From the Heart

I was really excited when I received an e-mail announcement from Ted Leonsis and invitation to a 35th year celebration of the ‘78 Bullets Championship. What fond and incredible memories for me, and here was a chance to share them with all the people who were there at the time.

I can’t wait!

First of all, I am planning to wear my now famous “yellow jacket” that helped bring John Wall to the Wizards; next I am planning to tell some stories about what was going on behind the scenes, and mostly, I will just be glad to hug all the wonderful people that shared that experience with me and Abe.

We waited fourteen years for that to happen! Every team owner has the same dream but — not only does it rarely happen — it only happened once to us.  Some never experience it and some experience it a lot!

Anyway, I just want to share a couple of stories with you now; they are still funny!

So, my husband always promised me while we were toughing out each season, with all of the ups and downs, that when we won the championship, we would share this incredible event together! I would hear this at the end of every season!

Well, finally, there comes a time when our team just kept winning! With each game that we won, we couldn’t believe it! And it got to the point that we became so superstitious, we refused to discuss the games for fear that we might give us a hex.

So, finally, we are in Seattle, sitting two rows from the highest seats in the building (some team owners aren’t so classy! Even the local fans couldn’t believe that we were seated in those seats.)

Anyway, we play the game holding our breath and…bam!  We win!

Now picture the fans in the building. Thousands of people beginning to leave, and my darling husband, Abe, who was sitting on the end seat, Abe, took off like a bat out of hell down the aisle!   What he forgot was….ME! All that talk…fourteen years about sharing…. forget it! He was on his way to the locker room, without me!

I tried to follow him through the crowd.  It was difficult – but I was also determined! I fought my way down to the locker room where there was bedlam; screaming, yelling, beer, wine, whatever, getting poured over everyone,  including my husband standing the middle of the room in all his glory. He had waited fourteen years for this—-but so did I!

I was so mad at him; I could have killed him! But lucky for him, there were a lot of big guys in the room!

So, actually, there is a wonderful picture of Abe and me sitting on the plane home with the championship trophy in the middle seat between us. It took me a couple of days to forgive him but I did understand; after all, I had gone through the years as well and the journey to get there.

I know Abe’s spirit will be with us on April 5 and 6. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I am grateful to have eventually shared with it with my darling husband.

By the way, as we were getting ready to land, the pilot came up to Abe and said that we couldn’t land. Abe asked why?

The pilot said, “There are thousands of people down there.”

Abe said, “I’ve been waiting fourteen years for this moment, you land that plane!”