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.
1 day after talking to bloggers, Metro's Catoe announces resignation - William World News
Thursday, January 14, 2010
1 day after talking to bloggers, Metro's Catoe announces resignation
Catoe stepping down after three years at the helm - Not even 24 hours after he sat down with leading D.C. bloggers, including my former colleague Tom Bridge of We Love DC, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager John Catoe announced he would resign on April 2. The move signals the end of Catoe's rocky 3 years as WMATA head saw the nation's second largest subway system suffer its worst accident on June 22 (Red Line crash is worst Metro accident ever ), several employees killed on the job, a number of suicides on the tracks and worsening service. To blame Catoe, a D.C. native, for these incidents would be unfair, but he has not been able to reverse the trend. Catoe's career was more focused on buses than rails which may have hindered his time in charge. His quote about the safety problems becoming "an unhealthy distraction" is telling though. Safety problems are not what I call a "distraction." Ultimately though, the problems of an aging system and the economic crisis has been Metro's biggest problems.
As soon as I heard the news, I wondered if Dan Tangherlini would be a candidate to replace Catoe. In 2006, Tangherlini was interim general manager of Metro to great acclaim. He wanted the job permanently, but when the WMATA board wanted an extended search, Tangherlini took a job with the Adrian Fenty administration (Tangherlini leaving Metro to return to District government). I remember when Tangherlini left I told a few people that he might get another shot someday. I don't envy him if it is now though, the outlook for Metro is grim on just about all fronts.
Every year I do a tally of places I have been. The two ways for a location to qualify -- I had a meal there (non-fast food) or spent the night there. Sometimes, I make exceptions that rule though, like for apple-picking.
Alexandria, Va. Arlington, Va. Falls Church, Va. Great Falls, Va. McLean, Va. Purcellville, Va. Reston, Va. Vienna, Va. Washington, D.C. Newark, Del. Ellicot City, Md. Avalon, N.J. Stone Harbor, N.J. Wildwood, N.J. New York, N.Y. Boiling Springs, Pa. Burnham, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. Reedsville, Pa. Yeagertown, Pa. Springfield, Pa. State College, Pa. Tannersville, Pa. University Park, Pa.
The list has been getting shorter for the last couple of years. Here is to a more adventurous 2010!
Will the Wash. Times void be filled? Maybe - William World News
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Will the Wash. Times void be filled? Maybe
The apparent demise of The Wash. Times as we know it means a lot of quality writers and editors section will soon be out of work. That is a shame of course, but hopefully some recent and upcoming developments in D.C. media will lead to new employment for the doomed.
The first thing that comes to mind is the open position on The Post's Nationals beat. Mark Zuckerman and Ben Goessling have both been solid reporters on Nats beat -- on a day-to-day basis, they were better than outgoing Chico Harlan, who was often trying to hard too be snarky and did not like his job. That showed in Chico's lack of reporting what was actually going on. Zuckerman and Goessling are reporters first, but good writers too.
Secondly, Allbritton Communications Co. wants to start a local news Web site "that can become for local news what POLITICO's become for political junkies." Obviously, that could be of interest for local reporters and columnists as well as folks from sports. I think if they want to really go for broke, they ought to do it with sports.
Another possible winner of this decision -- CSNWashington.com, Comcast SportsNet's local site. If they want to make a run about being a big deal, they have one less competitor and can probably find a few writers and columnists who want to be a part of it.
Also, will ESPN go and create espnDC.com like they have with Chicago, Boston and Dallas?
Lastly, there is The Washington Examiner, a "pioneer" in the "let's give it away free to some people, but not others" circulation model. I think of they are unlikely to make much of a move to capitalize on their rival's downfall. Their business model is bare-bones and heavily reliant on bloggers who get paid by the pageview, so I don't expect to see any familiar bylines moving over that daily. The same probably goes for NBCWahington.
I am hopeful that some of these established and emerging outlets will be able to snap up a number of the writers and editors from The Wash. Times and keep their voices out there. Hang in there folks! We value what your body of work and hope that other local media sees that and hires you. Now get your resumes out there!
Rev. Sun Myung Moon has apparently gotten tired of not making money -- his Washington Times is giving up as a general interest daily newspaper after 27 years. Massive layoffs (40% is being mentioned) are on the way, probably 60 days from now. This is an about-face for the paper which as recently as three years ago had serious plans for getting its Web site into the "top 10" in overall traffic. That goal was never realistic though. Even a year ago, they were still pushing forward with the hiring of the John Solomon as managing editor. He left the paper last month.
The paper will follow The Washington Examiner model of circulation and be distributed free in certain zip codes, plus some "premium price home-delivery" and newsstand sales. The content will be the paper's bread and butter -- commentary from and for political conservatives. Local coverage and sports appear to be casualties of the reorganization and that is a real shame. Having two local sports sections available in town was great for sports fans and their Metropolitan section got some stories the Post did not. I'll have more on the sports tomorrow.
Despite the crazy man that owns the paper, The Wash. Times has been an important part of D.C. media for a long time and it will be missed.
Wizards owner helped transform D.C. - The Post D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dead at 85 - The Wash. Times Abe Pollin, a juggernaut of Washington D.C. sports, died yesterday at age 85. Pollin was the owner of the Washington Wizards (nee Bullets) of the NBA and Verizon Center. He had founded the Washington Capitals of the NHL and Washington Mystics of the WNBA as well, later selling them to Lincoln Holdings, Ted Leonsis managing partner. He also built the Capital Centre, since demolished, the first of two arenas he financed and built for his teams.
Pollin was a construction magnate who had moved to D.C. as an eight year old. He bought the Baltimore Bullets in 1964 and become sole owner in 1968. In 1973, he opened Capital Centre in Landover, Prince George's County, Md., moving the Bullets to just outside the Beltway. In 1974, he founded the Capitals, despite never seeing a hockey game. Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder had given Pollin 600-to-1 odds on landing the NHL expansion franchise.
In 1978, the Bullets, led by Wes Unseld won the NBA title for the first and to date only time, beating the Seattle SuperSonics. That would be the high water mark for Pollin's teams in competition. The lack of championships led a to mixed legacy for Pollin. He was often thought of, by Caps fans in particular, as unwilling to spend the money to win. The marketing of the Bullets was directed drawing fans to see the visitors, rather than the home team. Caps fans felt as though Pollin cared little for that team and those feelings only intensified when Pollin sold busloads worth of tickets to Detroit Red Wings fans during the lone Stanley Cup appearance. The Bullets went a decade between playoff appearances and about two decades between playoff series wins. Pollin also changed the name of the basketball team to Wizards after his friend Israeli prime minster Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down.
In 1999, he sold the Captials to Leonsis' Lincoln Holdings. The transaction also included 44% of the Wizards and Verizon Center. In 2000, Pollin and Leonsis brought Michael Jordan to Washington to be an executive and for two years had Jordan as a player. After Jordan ended his playing days, Pollin did not retain Jordan's services as an executive, a shocking move. Pollin rebounded by hiring Ernie Grunfeld who assembled the Wizards into a playoff team. Pollin has also been criticized for the terms of the lease with the Caps and the conditions of the ice.
While Pollin's legacy is mixed in the management of his franchises, his philanthropy at home and aboard and development of arenas is universally praised. He built Verizon Center with his own money (the District spent millions on infrastructure), setting off a building boom in the old Chinatown neighborhood. His decision to put a new arena in the District will ultimately by his greatest legacy. Gallery Place/Chinatown turned into a bustling neighborhood and led to more building and investment downtown. When Verizon Center (then MCI Center) opened in 1997, 7th Street was barren, now it is thriving along with the rest ofthe neighborhood. The return of baseball to Washington and Nationals Park happened in large part because Pollin proved what a magnet a sporting venue could be. That will be his greatest legacy.
Traffic reports used to originate from the Washington Monument - William World News
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Traffic reports used to originate from the Washington Monument
30 years of steering you home - WTOP The dean of D.C. traffic reporters Bob Marbourg celebrated his 30th anniversary as a traffic reporter yesterday. Congratulations to him, but the most interesting part of the story was that before he took the job, traffic reports used to come from a department of transportation employee stationed on top of the Washington Monument. That's pretty cool and just about impossible to imagine these days with traffic stretching up to 40 miles away from the monument now, but back that then it was pretty resourceful.
Back to Marbourg, what do you suppose the odds that he and morning traffic reporter Lisa Baden have a rivalry with each other?
This photo of Butterstick (Tai Shan) the panda reminds of a few people - William World News
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
This photo of Butterstick (Tai Shan) the panda reminds of a few people
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- There is Butterstick (Tai Shan to the uninitiated) beloved first (and to date only) surviving panda cub born at the National Zoo. He was apparently a bit tuckered out, so much so that he did not seem to mind being the most uncomfortable position one can imagine. I felt as though I seen this picture before...
Deer fatally injured after jumping into lion's den - The Post Deer jumps into lions' den at National Zoo - WTOP Sunday afternoon we took our son to the Zoo for the first time. Had we been at the lions habitat 45 minutes later, we would have seen a deer get into it. The chase lasted 45 minutes before the deer escaped. Zoo officials determined it could not survive its injuries, but hopefully before they euthanized it, they told it "hey kid, you went the distance." The WTOP link has to embedded videos on it; I didn't bother posting here because I have enough videos bogging down the page load.
Blog you should read: Rules for My Unborn Son - William World News
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Blog you should read: Rules for My Unborn Son
Up until yesterday's Q&A with We Love DC, I was unaware of 1,001 Rules for My Unborn Son. Written by D.C. resident Walker Lamond, the blog presents rules for a male to grow up and live by with a late 1950s/early 1960s white collar urban sensibility of masculinity and style. There is a lot to like and agree with in 1,001 Rules for My Unborn Son. The site features the rules as well as complementary quotations and photographs. The tagline is "Let's get some things straight before I get old and uncool." Rules can also be submitted via email and I have a few in mind.
A book is also coming out today and it will be on my Christmas List this year.
Ben Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl dead at 82 - William World News
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Ben Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl dead at 82
Ben Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl Dies - Port Mortem, The Post Ben Ali, the 82 year old founder of Ben's Chili Bowl, the most prominent half-smoke restaurant and Washginton D.C. institution has died. Washington is a richer place for him being here.
I expect there will be a lot more coverage over the next few days. He
Now this is tragic. In his honor, I think a visit to Ben's is in order. What better way to honor Ben Ali's memory than to continue patronizing his business?
# posted by Fritz :
Thursday, October 08, 2009 1:17:00 PM
LOC Baseball Americana symposium to feature my former professor, Russell Frank - William World News
Friday, October 02, 2009
LOC Baseball Americana symposium to feature my former professor, Russell Frank
COMM Blog, the official blog of the College of Communications at Penn State (my alma mater), informed me that my former ethics professor Russell Frank will a panelist at Baseball Americana on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at teh Library of Congress
Panel One: At Home Even those of us who love a day out at the ballgame probably spend more of our baseball time in and around our homes, with our families, friends and neighbors. This panel explores the many ways we enjoy baseball at home, from watching it on TV, to following our favorite players and their all-important statistics, to playing baseball, softball and stickball in parks and city streets.
Moderator: David Taylor, American Folklife Center Russell Frank, folklorist Harry Katz, former head curator of LC Prints & Photographs Claire Smith
When I was an undergrad, Dr. Frank and I used to talk about baseball, we're both Yankees fans, quite a bit. I am hoping to get there tomorrow and see the panel.
I will also note that Dr. Frank has a column again, (this week he talks about his "first" Yankees jersey) now on statecollege.com. I have been meaning to mention that lately. I almost emailed him about the Key Bridge jumper saga as well.
Remember the other week when I blogged about two guys jumping off of Key Bridge? I figured it was just a fun little post about a rather remarkable video that would be up a day and pretty much go away -- traffic analysis supported that theory by the way.
It turns out the story has not just gone away.
I received an email containing this:
Please remove your September 22nd regarding the YouTube video "Descending from Heights" from your blog ASAP!
These students are under threat of expulsion because of this post and the Casual Hoya blog post. I'm sure they appreciate the notoriety, but an administrator who follows Casual Hoya saw this and brought it to the attention of Student Conduct. The YouTube video is no longer accessible, and the Casual Hoya post and other blog posts have also been removed. It would greatly help if the post from your site was removed, as a Google search for the appropriate terms brings up your blog. Please remove this so these students don't get expelled.
That was an interesting email and obviously, I disagree that my blog or any other could be responsible for any expulsions; those unnamed jumpers knew what they were doing and put a bit of planning and production into their jump and video. However, having taken media ethics in college, I figured I would go beyond my initial instinct and think it through. I also presented the question to several other bloggers, friends, journalists, lawyers etc. -- people who have had formal ethics training. Most of them had similar sentiments to mine, though the other blogs did take their posts down.
After sending out that email, I did a little more research and discovered a fascinating fact. The sender of the email had the same name of someone who was famous in the 1800s for claiming to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. What an amazing coincidence!
I will advise others though that trying to cover up something tends to have unintended consequences. We Love DC blogged about this as well.
Ultimately, I have gone with my gut instinct and left that post up. I feel I would be compromising myself if I removed it. It certainly has been a fun little exercise for a media studies major though.
Video: 2 guys jump off of DC's Key Bridge - William World News
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Video: 2 guys jump off of DC's Key Bridge
If your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it too?
Mr. Irrelevant found this video of two college-aged dudes wearing Burger King crowns jumped off the Key Bridge. Guido D'Elia would approve of the use of "Song 2."
Just because you can survive it doesn't mean its smart. Nice to know that you can survive it relatively unharmed. I'm sure these dudes are legends now though.
Fenty wants to move ballpark tax proceeds to general fund - William World News
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Fenty wants to move ballpark tax proceeds to general fund
Fenty wants to divert ballpark tax to general fund - WTOP Ah, D.C. fiscal responsibility is a special, special thing. Mayor Adrian Fenty, a ballpark opponent as a council member, wants to take the money from the Ballpark Revenue Fund to the general fund, rather than have it pay down ballpark construction debt. 28 years from now, if Nationals Park has not been paid off, we'll know why.
It is times like this that it amazes me Nationals Park ever got built.
The Barry Archives - CityPaper Voicemails reveal depths of councilmember’s obsession with girlfriend. Details are emerging in his latest scandal-- same ol' Mayor for Life!
Shame on me, I'm letting myself be amused by Marion Barry now - William World News
Shame on me, I'm letting myself be amused by Marion Barry now
Hogs Haven talks with Marion Barry about the Redskins and DC United - Hogs Haven At this point, I'm no longer offended by that tax-cheat, philandering, crack smoking Mayor for Life, Marion Barry. I am actually finding him amusing more than anything now. How weird/wrong is that?
In this interview, he throws two other D.C. mayors under the bus for messing up new stadiums in the district for the Redskins and DC United. It also reminds me how unbelievable it is that Nationals Park got built.
Wilson Bridge Trail: State/city borders are 75% great - William World News
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wilson Bridge Trail: State/city borders are 75% great
OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER -- On my initial ride along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail, I did not see anything marking the borders between Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. On my second ride, I was pleased to see that some were there. The line seperating Maryland and D.C. is shown above. However, there is a problem with D.C. and Virginia:
Virginia is covered up by warning stripes! Oops. Obviously, this is not a high priority, but I would like to see it corrected. Virginia residents paid for it too, so we should get our state clearly represented.
I would also like to see the border painted on the walls too.
The Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful - William World News
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful
LOOKING WEST -- Foreground: Pedestrian signal for the drawspan. Background: Overlook and Wilson Bridge Trail
OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER -- Last Saturday, the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge trail opened and on Monday, I bicycled on it for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed my it, the trail is a triumph for several reasons.
The trail, located on the northern bridge span (which actually carries I-95/495 SOUTH/WEST also known as the Capital Beltway's Outer Loop), is a comfortable 12 feet wide and enclosed by attractive fences on either side. The height of the fence on the river side is such that I can still see out, but not feel like it is too low. On the highway side, the fence is slightly lower, but reasonable. The grade of the trail, while steeper than the highway portion of the bridge on the Virginia approach, is barely noticeable. The pavement, concrete, is perfect, but that is too be expected.
By itself, the trail is great, but the inclusion of information signs about local history and ecology and landscaping on each shore make it more than a non-motorized transportation corridor -- it is a linear park. There are also three overlooks on the span that provide more information signs, some mounted binoculars/telescopes and benches and northern views of Alexandria and Washington D.C. The magnification on some of the telescopes are stunning, so much so that I if I lived along the Alexandria waterfront, I might keep the blinds closed.
On the Virginia side, the trail begins at the Washington Street deck which essentially a large overpass, that the Beltway travels under, with park like features. Additional trails to US 1 and the Mount Vernon Trail are adjacent connect here. Embedded compass-like wayfinders provide riders/walkers with guidance to these points.
On the Maryland side, the trail corkscrews on either side of the overpass spanning Capital Beltway (I-95/495). It looks steeper than it feels and is aesthetically pleasing. The overpass also includes a great deal of information about Prince George's County's early history as well as some ecological information. The trail diverts from the Beltway in direction of a trail to Oxon Hill Road and National Harbor. Upon entering the National Harbor property the pavement ends, something that will hopefully be rectified soon. There are unpaved trails all the way down to the completed National Harbor area that are annoying but were not a deal-breaker for me.
Even though it was a Monday, there were a fair amount of cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge. I chatted with a few, including a Park Police officer, about the project and the consensus was that this was an extremely well done project. There were lots of smiling cyclists on it. The only drawback seemed to be the lack of connections to other trails on the Maryland side, something that will have to be addressed by National Harbor and PG County. However, the biggest and hardest piece of the project is now complete and hopefully the connections will arrive soon. The stakeholders of the project, the Federal Highway Administration, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the city of Alexandria and Prince George's County deserve a lot of praise for this latest and perhaps greatest addition to the area's trail network.
The bike trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is actually along the inner loop and not the outer loop. Thus you are looking at the City of Washington and not away from it.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, February 08, 2010 12:20:00 PM
Post a CommentDistrict will pay to keep Metro open for late Nats games - William World News
Thursday, April 23, 2009
District will pay to keep Metro open for late Nats games
In Change, City Will Cover Metro Fees for Late Night Games - The Post This morning, I wrote a post about the District's decision to stop paying Metro to keep the trains running after Nats games that go past regular closing time. I had it scheduled to go live at 10 a.m. However, the District reversed the decision:
In an about-face, a top District official says the city will cover the costs for Metro to extend its hours to accommodate ticket holders at Washington Nationals games that are rain-delayed or go late because of extra innings.
"We want people to have a wonderful time at the games and not be stranded on the way out," Deputy Mayor Neil O. Albert said today.
Albert's comments came after District transportation director Gabe Klein informed Metro officials in a letter last week that the city would no longer pay the late-service fee because of the city's budget difficulties. Team officials said they did not find out about the change in policy until Monday night, when a rain delay pushed the game past Metro's midnight closing.
Albert said the confusion about the city's payment of late-service fees was the result of "one part of the administration not communicating with another part of the administration."
This should not be too big a deal, given the 1-3 times a year this tends to happen. The front office ought to keep this in mind next time though, rookie pitcher or not.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- I always though that statues of D.C. baseball legends was a must-have for the Nationals permanent home and I am pleased that they are now installed at the Centerfield entrance area. I was kind of skeptical of how they were going to turn out after I read Nats320'sinterviews with the sculptor. Now that I have seen them, that reaction was justified -- they are a big "meh." I like that they are there and I like that Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard were selected as each represented a specific Washington team. However, I would like the statues just as much if they were "frozen in time" rather than having the motion effect.
Nats fall to 0-7 in fifth home opener - William World News
Nats fall to 0-7 in fifth home opener
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, the Washington Nationals held their fifth home opener, the 76th for D.C. baseball. For the fourth consecutive year, Fritz and I were there. The Nats fell for the seventh time in as many tries in the 2009 season, this time to the visiting Phillies 9-8.
As home openers go, this one was my second favorite after last year's thrilling win. Yesterday's game was competitive, exciting, frusturating and sad all in one. The Nats scored first, but left the bases loaded at the end of the first inning. They would score in every inning but the 3rd, 6th and 8th. The offense had a pretty good day, but never got more than 2 runs in an inning. LF Adam Dunn hit his first Nationals Park home run, a monster shot to center in the seventh. 3B Ryan Zimmerman did the same in the ninth; they both hit two run homers. SS Cristian Guzman had five hits, but hurt his hamstring on the last one in the ninth. RF Elijah Dukes homered in the 5th.
Starter Daniel Cabrera, destined to be nicknamed D.C. Cab, was victimized by poor fielding. Anderson Hernandez had a dreadful game at second base, his first of the young season after being on the DL. He had two costly errors that led to runs. Cabrera gave up four runs, but only one was earned, over five innings and 24 batters faced. He kept the Nats in it though, they were tied with the Phillies after the fifth inning. It all came part in the seventh though when RHP Saul Rivera hit the first two batters and then was left in to face Ryan Howard for reasons unknown. Howard hit one into the seats and the Phillies led 7-4, a lead that they would hold onto and extend. We would all like to know why one of the lefties available in the bullpen was not brought in.
In short, the Nats were undone by sloppiness in the field and on the mound. They had a real chance to win this game and they blew it. That being said, I was thoroughly entertained.
Other notes
We took Metro from Pentagon City to the game without incident.
As we arrived, there was an ambulance coming down Half Street, needing someone to move the fence. We would later find out, via a text message from a friend of Fritz's in Harrisburg, that it was likely for Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies who collapsed and later died at GWU Hospital. I will have more on Kalas later today.
The statues of Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard are fine, even with the "motion" effects. That being said, if there were standard statues, that would have been okay too.
My tickets were not sent to me even though I paid $11.50 in processing costs. I had to wait in line for 15 minutes to get some printed. I'm not happy with tickets.com and discourage you from using their service. I'll just use the box office from now on. I thought this might be a tough ticket, but I was wrong.
Five veterans threw out the ceremonial first pitch, since the president was not interested.
The moment of silence for Silver Spring native and Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was the longest moment of silence I have ever witnessed.
Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes are now sold in their own carts. The one around section 415 is criminally slow. I missed much of the pregame ceremonies waiting for the two idiots who work there to get the job done.
A moment of silence after the National Anthem, sung by Patti Austin, was observed for Harry Kalas.
"Sweet Caroline" was not played all day long!
We got to hear Chuck Brown three times because the Nats hit three homers.
Clint seemed less annoying.
I think Tom won the Presidents Race. A "cat" jumped out of the stands and tackled someone.
There are three pennants for 1924, 1925 and 1933 flying above the scoreboard. Last year, there was just a 1924 pennant flying. It is a nice touch.
I do not think the pitch speed was ever on the scoreboard.
Nats beat writer Chico Harlan is a tiny little dude.
What I saw of the pregame "pump up" video looked pretty good.
I missed the first pitch because a middle aged woman was standing up. Apparently it was her birthday and other people did not matter.
I am glad the Nats did not cancel the game after Kalas died. The Phillies were surely playing with heavy hearts, but they played well and won.
The fifth inning featured strong outfield play by Lastings Milledge and Dukes. Both made some big catches to keep the inning scoreless. Milledge even got decent jumps on the balls.
The Phillies fans were fine, they have never been a problem. I still don't want the team president hawking tickets in other cities.
During the seventh inning, Austin said we weren't going to sing "God Bless America" Kate Smith style. Hey someone gets it!
The attendance of 40,386 was a new Nationals Park record.
I elected to avoid the long Navy Yard Metro lines and went all the way to Federal Center SW. The ride back to Pentagon City was easy from there, even the L'nfant transfer.
I also noticed that about pitching speed on the scoreboard, but saw that it was only flashed for a second after each pitch, so you had to be watching the scoreboard closely.
You know, I hadn't even noticed that about Sweet Caroline not being played yesterday! Thank God they didn't play that overrated song!!!
# posted by Fritz :
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 8:29:00 AM
You guys are 4 games behind the Pirates in the Wild card race......time to get it moving!
# posted by TMBC :
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:03:00 AM
Post a CommentNationals Park area bar scene still lacking, but hope on the way - William World News
Friday, April 10, 2009
Nationals Park area bar scene still lacking, but hope on the way
Some relief may be on the way later this year: The Velocity Capitol Riverfront condominiums, slated to open at First and L streets SE in the fall, will have a sports bar as part of its ground floor retail space.
And the real estate firm Akridge, which plans to eventually turn the space of a former Metrobus garage at Half and M streets into shops, offices and residential units, is hoping to convert the now-empty lot across from the centerfield gate on N Street into something of a block party this season. "The concept is a tented event space -- partially tented, mostly open -- with live entertainment, food and beverages," says Akridge Development Manager Adam Gooch. "Half Street is supposed to be the entertainment area. . . . We're trying to get some life down here."
Permits, schedules and most of the details of the project have yet to be finalized, but, well, the idea is promising
Right now, Capital Hill and 8th Street (Barracks Row) seem to be as close as you can get to Nationals Park.
JD Land if the place to go to keep up with the growth of the Nationals Park neighborhood.
Marc Fisher on Nats neighborhood - William World News
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Marc Fisher on Nats neighborhood
MARC FISHER - Future of Nats, Ballpark's Neighborhood Up to Us - The Post I do not understand the headline -- how is it up to "us" that the neighborhood around Nationals Park succeeds? I want it to be full of bars, restaurants and other amenities like the Verizon Center's environs. So, is all I have to do is say to builders -- "hey, get finished with it already" and suddenly several places to get a bite at before the Home Opener just appear? Trust me, when I look at Monday's forecast I really wish there was a place we could meet nearby before the game.
Peak bloom occurs when 70 percent of the white and pink flowers are out. DeFeo said the overall blooming period probably will be from March 28 through April 11.
Cherry blossoms peak predicted - William World News
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Cherry blossoms peak predicted
The Going Out Gurus blog says that this year's cherry blossom peak is expected April 3 - 9. Not a lot of details are out yet, but I'll post them when I get them.
D.C. United to become P.G. United? - William World News
Friday, February 13, 2009
D.C. United to become P.G. United?
P.G. United? Co-Owner May Move D.C. Soccer Team to Prince George's - The Post Washington's most successful franchise of the last decade or so appears to be headed to suburban Prince George's County, Md. D.C. United, winner of 4 MLS Cups had been trying to build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point, across the Anacostia River from Nationals Park, but D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty balked despite a hefty contribution from ownership. DCU even got Marion Barry (Ward 8) on board. You can get some perspective from the D.C. United fanbase over at DCenters.
I don't know if this is posturing by DCU or if they really plan on heading to Maryland, but I would not blame them. Still, moving the team out of The District is not the ideal scenario for them. I have been to all of one D.C. United match, but I am inclined to go again. Having to go all the way out to P.G. County is a deterrent.
Post reporter David Nakamura is chatting about the proposed P.G. County stadium for United right now.
It is very much like the situation that drove JKC to build his stadium for the Redskins in P.G. County and not DC. DC has had their chance to do right by DCU and has repeatedly failed time and again.
This is why people like myself am so amazed that they got it (semi) right with the Nats. But remember, they tried very hard to foul that one up too.
# posted by Caps Nut :
Saturday, February 14, 2009 7:59:00 AM
I still can't believe that Nationals Park got built.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, February 15, 2009 8:41:00 AM
Post a CommentCounterpoint: Washington was never burned down by a cow - William World News
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Counterpoint: Washington was never burned down by a cow
Obama Mocks D.C.'s Reaction to Winter Weather - dcist So much for Chicagoan Barrack Obama wanting to "live here" and not just "work here" during his presidency. If you really wanted to be a real Washingtonian Mr. President, you would abanndon the presidential limousine in the middle of Connecticut Ave. while rushing to Giant to buy up bread, milk and toilet paper.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After four off-seasons without a fanfest, the Nationals finally put one together. With a pair of extra tickets from We've Got Heart (thanks!) Erica and I got Will in his Nats cap and headed over to Nationals Park.
Since we arrived late, we did not have to wait in the long lines at the door to get in. I was surprised, pleasantly, to see so many cars in the parking garages. When we actually entered the ballpark we found our way into the President's Club. We ran into some old friends and chatted with them while admiring the Club. It has a nice atmosphere and seems like a good place to spend pregame or a rain delay. If anybody ever has President's Club tickets they want to go give away, let me know, I am here to help.
We also checked out the clubhouse and Stars & Stripes Lounge. The former was pleasant enough, but I could not exactly feel awed being in the place that Dmitri Young and Felipe Lopez used to put on their uniforms. I did note that Elijah Dukes locker had plenty of empties around it though. As for the S&S lounge they had some food, though I am sad to report the so-called Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes were not the genuine article..
We skipped autograph and photo sessions because the lines were so long and ultimately, I'm not an autograph guy. It would have been cool to get a photo of Will with Ryan Zimmerman, but that opportunity may present itself again some time. We also did not see or hear much of the Q&A sessions, but without audio, I could tell that Jim Bowden was pretty uncomfortable. I saw him as we were walking in, but I resisted the urge to call him on the carpet, etc. I don't think I'll resist the next time.
Stan Kasten walked by and I told him to sign Hondo. He acknowledged it, but I don't remember how.
Our son was not charged admission.
A certain reporter for a Baltimore-based cable channel has poor elevator etiquette.
No infant Nats clothing was available. I guess I will have to order Will something online in time for Opening Day, but really they should have had something.
Overall, the buzz at the fest was pretty positive. This event was not marketed heavily outside of the season ticketholders and turnout had to have been stronger than expected. For a franchise coming off a miserable season, this says something positive about D.C. baseball fans.
Another inaugural parade for Charlie Brotman - William World News
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Another inaugural parade for Charlie Brotman
'Ordinary' Sports Guy Will Introduce the President Once Again - The Post Charlie Brotman, long-time D.C. baseball p.a. announcer and public relation legend, is scheduled to be behind the microphone for the inaugural parade. He has handled every one of them since 1956.
Back in 2005, I featured a profile on him -- (Brotman's job of a lifetime). In 2006, I met him at the ownership announcement.
Charlie is a great guy who really needs to write an autobiography.
Catoe stepping down after three years at the helm - 
Metro, WMATA,Mass Transit, John Catoe, Dan Tangherlini
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