Ted Leonsis is now the villain of Washington sports. And, it’s going to get worse for the owner of the Washington Wizards and Capitals.
The exile of Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder was the worst thing to happen to Leonsis and Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner. Snyder consumed all the negative energy in town with his antics before selling last year. Now fans are focusing on Leonsis and Lerner, who despite each winning a championship in recent years, now oversee awful teams.
Leonsis’ plan to move the Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria makes him Public Enemy No. 1 in Washington. Even worse, he’s also Public Enemy No. 1 of a prominent Virginia legislator who can block the Alexandria arena.
Ted, you’re getting your butt kicked by an 80-year-old woman that controls the money and has no problem throwing haymakers. Senate Finance Committee chair L. Louise Lucas even mocked Leonsis for including potential Wizards playoff revenue in fiscal projections for the Alexandria arena. Obviously, Lucas noticed the Wiz stink.
Normally, I think Leonsis is the smartest person in the room. The former AOL executive has spent a lifetime not just two steps ahead of competitors, but two blocks and pulling away.
Not this time, though. Leonsis repeated Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke’s mistake of announcing a new venue on the exact same site without a signed deal with Virginia politicians. It was an avoidable blunder that was proven when Cooke couldn’t get an Alexandria deal and eventually built in Maryland.
Leonsis let his ego get the better of a potential deal with the District, which admittedly dragged its feet before offering $500 million to stay at Capital One Arena. That money is now earmarked for a potential Commanders stadium at RFK.
So, Leonsis can’t get a deal in Virginia and has none with the District. And for once, Maryland isn’t being played for a sucker. They’re too busy trying to keep the Commanders in Landover.
Fans are upset over the move despite it being just 4.5 miles away. The arena and its spillover projects are being shoehorned into an already overcrowded area. Traffic and parking will be exasperating. Plus, Alexandria residents know how to block a deal by pressuring local politicians.
Leonsis looks like a man without a home. The good news is there’s a way out: give Lucas what she wants in toll relief and educational funding for her Portsmouth/Chesapeake district. The State Senator put that out there on Day 1.
Sure, it’s going to cost Leonsis money, but Lucas has an iron grip on this situation and her job. Lucas just won re-election in November for a seat she has held since 1992, and her four-year term means there’s no funding an opposing candidate, so Leonsis has to make peace with Lucas. Get her support and the arena will pass. Otherwise, make nice with District Mayor Muriel Bowser, who’s still pretty mad over Leonsis passing on her offer.
Leonsis is trapped by his own arrogance. Alexandria is probably a better deal for the Wiz and Caps, but more importantly to the 67-year-old owner, it’s a legacy project. Too bad it’s turning into a bad legacy.