Ted Leonsis 'disappointed' waiver to allow fans hasn't passed originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards have yet to allow fans into their home games at Capital One Arena this season. It doesn't look like that will change before each team's current regular season ends, either.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group for both teams, released a statement on Monday that a requested waiver to the Washington, D.C. government to allow fans into home games is still pending and that it doesn't appear there will be a resolution before both team's regular seasons end next month.
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Ted Leonsis, the CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, wrote on Twitter that he is disappointed in the city for not approving the waiver.
"All of us @MSE are disappointed with the city’s failure to grant our waiver allowing fans to attend @Capitals & @WashWizards games this season," Leonsis wrote. "Our staff have worked tirelessly putting in place numerous infrastructure upgrades & health and safety protocols to protect fans & staff."
Leonsis' comment comes just one day before the Washington Nationals will allow 5,000 fans to attend the club's first home game on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. The city's MLS team, D.C. United, will allow 2,000 fans at Audi Field.
The Wizards are one of eight NBA teams that have yet to allow fans into their arena, but at least two of those teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, will start allowing fans to attend later this month. Two other teams, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, are allowed to have fans attend based on Governor Gavin Newsom's announcement last Friday, but have yet to announce what date that will begin.
The Capitals are one of two American-based NHL teams that have not allowed fans -- the Chicago Blackhawks are the other -- but all seven teams located in Canada are not permitted to allow fans at all, either.
