THE LUXURY BOXES
Luxury Sometimes Opens Up Pandora's Box
Corporate boxes are badges of company prestige, but they also offer a host of problems for their owners, who say that awarding them fairly and efficiently demands a rare mix of organizational and diplomatic skills.

THE CAPITALS
D.C. Joins in the Downtown Tradition

File Photo

Despite the fact that many of its players come from such Canadian outposts as Flin Flon and South Porcupine, ice hockey is very much a downtown game. With the opening of the MCI Center, the NHL finally arrived in downtown Washington after 24 years in the suburbs of Maryland.

PERSPECTIVES

At Last, Uptown Crowd For a Downtown Game At long last, Washington stepped up and acted like a real NBA town, writes The Post's Michael Wilbon.

On Opening Night, Who Could Ask for More? The seven planets were aligned correctly for MCI Center's opening, says The Post's Thomas Boswell.

Generating Excitement With the Flick of a Switch
The Wizards officially moved into the "get-geeked, amp-it-up freak show that is the NBA," writes The Post's Frank Ahrens. In terms of generating excitement, he writes, MCI Center by and large succeeds.

THE SCENE
D.C. Unveils Its Newest Monument

Rich Lipski/The Post

Before more than 20,000 fans filed into the MCI Center for the historic game between the Wizards and SuperSonics, the arena was bustling with last-minute activity, including some emotional moments for Wizards owner Abe Pollin (pictured, center). The social scene was also hopping, as Pollin hosted President Clinton in his luxury suite and hosted parties before and after the game. And, for others, the entire night was merely an opportunity to show off.

THE REACTION
From Fans and Foes Alike, MCI Gets a Thumbs-Up
Wizards fans who attended MCI Center's opening game gave the arena a thumbs-up for its look, feel and food offerings. Members of the Seattle SuperSonics, while they didn't enjoy their first night, also gave a nodding approval to the new arena.

GETTING THERE
New Arena Is a Long Journey Into the Unknown

What to Do if You Are Driving What to Do if You Are on the Metro The Arena and Its Surrounding Area So, Where Are Your Wizards Seats? So, Where Are Your Capitals Seats?

When Abe Pollin decided to move downtown, he clearly had mass transit in mind. No matter how you plan on getting to the MCI Center in the future, planners hope to avoid the nightmare that greeted the opening of Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in September. Police will be directing traffic, but Post columnist Bob Levey recommends public transportation.

THE OLD HOME
Buzzer Sounds for Wizards at Old US Airways

Bill O'Leary/The Post

The "old" Washington Bullets, including Earl Monroe (left) came to pay homage to the building they knew as the Capital Centre on Saturday. They recalled a time when the old building was state-of-the-art. Unfortunately, the Wizards could not capitalize on the emotion of the evening and lost their final game at US Airways Arena.

MAGAZINE SPECIAL
New Arena Searches for Sense of Self

Gerald Martineau/The Post

A new state-of-the-art arena filled with luxury suites awaits Wash-
ington fans. Now, it's up the players and the people who come to watch to create a sense of belonging and history at the MCI Center. The Post Magazine features this and more information on the new arena.

THE SAGA
Arena Had a Long and Winding Road to Completion

Marvin Joseph for The Post

For four years, District, Maryland and Virginia officials sought to woo Abe Pollin and his brand-new entertainment center to their environs. In the end, Washington won and the MCI Center (pictured) ended up in downtown Washington. Read four years of Washington Post coverage.

OTHER MCI-RELATED COLUMNS