The Wizards might as well have a collegiate feel this season, right? Top overall draft pick John Wall just turned 20 years old four days ago, after all.
Make it so, as the Wizards go NCAA-style.
The Wizards announced yesterday that they’ll open their 2010-11 training camp at George Mason’s Patriot Center with a Midnight Madness “practice” that will begin at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28, featuring player introductions, giveaways, ticket offers and more. (Doors open at 11 p.m. on Sept. 27.) That’s a pretty snazzy and savvy way to begin engaging better with the team’s fan base, one of the top priorities for new owner Ted Leonsis.
And so this may sound skeptical, but part of the reason Midnight Madness works so well on college campuses is because students stay up late and most live within close proximity to on-field arenas, right? The Wizards are offering incentives for George Mason students to attend their own Madness, but this event doesn’t exactly appeal to the working masses or families, who make up a larger portion of the Wizards fans base. Not to mention, it’s on a Monday night. That said, I’m willing to be entirely wrong when the Patriot Center fills up completely to see Wall do the John Wall Dance – even if it might be the perfect time for him to unveil something new, since the John Wall Dance was so freshman season at Kentucky last year.
Whether it works or not, the training camp as whole will be an attempt to get the Wizards in better touch locally. It will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 3, with a FanFest and open scrimmage.
An excerpt from yesterday’s release: “In addition to the public events, all Wizards season ticketholders will have the chance to attend an exclusive ‘Rookie Class’ event featuring a private session with the Wizards’ rookie players on Wednesday, Sept. 29, following that evening’s practice. Earlier that morning, select area business leaders will be invited to meet with Wizards staff members as well as several players during a ‘Business-to-Business Breakfast’ event prior to the morning practice sesssion. The Wizards will also reach out to the community in Northern Virginia by extending special invitations to Sunday’s FanFest to families involved with Shelter House, Inc.”
“Our relationship with George Mason University and the Patriot Center allows us to conduct a locally based training camp at an outstanding facility located in the greater D.C. area,” said Wizards executive vice president of business operations Greg Bibb, who, by the way, was recently named one of the top 40 business people under 40 years old by the Washington Business Journal. “We’re thrilled that our fans will be able to take part in the official start of the season and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to reach out to potential new fans in Northern Virginia.”
