Expansion draft

The MLS expansion draft is Wednesday and the league announced the protected players from each team. Here's who the Wizards made available:

Jose Burciaga; Eloy Colombano; Edson Elcock; AJ Godblot; Willy Guadarrama; Kevin Hartman; Aaron Hohlbein; Will John; Chris Konopka; Michael Kraus; Eric Kronberg; Amir Lowery; Ryan McMahen; Ryan Pore; Ryan Raybould; Tyson Wahl; Lance Watson.

Perhaps the biggest surprises (to me) are Hartman (probably has too big of a contract) and Colombano (thought he'd be given more time to show himself).

Here are the rules of protecting players:
** Teams may protect 11 players between their Senior and their Developmental Roster.
If the Player’s contract expires at the end of 2007, he will still be considered part of the Team’s Senior Roster.
** If a Team protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option. It may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years.
** If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Senior Roster, but his Team will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.
** Designated Players do not have to be protected unless the player has a No-Trade clause in his contract in which case the player must be protected.

Go to KansasCity.com/sports for more Wizards coverage.

New Stadium stuff

Don't know if this every made our Web site or the paper, but here are some interesting tidbits from the feasibility study done on the potential Wizards stadium at Bannister Mall:

*The average paid attendance is expected to be 13,500 for 20 Wizards games
*Average ticket price: $20
*Parking would likely be $3, but would be rolled into the ticket price -- so it'd still be free
*The stadium will have 30 luxury suites and 400 club seats, which would generate an estimated annual premium revenue of $646,000
*There would be 12 women's pro games (expected attendance: 5,000)
*Naming rights for the stadium would bring in $800,000 in 2010 and rise to $900,000 by 2014
*Concession revenue would be split 50-50 between the Wizards and the stadium owners (the city)

Jersey sponsors

End of the season, so it's time to empty the notebook a bit.

This summer, Jose Burciaga, Jr., told me that the team had seen yellow/gold jerseys that were being considered as third jerseys. Wizards VP Greg Cotton laughed that off (literally) saying there were no plans for such jerseys. But I heard this elsewhere later, and while we have no announcement on jerseys for next year, we'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be true.

Burciaga also said that Sprint was on the front of the jerseys. Hmmm. That would make perfect sense as a jersey sponsor. The team is still working on that deal, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Sprint get the nod.

Anyone else have a company they'd like to see on the Wizards' jerseys next season?

Vote Kerry

Kerry Zavagnin's awesome goal against Chivas has made the cut. It's one of the top 10 finalists for goal of the year.

Here's where you can vote:

http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/awards/2007/goal_of_the_year/