Bodley Blow

Our old friend Hal Bodley of USA Today (the official rag of the Loudoun Cabal) was at it again today.  I have proven conclusively that Bodley is biased toward NoVa, ignorant, or both, but, in the absence of news, it can't hurt to revisit some old themes.

Professor Bodley held a chat this afternoon, and here are a couple of the bits that pertain to us, repeated out of order for dramatic effect:

StevenJB Olney, MD: Thank you for taking my question, Hal. I'm starting to worry that Washington's inability to enact stadium financing is really an indicator that they are bluffing MLB and that they don't have the financial wherewithal to finance 100% of the cost of a stadium in DC. Do you feel the same way?

Hal Bodley: I think the relocation committee believes the financing in Washington is sound. I might be wrong, but that's what I'm hearing. In fact, the committee is split on whether the site should be downtown or at Dulles.

If even Hammerin' Hal is admitting that DC's finances are good, we must be in fine shape.  Particularly if there's any truth to that Post story saying that the Loudounites are, in the words of Redman, Champagne hos with Kool-Aid money.

Arlington, VA: How strong a case do you think D.C. baseball needs to make to convince owners that it is in MLB's best interest to award the Expos to them? It seems to me that a D.C. team would make more money than a Loudoun County team since it would be accessible to many more people. Do you expect the owners to be convinced that outweighs the concerns of Angelos?

Hal Bodley: No. My guess is Loudoun County is No. 1 on the list because putting the Expos there is a compromise for Angelos. Like it or not, Commissioner Bud Selig doesn't want to get into a battle with Angelos. Selig has a lot of problems with weakening the Orioles by putting a team in Washington. Believe it or not, that's the way he feels. He'll probably try to convince Angelos the site near Dulles is far enough away. But, as we know, the Expos will have to play in RFK for three years.....

Here we go again.  Look, Peter Angelos has not been reticent in this matter.  He's had ample opportunity to beg Selig in public to put the Expos in NoVa, and there's no reason to think he wouldn't; he's not exactly known for keeping his mouth shut.  To my knowledge, Angelos has never drawn any distinction between the goal of the Washington Baseball Club and that of the Evil Virginia Baseball Club.  Both cost him his massive broadcasting monopoly, worth far more money than the fans he gets to drive to Balitmore to watch the O's lose.  In fact, Angelos DID come out in favor of a bid: San Juan's.  But the Loudounites are so desperate for some advantage over DC that they're clinging to the non-existent whim of the Baltimore Rat-Creature.  Good luck with that, fellas.