Busy sports night in D.C., plan accordingly

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Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.

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Busy sports night in D.C., plan accordingly - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

There are three sporting events (Nats, Wizards, United home games) going on in the District tonight, so there are a few things to keep in mind.

Nats Express parking will be in Lot 7 at RFK, not Lot 8 because D.C. United has a home match.
A few stops along the Green Line may be crowded, especially Gallery Place/Chinatown
Single-game parking can be bought online at the Nationals Way to Go page. There are apparently plenty of spots available. I think selling parking online is an excellent way at handling traffic management too.
There is no need to get all worked up about this or the Nationals attendance right now. I know that goes against our instincts as cynical, overreacting Washingtonians, but this whole thing is all going to work itself out. Just allow a little extra time and enjoy.

All told, there will probably at least 55,000 fans at three different venues tonight. Go Nats! Go Wiz! Go United!

Washington Nationals, Washington Wizards, DC United, metro, parking, DC

Labels: DC United/MLS, Metro, Nats/MLB 2008, Transportation, Wizards/NBA

posted by WFY @ 6:01 AM | |

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Potential parking at RFK problem: DC United games - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Potential parking at RFK problem: DC United games

Parking at RFK no done deal; D.C. United moves forward - The Wash. Examiner
The plan to park cars for Nats games at RFK Stadium could be complicated by D.C. United's schedule. With RFK planed to be soccer only in 2008, D.C. United doesn't plan on scheduling around the Nats. I can't blame them, but hope that there are not too many overlaps between the two teams. Obviously, having two different sets of fans parking in the same place would be a problem, but I also would rather each team get the whole night to themselves so that there is a sporting event going on as many nights as possible.

Labels: DC United/MLS, Nats/MLB 2007

posted by WFY @ 12:38 PM | |

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Congrats to Jamie Moreno - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Congrats to Jamie Moreno

Moreno Is on The Mark - The Post
Jamie Moreno became the all-time MLS goal scorer in last night's victory over the Red Bulls. It is great to have a D.C. player holding a major record again.

Labels: DC United/MLS

posted by WFY @ 12:26 PM | |

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Good job DCU - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Friday, August 10, 2007

Good job DCU

For the second time this week, a Washington team faced an opposing team that boasted a player making history. On Tuesday, it was the Nats and last night it was DC United. I am pleased to report that for the second consecutive time, the D.C. team played through the hype and got the W (The Post).

The Nation's Capital is one of the better soccer towns historically and has the best fans in MLS, so it is fitting that David Beckham made his debut here. I'm glad United could earn the win (1-0) with the eyes of the soccer world and many others on it.

Check out the banner fans put up:

Eric McErlain, FanHouse/Off Wing Opinion

I think I need to see United more often.

More:

Off Wing Opinion

DCenters

DC Sports Bog

DC Sports Chick

Steven Goff's Soccer Insider

DC United, David Beckham

Labels: DC United/MLS

posted by WFY @ 12:40 PM | |

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Philly United? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Philly United?

Yesterday, talks between the District and DC United (The Post) for a soccer stadium and mixed use development at Poplar Point collapsed. The issue is who will pay for what -- sound familiar?

DC United has indicated it may pursue relocation options as a result of the recent statelmate. The local suburbs and even Baltimore were cited as possible options. One that wasn't mentioned was greater Philadelphia. Yesterday's Inky had an article about possible plans to build a $100 million soccer stadium in Chester, an old industrial city near the Delaware state line. While it would seem unlikey that DC United would move completely out of the national captial area there (and become Delaware Valley United? Philly United?) is that possibility. If the Dodgers could move out of Brooklyn, any team can leave.

I don't know how much leverage DC United has with the District. While their fanbase may be passionate and the franchise is the strongest in MLS, I can't see District officials losing any sleep over the prospect of the franchise leaving. That's too bad because DC United has brought four championships to the city since its inception in the mid-90s. That's exactly four more than the Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, Capitals and Mystics combined. In fact no other DC team has even gotten past the second round during that time!

I am largely ambivalent about soccer, but my one visit to a match was fun and I would do it again. Even if I never go to another match, I hope DC United stays in the District. One of the things that makes living in-and-around a great city like Washington wonderful are the many cultural, entertainment, dining and sports options available. I may never eat at an Ethiopian restaurant or see the ballet, but I appreciate that they are here it means other people get to enjoy them. All of these choices makes for region and its people more intersting, no?

Hopefully this is all just historonics and the District and DC United can come totgether and build what sounds like a pretty good idea. I'd hate to lose a team, especially the winning one!

DC United, DC, Poplar Point, stadium

Labels: BeltwayLand, DC United/MLS, Northeast Corridor, Pennsylvania

posted by WFY @ 2:03 PM | |

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D.C. teams and Richmond - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Friday, June 08, 2007

D.C. teams and Richmond

Winning over Richmond - Times-Dispatch
A look from Richmond's paper of record about what kind of marketing Washington teams are doing in Virginia's capital. In short, the Redskins are very active down there while the Wizards are getting more active. The Capitals focus most of their out of town marketing on Baltimore, but have a little bit of history in Richmond. D.C. United has a friendly relationship with the Richmond Kickers. The Nationals want to expand their reach there seeing it as the "largest out of town source for fans." In a more perfect world, they'll be able to snag the city's AAA team from Atlanta, but don't count on it.

Labels: Capitals/NHL, DC United/MLS, Nats/MLB 2007, Redskins/NFL, Virginia, Wizards/NBA

posted by WFY @ 5:31 AM | |

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Which D.C. team will win next? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Which D.C. team will win next?

None of the free polls (Snap, polldaddy, pollverize and freepolls) I tried worked.

Anyway, who will win first?

Nationals
Wizards
DC United
Mystics
Redskins
Capitals
Senators
Diplomats
Freedom
Federals
Warthogs

Maybe I'll find a poll that works over lunch.

Labels: Capitals/NHL, DC United/MLS, Nats/MLB 2007, Redskins/NFL, Wizards/NBA

posted by WFY @ 6:23 AM | |

William--Your memory is amazing. The Washington Warthogs!! I'd like to say that brings back memories; but, the only memory I have is saying "hey look, there's an indoor soccer league; it probably won't last long, but the teams got a decent name."

And I had to google Diplomats.

My money's on the summer-season Federals.

# posted by Jack Tatum : Thursday, April 12, 2007 1:11:00 PM

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About that United game - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

About that United game

Last Saturday Erica and I went to our first DC United match. It was a fun experience, despite the poor showing of the home side. They lost to the L.A. Galaxy, 5-2.

Not only was this my first MLS match, it was the first team I had ever been to see organized soccer, other than a few trips to see family members play in the 1980s. I never played it either, which puts me in the 0.00001th percentile of Northern Virginia kids. I went in completely ignorant of just about all aspects of the game umother than each squad tries to score by getting the ball in into the other team's goal.

We arrived a little late, I did not take into account Metro taking a little longer since it was the weekend, the fellow in front of me buying over $600 worth of tickets or the surly ticket taker. The upshot of all this is when we got to our seats in 427 L.A. had already taken a 1-0 lead. DC stormed back and tied it and appeared to be playing hard. However, that was short-lived with L.A. getting another goal. It seemed to take the wind of United's sails. The second half was pretty brutal for the home team -- I think the fifth goal by L.A. reminded me of an empty-netter in hockey given how late it was in the match. Nevertheless, it was fun though I am still a blank canvas when it comes to soccer and next season I want to go with a knowledgeable fan sometime who can spoon-feed me the sport.

Some other observations:

Great atmosphere -- the crowd was into it and loud well into the second half even when it was becoming apparent that it was not DC's night. I like all the cheers and chants, though I want to sit in a different section next time because the bass drum in the corner was a bit much after a while. I'm not saying I don't respect it, but given that I was exhausted from biking and swimming, I was not in the optimal mood for it. One HUGE plus was the absence of music piped in over the speakers.
L.A.'s Landon Donovan is really easy to hate. He's arrogant and enjoys the villain role. Of course, if he were on my team, I'd probably love him.
Apparently, Donovan WAS on my team -- US Soccer in the World Cup and was shutout.
It was not as weird seeing RFK reconfigured as I thought it would be.
I don't know if it is a typical occurrence, but seeing two players taken off the field on stretchers made me respect the sport more. It was so old-school.
The gameplay was faster than I thought it would be, for some reason I thought the pace would be slower.
I don't like the two-tone nets.
It was quite nice to see the stands bouncing, it has been a long time since that happened at a Nats game.
United needs to wear black shoes.
I liked sitting behind the goal.

I'm interested in going to another match next season, and actually learning more about the sport.

Labels: DC United/MLS, Nats/MLB 2006

posted by WFY @ 8:16 PM | |

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Soccer: Much Adu about nothing? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Friday, July 28, 2006

Soccer: Much Adu about nothing?

One of my goals for 2006 was going to be attending a regular season game of every Washington team from the traditonal big four leagues, MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL. In 2005 I had seen the Wizards beat the Nets in January, the Nationals a dozen times over the summer, and the Capitals a couple of times in the fall. I did not expect to see the Redskins during the regular season (I saw them in preseason vs. Steelers), but tickets fell into my lap for the final game. In short, mission accomplished, a year early.

With that goal achieved my next one is to see a DC United match. They have been here for 11 seasons and not being a soccer fan and having never even played it (I played tackle football for several years), it was nothing that really interested me. Now, I am changing my tune. Since the Red & Black share RFK with the Nats, I figure I might as well check them and out and see why the ballfield is getting turned into a pitch all the time. I have been reading DCenters regularly since the spring to learn more about the squad and the sport.

I'll throw this one out to the gallery, what recommendations do you have for seeing DC United? I am a soccer novice who wants the best possible introduction to the beautiful game. How long does a match take to play? What section would be the best for a newbie like myself? I have targeted August 26 as the day I intend to go.

Labels: DC United/MLS, Nats/MLB 2006

posted by WFY @ 12:52 PM | |

The game is almost a religious 2 hours. It will start after 7:30 pm and will end just before 9:30 pm.

As for the 26th.... Well......

That's LA, in recent years the El Salvadorian community has turned out in droves to support the Galaxy but mostly to boo D.C. United because they trade Raul Diaz Arce many, many moons ago now.

So you'll see a true culture clash and be in an electric atmosphere no matter where you decide to sit.

If you sit on the far side seats with the Fan Clubs, you won't be sitting for much of the match as that area has become a party zone and almost downright dangerous. And considering the crowd that will there, it very well could be downright dangerous to sit there. I would suggest the near side stands (behind the benches), they will be tamer, and if you want to actually watch the game, get a seat in the upper deck or mezzanine.

# posted by Caps Nut : Friday, July 28, 2006 4:21:00 PM

I'll help you brave the foosball crowds, William. Let me know when you want to go. We'll leave the wives their own devices while we enjoy the preferred sport of the rest of the world. Having just gotten back from the Emerald Isle, there's a better appreciation for the sport (that and I own a Celtic FC jersey and a Dublin FC polo).

Now, if only someone could explain Hurling...

# posted by Muha : Friday, July 28, 2006 8:45:00 PM

The supporters area isn't dangerous, but it is a party zone. You will have to stand, and that is true for the areas behind the supporters sections too. If you aren't into standing and yelling at players/refs the whole two hours than I would sit on the opposite side. There haven't been any booing Salvadorians since at least 2004, but it used to be a problem thats for sure.

Not sure if the upper deck will be open or not, but that also is pretty cool because you can see the plays develop better.

Glad to see some non-hardcore soccer fans coming to DCU games. You picked a good one as it should be a fun match. If you are driving, get there early and tailgate in Lot 8.

# posted by Kinney : Friday, August 04, 2006 2:26:00 PM Post a Comment

- William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog

Sunday, March 06, 2005

D.C. DIGITS

Brad Wilkerson has switched his jersey number to #7, which allows newcomer (which is of course a relative term for a relocated team) Jose Guillen to wear #6. Hopefully, this change was not a result of any batting helmets being thrown around.

This got me to thinking about some D.C. sports numerology. If Wilkerson plays as well as he did last year in Montreal, he is just about assured of being the second greatest #7 in D.C. sports history. I think you all know who the best #7 is (even if you don't like him) and sorry, Yvon Labre, it is not you.

Here is a rundown of D.C.'s most notable by number, off the top of my head, more or less. It favors the Redskins since they have had many more players, more success, and higher numbers than other sports. However, it is a pretty good mix, I think.

0 - Gilbert Arenas, by default
1 - Eddie Yost, Senators catcher, manager
2 - Another tough one; Ralf Mojsiejenko? No, it turns out Roy Sievers wore 2 for the Senators
3 - Harmon Killebrew was starting getting good at the end of his D.C. years, so not him. Mickey Vernon wore #3 as well but I think you have to go with Mark Mosley, who was a vital part of championship teams.
4 - Joe Cronin
5 - Rod Langway
6 - Ali-Haji Shank? Calle Johansen? Nope, Joe Judge of the old Nationals
7 - Joe Theisman (nee Theezman)
8 - Johnny field goal, aka Chip Lohmiller
9 - Sonny Jurgenson easily over Frank Howard, Ted Williams, and Mia Hamm with Freddy Adu on deck.
10 - There has to be someone better than Jay Schroeder
11 - Elvin Hayes ('78 NBA title) edges Mark Rypien (Super Bowl XXVI MVP) for a better overall career.
12 - BONZAI! Peter Bondra, but I was pulling for Babe Laufenberg, perriennial third string QB.
13 - Not Max Zendajas or any Zendajas (the Gramatica's of the '80s) brothers for that matter
14 - Eddie Labaron over Brad Johnson, I guess
15 - Roy Lassiter? Bobby Convey?
16 - No one special, though Stan Humphries, Rich Gannon and Rodney Peete wore it before going to Super Bowls with other teams. Norm Snead wore this number and was most noteworthy for being sent to Philly for Sonny.
17 - Doug Williams over Billy Kilmer. Billy played longer, but never won a Super Bowl and fans were split between him and Sonny. Doug was briefly king of D.C. Forget Chris Simon ever worse this number.
18 - Craig Laughlin
19 - There has to have been someone better than Brendan Witt
20 - Josh Gibson of the Grays (should be retired, but Frank Robinson wears it now)
21 - Earnest Byner
22 - Steve Konawalchuk over Dino Ciccarelli
23 - Michael Jordan -- when Teddy E-mail gets Les Boulez, he'll retire it
24 - Champ Bailey
25 - Walter Johnson (never had a number as a player, wore it as a manager). As a player, Joe Washington deserves consideration.
26 - Paul Krause
27 - Ken Houston
28 - Darrell Green
29 - Mark Murphy because he is the only 29 I can remember
30 - Brian Mitchell over Bernard King
31 - Ken Jenkins, who returned kicks
32 - Dale Hunter with honorable mention to Buck Leonard
33 - Sammy Baugh. Honorable mention to Frank Howard, who kept wearing the number of someone more famous. More honorable metions - Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning and just because, Don Beaupre.
34 - Wild Thing -- Al Iafrate or Kevin Grevey? Iafrate was briefly famous, but Grevey has a pretty good sports bar in Merrified and won a championship.
35 - Calvin Hill
36 - Timmy Smith - the one game wonder!
37 - Olie Kolzig over Gerald Riggs
38 - George Rogers
39 - Otis Wonsley
40 - Another tough one; a lot of unspectacular Redskins come to mind.
41 - Wes Unseld
42 - Charley Taylor
43 - Find Larry Brown and punish him.
44 - John Riggins (no contest)
45 - Barry Wilburn
46 - anyone?
47 - Dick James
48 - Stephen Davis, another former Redskin who played in a Super Bowl.
49 - Bobby Mitchell
50 - Anyone?
51 - Monty Coleman
52 - Neil Olkawiez
53 - Jeff Bostic
54 - Not Pete Cronin
55 - Dikembe Mutumbo over Mel Kaufmann and Chris Hanberger
56 - Lavar Arrington
57 - Rich Milot over fellow Penn Stater Matt Millen
58 - Wilbur Marshall
59 - anyone?
60 - Chris Samuels, I guess
61 - LIVAN!
63 - anyone?
64 - anyone?
65 - Dave Butz
66 - Joe Jacoby - THEATERVISION!
67 - anyone?
68 - Pittsburgh native Russ Grimm or Pittsburgh transplant Jaromir Jagr
69 - Mark Schlereth
70 - The violent world Sam Huff
71 - Charles "Swanson's Hungry" Mann
72 - Dexter "currently paroled" Manley over Diron Talbert
73 - Trev Alberts' foil, Mark May
74 - George Stark
75 - Brandon Noble - I'll admit I am putting him in because he is a Penn Stater
76 - Manute! Oh wait, he wore that in Philly, here he wore #10.
77 - Adam Oates over Gheorge Muresan
78 - anyone?
79 - Jim Lachey
80 - Not Desmond Howard - Roy Jefferson
81 - Art Monk, who should be in the Hall of Fame already.
82 - Anyone but Michael Westbrook
83 - Pres. Reagan's favorite WR, Ricky Sanders
84 - Gary Clark
85 - Don Warren - he spoke at my middle school!
86 - Clint Didier
87 - Jerry Smith, though Downtown Charlie Brown wore it too
88 - Rick "Doc" Walker, but mostly for his post-Redskins career
89 - Terry Orr, the prototype "H-back," though Howard Cosell might say Alvin Garret.

I am not even boterhing with the 90s.

Disagree with me? Did I leave anyone out? Add your comments below...

Labels: BeltwayLand, Best of WWN, Capitals/NHL, DC United/MLS, History, Redskins/NFL, Sports, The District, Wizards/NBA