Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chair Ted Leonsis sees DC and Baltimore "growing and merging into a single 'super city' that will one day approximate the size and influence" of N.Y., L.A. and Chicago, according to a front-page piece by Jeff Barker of the Baltimore SUN. Leonsis said, "I've always felt that Baltimore and Washington were one community. ... I probably have gone to as many Ravens games as I have Redskins games." Barker noted Baltimore has "grown increasingly important in the world of Leonsis," whose Monumental Sports & Entertainment has two expansion AFL teams beginning play this season, the Baltimore Brigade and Washington Valor. Leonsis: "Baltimore is ascendant." Monumental Sports Network VP & GM Zach Leonsis said, "There's always been sort of a draw on our part to connect with the Baltimore community even though we are from Washington. The population in the region from Richmond to Baltimore is seven and a half million people. Everyone thinks that population could double. Sometimes I don't think people give (the region) the credit we deserve." Ted Leonsis said of the Brigade, "To me the worst that can happen is only 3,000 people come to a game the first year. And bloggers and some media people say, 'They're off to a slow start.' And we go, 'OK, I can live with that. So let's keep working it and marketing it and being involved in the community.'" Sources said that as MS&E "pursues Baltimore connections, its executives have met with Under Armour about a sponsorship or partnership." Meanwhile, since Jan. 1, the Capitals have averaged a 1.0 local rating in the Baltimore market on CSN Mid-Atlantic. The Wizards average a 0.7. In DC, the Capitals are averaging a 1.6 local rating, compared to a 1.1 for the Wizards (Baltimore SUN, 2/19).
