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.
Cosby talks half-smokes, sports and race - WTOP Here is the story, video and audio from Bill Cosby's rambling visit to WTOP. He would not let them break for traffic and weather on the 8s.
The first hockey night in Washington of 2009 - William World News
Sunday, January 04, 2009
The first hockey night in Washington of 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- We finally made it out to our first hockey game of the season last night had a great time watching our nation's Capitals beat the New York Rangers. The Rags scored first, but Mike Green responded soon after with his ninth goal of the season. Alexander Semin got the assist on a bang-bang play. Alex Ovechkin won the game on a short-handed goal in the wanning seconds of the second period.
Some observations from the game:
Lots of red in the sold out crowd. There were a few Rags fans by us, but they were only noticable due to their vicinity. They also lacked the obnoxiousness of a Pittsburgh, Philly or Buffalo fan. The fans owe praise for their eighth sellout of the season and making the Verizon Center the toughest arena for visiting teams. Seriously, the Caps are 17-1-1 at home this year.
I don't get why people get down on Ovi for his English-speaking ability. After getting a shot stopped, he could be seen on the big screen as a saying "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot."
Semin got in a fight and was given a game misconduct, apparently for fighting like a 13-year old girl. Still, he fought with more honor than the most important hockey player of all time. See On Frozen Blogformore.
Speaking of OFB, we saw 75% of them before the game and the other 25%'s husband filled in for my dad who was a late scratch. Get well Pop! Thanks for driving and buying Chanuck.
The ice was um, not great, but both teams have to play on it, so it is certainly fair, though foolish. I was warm in the 400 level.
We thought about getting Will a 6-9 months onesie, but decided it might become too small too quickly. We may have it order one online.
The Hockey Song is no longer featured during Capitals games. I am disappointed by this though others don't seem to be.
The Ice Girls are barely featured.
Those nachos are so damn salty. Won't bother again.
I have really grown to love the red Caps sweaters. I'll get one evetually, but I stuck with the classic white one last night.
Hallelujah, the Hockey Song is gone! (Sorry, WFY, but I think you're right... more will share my sentiment than yours.)
Eating at the Phone Booth is hopeless. La Tasca across 7th Street is my choice.
Hope your Pop is feeling better.
# posted by Hendo :
Sunday, January 04, 2009 12:37:00 PM
Thanks again for the invite. Great fun.
# posted by chanuck :
Sunday, January 04, 2009 4:25:00 PM
Like Hendo, I am glad that there's no Hockey Song.
The other 25% would have liked to have been there, but a certain Chanuck had been whining all day about how he wasn't going to the game...so I figured it was only fair to let him go. Thanks for asking him!
I used the same criteria as previous years -- I have to had a meal or spent the night there. Fast food does not count either.
Alexandria, Va. Arlington, Va. Bluemont, Va. McLean, Va. Vienna, Va. Virginia Beach, Va. Washington, D.C. Columbia, Md. Avalon, N.J. Sea Isle City, N.J Stone Harbor, N.J. Bronx, N.Y. New York, N.Y. Allentown, Pa. Belleville, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Hershey, Pa. Lewisberry, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. Manada Hill, Pa. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Reedsville, Pa. State College, Pa. Tannersville, Pa. Kenley, N.C. Wilson, N.C. Conway, S.C. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Pawley's Island, S.C.
There are a couple of exceptions to the rule -- we did not eat in Bluemont, but cut down a Christmas tree, so that counts. Also, we drove through Delaware but did not stop. This year also marked the least amount of visits to New Jersey ever. Next year, we will have to do better.
DDOT asks for 11th Street Bridge to be I-695 - William World News
Friday, December 05, 2008
DDOT asks for 11th Street Bridge to be I-695
According to birthday boy Steve Anderson's dcroads.net, the 11th Street Bridge in Southeast D.C. will be likely renumbered to I-695 as part of the new interchange with the Anacostia Freeway. Historically, the 11th Street Bridge (technically the Corporal Kevin J. Walsh Memorial Bridge) has been I-295, though it is not really signed that way. Current signs suggest that I-295 ends/begins at the 11th Street Bridge with DC 295 continuing northbound. The Southeast Freeway east of I-395 is technically I-695, but it has never been posted. I wonder if the extension of the I-695 designation means we will finally get to see some I-695 shields posted. The reason I-695 may not be posted is to avoid confusion with Maryland's I-695 which is about 31 miles north of the 11th Street Bridge via Anacostia Freeway/Baltimore Washington Parkway. Seeing two different interstate highways only 31 miles apart could add to motorist confusion I think, though both D.C. and Baltimore have freeways called I-395. Only one road, I-95, intersects both I-395s though and those interchanges are 60 miles apart.
Nationals may play ball on Taxation Without Representation Street if Council has its way - The Wash. Examiner The DC Council may rename the part of South Capitol Street that Nationals Park is located on to Taxation Without Representation Street. The District is doing what it can to tie the ballpark into the lack of meaningful Congressional representation for District residents.
When the council created the lease, they should have written into the legislation a way to put up a Taxation Without Representation sign somewhere on the ballpark. Ultimately, the goal of this action may be to coerce the Lerner family to put up a Taxation Without Representation sign somewhere on the ballpark, like the one at RFK Stadium. I don't see either side working well together on this one though.
Maybe we should just end the D.C. Approps bill that Congress writes every year...
# posted by Caps Nut :
Thursday, November 27, 2008 10:36:00 AM
I'd rather give them voting rights or not tax them.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, November 27, 2008 7:18:00 PM
Home rule is of dubious legality too. I'd rather strip them of that if they are going continue to act like bunch of 3 year olds. Because what exactly to they need voting representation for when they receive more Federal Tax Dollars per capita than any other jurisdiction?
I'd love it if the new Congress exercised their veto over any D.C. legislation on this maneuver.
# posted by Caps Nut :
Saturday, November 29, 2008 9:02:00 AM
Frankly, if citizenship and representation were decided by whether governments act like 3 year olds, there would not be a lot of citizens in this country. It is unfortunate that feel that people living in the nation's capital are not nor should be citizens of this country.
On Tuesday, I got word from We Love DC and Fritz that one of my favorite places to eat in D.C., Les Halles, has closed. Erica and I loved their frites, martinis and the atmosphere. I also loved the arguments over the correct pronunciation of Les Halles. Maybe we will hit one in New York sometime. I am really mad we kept missing the Bastille Day waiter race too.
Nats, city tentatively agree on unpaid rent - WTOP The PR nightmare of the Nationals not paying rent because Nationals Park was not "substantially complete" by Opening Night be coming to a close. D.C. Wire, a Post blog, reported yesterday that the deal could be completed last night, but no word on that yet. "the District would seek extended warranties to cover repairs on the ballpark." Hopefully, this awkward counterproductive experience will teach both sides to work together and not be petty, but if you believe that is going happen...
Union Station centennial photos - William World News
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Union Station centennial photos
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This past weekend, Union Station celebrated its first century by displaying old locomotives and trains on the Gate B platform. Locomotives and cars from the Pennsylvania, Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), Southern and Atlantic Coast Line railroads were featured. Some of the cars allowed visitors too. The locomotive I really wanted to see, a New York Central 20th Century Limited Hudson was not featured because the were all regrettably scrapped.
The lighting, nothing more than work lights that you might use to paint your bathroom, left something to be desired. I used low light and night-time settings to get my shots. As always, the photos are SOOC (straight out of camera). Hopefully, they will find a reason to do this again in the future and have a little better lighting.
D.C. squirrels story reminds me of PSU - William World News
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
D.C. squirrels story reminds me of PSU
Critter City - The Post A Century Ago, Squirrels Were Rare in D.C. How Did They Come to Rule the Capital? Around 1900, squirrels were rare in D.C. The Architect of the Capitol introduced them on the grounds of the legislative branch and soon they started showing up all over. The Post even ran a story about it then, but sadly it is not linked online.
This story is similar to what I know of Penn State's squirrel population. They were not indigenous up there either and now they have overrun the place. Some say they are reincarnated alumni while others claim that Cary, the odd graduate student who worked in the computer labs, was using his time machine to bring squirrels from the future or past (I'm not sure which) onto campus. Either way, there are a lot of them up there, so many of them that Penn State was rated 4 out of 5 on the five-squirrel scalein 2001 (The Collegian).
Not that I need an excuse to go to Union Station - William World News
Friday, October 03, 2008
Not that I need an excuse to go to Union Station
This weekend is the 100th anniversary celebration of Union Station. For some reason, the Union Station Web site does not mention this, but an AP/USA Todayarticle does. Some details:
The centennial celebration is Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. The free event will feature an exhibit of historic locomotives and passenger cars from the heyday of rail travel, as well as modern Amtrak equipment. Visitors will be able to walk through the cars and even buy souvenir stamps inside an old railway post office car. Archival photos of the station will also be on display.
My parents took us to the reopening 20 years too. I love Union Station; it is probably my favorite building in the District. The National Cathedral probably places second.
Olsson's bookstores officially closed for good today. I bought quite a few books at Olsson's over the years and enjoyed several booksignings there too. They will be missed. I really need to see if I have the Olsson's Kermit the Frog "Read" shirt.
Can Washington Catch a Break? - The Post A rebuttal to the quadrennial tradition of bashing the Capital while desperately begging for a job there:
Yes, we know they're talking about the political side, but it's still agitating to hear disparaging comments grouped nominally under the city as a whole. And this goes beyond presidential campaigns to every congressional district in the United States, where candidates seek to assure people that they're not a part of Washington, but they want to work there, hold their nose and maybe freshen it up.
"It's kind of comical, because people fight, connive and scheme to get to a place they profess to hate, and then they fight, connive and scheme to stay in the place they profess to hate," says Democratic strategist James Carville, who maintains a home in Alexandria.
By the way, if you live somewhere that ends people like Bud Shuster, Robert Byrd or many others to Congress, you have no credibility on bashing Washington.
Ben's Chili Bowl at 50 chat right now - William World News
Monday, August 25, 2008
Ben's Chili Bowl at 50 chat right now
Ben's Chili Bowl Turns 50 - The Post "D.C. culinary institution Ben's Chili Bowl turned 50 this month. Nizam Ali, son of founders Ben and Virginia, who runs the family business with his brother Kamal, will be online Monday, Aug. 25 at 11:30 a.m. ET to take your questions about the restaurant's past, present and future."
Fifty years of Ben's Chili Bowl - William World News
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Fifty years of Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's Celebrates Chili Power - The Post This week is the 50th anniversary of Ben's Chili Bowl*, the venerable U Street institution. Bill Cosby loves it more than Jello pudding:
By far, Ben's biggest celebrity fan is Cosby, who will serve as master of ceremonies for tonight's Lincoln Theatre event. The comic helped propel Ben's to the national spotlight in 1985 when he held a news conference there to talk about his No. 1 television program, "The Cosby Show."
Cosby became a fan when he was in the Navy and stationed in Bethesda in 1958. During that time, he was a regular at jazz clubs on U Street. And he also took his soon-to-be wife, Camille, who was a student at the University of Maryland, to Ben's on late-night dates, where he would eat as many as six half-smokes at a time. Cosby likens a Ben's half-smoke, a plump beef and pork sausage, to a fine wine.
"You can describe it the same way a wine connoisseur would be able to tell difference between a pinot noir and a merlot," Cosby said in a telephone interview. "When you bite into a half-smoke, the skin and the way the texture and firmness and the toppings you can get on it . . . "
His voice trailed off, as if he was caught in the memory of the taste.
Six?! The man had a stomach of steel. By the way, that is not recommended date behavior.
Oh and it looks like I will be taking Cliff there real soon -- his Phillies beat the Nats for the eighth time in eleven games. The Phillies need two more victories over the Nats to clinch a Ben's half-smoke for Cliff. The Nats need to win every remaining game against Philadelphia to win me a cheesesteak. Given that the Nats haven't won in 13 games overall, I am not feeling too good about this one.
*The bandwidth limit was exceeded earlier this morning.
D.C. bowl game to Nationals Park - William World News
Thursday, July 24, 2008
D.C. bowl game to Nationals Park
The first Congressional Bowl between Navy (if they win six games) and the ACC 9th place team (!) will be at Nationals Park on December 20 (The Post). RFK Stadium, which hosted the Redskins for over 35 seasons was also considered. I would have preferred RFK Stadium because it has an actual football field designed into it and is completely enclosed and wouldn't have been fun to see some midshipmen rocking the movable stands? However, the seating layout would only be better there than at Nationals Park for fans on the lower level. Those seats at RFK are oriented for football, but the upper deck is shaped for baseball, so the sightlines are not much better than the upper deck at Nationals Park. Other pluses for having the game at Nationals Park include the HD scoreboard and food.
I may go this game, we'll see. I would almost certainly cheer for Navy, who would be my third favorite college football team if I had one.
I have a real problem with this only because it continues to devalue the honor it should be to play in a bowl game. With all the games that are played in a college football season now I have forgotten how many games a team needs to win to be "bowl eligible". Five? Six? Seven?
Are you telling it is possible to see a pair of teams with losing records play in a bowl game? I don't know, I guess this is the way sports work anymore. Why not work on a playoff plan, using DC as a neutral site instead?
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:13:00 PM
Did the MLB corrupt bargain mean they had to use the Peter Angelo$ playbook too? - William World News
Friday, July 11, 2008
Did the MLB corrupt bargain mean they had to use the Peter Angelo$ playbook too?
Nationals Withhold Rent on Ballpark - The Post I really want to give the Lerner family the benefit of the doubt on their claim that the ballpark was not "substantially complete" on time, but I have a hard time doing it. Surely, something must be very wrong for them to risk such potential public backlash, right? They are not helping themselves, the team or its fans by saying "no comment" either. At least say something like "we are disappointed in the way this has worked out and look forward to a resolution with the District blah blah blah."
Nationals Park looked fine to me on Opening Night and the other two games I went to this season. Peter Angelo$ does this kind of thing all the time.
This is the kind of thing that leads to the lowest local TV audience in the majors. Is the park that bad or are the Lerners that stupid when it comes to PR or did the District actually botch it? Given the parties involved, the answer could easily be both.
The $$$$$ quote is right here: " [I]f you read the letter of the agreement, this is not subjective thinking."
Now considering that the District has on more than one occasion tried to unilaterally change the agreed upon terms; I for one find no fault in the Lerners (or anybody else for that matter) seeking to hold the District's feet to the fire.
The amount of $$$$$ going one way or the other is irrelevant. If you were in an contractual agreement with somebody and they did not live up to their end of the contract or tried to change the terms ex post facto, you would react the same way.
As for the Lerners not commenting publicly. In today's ligitious society, that's just being smart.
# posted by Caps Nut :
Friday, July 11, 2008 1:33:00 PM
While I was out getting free Chick-fil-A, I heard Mayor Fenty on WTOP sound not too concerned about it, noting on a project this big things happen and that it would get worked out. That being said, had the Nats not tried to make the District pay for uniforms, the would be more sympathetic. It is in their best interest to improve the PR overall.
# posted by WFY :
Friday, July 11, 2008 3:36:00 PM
Post a CommentWe Love DC launches; Metroblogging DC withers - William World News
Monday, July 07, 2008
We Love DC launches; Metroblogging DC withers
Remember Metroblogging DC? I used to be a regular over there. The regulars who stayed have broken away and launched a new site called We Love DC. It is pretty much the same idea as Metroblogging, but with a superior design and completely local ownership. It went live on Independence Day. Coverage will be anything inside the Beltway. I am may even get involved with it, we'll see.
They were just moments in time, gone and forgotten, except that photographers from the Black Star Agency were there to catch them on film, and now they're on display in an exhibit of 330 photographs at the Canadian Embassy.
Founded in New York in 1935, Black Star was one of the great photography agencies of the golden age of photojournalism, supplying many of the classic black-and-white images seen by millions of people in Life, Look, the Saturday Evening Post and other magazines now long gone. Some anonymous philanthropist bought Black Star's collection of 291,049 photos and donated them to Canada's Ryerson University, which lent this tasty sampling to the embassy, where they will be displayed until Aug. 29.
In 2003, ESPN Page 2 conducted an unscientific survey of all the ballparks in the major leagues. I used the same criteria to evaluate RFK Stadium in 2005 and then again after it was "re-opened" by the Lerner group when they bought the team in 2006. After three visits to the new Nationals Park, I have used those same metrics to see how it fares:
1. Access: One Metro line stops within a block of the main entrance. Parking is scarcer than RFK, but available online and from one I have seen, readily available. There is also free parking at RFK with a shuttle to the game. All reports indicate that each of these options performs well. For me, a Metro rider, it takes me less time than traveling to RFK. 4
2. Exterior architecture:
The stadium isn't the same brick template as almost every other new park. It blends in with the federal architecture fairly well, but doesn't wow factor of the very best parks. The Capitol dome and Washington Monument are visible from many seats, but an office building, ironically developed by the team ownership before the ballpark site was selected, eliminates the view from many seats. Without that hindrance, there would be another point in this rating. 4
3. Interior architecture:
The blue seats are a nice departure from the green that almost every ballpark built in the last twenty years. I'm not sure about the two red features, the press box and "red porch" area, but it isn't horrible. The structural steel is painted gray, which is kind of bland. If that were a different color, like blue or red, the park would look better.
The concourses are sufficiently wide, though getting between some parts of the stadium is difficult and requires changing levels.3.5
4. Ticket prices and availability: Tickets are readily available. They cost more than RFK, but some of the cheapest seats have the best capitol dome views. 3.5
5. Seat comfort: Blue plastic seats are better than yellow wooden ones. They are aimed the right direction too. Having cupholders is also a welcome change. 4.5
6. Quality of hot dogs: The Gwantley hot dogs are tasty, but not memorable. They don't give me heartburn like the RFK dogs did though. I prefer the half-smokes anyway. 4
7. Quality/selection of concession-stand fare: This is one of the best parts about Nationals Park, the food. Many local/regional vendors have set up shop. Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes are available just about anywhere you can buy hot dogs. Five Guys has a stand, as does Hard Times Cafe and Red Hot and Blue. Gifford's, a local chain, is the ice cream vendor. The time spent in line still leaves something to be desired, so I am docking a point.4
8. Signature concession item: Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes! Philly has cheesesteaks, D.C. has half-smokes. You can get them anywhere in the park too. I haven not tried the Curly W pretzels yet, but I get the feeling they could be executed a little better. 5
9. Beer: The beer situation is actually a step back from RFK. Good luck trying to find something other than a macrobrew without a lot of hunting. 2.5 10. Bathrooms: There are more of them, but they are not well designed for traffic flow. I asked a few women how the are and they respnded that they had improved, but one suggested that changing tables should be in the regular bathrooms and not just the family bathrooms.3.5
11. Scoreboard: The HD Screen is huge with clear pictures of the game, but the operation leaves something to be desired at times. This really should be a 5, but early season problems knocks off 1/2 a point. 4.5
12. Quality of public address system: A p.a. you can understand? How unlike RFK Stadium. They don't overdue the loud music like other sporting events though, something I did not expect. 4.5
13. Fun stuff to do besides the game: There is a plenty to do -- video games, Build-A-Bear, speed pitch, playground, etc. I'm not there for that though. 4
14. Price/selection of baseball souvenirs: Expensive, but more expansive than RFK. Had I been able to find a newborn onesie, this would have been a 4.5. 4
15. Friendliness/helpfulness of usher stuff: There is a concerted effort not to be like the ushers in RFK. 4
16. Trading-up factor: New park and higher prices means trading up is harder, but also less necessary. 3
17. Knowledge of local fans: Anybody at a Nats game the last few years has been a true fan. 4
18. Seventh-inning stretch: The Nats Pack leads in the singing of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Instead of playing "Heart" from Damn Yankees, they play Otis Day & The Knights Shout, a poor decision that costs a point. Chuck Brown's "Bustin' Loose" for home runs adds a token point. 3
19. Pre-and-postgame bar-and-restaurant scene: There is none whatsoever, but that will change in the next couple of years in a big way. 1
20. Wild card: Racing presidents adds 4 points, one for each. The commitment to find local/regional vendors for food adds another 5. Getting the park built on schedule adds 1. Trying to do something different with the design adds 1.
TOTAL POINTS: 81.5
That is a 10.5 upgrade from 2005 RFK Stadium, tying it with Fenway Park in Boston and Safeco Field in Seattle. Within a few years, the grade should improve with the massive redevelopment of the neighborhood, statues of D.C. baseball greats around the ballpark perimeter, docks on the Anacostia River for water taxis and other boaters. Minor changes like beer selection can easily add a few points too. The park could max out close to 90 points if 20 M Street S.E. (a building ironically developed by the owners of the team) is knocked down, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
I think you asked for it a couple years ago but-here it is: http://firejimbowden.blogspot.com/
# posted by Anonymous :
Thursday, June 19, 2008 1:54:00 PM
Thank you, please consider firelennyharris.blogspot.com as well.
# posted by WFY :
Friday, June 20, 2008 8:20:00 AM
I question your comment regarding the difficulty in finding anything but macrobrews. Do Stella Artios, Peroni, Bass, and Heineken really fall into that category? They're available on draft at most of the concession stands. I dislike the fact that they don't offer Harp anymore, but there's plenty of choices beyond the Buds.
# posted by Simon Oliver Lockwood :
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10:09:00 AMPost a Comment
new washingtontimes.com debuts - William World News
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
new washingtontimes.com debuts
The new washingtontimes.com is here. There is a fair amount of video now and it is embeddedable. The "newscube" treatment on the front page is kind of a 3-D spin on the rotating tabs that most papers use. There are links in the cube stories to related themes (tags more or less) and other stories. That is a nice feature, but on the stories themselves, there are not related stories.
There are dozens of RSS feeds, but there is not a feed specifically for the Nationals, something I was expecting. There is a baseball feed, but I don't want to clog Google Reader with stories about other teams like the Orioles. I also don't think the "Themes" area is working as it is supposed to yet.
Overall the design seems kind of dated. The content area is barely 800 pixels wide, over 100 fewer pixels than many contemporary designs. They also appear to have migrated out of the Saxotech content management system. Right now, there are some problem with the section fronts delivering the same content every time they are refreshed. For example, I had seen a story about Ryan Zimmerman's shoulder on the Sports front, but after I read a different story and returned to the Sports front, the Zimmerman story was gone.
So far, the new washingtontimes.com is okay, but they have some bugs to work out. I will check back in several weeks and see how it has come along.
There are several redesigns to newspaper Web sites that are here or almost here.
Washington Times provides sneak preview of new Web site - The Wash. Times They have a mockup online, but I would not go as far to call it a beta site since the functionality is not there. A rotating image on the front -- something many sites started doing last year, but are starting to abandon. So far, the new washtimes.com site looks okay and I like the idea of "400,000 custom news feeds" being made available.
I have heard that the goal is for washtimes.com to become one of the top 10 sites -- not newspaper sites -- in the world. I don't see that happening.
Also, philly.com, the Web site for The Inky and Philly Daily News has taken a step back and switched the front page design for something less robust and with a terrible color palette. I had really liked the way the had it, particularly the way they gave each paper its own site with suitable designs.
Lots of journalism folks love the Philly.com redesign, but I'm not a fan either. I miss the tabs and the easy access to the sports stories near the top. I'm really looking forward to the day when newspaper sites stop re-arranging deck chairs and start doing something innovative.
Anyway, I've been reading your blog for a while and figured I was overdue to leave a comment. So, hello.
# posted by Daniel Victor :
Monday, May 19, 2008 1:17:00 PM
Oh, no, mainstream media. This blog has lost all credibility.
# posted by DJ in Hbg :
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:00:00 AM
NCAA Approves Bowl for Washington - The Post Yesterday, the NCAA approved the Congressional Bowl, a new game to be played in Washington. The 2008 edition will be December 20 at either Nationals Park or RFK Stadium. Navy has signed on, provided they win the necessary six games, for this year and Army for 2009. The ACC would send the other team.
Hopefully, the game will be in RFK Stadium; wouldn't it be great to see Midshipmen or Cadets making the stands rock?
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park - William World News
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- My dad treated several of us to the Nats vs. Braves game. It was his first visit to Nationals Park. Though the game was delayed for an hour by a rain delay we still had a good time. The poor performance of the home nine in all areas of the game did not diminish our good time either, nor did the precocious kid from Richmond who was rooting for the Braves -- I gave as good as I got. My father said, "I need to go to more ballgames with you."
A few other things:
I still haven't heard "Bustin' Loose" at Nationals Park yet. :(
Sweet Caroline was not played!
"Heart" would have been quite appropriate.
I had two half-smokes, all the way. SOOOOOOOO good. The lines still need more efficiency though.
Once again, Metro worked well.
John Lannan had a rough outing, but he also had some defensive mistakes behind him.
Jason Bergmann failed to cover home plate -- my dad wondered if Bergmann knew he had to field too. The young thrower was sent down to Columbus for re-education.
Pitching coach Randy St. Claire has his hands full.
The clock was way off.
Replays are on the HD screen now.
Can't anybody play this here game?!
I love the new ballpark and in about two years, when the neighborhood grows around it, I think more people will too.
I was happy to see replays on the scoreboard, but... they never show replays on anything useful. Their effort to avoid "controversy" makes the whole o9peration useless. We want to see the close plays! (And the errors, like yesterday's fielding attempt by Kearns.) Sometimes I feel like that replay system is run by Communist China.
# posted by dl004d :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 2:03:00 PM
Or the Big11Ten.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 5:23:00 PM
The Newseum is now open. Admission is free today, but starting tomorrow, $20. The price seems steep, especially with the Smithsonian's free admission, but it is worth it
I thought I would round up some articles about the museum, some pro, some con. I reviewed it last week after attending a preview.
How would you bike to Nationals Park? - William World News
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
How would you bike to Nationals Park?
With the warm weather returning it is finally time to get back on my bicycle again. I plan to go for a bike ride tomorrow after work. Since I also want to get some tickets to Saturday's Nationals vs. Braves game without paying $20 in surcharges and "convienence fees" and I have decided to combine both activities.
I've poked around jdland.com and WashCycle looking for ideas on how to get ride there from Virginia, but could not find anything conclusive. A commenter on the Grounds Crew blog suggests going over the 14th Street Bridge and down Maine Ave. to M Street. It makes sense on a map, but the last time I was there in daylight, Marion Barry might have been mayor. Any idea on how that route is for cyclists? Is there a better route for me to take?
There are few stories in particular that I'll comment on when they published:
Local Reporting, Breaking News Virginia Tech Shootings -- washingtonpost.com was behind everybody on the story for the better part of the morning, something I documented. I suppose the lesson is being first to break the news is not as important as covering it very thoroughly.
Feature Writing Pearls before Breakfast -- Gene Weingarten finds fascinating characters and stories and makes them come to life with his writing. While this wasn't my favorite Weingarten article, I commented at the time that he had "done it again." Of course, he jokes he had "nothing to do with it" but that he "would gladly accept the award." ALSO: His first post-Pulitzerchat.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since I am a "special friend" of the Newseum, I was able to get free preview tickets to the new museum. Erica, Fritz, dl004d (another media stuides major -- I'm not alone!) and Grand Marnier came along as well. Back when the Newseum was in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Va., I went to original Newseum, which closed in late 2001/early 2002, several times over the years. In fact, when I worked in Rosslyn I parked in a garage at the old Newseum.
The beginning starts of our visit was a little awkward.. Newseum guides recommended we start on the lower level, past the Berlin Wall and into the "holding center" to wait for the next showing of the 4D movie. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Several panels of the wall and a death tower are on display. The wall is not much more than a giant Jersey barrier with graffiti on one side, the barbed wire is all missing.
After moving on into the holding center, 4D glasses (stylish!) are given out and a video about "getting it right" is played. The 4D movie about the power of the media in America is quite good, both for the technology and the message. It is also unintentionally funny in the beginning.
From there, we took the elevator to the sixth floor. They have an outdoor observation area that details the history of Pennsylvania Ave. and provides excellent views. The view of the Capitol building would be absolutely perfect, but for the fact there are maple leaf flags all over the adjacent building, an embassy, across the corner. It is a harsh reminder of Canadian domination on American life. The sixth floor also includes digital versions of today's newspapers.
Moving down to the fifth floor we checked out the history gallery. Newspapers in clear display drawers are heavily featured as well as other artifacts from news gathering. This area is significantly bigger than the previous Newseum -- you could spend all day right there. One disappointment though - the FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD Daily News was not featured. How can you skip that if you are having a gallery of famous newspaper fronts? I skipped the books gallery - next time I'll check it out. I recall there being an exhibit about Edward R. Murrow on that floor as well.
The fourth floor features a 9/11 exhibit with a TV antenna from the World Trade Center, a time line of events and newspaper front pages. Photography is prohibited, which was fine with me. Having felt my office building shake when the Pentagon was attacked, I don't need to have reminders of that day. Also on the fourth floor was an exhibit on the First Amendment, which was quite interesting. We were reminded that burping is not covered by the First Amendment.
The third floor featured the Journalists Memorial and (if I recall correctly) the bombed out remains of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles Datsun. He was killed in the 1970s while investigating mafia. World news is also explored on this floor. I found the color-coded Press Freedom map of most interest.
Since being "On TV" was not of any interest to me, the third f
Catoe stepping down after three years at the helm - 
Metro, WMATA,Mass Transit, John Catoe, Dan Tangherlini
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