This isn't a game of 20 questions. It is a game of one question repeated 20 times. What have the Wizards done to engender so much malice, so much disgust, so much loathing on the road?
Maybe those are harsh terms. Maybe there's no hostility at all. Maybe it's love of the home team or simply wanting to be loved. Or maybe it's just a young group that feels more comfortable in the friendly confines of Verizon Center. In any case, the away-court disadvantage proved too much to overcome for the 20th time in 20 games this season Wednesday night, a 100-87 loss to a Bucks team missing three starters.
This 0-20 vision of animus comes via Sports Illustrated, which printed an excerpt of "The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won" by Tobias J. Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim last week. The article breaks down home-field advantage statistically, disposing of some myths and proposing that officials' bias -- almost always unintentionally -- "is the most significant contributor." The authors point to differences in stoppage time, balls and strikes, instant replay challenges and fouls/penalties/cards as evidence.
Based on that, it's arguable the Wizards are getting less benefit of the doubt than any team in the NBA.
So this isn't a game of 20 answers. It is a question that just needs to be answered once (OK, more than once). Why all the hate?
1. "Dougie" backlash » More than understandable. Once Lions quarterback Drew Stanton desecrated it on TV, the Dougie was no longer fresh.
2. Andray Blatche » Ah, reason No. 2. Blatche won't cop to what he did to deserve the present Gilbert Arenas left in his shoe, but he obviously did something to solicit it (such as wanting both instead of picking one).
3. Weapons » All the refs are for stronger gun laws. Dang liberals. (Legal disclaimer: The two previous words were for humor purposes only. The views expressed in those words do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the author of this article.)
4. Soulja Boy » Yes, the main protagonist is elsewhere, still not feeling his face. But any association with this guy past or present surely brings a bad rap.