After four years covering the Wizards while serving as a full-time Penn State student, I’m excited to announce my latest endeavor. I’m launching a Substack for full-time, on-site Wizards coverage.
It’s a dream job for me, and one I don’t take lightly.
I grew up a die-hard Wizards fan. I witnessed the 2010 lottery that netted John Wall. I watched Bradley Beal blossom into an All-Star. I screamed when Paul Pierce called game. I took pictures with Isaiah Thomas, Tomas Satoransky and Davis Bertans. Kelly Oubre Jr. gave me his warm-up shirt when the Wizards visited Philly in 2017.
In the same light, I cried when Kelly Olynyk ended the Wizards’ playoff run in 2017. I sat speachless as the Wizards unfathomably blew a 35-point lead against the Clippers. I witnessed Tommy Sheppard hand Beal one of the league’s worst contracts before Will Dawkins somehow got off that deal for great value.
Bottom line: This team is my life. Just ask my friends, who rolled their eyes when I declined their invite to the bar because the 16-55 Wizards were playing the 21-51 Jazz in a tanking battle for the ages.
That’s the dedication I’ll provide you as a subscriber to Wizards Central.
Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t provide objective coverage. If you’ve followed me for the last four years, you know I tell it like it is. That will only continue this season.
This site will serve as a one-stop shop for all things Washington Wizards.
Ever wondered what the Wizards’ salary cap sheet looks like? Confused about which picks the Wizards own and the complicated protections that follow?
The “Front Office” tab answers all those questions with easy-to-understand graphics and descriptions of Washington’s roster, cap sheet and future draft picks.
https://wizardscentral.com/s/front-office
Every episode of The Wizards Podcast, which is recorded after every game in addition to bonus episodes covering breaking news, opinionated rants and more, is available on the site.
Want to discuss the game live with fellow Wizards fans? Use the chat feature under game threads and all other posts to connect with those who share the same passion for their favorite NBA team.
What monthly/yearly subscribers will get access to:
In-person coverage of all 41 home games and at least half of the team’s road games. Every game will be covered, whether on site (majority of games) or remote
Game threads with notes from Brian Keefe’s pregame availability, injury updates and more
Game stories from the arena immediately following the final buzzer
The next morning: Additional game stories with quotes from Keefe, Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa and other Wizards players based on that night’s events
Practice coverage — quotes from post-practice media sessions, shootaround observations and more
Breaking news coverage — Injury updates, trades, signings
Feature stories — long-form articles about all of your favorite Wizards players
Access to every episode of The Wizards Podcast
And so much more
Subscriptions start at $6.99/month or $69.99/year. Yearly subscriptions save you 17%, so if you plan on being here for more than a year, I’d recommend that option.
I estimate subscribers will get access to 40 articles per month, which comes out to 17 cents per article for monthly subscribers.
The appeal of becoming a founding member
As you know, travel is expensive. Especially for independent journalists like myself.
I’m using my own money to travel to at least half of the Wizards’ road games this season. Funds from founding members will help build my travel budget so I can get to as many road games as possible to provide subscribers with the best possible coverage.
To conclude
I’ve covered this team for the last four years while juggling life as a full-time student at Penn State.
Last year, I live-tweeted through all 82 games, recorded 131 episodes of The Wizards Podcast, wrote hundreds of articles for BulletsForever.com and provided updates on injuries, trade news and more. All while completing my bachelor’s degree at Penn State, completing an internship covering Penn State football for the Philadelphia Inquirer and covering Penn State’s men’s hockey for The Daily Collegian.
If you thought my coverage was dedicated before, just imagine how in-depth it will be now that my schedule is clear.
Thank you for your support over the last four years. I hope you’ll join me for this journey!