Posts for category ‘verizon center’

As described in a previous post, the Wizards held tryouts for the position of in-game public address announcer at the Verizon Center on Monday night. Prior, 220 applicants where whittled down to 50 invitees … around 31 showed up. That was narrowed done to 16 hopefuls who were further narrowed down to five. More due diligence was performed, but by the night’s end, the team still had not decided who would serve as pre-game hype man for Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee & Co.

Shortly before 1 pm on Tuesday afternoon it was announced that Ralph Wesley will be the voice of Wizards games — Wesley was my personal favorite after the round of 16 (and the round of five). There were a lot of great voices, but the best, most unique one prevailed. Below you’ll find a recap of the night in photos, followed by video of Wesley’s winning performance at the bottom. Enjoy.

Senior Director of Game Operations Danny Zollars (splendid name BTW) calls out the audition numbers of the 16 who’ve made it to the next round.

Poof, be gone with the rest of you.

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The public address announcer sits in the background, yet courtside. He goes relatively unknown, but he’s kind of a big deal. He is what Ron Burgundy is to parties, bringing life to the arena. This is dedicated to the under-appreciated PA announcer guy.

When Ted Leonsis holds open tryouts for the voice that could be bellowing John Wall’s name for the next 10 years, cuing mad cheering and perhaps some tea-kettle dancing, it’s more than worth taking the stroll from work to the Verizon Center to check it out.

Over 200 applied but only 50 were invited to boom their pipes alongside the freshly painted (cured) Georgetown and Wizards basketball floors. As I arrived for the main event, that number had been narrowed done to 16. The mic was then cut on and the sound system turned up. The audition provided a good sample of general game announcements (fouls, scoring plays and PSAs), an ad-lib to Kiss Cam B-roll, and finally, lineup introductions.

The original plan was to pick a single winner from the 16 performances, but it was clearly much too hard to distinguish one voice from the crowd. Five stood out to Leonsis and his decision makers, so they were asked to do the lineup again … but with more energy, more uniqueness. Below you’ll find a brief profile of each, along with video of their final lineup announcement and an interview.

I’m refusing to compare this to American Idol, way too easy, but surely someone will. However, I am giving you, the reader, the option to vote on your favorite (which is also evidently what they do on that show). But this is in no way affiliated with the Wizards and their decision-making, it’s just for S&Gs (curse word that rhymes with mitt, and giggles). Also, as outlined, because this is potentially a very long-term gig, it’s likely requires more due diligence than simple public opinion.

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Ever find yourself wondering when and if Kirk Hinrich wore a white home Wizards jersey with an Abe Pollin commemorative patch? Me neither. But thanks to the magic of Photoshop, or another graphic design/photo editing software that a tech guy insists is better, and my observations of the Verizon Center hallways while covering a Washington Mystics game on Sunday, you now have a where and a how, just not a when, because it’s actually never.

If none of that makes sense, good … I’ve lost you. See, much has been made of what’s displayed on the interior and exterior of the Verizon Center. Well, not really. It was only made over Gilbert Arenas and how his banner was removed from the outside of the arena, his face removed from pre-game video montages, and his jersey removed from sales availability. His image was scrubbed, they said … except for the various photos that were still posted around the locker room, and on the hallway wall outside an entrance, across which there’s also an entrance to the Wizards’ practice facility. So Gilbert really never left the arena. (Remember when it seemed all but guaranteed that he’d never play in a Wizards uniform again?)

Anyway … the pictures on those walls, which display several members of the team, must be dynamic and resourceful, because they’ve changed several times over the past months. And well, if a player hasn’t exactly appeared in a real game, the pictures must be adjusted. So let’s take a look at a couple more guys who’ve never played in a Wizards uniform, in a Wizards uniform…

John Wall (no patch) …

And I really wish there was a better picture of him. Not that this is a bad picture, but it looks off. Maybe it’s the awkward fist pound motion he’s making.

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I’m still digesting this whirlwind story and will post an opinion piece on the matter sometime soon, hopefully tomorrow morning. But until then, why not commemorate Arenas’ last game with the Wizards?

Wait, “commemorate” doesn’t seem like the right word … memorialize? … nah. Screw it, let’s just look at the three stages of emotion that came across Arenas’ face in the waning seconds of the win in Philadelphia, likely his last game as a Washington Wizard.

And yes, we don’t actually know if Arenas has played his last game in DC, but I really, really wish I could go to Vegas and bet on it. The Cincinnati Bengals, currently at 75-1, probably have a much better chance of winning the Super Bowl than Arenas has of returning to the Wizards.

Hey, at least Gil went out a winner … even though right now, he’s a pretty big loser … especially of money.

Also, the Wizards franchise has removed the ‘Character, Commitment, Connection’ banner featuring Arenas from the 6th Street side of the Verizon Center. NBC 4 has the video.

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As noted last week on Bullets Forever, the Washington Wizards have seemingly come out with their team slogan for the 08-09 season.

The link will take you to a picture of Antawn Jamison surrounded by “Character, Commitment, Connection.”

I’m actually not curious about the absence of Gilbert Arenas from the season ticket propaganda. And I have no problems whatsoever with Jamison being the face of the franchise.

But I almost wish that Caron Butler was part of the advertisement (of course, the Big Three will most likely be apart of future marketing campaigns). All that jibber-jabber being said, here are the Top 10 rejected slogans for the upcoming Wizards basketball campaign:

[The past three slogans have been: Ready to Rule (07-08), Go All In (06-07), and One Team, One Goal (05-06)]

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Ever wonder why they refer to F Street as “Fun” Street? This whole time, I thought it had something to do with the Wizards or Capitals….or the restaurants and bars in a revitalized area of Washington, DC.

Unbeknownst to me, the corner of 6th & F in Chinatown DC (yup, right next to the Verizon Center) is where undercover gigolos roam.

Gigolo….huh, sucka?

Yes sucka indeed…..evidently the Mayor of District Heights, Maryland, James Walls Jr. (also an associate minister at a Baptist church), was arrested on the corner 6th and F late last night for doing the Buffalo Stance soliciting an undercover male prostitute. You can read the story here on the WashingtonPost.com. I guess Jimmy wanted to get ripped a new one just like the Cleveland Cavaliers.

My first thought….keeping the stereotypical image of cops in mind….was who the hell is Cathy Lanier hiring these days? Then, as the story goes, I found out that Mayor Walls offered the undercover cop $40 bucks for his “services.” Hmmm….doesn’t seem like much. I imagine that this cop looks like the combination of the following three people:

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