It’s the lumps you take when you’re new that sting the most.
For Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, it’s the $100,000 hit he took last fall, just before his first season with full control of the team, when he suggested that a hard salary cap might in store.
Thirteen months later, Leonsis won’t go near anything remotely suggesting a comment on the NBA or the status of labor negotiations, finally telling WTOP host Bruce Alan, “Would you stop?” during the opening line of questioning in an on-air interview Monday morning.
Eventually, Alan did, which allowed Leonsis to talk about the rebranding of the Wizards before Alan pressed him on another slightly less touchy subject that is still touchy nonetheless: changing the team’s name.
“That went off really really well,” Leonsis said regarding the uniforms. “I think when bloggers are calling it the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen, and Sports Illustrated uses it as their proxy of the best-looking uniforms, I’m really proud of what we did. Going back to the red, white and blue for all of our teams has really worked. The fans love it, and I can’t wait to see those uniforms in the flesh.
“The other day I was watching the NBA channel, and it was old-school Monday, it was really great to see. It was the 1975 Finals, the Washington Bullets vs. the Golden State Warriors, and I remember I was a sophomore at Georgetown University watching those games. I think they might have even been on tape delay, watching it late at night, and I sent an e-mail saying if we really wanted to go retro, we need to make those tighty-whitey like shorts. I mean, I don’t know how those guys played. Those shorts were short, man.”
“Yes, they were,” Alan said. “So, is there a name change in the offing to go with the new uniforms?”
“No, there’s no announcement,” Leonsis said. “I like where we are right now. I think with the new uniforms, we want to build a great new team, and I think we’re in a good position right now. So there’s no change that’s being contemplated. I have my hands full on other things. I think the new uniform design went over so well.”
Then Leonsis called Alan “testy.” Irony is funny.
