Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has weighed in on the great debate about whether Verizon Center or Nassau Coliseum is a louder playoff venue. In no surprise, Leonsis sided with the D.C. crowd, vowing in a Monday blog post that Verizon Center “will be louder.”
Leonsis also says the Capitals’ home crowd will be “well behaved and classy,” a response to the reports that a group of Capitals fans who attended Sunday’s Game 3 on Long Island were subjected to racist and homophobic taunts, as well as threats of physical violence.
Leonsis suggests that the group he was with on Sunday experienced some level of harassment firsthand:
Our ownership group had a “moment” at the game too; nothing too dramatic, and Islander’s security for our group was well handled and did a great job in helping us get to and from the arena.
The Capitals and Wizards are both on the road tomorrow, with the Wizards and Raptors tipping off 30 minutes after the puck drops on Long Island. Leonsis previously indicated that his family would split up, with “some members attending one game and the others going to the second venue” under such a scenario.
The series returns to Verizon Center for Game 5 on Thursday and Leonsis is confident Capitals fans will “take the high road.”
“But also know we shall be louder,” he writes.
We shall see.