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Poutine on the Ritz: A field report from Washington D.C. and Toronto

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Poutine on the Ritz: A field report from Washington D.C. and Toronto


And we’re back! At the start of this season, I visited 23 out of the 30 major league stadiums for True Blue LA. The following is my field report from revisiting Washington, D.C., and visiting Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the first time.

Love is the death of duty

Washington, D.C. will always have a soft spot in my heart. D.C. was the place where I accepted the idea of becoming an attorney. Also, for a not-significant portion of my thirties, my final goal was to work, and ultimately, build a life, while serving my country. Needless to say, the above did not happen, but there are no regrets.

It did not happen for want of talent. In fact, even after all the networking I had done in D.C. was undone six weeks after the inauguration of 2017. I did end up getting a couple of offers to work in D.C., which I turned down for various reasons.

The primary reason was that I chose love over duty. Even though said love did not work out, I never regretted that decision to choose love — not once, not ever.

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In this spirit, it was odd to return to D.C., which has never been the warmest of cities emotionally. I could have done well there but I certainly would not be writing for True Blue LA had I chosen duty. Plus, this trip is the first one since Dad died. Such was the baggage I carried with me to the ballpark, which melted once I saw this view.

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Not a bad view to return to action with. Nationals Park. April 24, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA

It was fitting to return to the second ballpark I ever visited for which I went to the latter two games of the recent three-game series with the Washington Nationals. Nats Park has started allowing souvenir sodas to be refilled as often as possible during the game with dispensers you use yourself. This fact was also true in Toronto but you had to have someone refill your soda for you. Truly our eastern cousins have much to teach us.

An 11-2 blowout to start the season is always nice, but frankly, it’s generally not memorable, apart from hanging out with the bullpen and seeing Shohei Ohtani be Shohei Ohtani.

The most memorable moment from these games was the shock of Yoshinobu Yamamoto nearly getting his head knocked off from a comebacker. Ironically enough, the Nationals stadium decal commemorating the 2019 World Series victory exploded earlier that game when a foul ball was hit straight back. Truly, this World Series was cursed.

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In the half-inning before the comebacker, I wanted to get a snack as I am wont to do. I saw that I was near the 2019 World Series trophy. I decided to have my picture taken with it again before returning to my seat. At the literal exact moment the photo was taken, the comebacker occurred. Sometimes life comes at you fast.

I tried to track down the ball to add to my collection of “cursed” Dodger memorabilia, but unfortunately, the Nationals do not sell specific game-used balls to the public, instead employing a random grab bag element and auctioning off the choice items. C’est la vie.

Poutine on the Ritz

Going to Toronto is something that has been on my radar since the schedule was announced in August 2023. Since my international travels in 2016, I had not been outside the United States before this part of the trip.

Admittedly, Toronto is pretty nice, and had I gone to Canada first all those years ago the culture shock I experienced all those years ago would have been greatly mitigated. As it stands, I found no culture shock being in Toronto to see the Dodgers play.

Toronto is just a more liberal, more French, and more hockey-obsessed version of the United States…where the U.S. Dollar is about 40% stronger than the Canadian dollar. Finding a reasonably priced hotel near Rogers Centre was a challenge. For the life of me, I could not find one and I could not figure out why until I arrived.

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Oh — playoff hockey, the damned Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs and their almost sixty years of playoff futility were inflating hotel prices. Describing the ongoing futility of the Leafs is like describing an amalgam of the Chicago Cubs, the Dallas Cowboys, the anti-New York Yankees, and yes, our Los Angeles Dodgers. Let me put it this way, the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, Sandy Koufax was still a regular in the Dodgers’ rotation.

All of that newly acquired high-end talent ends up going absolutely AWOL when it matters most. If that last sentence about a hockey team strikes a chord, just file that thought away.

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At the time of this trip, the final outcome of the Leafs playoff series was not yet known. (Shocker, they lost.) After all, this franchise once lost to a 42-year-old Zamboni driver…who worked for them a couple of years ago, which merits its own examination but we must move on.

What do I remember about Toronto? Apart from the above, all of the poutine you can eat.

It is not a dirty word, but something regional to eat: fries, gravy, and cheese curds. I had a ridiculous amount while I was up north. The Blue Jays had a signature poutine dog, which oddly was worse than the sum of its parts.

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The Poutine Dog. Rogers Centre. April 28, 2024

The Poutine Dog. Rogers Centre. April 28, 2024
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA

What stood out in Toronto was the Blue Jays’ completely unjustified agita towards Shohei Ohtani. 29 teams were always going to be left out of the Ohtani sweepstakes. If the Toronto faithful wanted to be mad at someone, they should be angry with reporter J.P. Hoornstra for getting the reporting wrong that indicated that Ohtani would sign with Toronto.

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Needless to say, the Toronto faithful let Ohtani have it throughout the series, starting at the first at-bat. Ohtani quickly responded in kind.

And Twitter being Twitter, this juxtaposition was almost lost to time.

The main feature of Rogers Centre is arguably the Marriott hotel that can be seen overlooking the centerfield of the ballpark. One would imagine that the hotel would be connected to the ballpark; that belief is entirely incorrect as one has to leave the hotel to get to the ballpark.

As rooms go, it’s a gimmick. It’s a fun gimmick; it’s an expensive gimmick (even with the strong American dollar, it’s an expensive gimmick), but considering the humidity issues in Toronto, it was nice to duck back into the hotel halfway through the Sunday finale to have a unique view from my pseudo-skybox.

The problem with this view, apart from having maintenance workers start cleaning the ballpark at midnight and reminding yourself that everyone can literally see you, is that like sitting on the Green Monster in Fenway, you have a pretty big blind spot.

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All told, having the Dodgers win four of five was a nice change of pace from my previous adventures, which continue this July in the Motor City. See you then!





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Washington

Washington Capitals’ Alex Alexeyev pepper-sprayed by police, charged with public intoxication – WTOP News

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Washington Capitals’ Alex Alexeyev pepper-sprayed by police, charged with public intoxication – WTOP News


Alex Alexeyev of the Washington Capitals has been charged with public intoxication following a fight in Arlington, Virginia, early Saturday morning, police said. 

A Washington Capitals player has been charged with public intoxication following a fight in Arlington, Virginia, early Saturday morning, police said.

Arlington County police said Alex Alexeyev, 25, of Arlington, was arrested around 3:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard after a patrol officer deployed pepper spray on the Capitals defenseman.

Police said officers on patrol in the Clarendon area were flagged down by a witness who reported “an active fight outside a business” between Alexeyev and another person.

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A first-round pick by the Capitals in the 2018 NHL Draft, Alexeyev made his NHL debut in 2021.

Alexeyev’s contract with the Capitals expires this summer and he’s slated to become a restricted free agent, according to CBS Sports.

The Carolina Hurricanes ended the Capitals’ season last week.

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Denzel Washington snaps during heated exchange with photographer on Cannes red carpet: ‘Stop!’

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Denzel Washington snaps during heated exchange with photographer on Cannes red carpet: ‘Stop!’


Don’t mess with the Equalizer.

Denzel Washington was caught getting into a tense exchange with a photographer at France’s Cannes Film Festival on Monday, May 19.

The Oscar winner, 70, looked fired up when he approached the line of shutterbugs at the world premiere of Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” in which Washington stars.

He was talking to Lee, 68, and being approached by A$AP Rocky, 36, who also stars in the film, when one photographer decided to grab him in an attempt to get the A-lister’s attention.

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Denzel Washington (left) gets into tense exchange on the “Highest 2 Lowest” red carpet. Getty Images
The actor pointed his finger in the photographer’s face while screaming at him. Getty Images

The move appeared to set Washington off because the “Gladiator II” actor decided to confront him.

Firmly pointing his finger in the photographer’s face, the actor repeatedly screamed “stop” as he approached the man.

Ignoring Washington’s concerns by laughing in the award winner’s face, the star continued shouting at the man.

The man grabbed Washington’s arm while he was being greeted by A$AP Rocky, which appeared to set the actor off. Getty Images
The cameraman further annoyed Washington (left) by laughing in his face. Getty Images
The man also grabbed Washington (left) when the actor walked away. Getty Images

When the superstar turned around to walk away, the photographer grabbed his arm, provoking Washington to snap.

Pulling his arms from the cameraman’s grasp, Washington showed the man he meant business.

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“Stop it!” the actor shouted, with the veins popping from his neck. “Stop!”

The Post reached out to Washington’s rep for comment.

Washington (left) repeatedly screamed, “Stop!” Getty Images
The actor (right) stars as the lead in Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest.” ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Washington (left) was with A$AP Rocky just seconds before the confrontation took place. WireImage

Washington didn’t let the heated altercation keep him down, though.

He was surprised at the Cannes Film Festival with an honorary Palme d’Or honor from inside the theater before the film’s premiere.

After showing a reel of his legendary career, festival chief Thierry Frémaux addressed the crowd to give Washington the prestigious honor.

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“It’s a very special day,” he said, per Deadline. “Denzel, because you are here, we want to make something special for you … it’s a kind of way for us to tell you our adoration, what you have done in cinema. Nobody knows about that except Spike Lee, who wrote me to do that.”

Inside the screening, Washington (right) was presented with an honorary Palme d’Or. AP

Lee walked up to the stage with Washington to present the coveted award to his dear friend.

“This is my brother right here. I love him, I love him. I’m glad you’re here where all the people love you too,” Lee told him.

“This is a total surprise for me so I’m a little emotional, but from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all,” Washington said to the crowd. “It was a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again — brother from another mother, Spike.”

The honor was a surprise to Washington, who gave a speech while collecting the award. via REUTERS
“Highest 2 Lowest” cast and crew pose on the red carpet during arrivals for the film’s screening. REUTERS

“To be here once again in Cannes, you know, we’re a very privileged group in this room that we get to make movies and wear tuxedos and nice clothes and dress up and get paid for it as well,” he added, prompting laughter from his peers. “You know, we’re just blessed beyond measure, I’m blessed beyond measure, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. Thank you.”

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“Highest 2 Lowest” is a thriller and the English reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese movie “High and Low.” The latter was loosely based on the 1959 novel “King’s Ransom” by Ed McBain (real name Evan Hunter).

The movie follows David King (Washington), a successful executive who becomes an extortion victim when a kidnapper mixes up his son (Aubrey Joseph) with his driver’s kid and holds him for ransom.

Jeffrey Wright plays the chauffeur.

“Highest 2 Lowest” is scheduled to hit theaters on Aug. 22 and will be available on Apple TV+ in September.

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Kandace Washington speaks following passing of son Kyren Lacy

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Kandace Washington speaks following passing of son Kyren Lacy


BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Three weeks ago, Kandace Washington buried her eldest son LSU standout receiver Kyren Lacy who died by suicide. Sadly, this isn’t the first time Washington has experienced this type of tragedy.

Kandace Washington(WAFB)

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We sat down with Washington, who is a school counselor, to discuss how she’s using her story of strength and resilience to inspire others who may be struggling. She also explains how her voice has guided her through the darkest of times…including now.

Singing has been a saving grace for Washington. It’s how she coped with the loss of her father as a child and now her son Kyren, both dying by suicide.

“You never think that you’re going to bury your child, so in my mind I don’t think anything can get any worse and then this happened and I’m like…I don’t understand,” Washington said.

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She adds, “Growing up when I was four or five unfortunately my father committed suicide and then when I was 13 my mom passed away from ALS.”

The void left her sister to run a household of four.

“My oldest sister was in college when my mom passed away. She actually had a scholarship to sing in the choir at Southern University and she left Southern to come and raise us after all that happened. So that was pretty tough growing up without parents,” Washington explained.

Washington became a parent herself at 17…giving birth to Kyren while still in high school. Now she’s a high school counselor in Texas.

“This new normal is just a part of my calling,” Washington said.

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She plans to use her story to help her students find their way.

“We see it. A lot of students struggling with mental health. Different things that they’re going through at home. How to balance. How to juggle everything,” said Washington.

She is a counselor now offering unique insight on the subject of suicide.

“Just give them some hope, some light at the end of the tunnel. And I can share it, you know, from both perspectives you know. Because at one point it took me almost 40 years to even understand what my dad was going through because I was looking at it as, you know, you left. You didn’t think about me. You didn’t care about me. It took me over 40 years to just really have empathy and to understand that you know the weight of the world sometimes is a lot. And so now that I’m experiencing it with Karen again… I just have so much empathy. And then I’ve seen some of the things that he’s had to go thought and endure and I have a lot of empathy for my dad and Kyren.”

And she has advice for other parents.

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“I would just encourage parents to talk to their kids, and to listen. To listen and to understand,” Washington said.

She also recommends talking to your children about the dangers of social media and bullying online.

“If you’re on social media and you’re commenting negative things and when you close your phone and you close your laptop and you feel good about yourself… something is wrong,” Washington said.

Kandace Washington holds up her son's jersey.
Kandace Washington holds up her son’s jersey.(WAFB)

Washington believes her son Kyren became a target after he was arrested in January after of being accused of driving recklessly and causing a deadly accident. She says the crash and all that followed pushed things over the edge.

“People go through things. They make mistakes. They make wrong decisions. Everybody has. They only difference with my son is everybody knew who he was,” Washington says.

Washington explained she still can’t fully comprehend what her son was feeling before his death but hopes time will bring clarity and healing.

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“I believe that with time, everything will reveal itself, but right now it’s a lot of unanswered questions,” she said.

What Washington knows for certain is that her family, her faith, and her music will see her through as she returns to her job as a counselor in the fall. She hopes to preserve her son’s legacy by continuing his work to uplift the community.

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