The DC Basketcases Rant on the Mystics 2011 Season; Unhappy about Mystics Management Structure vs. that of the Washington Wizards

I agree with many of the same points that they pointed out regarding last year’s changes, Coach Lacey’s personnel strategies midseason, and the baffling draft picks the team made, when you consider that three of the four first and second round picks the team made (or at least acquired after trade) were shown the door or were left in the doghouse all season.

A section on this calls out a potential management structure difference between the Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystics. Greg Bibb, the Mystics Chief Operating Officer, hired former GM Angela Taylor and was also her boss, at least in the beginning. After Ted Leonsis bought the remainder of the team in June 2010, Bibb was also named the Executive VP of Business Operations for the Washington Wizards and essentially has the same role as he does with the Mystics, except that Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld does NOT report to him, but Taylor, at least in the beginning did. Regardless of who the next Mystics GM is whether it’s Trudi Lacey, Taylor again, or whoever, the Basketcases are adamant that this person report directly to ownership. As they put it, "Anything less is disrespectful, and sexist."

I can’t really comment on whether or not Lacey reported to Sheila Johnson, or if Taylor reported to Johnson after June 2010. A number of Mystics fans do accuse Bibb of having to do with last year’s management changes in basketball operations, which I doubt. I can agree that the Mystics GM must report to ownership, and because the Mystics deserve to be run as fairly as the Wizards whenever possible, I say that the GM must report to Ted himself.

Please feel free to fire away at these accusations on the way the Mystics are treated vs. the Wizards. My loyalty here is tainted as a fan and ticket holder of BOTH teams.

To me, I call this a MUST READ.

8 months ago thewiz06 9 comments 1 recs |

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Absolutely a must read.

Here’s the $64,000 question. Which would be the worse outcome: to have a WNBA franchise in Washington who run a franchise very, very poorly but who have deep pockets to save them from their incompetence….or to not have a WNBA franchise at all?

I am far from excusing the Mystics management: they have no excuse, and get no free pass. Rather, it seems that Mystics fans are between Scylla and Charybdis.

by James Bowman on Sep 16, 2011 3:54 PM EDT reply actions

Nice philospohical metaphore. The thing about the Mystics and their ownership situation is that ironically enough

the Mystics are in the best possible ownership situation of all WNBA teams like New York and Connecticut. Like the Mohegan Tribe and MSG, Ted Leonsis owns the Verizon Center, and the Mystics have been assured of having all home games, regular and post season, in the phone booth. Even he was disappointed in 2009 when the Mystics were shipped off to Comcast Center. Second, the collective wealth of the ownership group of Monumental Sports is more than any other team except for the Liberty.

I have no idea why even the Basketcases don’t throw out this point. When ownership just acquired most of the value of the Verizon Center and the Wizards, any argument to cut costs merely to keep a team alive is as good as my diarrhea bouts from eating some tainted food this morning. I haven’t heard about the Wizards or Caps bleeding cash like the Kings and Pacers. If so, then yes, maybe I could have understood the moves if the NBA and NHL teams’ negative cash flow was bad AND Ted couldn’t become majority owner of the Wizards because of it. Otherwise, I just can’t buy it.

To answer your question, to me personally, I’d rather see no team in Washington than a team that’s run as badly as the Redskins. Unfortunately with the really restrictive financial rules the WNBA places, Ted or Sheila can’t just open the wallets and let it rain on the franchise, which gives the “not so rich” teams like Atlanta, Seattle, and LA a big advantage even though they don’t own arenas or facilities or anything.

by thewiz06 on Sep 16, 2011 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions