket prices, hell, let people in for free, and MLB would have to eat the cost. I'm all for a lot more revenue sharing but not in an exclusive deal like this.

SI

[Young Drachma]

If they're going to give the Grays the finger and name the team after the Senators anyway, then MLB need to give all the old Senator records to the new club.

It probably wouldn't affect Texas as much as Minnesota since Walter Johnson is the team leader (until eternity) in Wins.

But still, if they're gonna do it..then do it right. Of course, then they'd have to retire all the old Expos records. That's the least they can do for essentially destroying a once-proud franchise.

[Buccaneer]

Fox has it up as one of those yellow headlines things.

[Buccaneer]

GUH. Just saw this thing from Jayson Stark at espn.com about all the goodies that MLB is offering Angelos to get him to not sue the DC Expos move.. Christmas in September...


What is it worth to Peter Angelos to pull up his roadblocks and allow Major League Baseball to move the Montreal Expos 40 miles down the highway from Camden Yards?

According to baseball sources, MLB has offered the Orioles owner two fascinating incentives:

# Baseball is willing to guarantee that the Orioles will earn a still-to-be-negotiated minimum in annual revenues. If their revenues fall below that figure, MLB would make up the difference.

# Baseball also is willing to guarantee a minimum franchise value for the Orioles. So if Angelos attempts to sell the team and can't find a buyer willing to pay that amount, MLB also would make up that difference.

Beyond those measures, baseball will help establish a new regional sports network in the Baltimore-Washington area that would enable the Orioles to continue to televise games in Washington and its Virginia suburbs.

Baseball's president and COO, Bob DuPuy, was in Baltimore on Tuesday, attempting to finalize negotiations with Angelos.

Assuming DuPuy and Angelos can reach a deal, an announcement is now tentatively expected Thursday. One reason for the selection of that date, it's believed, is that it would come a day after the Expos' final home game in Montreal -- which would minimize the possibility of any messy goodbyes.

Thursday is also an off-day for the team before it begins a weekend series in New York. So scheduling the announcement Thursday would enable some Expos personnel to attend the news conference.
Nothing too out of the ordinary, esp. compared to the bribes or "compensations" in relocating teams in the 50s and 60s.

[GrantDawg]

Talk around here is that Stan Kasten (long time president for Turner Sports) is forming a team to buy the DC team. He is not denying it at this point.

[cuervo72]

Nothing too out of the ordinary, esp. compared to the bribes or "compensations" in relocating teams in the 50s and 60s.

Establishing a new regional sports network that would basically allow the Orioles to directly compete with the Washington franchise in Washington seems fairly out of the ordinary to me.

[Young Drachma]

Same here. It's like they've been screwing the Expos for so long now, they'd love to just keep doing it.

Do you all think Omar Minaya and Frank Robinson, really the only credibility this team has left will stay around? I know Vidro is there..but, yeah. He's it.

[Young Drachma]

Talk around here is that Stan Kasten (long time president for Turner Sports) is forming a team to buy the DC team. He is not denying it at this point.

I read this as "DC's team" and I was gonna say..I was always a closet Expos fan. But after this move, I think I'm going to put away my Blue Jays allegiance and shift it to DC. Even if they're bad, I'm sick of what they're doing up North. Talk about destroying another proud franchise. Grr..

[Buccaneer]

1. The Expos franchise dug the hole themselves by overselling baseball in Montreal, where it should never have been allowed to have a team (i.e., no local and regional market for TV and radio ad revenues).

2. cuervo, not really. A regional sports network is no different than the newspaper turf wars from 1850-1950 and eventually the muscle of the radio networks in the 30s-50s. Both have had quite a bit of influence on franchise values and owner stakes.

[clintl]

1. The Expos franchise dug the hole themselves by overselling baseball in Montreal, where it should never have been allowed to have a team (i.e., no local and regional market for TV and radio ad revenues).



That's not really true. The Expos were a good, successful franchise for a long time until they ended up getting bought by a horrible owner, and then sold to an even worse one. In the good years, though, the Expos were very well supported, and Montreal is a larger economic market than a number of American cities with teams.

[cuervo72]

1. The Expos franchise dug the hole themselves by overselling baseball in Montreal, where it should never have been allowed to have a team (i.e., no local and regional market for TV and radio ad revenues).

2. cuervo, not really. A regional sports network is no different than the newspaper turf wars from 1850-1950 and eventually the muscle of the radio networks in the 30s-50s. Both have had quite a bit of influence on franchise values and owner stakes.

Good point regarding radio, I hadn't even thought of that. I imagine teams like the Cubs and Cardinals had huge market areas based on the power of their radio towers back then.

[Buccaneer]

That's not really true. The Expos were a good, successful franchise for a long time until they ended up getting bought by a horrible owner, and then sold to an even worse one. In the good years, though, the Expos were very well supported, and Montreal is a larger economic market than a number of American cities with teams.
But not a larger baseball economic market. Even during their "successful" years of the late 70s and early 80s, they were at the bottom of ranking in media revenues. Even though they outdrew Oakland during those years, Montreal's revenues from non-attendance items were tiny. They managed during those years to get by but even the other owners had treated them like a poor stepchild. You're right in that it got worse - but they were already down there. (I am trying to remember where I had read about this.)

[clintl]

There's no doubt that it is one of the smaller markets. But it was still a viable market until bad ownership ruined it, or should have been.

[Samdari]

Nothing too out of the ordinary, esp. compared to the bribes or "compensations" in relocating teams in the 50s and 60s.

Relocating teams do often get sweet deals - the Ravens got one when moving in the 90's. But, the bribes and compensations are usually paid out by the city gaining the team.

I think that the other owners paying a current owner so that they can make a franchise move that owner has no power to stop is unprecedented.

[Buccaneer]

Relocating teams do often get sweet deals - the Ravens got one when moving in the 90's. But, the bribes and compensations are usually paid out by the city gaining the team.

I think that the other owners paying a current owner so that they can make a franchise move that owner has no power to stop is unprecedented.
Sometime soon, let me dig up some anecdotes on owner and league shenanigans from the late 1800s and early 1900s, plus as a bonus, something on the owner/league collusions on franchises such as the KC A's.

[mgadfly]

Is Springfield, MA a separate, major city?? With a population by itself capable of supporting a major pro franchise. And besides, putting a MLB team there would not cost Boston a single ticket sale (at least not one that would not be purchased by someone else).

It is really frustrating to me when people lump Baltimore and Washington together. They may be geographically close, but they are really completely different places (that hate each other, btw). Going from one to the other is considered a long trip by residents of either city, as well as something akin to a prison sentence. Don't let the 30 mile nominal distance fool you, it is a minimum 1.5 hour trip, and about 3 hours if you want to make a weeknight Oriole game.

Colin Cowherd had a great point today - Baltimore and the MD counties surrounding it have more population base available to support it than half of the major league cities. If Angelos put a decent product on the field, he would not have to worry about drawing distant fans.

I lived in DC for awhile, and I went to Oriole's games. If there had been a team in DC, I would have gone to those instead. Assuming that there are a few fans like me, there'd be a ticket loss for Baltimore as well as potential television deal losses. (Also, a lot of people in DC are looking to go see "their" team play rather than the home team. For example, I went and saw the Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics, and Bucks play because I had some attachment to those teams, not the Orioles, Redskins, Ravens, or Wizards. If I had had the choice to see my team in D.C., or go to Baltimore, I'd have stuck to the Metro and stayed in the city)

[cuervo72]

Yes, but they are in different leagues. Sure, I will be more apt to see the Phillies in DC now (good luck getting those tickets at Camden Yards). I don't think there will be many opportunities to see the Mariners come to DC though.

[chinaski]

The ONLY reason the Expos are in DC now..... Fred Malek.

Former Nixon aide, former Carlyle group advisor, former Rangers partner with GW, former CREEP director (Committe to re-elect the president - fitting name), and oh yea also a NAZI supporter and a racist.

I love my country.

[ISiddiqui]

I don't get this it's going to kill Baltimore talk. The Washington - Baltimore area has grown a lot since the Senators last left Washington and Baltimore has plenty of fan base in Maryland, while Washington can tap into the Northern Virginia market. If NY, Chicago, and LA can handle two teams, I don't see why Balt-Wash can't.

[ISiddiqui]

Btw, anyone else think it's a shame that the last Expos game isn't on ESPN tonight?

[clintl]

I don't get this it's going to kill Baltimore talk. The Washington - Baltimore area has grown a lot since the Senators last left Washington and Baltimore has plenty of fan base in Maryland, while Washington can tap into the Northern Virginia market. If NY, Chicago, and LA can handle two teams, I don't see why Balt-Wash can't.

NY, Chicago, and LA are all quite a bit larger than Washington-Baltimore. However, Washington-Baltimore has almost exactly the same population as the San Francisco Bay Area, and like SF, has a pretty affluent economic base. My guess is that both teams survive, but there might be some shaky times for the Expos there (who will probably be in the A's role economically until they can get a new ballpark).

[Young Drachma]

Btw, anyone else think it's a shame that the last Expos game isn't on ESPN tonight?

I do.
It's also a shame that they're gonna give this team a loser name like "Senators"

I hope the new owners don't bow to media pressure.

[ISiddiqui]

NY, Chicago, and LA are all quite a bit larger than Washington-Baltimore.

NY and LA I agree with you. Chicago, however, is not that much bigger than Washingon-Baltimore metro area:

http://www.demographia.com/db-usmet2000.htm

About a million and half more people in Chicago metro area. And yeah, I should have mentioned SF-Oak, they slipped my mind for a second.

And if you split the Wash-Balt metro population in half, you get 3,804,035, which is greater than the populations in the metro areas of Seattle, Cleveland, and St. Louis.

[Bad-example]

If the Expos are moving to D.C. then perhaps they should consider using the same name as the local pro football team.

[Bee]

If the Expos are moving to D.C. then perhaps they should consider using the same name as the local pro football team.

There's a pro football team in DC?

[Maple Leafs]

In case you're not able to watch, the Expos game was almost forfeited in the early goings when the fans kept throwing golf balls on the field (about three separate incidents). McKeon wanted the game called, but the umps were a little more patient.

[ISiddiqui]

Gotta like the fans :D. That's a good show, but rationally, the team had to go.

[ISiddiqui]

Dola..

The umps were smart too... calling the game would have probably resulted in a riot.

[SirFozzie]

Holy shit.. the deal is even BETTER for Angelos.. WHAT. THE. FUCK?!?!??!

With the arrival of baseball in Washington, it looks like Comcast SportsNet will rely on separate feeds for DC and Baltimore. A DCRTVer tells us that WTEM unveiled some of the agreement between Major League Baseball and Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Basically, CSN will carry both the Orioles and the Washington team's games in the DC area, however it will feature only Orioles games in the Baltimore area. During scheduling conflicts, the Orioles will be carried by CSN in both markets, with the Washington team on a second channel in the DC region. Also, Angelos will get 67 percent of the TV revenue the combined teams make. Nothing from radio. More as we hear it.....

[ISiddiqui]

Angelos will get 67 percent of the TV revenue the combined teams make.

Jeez that's ridiculous. When you deal with the Devil, you are bound to get burned, I guess.

[21C]

It's also a shame that they're gonna give this team a loser name like "Senators"

I hope the new owners don't bow to media pressure.
From AP, "Naming the team is sure to spur much debate. ( Mayor ) Williams likes the name "Washington Grays'' as a tribute to the Homestead Grays, a Negro League team that played in Washington in the 1930s and 1940s. The Senators would be a sentimental favorite, but that name would have to be acquired from the Rangers, who still own its rights."

[Wolfpack]

With the arrival of baseball in Washington, it looks like Comcast SportsNet will rely on separate feeds for DC and Baltimore. A DCRTVer tells us that WTEM unveiled some of the agreement between Major League Baseball and Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Basically, CSN will carry both the Orioles and the Washington team's games in the DC area, however it will feature only Orioles games in the Baltimore area. During scheduling conflicts, the Orioles will be carried by CSN in both markets, with the Washington team on a second channel in the DC region. Also, Angelos will get 67 percent of the TV revenue the combined teams make. Nothing from radio. More as we hear it.....

Hmm...looks like Angelos is going to do everything he can to make sure the Washington team can suck as badly as his team does for the foreseeable future while he pockets the difference. Scumbag.

[gottimd]

I forgot where I saw it, but they did a study on the population, fan base, median income, etc and DC was around the 12-15 in each category out of all of the Major League teams. I believe the team will have enough support and revenue to sufficiently operate. It will also revitalize that area of DC which is pretty much in shambles.

As far as the name goes, that will be interesting. Many want the Senators, but as noted in this thread and on the news, the Rangers still own that name. They were also called the "Nationals" which wouldn't be awful, they referred to them as the Nat's in the papers in the "days of yore". I just hope they don't go with an expansion like nickname as the other sports have like the SaberCats and have neon green and yellow as their colors. Maybe they should be called the Confederates, so that way when they play the Yankees, it will be the Yankees vs. Confederates. Okay, just kidding.

The News stations here have been all over the discussions about the team names, and mentioned that I have heard are (some you know):
Senators
Greys
Fire throwing Ass hats
Nationals
Monuments
Banana Hammocks
Feds
Governers
G-Men

Obviously most leading to a Political/Government type name.

[GrantDawg]

How about "Jack-booted Thugs."

[Samdari]

The Capitol Punishment.

Only name that works.

[flere-imsaho]

Chicago, however, is not that much bigger than Washingon-Baltimore metro area:

Yes, but. The White Sox have eternal attendance problems. U.S. Cellular Field is also located in an area of comparable blight to that of where they intend to put D.C.'s new team.

On the other hand, a stadium in D.C. will have no problem selling out the boxes, what with all the law and lobbying firms in the city. :)

[gottimd]

Anyone already a fan of the no named Washington team? Inquire about tickets here (http://www.baseballindc.com)

[rkmsuf]

Washington Gibbs

Go with what you know.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Washington Leakers has also been mentionned.

Personnaly, I like the Washington Cigars...

[sterlingice]

From AP, "Naming the team is sure to spur much debate. ( Mayor ) Williams likes the name "Washington Grays'' as a tribute to the Homestead Grays, a Negro League team that played in Washington in the 1930s and 1940s. The Senators would be a sentimental favorite, but that name would have to be acquired from the Rangers, who still own its rights."
Anything that pays homage to the Negro Leagues is pretty darn cool. I think the AP writer might be playing up the "spur much debate". C'mon- the owner will have a (fake) contest, choose the name they already want with a decent contender and three rummies, then take the one they wanted to start with.

SI

[Young Drachma]

What would be the team's new colours. Yeah, so they'll be the Grays. I wonder if it'll be like Gray..and what else? Red? Blue? It'd need to look good or else...it won't work. Something simple, but dignified would be best IMHO.