The Washington Nationals racing presidents were spotted today at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, waiting for the Capitals to finish so they could do a little presidential ice skating themselves.
The presidents were rehearsing for Sunday’s presidents race on ice during a hockey game between the New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators at New York’s Nassau Coliseum.
The Nationals have been hush-hush about the presidents practice schedule, but the Washington Post’s Mark Giannotto was at Kettler and captured the moment on his cell phone.
Washington Post photo by Mark Giannotto
Filed under: Presidents Race | Tagged: ice, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Mark Giannotto, Presidents Race on ice | Leave a Comment »
With wind chills in the single digits and a fresh blanket of snow covering DC, Washington Nationals fans proved their loyalty as they braved the ice and snow to line up for the 11:00am opening of today’s 2nd annual NatsFest at Nationals Park.
Fans got an opportunity meet many many of the team’s high-profile off-season roster acquisitions, including Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Jason Marquis, and Brian Bruney, at scheduled photo opportunities and autograph sessions. The team also had Ryan Zimmerman’s Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards on display in the Lexus Presidents Club.
Rob Dibble was the lively host of a series of Q&A sessions running all afternoon in the Red Porch restaurant and simulcast live on the HD scoreboard and on TVs throughout the ball park. The sessions featured General Manager Mike Rizzo, Manager Jim Riggleman, team president Stan Kasten, and baseball know-it-all George Will.
Dibble did a great job of driving the discussion, and set the panelists up with a few questions of his own. Rizzo, Riggleman, and Katzen offered no surprises (if you haven’t heard, they are looking for a middle infielder and don’t want to rush Stephen Strasburg, Jesus Flores, or Ian Desmond) . They received few hardball questions from the fans, who are enjoying a honeymoon with the newly-named GM and Manager, but the relative lack of surprises felt welcome when compared to previous years under Jim Bowden.
The format was a nice improvement over last year, and gave each executive a chance to focus on his area of expertise. Riggleman talked game management philosophy, and Kasten fielded a bevy of questions about marketing and broadcast deals (all but promising expanded radio reach by 2011). 
After skipping the Winter Caravan, the Nationals racing presidents made their first official team event appearance of the year, greeting guests as they entered the ball park and cavorting around the Club level through the afternoon. Teddy appeared well-rested and fully-recovered from last season’s hamstring injury, and was caught silently assuring many inquiring fans that 2010 would be his year.
Nationals fans who caught last year’s inaugural event were treated to an unusual level of access to players and management, as well as behind-the-scenes opportunities to visit the home and visitor clubhouses, batting cage, Lexus Presidents Club and more. This is a can’t-miss event for the true Nats fan.
The full schedule of events is available for download 
Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner addressed “the Teddy question” in a live chat event today hosted by MLB.com. 
Dave Matthews Band will perform at Nationals Park on July 23, as part of its tour for the its album, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King”. They are joined on the tour by Zac Brown Band.
Our favorite oversized presidents made the journey to New York last year to hold the first-ever presidents race on ice skates between periods of a New York Islanders hockey game. After posing for photos with fans before the game, they slipped and slided (and scuffled) across the ice, with predictable results.
The Islanders have invited the presidents back this year. With no game scheduled for Presidents Day, look for George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy to make their appearance the night before, at the scheduled 5:00pm game on Sunday, February 14, between the host New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators.
The Washington Nationals will once again be holding auditions on Presidents Day weekend for those who want to compete as racing presidents George, Tom, Abe, or Teddy during the 2010 season. 
The part-time, seasonal job includes not only participating in the presidents race, but also posing for photos, signing autographs, and appearing at “selected outside events.” 
If the second annual NatsFest is as good as the first, it will be a guaranteed good time for Nats fans. Expect long lines for to get autographs and take photos with Nationals players, but fans will otherwise roam freely in Nationals Park, tour the clubhouse, participate in question-and-answer sessions with the likes of Stan Kasten, Mike Rizzo, Jim Riggleman and George Will, and even take your shot in the Nationals batting cages for a $1 donation to the Nationals Dream Foundation. Nationals Season Ticket Holders will receive up to four complimentary tickets per account and additional tickets should be available soon for purchase at Nationals.com. 
If you’re out holiday shopping this weekend, the Washington Nationals want to provide you and your littlest Nats fans a little relief. 
The racing presidents will be giving Santa a run for his money this weekend as they give fans an off-season opportunity to mingle with their favorite mascots. 
