Verizon Center
Encyclopedia
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C.
, USA
, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications
, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies. It is located in the Chinatown
neighborhood of Washington and sits atop the Gallery Place station on the Washington Metro
. The arena is home to the Washington Wizards
of the NBA
, Washington Capitals
of the NHL
, Georgetown University men's basketball, and Washington Mystics
of the WNBA
, and was formerly home to the Washington Power
of the NLL
from 2001–2002. It seats 20,278 for basketball and 18,398 for hockey. The arena is now owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, on land leased from the city of Washington. It was built with 100% private financing and originally owned by Abe Pollin
from 1997-June 2010. Following Pollin's death in November 2009, on June 10, 2010, the Pollin family sold Verizon Center, the Wizards, and the Washington-Baltimore area Ticketmaster
franchise to Ted Leonsis
. Leonsis formed a new management company called Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The arena is largely considered a commercial and cultural success and is regarded as one of the driving catalyst's of the revitalization and gentrification
of Washington's Chinatown neighborhood.
games at Verizon Center since the late '90s include Goat and The Horn Guy. "Goat," aka William Stilwell, sits in Section 105 and loudly stomps and starts cheers for the team, with his loud voice that The Washington Post
once called "the loudest voice and stompiest stomp on F Street." "The Horn Guy," aka Sam Wolk, sits in section 415 and blows out three blasts on a horn to which the arena responds "Let's Go Caps!," a chant that can be heard during all radio and TV broadcasts.
's Outside the lines
reported that the Verizon center was one of only two major sports arenas in the U.S
, and the only in the NBA/NHL, in which 100% of food vendors were found with at least one "critical or major" health code violation. Violations included mice droppings in a least 10 different vending locations.
. The surrounding area has indeed been dramatically gentrified, with a Chinese population remaining. Overall there have been higher prices for real estate, and more upscale residential and commercial development in the area, forcing some longtime Chinese out of Chinatown proper and into other parts of the city.
addressed this criticism directly. The ice quality issue has been persistent both since the opening of Verizon Center and with the Capitals franchise in general.
The Washington City Paper
had called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
commented, "it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99.
When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson
took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog earlier that season, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, had promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead.
On Leonsis' authorization, the final remaining attendance banners were removed from the Verizon Center rafters in 2010.
}}
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies. It is located in the Chinatown
Chinatown, Washington, D.C.
Chinatown in Washington, D.C., is a small, historic neighborhood east of downtown consisting of about 20 ethnic Chinese and other Asian restaurants and small businesses along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. It is known for its annual Chinese New Year festival and parade and...
neighborhood of Washington and sits atop the Gallery Place station on the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
. The arena is home to the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, Georgetown University men's basketball, and Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
of the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
, and was formerly home to the Washington Power
Washington Power
The Washington Power were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. After the inaugural championship in 1987 in Baltimore through 1999 and an unsuccessful stint in Pittsburgh , the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. in 2001...
of the NLL
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
from 2001–2002. It seats 20,278 for basketball and 18,398 for hockey. The arena is now owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, on land leased from the city of Washington. It was built with 100% private financing and originally owned by Abe Pollin
Abe Pollin
Abe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
from 1997-June 2010. Following Pollin's death in November 2009, on June 10, 2010, the Pollin family sold Verizon Center, the Wizards, and the Washington-Baltimore area Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...
franchise to Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
. Leonsis formed a new management company called Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The arena is largely considered a commercial and cultural success and is regarded as one of the driving catalyst's of the revitalization and gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of Washington's Chinatown neighborhood.
History
- 1997: The arena opened as the MCI Center on December 2, 1997 in downtown Washington's ChinatownChinatown, Washington, D.C.Chinatown in Washington, D.C., is a small, historic neighborhood east of downtown consisting of about 20 ethnic Chinese and other Asian restaurants and small businesses along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. It is known for its annual Chinese New Year festival and parade and...
. - 2006: Verizon buys out MCI, the arena's name is changed accordingly.
- 2007: The "first true indoor high-definition LEDLEdLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
scoreboardScoreboardA scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
" was installed at the Verizon Center.
Fan fixtures
Two notable fan fixtures at Washington CapitalsWashington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
games at Verizon Center since the late '90s include Goat and The Horn Guy. "Goat," aka William Stilwell, sits in Section 105 and loudly stomps and starts cheers for the team, with his loud voice that The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
once called "the loudest voice and stompiest stomp on F Street." "The Horn Guy," aka Sam Wolk, sits in section 415 and blows out three blasts on a horn to which the arena responds "Let's Go Caps!," a chant that can be heard during all radio and TV broadcasts.
Notable events
- 1998: Stanley Cup Finals1998 Stanley Cup Finals- Detroit Red Wings - 1998 Stanley Cup Champions :- Stanley Cup engravings :* Wally Crossman was oldest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 87....
games 3 (June 13) and 4 (June 16): The Washington Capitals are swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings. - 2003, Feb 21: Michael Jordan scores 43 points, becoming the oldest player, and only player, at age 40 or older to score 40 points in an NBA game.
- 2003, April 5: Peter BondraPeter BondraPeter Bondra is a former Slovak professional ice hockey player. He was the general manager of the Slovak national team from 2007 to 2011...
passes Mike GartnerMike GartnerMichael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
as the Washington Capitals' career scoring leader. - 2005, April 30: Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls: The Wizards win their first playoff game in nearly 17 years with a 117–99 win over the Bulls. It is the first Wizards playoff game ever held within the District of Columbia, as the team previously played at USAir Arena in Landover, Md. It is also the District's first NBA playoff game in 55 years (the last had been at Uline Arena on March 21, 1950).
- 2005, May 6: Wizards vs. Bulls: The Wizards win 94–91 over the Bulls, winning the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, 4-2. The game marked the first playoff series victory for the Wizards in 23 years, and first playoff series win at Verizon Center.
- 2006, March 26: George Mason vs. Connecticut Huskies (NCAA men's Division I basketball Washington DC regional final): George Mason2005-06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball teamThe 2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represented George Mason University in the 2005–2006 NCAA Basketball season, and is best known for their success in the NCAA Tournament, having reached the Final Four.-Season notes:...
, playing in front of a mostly partisan crowd due to being located just across the Potomac River in Fairfax, Va.Fairfax, VirginiaThe City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, defeats top seeded UConnConnecticut Huskies men's basketballThe Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
to become only the second double-digit seed to reach the NCAA Final Four. - 2008: Wizards and Capitals both play playoff games in the building in the same calendar year for the first time.
- NCAA Men's Basketball TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
first and second rounds: 1998, 2002, 2008; second and third rounds: 2011. - NCAA Men's Basketball TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
regional finals: 2006. - WWE Backlash 2000Backlash (2000)Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 30, 2000 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the second event under the Backlash chronology...
- WCW Starrcade 1997-2000.
- NBA All-Star Game: 2001.
- WNBA All-Star Game: 2002, 2007.
- ISU World Figure Skating Championships: 2003.
- ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
men's basketball tournament: 2005. - BB&T Classic Basketball TournamentBB&T Classic Basketball TournamentThe BB&T Classic Basketball Tournament is a Washington, DC based basketball tournament that has been held annually since 1995, when it was known as the Franklin National Bank Classic. It is staged at the Verizon Center, on or around the first weekend in December...
: held annually. - Mike TysonMike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
vs. Kevin McBrideKevin McBrideKevin Martin McBride is an Irish boxer, who competed for his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.McBride debuted in December 1992, with a victory against Gary Charlton...
: June 11, 2005, Tyson's final fight. - WWE Cyber SundayCyber Sunday (2007)Cyber Sunday was the fourth annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 28, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C...
which took place on October 28, 2007 - Kids' Inaugural: We are the Future: Jan. 19, 2009, hosted by first ladyFirst LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Michelle ObamaMichelle ObamaMichelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States... - NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Men's 2009 Frozen Four hockey championship: 2009 - The Archdiocese of Washington Youth Rally and "Mass for Life": Every January, from 2004 to present.
- Verizon Center was the location of WWE's last Saturday Night's Main Event on August 2, 2008 (taped July 28, 2008)
- The Survivor SeriesSurvivor Series (2009)Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the 23rd annual Survivor Series event. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
took place on November 22, 2009. - The Jonas BrothersJonas BrothersThe Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
played to a sold-out crowd on July 13, 2009, where Michelle ObamaMichelle ObamaMichelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
and her two daughters were in attendance. - Miley CyrusMiley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
performed here on January 7, 2008 as a part of her Best of Both Worlds TourBest of Both Worlds TourThe Best of Both Worlds Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus , which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montanas second season and her debut studio album...
and again on November 3, 2009 during her Wonder World TourWonder World TourThe Wonder World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote her second studio album Breakout and first extended play The Time of Our Lives...
. - Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
performed at the arena back-to-back nights on June 1 and June 2, 2010 as a part of her Fearless TourFearless TourThe Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
. - WWE Capitol PunishmentWWE Capitol PunishmentCapitol Punishment was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE, which took place on June 19, 2011 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C....
which took place on June 19, 2011. - Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
had performed at the arena on two different occasions throughout her Monster Ball Tour. - The Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
is set to have a mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
card at the center on Oct. 1, 2011. - Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
performed at the arena on July 31, 2011, with opening act Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
.
Health code violations
In August 2010 ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Outside the lines
Outside the Lines
Outside the Lines, or also referred to as OTL, is an American television program on ESPN that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in American sports on and off the field of play....
reported that the Verizon center was one of only two major sports arenas in the U.S
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the only in the NBA/NHL, in which 100% of food vendors were found with at least one "critical or major" health code violation. Violations included mice droppings in a least 10 different vending locations.
Role in Chinatown
When the arena opened there was concern that it would lead to the displacement of Chinese businesses and culture in the area that is the city's ChinatownChinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. The surrounding area has indeed been dramatically gentrified, with a Chinese population remaining. Overall there have been higher prices for real estate, and more upscale residential and commercial development in the area, forcing some longtime Chinese out of Chinatown proper and into other parts of the city.
Ice quality issues
In December 2007, then-Capitals captain Chris Clark gained a bit of press by stating that he believed the Verizon Center had the worst ice in the NHL. "There's a lot of ruts in the ice. It's soft. It's wet half the time. I could see a lot of injuries coming from the ice there. It could cost [players] their jobs...Even guys on other teams say the same thing. When we're facing off, they say, 'How do you guys play on this?'" Caps owner Ted LeonsisTed Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
addressed this criticism directly. The ice quality issue has been persistent both since the opening of Verizon Center and with the Capitals franchise in general.
"Attendance Champions" banners
The "Washington Mystics Attendance Champions" banners that hung at the Verizon Center had been the focal point of much criticism over the years, with many people believing that the rafters should be reserved for achievements by sports teams and not by the fans. Critics thought it was insulting to have banners for championships and retired numbers hang next to "attendance champion" banners. Originally there were six banners (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004); the number was later reduced to three in 2007 (for the first two seasons plus 2002, the only season in which the Mystics have won a playoff series to date) with the other three removed to make way for a banner honoring Final Four appearances by the Georgetown Hoyas.The Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
had called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
Todd Wright
Todd Wright is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of Todd Wright Tonight on Yahoo Sports Radio, which debuted on Monday, June 12, 2006 and airs Monday to Friday from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. ....
commented, "it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99.
When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson
Sheila Johnson
Sheila Crump Johnson is the team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she gained before the 2005 season. On May 24, 2005, Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman, Abe Pollin, sold the Mystics to Lincoln Holdings LLC, where Johnson served as...
took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog earlier that season, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, had promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead.
On Leonsis' authorization, the final remaining attendance banners were removed from the Verizon Center rafters in 2010.
External links
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