ESPN Fail Flashback: John Buccigross in 2005

The Caps are currently on a 6-game road trip. Yet, they are resting comfortably in DC today. Go figure!

It makes sense, though. They are merely following the golden rule:  Spend as little time in Philadelphia as possible!

Anyway, when the Caps start their next home stand they will presumably accomplish something fantastic:

100 consecutive sellouts at Verizon Center!

This has to be the franchise's greatest off-ice accomplishment.  It is all too easy to forget the empty seats in Landover and in DC. Or the "visiting team aided" sellouts for which the team had to settle.

That said, there are people who had faith that this streak could happen (Ted-dog, you, me, anybody with an IQ over 5) and there are people who didn't have faith this could happen (anybody at ESPN).

Today the Caps Degenerate remembers the suggestion that John Buccigross made in November 2005 in his "Mother of All Mailbags"

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John,

If you had three choices of U.S. cities you could place an NHL franchise (that don't currently have one), which cities would they be and why?

Thanks,

Brett

Toronto, Ontario

Hartford -- Because Connecticut should have an NHL team.

Las Vegas -- Because it's Vegas. Booming population, conventions and Celine Dion. Who cares if people bet on the games? Wall Street brokers bet on games at their computer in midtown Manhattan. Should the Rangers move? The NHL is missing the boat. Hockey is a nasty game and Vegas is a nasty place. Perfect.

Baltimore -- It feels like a hockey city to me. I'd build a cool, intimate 15,000-seat arena on the harbor and move the Capitals there

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First, I would like to thank Brett for not using his last name.  So, I don't feel guilty about using this letter.  Unless there only happens to be 1 Brett in Toronto. 

I also want to know what a "cool, intimate" arena is - I'm getting creeped out just thinking about it.  And where on the Baltimore Harbor would this thing go?  In the water?  But, whatever.


I'm not anti-Baltimore.  I love Baltimore.  But, basically John Buiccgross suggested that hockey couldn't work in DC.  And that pissed me off.  I'm glad to see he was dead wrong on this one.


Let's use a crude average ticket price of $40.  And eliminate standing-room only from the equation -- just to spare Mr. Buccigross a little bit.  The hockey capacity at Verizon Center becomes 18,277.


That is 3,277 seats more than this "cool, intimate" arena in Baltimore.


Over the course of the 100 game streak, Ted Leonsis would have lost over $13 million in ticket revenue by moving the team to Baltimore!  That doesn't even include the cost of moving or standing room only money.


$40 x 100 games x 3,277 seats  = $13,108,000


John Buccigross wanted to break into Ted Leonsis' home and steal $13 million! Who the heck does this guy think he is!?!?!?!


Next time you rock the red in DC and need earplugs to do it, remember what John Buccigross suggested in 2005.


And, please never EVER use the words "cool" and "intimate" together when discussing hockey arenas unless you found a place for a quickie.......

Link to John Buccigross' Mailbag