OPINION:
Down here in the Loverro Southern Fortress of Solitude along the Florida panhandle, I often am asked, “Where’s home?”
When a waitress in one of the local drinking establishments asked me this question recently, I proudly answered, “Tedland.”
She looked puzzled and asked, “Where’s that?
I responded, “Tedland? It’s a wondrous place that stretches from the beaches of southern Delaware to the banks of the James River in Richmond, Virginia. It’s Transparent Ted Leonsis’ ‘Supercity’ and we are all fortunate to be residents of Tedland.”
Last month Transparent Ted outlined the good times that await residents of Tedland in the $2 billion sports complex in Alexandria that he wants taxpayers to help build for his Washington Capitals and Wizards professional sports teams.
“The DMV is a supercity,” Transparent Ted wrote in an open letter to area sports fans. “We have three international airports, two in Virginia and one in Maryland, dozens of renowned public and private universities, large green spaces, most notably, the National Mall, a defining business sector, in our case, the federal government, and finally, professional sports teams.
“Monumental Sports & Entertainment has always been about the entire DMV,” he wrote. “The media market for the Capitals and Wizards spans from Richmond, VA to southern Delaware. Virginia has almost 9 million residents, Maryland has over 6 million residents, Washington, DC has almost 700,000 residents. These are the people we are servicing.”
I might point out that while these are the people Transparent Ted believes he is servicing in Tedland, many of them will not be paying for Transparent Ted’s latest contribution to Tedland.
Virginia taxpayers are the ones being asked to pick up the tab.
Those state lines are such a nuisance.
Make no mistake, Transparent Ted is feeling the pressure as criticism builds over his decision to abandon the District and turn Capital One Arena, the anchor of downtown Washington, into a minor league venue more suited for … well, Alexandria.
In his letter, Transparent Ted wrote of hearing from “fans across the DMV regarding the potential creation of a new Entertainment District if all approvals are received. I appreciate all the support and excitement from fans and customers about this project and I certainly acknowledge the concerns heard from passionate members of the community. I look forward to hearing from those who are concerned, working to address any issues raised and demonstrating why I believe this is the best decision for our fans, our thousands of full and part-time employees, the teams, the athletes, our partners, and the DMV.”
Yes, there are some passionate people with concerns.
In Alexandria, citizens have formed the Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yards and traveled to Richmond to protest the plan, charging that “taxpayer dollars are used without transparency and risk of bond default.”
Without transparency? How could that happen in Tedland?
In the District, Transparent Ted faces particularly awkward opposition. “Don’t Mute DC” has launched a campaign, led by community activist Ron Moten to stop the Wizards move with a petition online. They organized a protest outside Capital One Arena on Martin Luther King’s birthday.
Andscape, the sports and pop culture website owned and operated by ESPN which describes itself as “the premier platform for exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture,” posted an article in December raising the racial issues of Transparent Ted’s move of the Wizards.
“To move the team to Northern Virginia, which is whiter than Washington and has a reputation for being less hospitable to Black people, can be seen as an affront to (D.C.) history and the Black people who support the team,” the article stated.
Yet the Wizards touted their celebration of Black History Month in a Jan. 26 press release. “As part of the team’s Black History Month celebration presented by Stackwell Capital, the digital investment platform created to eliminate the racial wealth gap, the Wizards will recognize and celebrate the achievements, influence and talents of individuals and organizations from the DMV area throughout the month of February as part of the “Not Bound by One Month” campaign.”
A bit tone-deaf.
Transparent Ted made the rounds last week to local television and radio stations laying down the law of Tedland — “the die is cast” he told WUSA9 — with all the transparency of George Costanza in a job interview.
He said he’s been surprised by the level of outrage toward his plans. “I’ve been hurt but that’s my personality. I’m not your typical average businessperson. I care what people think.”
Transparent Ted must be an emotional wreck after owning the Wizards for 14 years.
The Virginia House of Delegates passed legislation Tuesday to create a sports and entertainment authority, the vehicle to be used to help finance the arena project. But state Sen. Louise Lucas says the project is dead on arrival in the Senate and adds, “If he’s willing to renege on a lease with the folks in D.C., what’s to say he wouldn’t do that to us?”
Transparent Ted must have been curled up in a fetal position in a corner of his mansion after that one.
He also told NBC4 that he sees his constituency as “the players, the employees, the union workers — and they’re all going to benefit dramatically.”
Union workers? Transparent Ted, friend of the working man? This is rich.
Virginia is considered hostile territory by union workers — a right-to-work state. Transparent Ted’s good buddy, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, has vowed to stop any effort to change that. “Please don’t bring me a bill that impacts Virginians’ right to work, as it will be met with the business end of my veto pen,” Youngkin said last month.
Transparent Ted’s constituency consists of one – himself. That’s why it’s Tedland.
• You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.
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