Washington
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oh — playoff hockey, the damned Toronto Maple Leafs.
I saw the crowd and investigated. Playoff hockey…was not on the agenda tonight.
And lo and behold, when the Spring comes, that’s when the Leafs are out. pic.twitter.com/y7bM0LPNCb
— Michael Elizondo (@elidelajandro) April 28, 2024
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.
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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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.
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.
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!
Crews are on the scene of a serious crash on I-95 South in Stafford, Virginia.
Virginia State Police confirmed the crash was fatal but has not yet confirmed how many fatalities there were.
All southbound lanes are closed at mile marker 146.
Traffic is being diverted to Route 1 at exit 148.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 and nbcwashington.com for updates.
Washington
Sounders FC, Starbucks and Washington Youth Soccer launch Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass to celebrate the next generation of soccer across the Evergreen State | Seattle Sounders
RENTON, WASH. – Sounders FC, in partnership with Starbucks and Washington Youth Soccer, today announced the launch of the Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass, a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative designed to inspire the next generation of young athletes across the Evergreen State. As the sport reaches a defining moment across North America, the Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass invites every registered Washington Youth Soccer athlete aged 18 and under to receive a complimentary ticket to select home matches this season, connecting young players and their families across Washington to the heart of Sounders FC matchdays and Pacific Northwest soccer culture.
More than a ticket initiative, the Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass is rooted in a shared belief that soccer belongs to everyone who plays it. With over 90,000 registered Washington Youth Soccer athletes eligible for the program – which includes access to additional discounted tickets for friends and family members – the Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass celebrates those that continue to shape the sport’s strong foundation across the state. Coming at a significant moment for soccer in the region, with Seattle hosting six matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ this summer, Sounders FC and its partners are joining together to invest in the players, families, clubs and communities that fuel the game year-round.
“The Washington Youth Soccer Match Pass is about recognizing that every young player across Washington is already part of the story of this club,” said Sounders FC President of Business Operations Hugh Weber. “The Sounders are not just Seattle’s club – it’s Washington’s soccer club. Many of the players who wear our crest today, including Jordan Morris, Paul Rothrock and Jackson Ragen, grew up playing in Washington Youth Soccer. Their journeys are proof that the connection between local soccer communities and Sounders FC is real, lasting and deeply rooted.”
The program is available for the Rave Green’s final 12 MLS regular-season and Leagues Cup home matches of the 2026 campaign, beginning with Seattle’s first contest after the 2026 FIFA World Cup break against archrival Portland Timbers on Thursday, July 16 (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, FS1, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM). Eligible Washington Youth Soccer athletes can access the offer through a **dedicated online portal** using their WYS Player ID.
With Seattle as its hometown, Starbucks is deeply rooted in communities across Washington and beyond. Starbucks serves as the initiative’s founding partner to make professional soccer more accessible for families throughout the season. A longtime Sounders FC partner, Starbucks joins the club in its commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for youth athletes and their families across Washington, reinforcing shared values of community, connection and access to the game.
“We are proud to partner with Sounders FC and Washington Youth Soccer to expand our support for youth soccer across our hometown of Seattle and communities across Washington,” said Starbucks Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Erin Silvoy. “At Starbucks, we believe sports are a powerful force for connection, that brings people together through shared rituals and moments of joy. By helping more youth experience soccer first-hand, we hope to inspire the next generation while supporting the athletes, coaches and families who make our communities stronger.”
Founded in 1961, Washington Youth Soccer is one of the region’s leading youth sports organizations, helping shape generations of players and families through recreational and competitive opportunities across the state for more than 60 years. Affiliated with U.S. Youth Soccer, U.S. Soccer and FIFA, Washington Youth Soccer works alongside nearly 200 member clubs and local associations to help grow and strengthen the game at every level, creating accessible pathways and enriching experiences for youth athletes and their families throughout Washington.
”We see this partnership as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of youth soccer players,” said Washington Youth Soccer Executive Director Roger Levesque. “There is something unique about attending a Sounders match at Lumen Field – the sights, sounds and world-class soccer all contribute to a goose bump-inducing experience. But the true inspiration comes from living the highs and lows of a match together, alongside family, friends and thousands of fans, who for 90 minutes, are all on the same team. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Sounders FC and Starbucks to bring this experience and the joy of soccer to the Washington Youth Soccer community.”
MLS is currently amid an extended break from play for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, with Seattle returning to action on Thursday, July 16 against the Portland Timbers on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).
ABOUT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Born in 1974 and a member of Major League Soccer since 2009, Seattle Sounders FC is one of North America’s leading professional soccer organizations. The club has captured nine major trophies since its inaugural MLS season, and following its Leagues Cup victory in 2025, Seattle became the first team in U.S. soccer history to win every major competition (Concacaf Champions Cup, MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup). Since the club’s MLS debut, Sounders fans have set the standard for soccer support in North America, leading the league in attendance for eight-consecutive seasons (2009-2016), routinely ranking in the global top 30 among all professional clubs and never finishing outside of MLS’ top three.
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to responsibly sourcing and roasting hi-quality arabica coffee. Today, with a global footprint of more than 41,000 company-operated and licensed coffeehouses and a growing presence in consumer-packaged goods, we are the world’s premier purveyor of specialty coffee. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at about.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com.
ABOUT WASHINGTON YOUTH SOCCER
Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) is the largest youth sports organization in Washington State, serving more than 90,000 players through a network of over 200 member associations and clubs statewide. WYS is committed to fostering the physical, mental, and emotional growth of youth through the game of soccer by creating opportunities for players of all backgrounds and ability levels to learn, compete, and thrive. Through leagues, tournaments, player development programs, coaching education, community partnerships, and initiatives supported by the Washington Youth Soccer Foundation, WYS works to grow the game and create meaningful experiences for young athletes across Washington.
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