Ceiling is tops at Verizon for Caps' games

The Capitals celebrate another goal in their 4-1 victory over Montreal at Verizon Center/Patricia Leslie

 Okay, we splurged and bought (at the Ticket Exchange) “ice” seats (that is, not far from) to see what it was like after my pals, Christine and Catherine, raved about them, and the night they went, Troy Brouwer scored a hat trick, and Christine and Catherine didn’t even know what a hat trick was. The nerve.

Anyway, for the Montreal game Claire and I sat in Row P in the “horseshoe” or “end zone” or behind the goalie, whatever you want to call it. We paid $140 each vs. what we usually pay (about $55) for ceiling seats, or approximately one-third the cost of ice, in case you are not a mathematician. (By the way, every time we go, the Caps win, and that's no foolin'! For three years now. Take that, Pittsburgh.)

I declare you can see better from the ceiling than in Row P behind the goalie. Okay, yes, as Claire said, you can see the players’ faces, but what good is that when you can’t see the puck? 

Where's the puck?  Oh, there's the puck/Patricia Leslie

Attention, Mr. Leonsis: It is terrific that you give tickets to the troops and they are recognized at every game, but Mr. Leonsis, have you sat in the horseshoe and do you know how bad the visibility is there? Mr. Leonsis, for our troops, I think you can do better and give our guys and girls seats on the 50-yard line, if you please. Thank you. Consider what they are giving up for us!

(Also, Mr. Leonsis, I would like to request, please, that "kiss-cam" be mandatory at every game. Everyone just loves it to pieces!)

Anyway, back to the ground floor seats: The food offerings at this level vis a vis the skylights are outasite. Really. The choices compare to the menu at the Inn at Little Washington vs. Church’s Fried Chicken, but I don’t think they’ve got fried chicken upstairs. That bunch is chiefly a ‘dogs and chili with onions crowd. Throw on some mustard.

On the ground the beer selections are far better, too, with a bar and a neo-wooden décor which sells mixed drinks! 

Getoutahere! 

Plus, upon entry to the ground floor, a photographer takes your picture and posts it somewhere the next morning, but I forgot to look.  Claire, did you remember to check us out?

George told me that to sit on the ground level, I would need one of those pricey ($150) jerseys vs. the cheap ($20) #8 Ovechkin t-shirt from Modell’s I bought last month, and he was right. Everyone in our ground section wore a jersey. I felt rather poorly in my worn-one-time-t-shirt and kept my coat on, but Claire's got a red, feathery boa she had wrapped around her neck and kept slinging it around which none of those people could match. But not to boast.

There goes my shirt's namesake, #8 Ovechkin, who had another great night and scored his Goal #25 for the season/Patricia Leslie

I would also like to note that you get real cheerleaders the size of hockey sticks in the stands for your ground level seats which, by the way, are roomier, comfier, and are they leather? Either that or the cheerleaders the size of hockey sticks sprayed leather fragrance on the seats before we arrived.

Take it away, Caps/Patricia Leslie

But not to complain: Claire and I have ceiling seats for the Winnepeg game, and there we feel more at home. It’s the difference between Palm Beach and Panama City, Florida, if you have ever been to either. Panama City is preferable. Palm Beach is so stuffy and highbrow, and besides, I doubt they drink beer or eat fried chicken in Palm Beach. Now how in the world did we jump from the Caps to fried chicken in Palm Beach? There are similarities.

Where is it?/Patricia Leslie

patricialesliexam@gmail.com

Ovie and The Caps On Fire at Verizon!

By the Queen of Free - N O T

With his terrific theatrics, Ovie has the crowd leaping to its feet and screaming! There he was sliding into home plate (whoops)the net, and scoring from his side while lying sideways as he skidded across the ice! From his fanny perch he twirled around and around like a ballerina (ballerino?) after making THE shot which Sports Illustrated labeled on its online front page today: "NHL Shot of the Year."

It was major performance! The fans almost beat the place to smithereens! Verizon was in flames! It will be one of those shots shown time and time again.

No way were the Capitals going to lose. It was a dynamic evening, and you talk about fun! You want fun? Come and join the throngs and make silly while you pound a stranger and your beer goes up in the air like what erupted from a few rows in front of us and the group of 20-somethings romping it up, screaming at all the many bad calls of the refs and having a joyful time.

It was a sellout game, and even from the ceiling where my friend, Claire, and I sat on the very top row, the victory swept us up on a wild night to witness the Capitals all win a ferociously exciting game.

Being on the last row has its benefits Claire said: We didn’t have to worry about blocking someone’s view or having drinks poured on us. But who would have cared on another magical Capital night? Call the fire department!

Ovie and the Caps from Section 422

The greatest game! And nobody left...not even when the score was 4-1 and there were about 2 minutes left. Usually, in the last five minutes of any (not all) hockey games, the fans start streaming out, but the Caps v. the Hurricanes had the sold-out mob glued to their seats! Excitement for all. So many players scored, assisted, stopped, bumped, trunked and ground their way to a huge win!

If you think for one minute downtown Washington is only suits and black and blue clothes and conservative fashion, you have not for sure been to a Caps game where there are real macho macho men. Bravo! To think they actually exist in downtown D.C.