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Move to Baltimore: A Remedy for Wizards Fans Woes

By Kyle Andrews

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Could the Wizards remedy their fans woes by a move of the franchise to Baltimore?

Last night, the Washington Wizards took on the Detroit Pistons and came away with a 98-86 win. However, fans seemed to be more excited for something else. A delicacy that is available at a drive-thru near you. What could be a remedy for the Wizards’ fans woes?

After the win, CSN Mid-Atlantic interviewed All-Star Wizards point guard John Wall and he was asked about the fans’ excitement over the free chicken sandwich.

Although the comments seemed to be all in fun, it showed the fickleness of the Wizards’ fans and how they aren’t really there to enjoy a good team win. However, Washington’s players had a laugh on the bench and seemed to be equally excited about the free Chick-Fil-A sandwiches as the fans did.

In a 2014 interview with The Washington Post‘s Dan Steinberg, Wizards forward Drew Gooden explained the situation:

"“It’s different stages of loudness,” Wizards forward Drew Gooden explained. “You’ve got the first free throw — if he misses, that’s a cheer. Now you’ve got a bigger rumble after that, because they’re dying for some Chick-fil-A. And they miss that one? I mean, the walls are coming down.”"

This isn’t the only time that Wizards fans have looked to be very casual or even poor at the games this season either. Earlier on during the season, Kobe Bryant played his last game in the Verizon Center. Wall was booed in his own home arena. Partially due to the fact that many Lakers fans lining the stands and probably the laziness of Wizards fans.

This even led to Wall’s mother to cry according to ABC 7’s Erin Hawksworth:

Deadspin’s Kevin Draper believed that it was Wizards fans that were booing Wall for their recent struggles:

"I’m not usually one to lecture about fan decorum, but booing John Wall? Come the *expletive* on. Sure, he and the Wizards are underperforming this season, but we are barely into the second month! Last night the Wizards walloped the Cavaliers—you know, the defending Eastern Conference champions—on the road, as Wall scored 35. If it was Wizards fan booing John Wall, it confirmed every stereotype about Washington fans only giving a *expletive* or knowing anything about the NFL."

It’s beyond sad to see. Washington fans seem to be a wine and cheese crowd. Casual fans don’t really enjoy the game because of the lack of excitement from others, the big wigs in Washington are all throughout the stadium, and all of the “real fans” can’t really afford to go to the game. They’ve priced the die-hard fans out and its truly a shame. I have one solution to remedy this problem.

Bring the Bullets Home to Baltimore

That solution is to move the Wizards to Baltimore. Baltimore is known for it’s insane crowds and fans who are willing to put everything away and pack the arena. The big problem is that the Wizards wouldn’t have a large enough arena prepared for them until Baltimore can find the space to build one. There has been one proposal, but the seating would have to be expanded for an NBA or NHL team to relocate to the city.

The Cordish Cos. pitched a $450 million waterfront arena and outdoor performance venue along the Inner Harbor. This could be the site that Baltimore needs to have a large arena.

The seating would hold 15,000 to 16,000 and would be across Pier Five and Pier Six.

“From an urban planning standpoint, the location fills a void between the Inner Harbor and Inner Harbor East and is ideally positioned in terms of access to existing parking, roadways and transportation infrastructure,” said Blake Cordish, in an interview with the Baltimore Business Journal back in January 2015, who is a vice president at the Cordish. “We believe that a waterfront arena, coupled with other major attractions such as the pedestrian bridge unveiled in the recent Inner Harbor master plan, has the potential to bring international attention to Baltimore, similar to the Sydney Opera House. “

However, according to the president of Baltimore Development Corps, William H. Cole IV, “It’s way too early to make any evaluations.”

The Mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, hasn’t looked over the plan yet, but is “always open to any ideas regarding a new or renovated arena,” said spokesman Kevin Harris.

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City Councilman James B. Kraft, a representative of Southeast Baltimore, said that his “gut reaction” is to be in opposition of the plan build the stadium. He also compared it to the Hilton hotel, which he also opposed.

“I’d love us to have a new arena, but I’d like to see somebody build it themselves,” said Kraft in an interview with the Baltimore Sun, also explaining his concern about traffic and parking. “If they’re going to operate it and make a profit, they can pay for it. I don’t want the city to put any money into it. We can’t meet the needs we have right now.”

If Baltimore fans are interested in bringing back an NBA franchise, namely the Washington Wizards, they should voice their support. Baltimore is in need of hope and I believe that the Wizards returning to Baltimore as the Bullets could be the vision for fans of hoops in the Baltimore area.

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