1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 2: Hi everyone, welcome back to the Deal. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 3: I'm Jason Kelly alongside Alex Rodriguez, who's about. 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 2: To get a little bit older. 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 3: He's on vacation, about to celebrate and join the fifty Club, 6 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 3: the five Handle. I welcome you prematurely to this club, Alex. 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: Hope you're enjoying your vacation. And wow, big birthday. 8 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: Not quite the fifty fifty club, just the fifty club, 9 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: just the fifty club. And I'm very depressed, are you? No? 10 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: Come on, look what you've done in your first half century. 11 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: I am Jason because you know, guys like you and 12 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: I we've always been like the young guys in the 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: group with older friends, and now we're like getting to 14 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: that point where we're now the senior guys in the room. 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: Pretty depressing. 16 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 3: You're right, you're right, but you got to lean into it. 17 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 3: You got to lean into your wisdom. But in the meantime, 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 3: we've got a great interview with Muriel Bowser. She's the 19 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 3: mayor of d C, the first mayor we've had on 20 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 3: the show, and man, she's a deal maker obviously. 21 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: And a big one. That is I mean, this is 22 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: as big, if not one of the biggest for sure 23 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: projects at Josh Harris at spearheading with the football club there, 24 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: and I'm really excited to hear the process. How to go? 25 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: How difficult was it? 26 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 3: Yeah, So what's so interesting about her is, you know, 27 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 3: this is a mayor who in the span of less 28 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 3: than two years has brought the Commanders, Josh Harris's football 29 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 3: Club and the NFL Juggernaut back to the District of 30 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 3: Columbia on the old site of the RFK Stadium, and 31 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 3: at the same time kept ted Leonsis and his Washington Wizards, 32 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 3: Washington Wizards, the Washington Mystics, and the Washington Capitals. They're 33 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 3: in the nation's capital. I should also mention that is 34 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 3: where the at one point great Georgetown Hoyas play also 35 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 3: played basketball. They're in downtown d C. But she was 36 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 3: the one who really brought it all together. And I 37 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 3: mean you know this from you know, having lived and 38 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: worked in New York, Miami. You know now in Minnesota 39 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 3: and the Twin Cities, you got to have the public 40 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: officials on your side, and when you do, they can 41 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 3: be very powerful forces, especially in the world of sports. 42 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, you got to give her a lot of credit 43 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: because it's not one of the most popular things as 44 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: a political person to do these days, right, to take 45 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: public money and use it for you know, these private businesses. 46 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: But I think you got to give her credit because 47 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: she recognize how important sports is, how it brings people together, 48 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: how it's good for people's morale, self esteem. And look, 49 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: when the Commanders win, there's no denying it. People go 50 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: to work on Monday with a you know, hop on 51 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: their step, and when they lose, the opposite is true. 52 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: So to keep both those big conglomerates in that community, 53 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: big congrats to. 54 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 3: Her, well, Alex you and I know never easy to 55 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 3: do deals with the likes of Time Leonsis and Josh Harris, 56 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 3: and these deals never really stop. With the drama on 57 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 3: the sidelines. In the time since we recorded this interview 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 3: with Mayor Muriel Bowser, a reminder also that she is 59 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,839 Speaker 3: in the nation's capital and has the attention of none 60 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 3: other than the President of the United States, President Trump, 61 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 3: taking to social media calling for a name change of 62 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 3: Washington's football team and making that a condition of this 63 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 3: deal going through. Mayor Bowser, in a press conference said, 64 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 3: nothing like that is going to stop or delay this 65 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 3: stadium deal from getting done and that it all really 66 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 3: rests with the DC City. 67 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: Council coming up. Mayor Muriel Bowser here on the deal. 68 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 3: Welcome back to the deal. I'm Jason Kelly alongside Alex Rodriguez. 69 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: Thrilled to have with us the mayor of Washington, d C. 70 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 3: Mayor Muriel Bowser, Mayor. So good to see him. 71 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 4: Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me. 72 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 3: Well, it's so interesting to us because obviously we talk 73 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: a lot about deals, we talk a lot about sports. 74 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 3: It feels like you've probably done more sports deals than 75 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: any mayor that we know about. 76 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 2: How did that come about? How did you become the 77 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: mayor of sports? 78 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,679 Speaker 4: Well, we have been investing in sports and DC for 79 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 4: a long time. We see the transformative effect that it 80 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 4: has not just on the kind of the civic spirit, 81 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 4: but on dollars and cents in the nation's capital. And 82 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 4: so I've had the great opportunity to be mayor of 83 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 4: my hometown for ten years, and we've had some great opportunities, 84 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 4: from building a practice facility for the MBA, to a 85 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 4: stadium for the MLS soccer, to saving our teams in 86 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 4: downtown and now bringing out team home, and I can't 87 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 4: leave out baseball. During my tenure, we've also you know, 88 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 4: we won a World Series and hosted an All Star Game, 89 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 4: so we've had a lot happening. We are always happy 90 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 4: to welcome the world to DC so that you can 91 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 4: see we're more than monuments in the White House and Capitol, 92 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 4: but real people live here and we know have a 93 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 4: good time. 94 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: You know, you mentioned that it's your hometown, Mayor, So 95 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 3: what was your relationship with sports growing up? Were you 96 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 3: a sports fan? Was it a sports household that you 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,119 Speaker 3: grew up in. What did you think about the teams 98 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 3: as a kid? 99 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 4: I mean, I think that we were fans. And keep 100 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 4: in mind, and this may be interesting to you, Alex, 101 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 4: I grew up in a DC that did not have 102 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 4: a professional baseball team, and I grew up with a 103 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 4: dad who loved baseball because he grew up with baseball 104 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 4: in Washington, d C. So we were always fans of 105 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 4: all the sports. I'm one of five kids. We always 106 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 4: played sports for fun and sportsmanship and fitness and all 107 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 4: that good stuff. And we went to games occasionally, but 108 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 4: we watched games a lot. 109 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: So Mayor take us back to like when you were 110 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: a teenager, Did you ever dream that you would be 111 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: in such a powerful position to make an impact on 112 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: so many Americans. 113 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 4: Well, I knew, Alex that I loved DC and I 114 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 4: love politics. We have an elected position here that is 115 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 4: a volunteer position called Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. And we're unique, 116 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 4: of course in the American system, where you know, we 117 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 4: pay taxes, but we don't have senators and we don't 118 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 4: have a voting representative in the Congress. So every elected 119 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 4: office in DC like takes on even more importance, even 120 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 4: the voluntary ones like ANC commissioner. And my dad was 121 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 4: one of the first A and C commissioners. So I 122 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 4: grew up just really loving the city and seeing how 123 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 4: activism can change lives. And so I think I went 124 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 4: all the way through college not really knowing exactly what 125 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 4: I would do, but I knew I wanted to work 126 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 4: in DC change neighborhoods, help people, and I found out 127 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 4: quickly the fastest way to do that was getting myself elected. 128 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so interesting to think about Washington Mayor. I 129 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 3: had the good fortune of living there twice. One when 130 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 3: I was born and I was born at Walter Reed 131 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 3: Hospital when my dad was serving in the military, and 132 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 3: then I went to Georgetown and I learned what an 133 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 3: anc you know, commissioner was. Because you know Georgetown, you're 134 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 3: kind of invested in the politics of sure world, but 135 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 3: also the politics of the city. One of the things 136 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: that's so fascinating, and it takes us right into the 137 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 3: sports of it all, is the nature of the governance, 138 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 3: which you talked about, but also the proximity to you know, 139 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 3: two other states, where as you've seen in your lifetime, 140 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 3: as we've all seen, teams can just go and play there. 141 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 3: They don't have to go very far to still be 142 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 3: in the area, which certainly was the case, you know, 143 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 3: with the Commander. So let's talk about that deal. Josh 144 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 3: Harris has been a guest on the show. David Blitzer 145 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 3: has been a guest Magic Johnson, So we've talked a 146 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 3: lot about the Commanders because it was such a seminole 147 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 3: deal in the transition from Dan Snyder to Josh Harrison 148 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 3: in his group. But this moment where they are moving 149 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 3: back to you know what I think Josh and you 150 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 3: and others have called the spiritual home of this team 151 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 3: is a big deal. Tell us the genesis of that 152 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 3: from your perspective, because it was always on people's minds, 153 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 3: But what was the moment where you thought, Okay, this 154 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 3: could actually happen. 155 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 4: I've always believed it was gonna happen, Jason. I was 156 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 4: sworn in as mayor in January of twenty fifteen, and 157 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 4: I believed from that day until now that it will happen. 158 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 4: We have the best site, and we had to work 159 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 4: hard until all of the conditions were right, the ownership conditions, 160 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 4: the political conditions, and our ability to advance a great 161 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 4: deal that DC residents believed was a great deal. And 162 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 4: so I do think Josh's ownership in his approach, has 163 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 4: been the right one. Dan Snyder had really soured on 164 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 4: the people of the district and vice versa, and having 165 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 4: a Josh come in to change the culture, invest in 166 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 4: the team, and restart his relationship with Washington d C 167 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 4: has been a great deal. I also have been very 168 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 4: encouraged by the type of business person he is and 169 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 4: the type of person that he is. So I trusted 170 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 4: when we sat across the table from each other and 171 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 4: we agreed to roughly what a timeline needed to be 172 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 4: for the team and for the city. I thought, if 173 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 4: we could deliver in that timeline, then we would come 174 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 4: to terms and that's where we are today. 175 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: Tell us about that first meeting with Josh. Did you 176 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 3: know him before? I mean, you know, like you he 177 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 3: grew up in the area. Was he on your radar 178 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 3: or was it just sort of an outreach that he said, Hey, 179 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 3: can I come see you and talk about this? 180 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 2: Like, yeah, how does that happen? 181 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 4: I didn't know Josh, but he had brought together a 182 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 4: couple of local folks who I do know very well, 183 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 4: in Mark I and the Rails family. Mitch Rails has 184 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 4: headquartered his very large company in DC for a long time, 185 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,319 Speaker 4: and so I knew that relationship. And I think one 186 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 4: of the first meetings that they had in DC after 187 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 4: they secured the ownership was with us, and it was 188 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 4: with us in city Hall, and so I believe from 189 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 4: that point on that we would have a shot. Now 190 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 4: here was our problem. Our problem was we didn't control 191 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 4: the land at RFK for decades that has been controlled 192 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 4: by the National Park Service, which is part of the 193 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 4: Department of the Interior. We had a long term lease, 194 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 4: but that lease restricted us from a multi use development 195 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 4: and the lease was ending, and like now I'm going 196 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 4: to forget I think twenty thirty two. And so we 197 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 4: as a city, you know how these things work. If 198 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 4: it takes city investment where we have to bond out 199 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 4: or we have to build infrastructure, we need at least 200 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 4: thirty years on a lease to do that. And for 201 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 4: me to be able to feel really good about the development, 202 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 4: it had to be more than football. And it's one 203 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 4: hundred and eighty acres there, so you are familiar with 204 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 4: Walt to Read. Walt to Read is one hundred and 205 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 4: twenty acres and this one is on the banks of 206 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 4: the Anacostia River. When you look west, you see the 207 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 4: Capitol and the Washington Monument, so it's on the monumental 208 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 4: access this unprecedented location, and it also has the benefit 209 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 4: of having operated as a football stadium, and so we 210 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 4: know a lot of the issues that have played their 211 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 4: current stadium in terms of the fan experience and getting 212 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 4: there and getting in and out, we'll be able to 213 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 4: deal with. 214 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: So, Mary, you mentioned that Josh and his group did 215 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: some things very well. What were some of those things 216 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: as far as whether it's attitude or the way he 217 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: came at it from maybe a gracious way one, and 218 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: then two. What's been the hardest and the easiest part 219 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: of getting some of these things through past some of 220 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: your partners in DC. 221 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 4: Yeah. I think I kind of define integrity as doing 222 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 4: what you say you're going to do, and that has 223 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 4: been my experience with Josh. If he says he's gonna 224 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 4: meet with us, he meets with us. If he says 225 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 4: like this is our timeline, that has been the timeline. 226 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 4: It hasn't waivered, it hasn't gone back and forth. He 227 00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 4: hasn't tried to play the jurisdictions against each other. I 228 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 4: think he's been pretty straight up and saying, like, we 229 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 4: believe this is where we're supposed to be. It's not 230 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 4: that we don't love Maryland, it's not like we don't 231 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 4: love Virginia. But I don't want to play you against 232 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 4: each other. We're going to take our shot with the district. 233 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 4: And the term that I use is when they were 234 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 4: ready to throw down with us, we were ready to 235 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 4: throw down with them. But we are all grown ups 236 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 4: and we know that we have to put together a 237 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 4: great deal, a business deal that he has to be 238 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 4: able to deliver to his ownership group, and a deal 239 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 4: on our side that I have to be able to 240 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 4: deliver to the DC Council and DC voters, and that's 241 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 4: where we are. So I think that's what he's done well. 242 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 4: He's kept his word and he's been an honest broker 243 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 4: among all parties. The tough parts, I think we anticipate. 244 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 4: We had to wrestle the land from the Congress, and 245 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 4: we jump through a lot of hoops to do that, 246 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 4: and that's harder for us, quite frankly, because we don't 247 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 4: have two senators and we're talking about getting something from 248 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 4: another state that does have two senators. So that's been hard. 249 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 4: But even then, we have great relationships with our counterparts 250 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 4: in Maryland and Virginia. I've worked very hard to make 251 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 4: this a win win for them and for us, and 252 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 4: I think we're getting there. The last parts are the 253 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 4: politics related to investing in sports stadium, which nobody is 254 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 4: surprised by. What we needed to do was put together 255 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 4: a great deal, and when we stack our deal up 256 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 4: against stadium deals across the country, we have contributed less 257 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 4: than any other jurisdiction other than the kind of the 258 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 4: outlier that was one hundred percent funded out in Los Angeles. 259 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 4: Even when we look at the deals within the district. 260 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 4: This one compares very favorably, and that's part. For example, 261 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 4: where the Washington Nationals play. People forget this, but back 262 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 4: in two thousand and eight or so, that stadium was 263 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 4: comple letely funded by taxpayers at six hundred million dollars 264 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 4: in today's dollars, that will be over a billion dollars. 265 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 4: This deal, the city will only contribute towards the horizontal 266 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 4: infrastructure under the stadium, another two hundred million for infrastructure 267 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 4: on the campus, and another one eighty five plus one 268 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 4: seventy five three hundred and fifty six I think in 269 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 4: parking garages, so just under a billion dollars. And we 270 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 4: also want to build a local sportsplex for our kids. 271 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 4: That gets us to one point one billion. So when 272 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 4: you talk about all of the stadium deals across the country, 273 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 4: we know ours is a good one. 274 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 2: And so Mayor Bowser. 275 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 3: I mean, as you said, you anticipated some of the 276 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 3: political wrangling and back and forth it's been happening, especially 277 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 3: the DC City Council. I know enough to be dangerous 278 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 3: from having lived around there that you know nothing's ever easy, 279 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 3: you know, getting done in the district. You know that 280 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 3: better than anyone has. The opposition though, or the questions 281 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 3: been more than you anticipated. And is it to the 282 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 3: point where you feel like things are in jeopardy or 283 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 3: you worried at this moment. I know there are a 284 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 3: lot of moving parts as we speak. 285 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 4: Well, the biggest support I think that we needed to 286 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 4: win was in the public and we have managed to 287 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 4: do that. DC residents support us contributing to building a 288 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 4: new stadium with a mix of uses, housing and recreation 289 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 4: and parks at RFK Stadium. The fans support it, like 290 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:51,359 Speaker 4: in Maryland and Virginia as well having the stadium located 291 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 4: at RFK, and I believe the vote at the Council 292 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 4: will be ten to two or eleven to two in 293 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 4: the final analysis. Where I'm a bit frustrated is the urgency. 294 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 4: I think that the council is lacking because in my world, 295 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 4: things change fast, especially now. Context changes, people change, world 296 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 4: events happen that can affect deals going through. I told 297 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 4: a group of folks recently, and this is how I 298 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 4: live my life. Sometimes there are windows of opportunity that open. 299 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,640 Speaker 4: You never know when they're going to close, So while 300 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 4: they're wide open, you better get through that window, or 301 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:38,159 Speaker 4: else that opportunity could close on you, and that's I 302 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 4: believe where we are. I negotiated a great deal that 303 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 4: allowed us a period of exclusivity through July fifteenth. And 304 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 4: I am particularly sensitive to periods of exclusivity because I 305 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 4: won back our teams during a time when they thought 306 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 4: they were going to place else and I'm talking about 307 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 4: the Wizards and the Capitals now. But because I believe 308 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 4: that that deal was tenuous, I didn't think it was 309 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 4: right for the teams. I knew it wasn't right for 310 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 4: the city. I refused to stop talking to our owners 311 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 4: or just refused so they didn't have a period of exclusivity. 312 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 4: And so in that time, we want our teams back. 313 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 4: So I know how important it is when team ownership 314 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 4: is only talking to you, and I know how perilous 315 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 4: it can be when other offers are you know, are 316 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 4: thrown at them. 317 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: So Mayor you mentioned another giant in the world of business, 318 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: and Ted Leons's yeah, obviously he owns the three teams, 319 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: the Mystics, the Capital and the Wizards. How would you 320 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: describe either both superpowers or how is their approach different 321 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: the way they went about building new arenas. 322 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 4: I think Ted has been like an amazing part of 323 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 4: the DC business can unity, and I think he didn't 324 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 4: make a great decision. That's how I've kind of approached it, 325 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 4: and it was my job to convince him of that, 326 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 4: and more than that, to make him a part of 327 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 4: something bigger, which was how we described it as the 328 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 4: DC comeback. Post COVID, Downtown d C kind of suffered. 329 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 4: It was the remote work phenomenon where so many people 330 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 4: were working at home. We saw our streets a little 331 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 4: bit emptier, our restaurants suffered a bit, and Monumental Sports 332 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 4: was at the heart of downtown. It didn't suffer. In fact, 333 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 4: it got bigger in the post pandemic years, more shows, 334 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 4: more people, more nights occupied, and so we knew what 335 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 4: Monumental could continue to be for DC. We also listened 336 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 4: intently at what they wanted to achieve in a renovation 337 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 4: and what they could get if they moved and they 338 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 4: had a clean slate and they could build from scratch. 339 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 4: It was our challenge to give them all of those 340 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 4: the space, the fan experience while building in place, and 341 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 4: I think we were able to achieve that. 342 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 3: And so Mayor Bastar, I would love to hear more 343 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 3: about that comeback because it was I mean that, you know, 344 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: watching it from from a distance, I mean, it was 345 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 3: quite a turn of events, you know, you had. I 346 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 3: mean there was literally a press conference with ted Leonsis 347 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 3: and you know, Governor Youngkin, et cetera. This was all 348 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 3: in motion. It felt for those of us who were 349 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 3: on the outside, like a done deal. Ted Leonsis obviously 350 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 3: was well known to you. I mean, do you just 351 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 3: call them up and basically say, as my seven year 352 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 3: old daughter says, bro, are you kidding me right now? 353 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: Like what do you say? Oh? 354 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 4: There were a long series of conversations. Probably the one 355 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 4: that will be remembered is maybe the day or two 356 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 4: before they had that press conference where they met with 357 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 4: me and other city leadership to kind of talk through 358 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 4: their decision. Even in that discussion, it was kind of 359 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 4: clear to me that it was a torture decision for him. 360 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 4: But the thing that will always ring true was that 361 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 4: he said to me then or soon thereafter, I haven't 362 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 4: signed anything, and I thought, ding ding ding, this is 363 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 4: not done. And then I thought to myself, then what 364 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 4: are you talking about? And so in another longer format, 365 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 4: like we can kind of talk through the psychology of that. 366 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 4: But I always believed that until it was over, it 367 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 4: wasn't over. But even more and this probably resonates with 368 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 4: both of you, is that DC residents were quite upset 369 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 4: about it. You are sad, really upset, sad, disappointed all 370 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 4: of the things. And so it was clear that I 371 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 4: have as mayor to put us in a place to 372 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 4: be ready if the team stayed, but also to be 373 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 4: ready if they went. And we put together a great 374 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 4: team of developers, architects, landscape artists, retail experts, just housing experts, 375 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 4: a great team of folks, and we called it the 376 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 4: Gallery Place Task Force. It was led by two female 377 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 4: developers in DC that had very successfully turned underutilized places 378 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 4: into amazing new neighborhoods. And they just did a great 379 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 4: job of showing us what our future could be at 380 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 4: Gallery Place in the heart of downtown if we didn't 381 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 4: have the stadium there. And you know, frankly, some people 382 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 4: were getting excited about that too. So I think we 383 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 4: had two great options. We always believe the best was 384 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 4: to keep our team. It's hard to replace, especially in 385 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 4: a short amount of time. Two hundred nights or one 386 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 4: hundred and seventy nights with twenty thousand people coming in 387 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 4: and out of your downtown and the excitement that that brings. 388 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 4: We're also didn't want the team to stay in the 389 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 4: same box, if you know what I mean. And so 390 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 4: the eight hundred million dollars of investment five hundred million 391 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 4: overs is ours is the Cities. We have now become 392 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 4: the owner of the arena and we're going to have 393 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 4: the team there for a long long time. But now 394 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 4: the new design better speaks to the surrounding area. So 395 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 4: on dark nights, it's not dark, it's not cold, but 396 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 4: it interacts with the restaurants and other surroundings. So I'm 397 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 4: really excited about it. We think that's a great arena 398 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,120 Speaker 4: just where it is, and I have seen so many 399 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 4: shows and sporting events. Most recently an inaugural ceremony was 400 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 4: held inside and the arena became a big part of that. 401 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 4: So I can't even imagine that not being in the 402 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 4: heart of downtown DC. 403 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 3: I mean, it was interesting too, because you know, again 404 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 3: Ted is well known to both Alex and myself and 405 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 3: if I recall right, and we don't have to go 406 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 3: like super deep into this, but there was also an 407 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 3: element of like some retail space became available. Is that 408 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 3: like you were able to sort of reshape sort of 409 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 3: those several blocks around it as well, so it was 410 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 3: an even more holistic redevelopment than just the arena. 411 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 2: Is that right? Oh? 412 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 4: Absolutely, I mean that's a big part of it. It's 413 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 4: an apartment office retail building right next to it, and 414 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 4: in between the arena and that building as an alley 415 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 4: that is owned by the district that we made a 416 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 4: part of it. And so when you see the designs, 417 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 4: it's like you're coming into this like a new street, 418 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 4: but it's inside. It's pretty spectacular, and they're going to 419 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 4: use a lot of the retail space to improve their 420 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 4: fan experience and a different entrance, better flow. We are 421 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 4: just funded in our budget that we're also investing in 422 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 4: an entertainment district, so the streets will actually look different 423 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 4: and feel different and operate different. And then around that, 424 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 4: and one really great thing that came about during this 425 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 4: process is we just have been able to move fans 426 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 4: in and out of the facility faster using a package 427 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 4: of our personnel that we have perfected really at NAT's Park, 428 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 4: but now we also have been in place at the 429 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 4: Capitol One Arena. So it's been really great. 430 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 3: I'm reminded Mayor of you know, Alex is just recently 431 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 3: back from the All Star Game in Atlanta, my hometown, 432 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 3: and has been raving about the battery down there and 433 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 3: sort of how they completely rethought, you know, all these 434 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 3: intersections that you just mentioned, you know, the residential, the retail, 435 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 3: the hospitality, obviously all anchored by sports. So it's amazing 436 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 3: how much more thought goes into that than candidly when 437 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 3: we were all kids and it was like, yeah, you 438 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 3: go to the stadium, you get a hot dog, you know, 439 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 3: you cheer for a rod, and then you go home, 440 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 3: you know, and that's it. 441 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 4: And a lot of it has come up around Gallery 442 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 4: Place even more organically, but it's there, and if you 443 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 4: haven't been, I don't know if you were at the 444 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 4: All Star Game that we hosted here. I guess that 445 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 4: was twenty eighteen. Now it spend a minute, but even 446 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 4: all of the places, the bullpen and everything that has 447 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 4: come up around That's Park, even in the last couple 448 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 4: of years, it's just so interesting for fans and fans 449 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 4: of all ages. I think that's another thing that we 450 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 4: are and I know all of the professional teams are 451 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,159 Speaker 4: trying to make sure they're increasing fame. They have a 452 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 4: lot of competition with kids, and how are we making 453 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 4: sure our kids understand baseball no football? Because we see 454 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 4: these sports growing. 455 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: You know, I was there for the All Star Game 456 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: when you guys hosted. I was also there for the 457 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: year that you won the World Series. I went to 458 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: every World Series game and you guys did a fabulous 459 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,360 Speaker 1: job of hosting the World Series. So I'm really intrigued 460 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: by this. I'm reading your bio, hearing you majors from 461 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: political science and government, and you have your masters in 462 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:35,119 Speaker 1: public policy. But you are a very very savvy business woman. 463 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: As Jason already knows, I'm learning here. Where do you 464 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: get that like DNA and you? And two, how would 465 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,439 Speaker 1: you describe your negotiating style because your negotiating is some 466 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: of the biggest deals in this country. 467 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 4: Wow, thank you for that, by the way. And because 468 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 4: it is sometimes when you do politics and I've done this, 469 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 4: and maybe you have this experience because you've been in sports, 470 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 4: but getting people to see you differently and see your 471 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 4: whole set of skills is hard. I had a reporter 472 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 4: say to me during this process for one of the 473 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 4: business publications in DC, not Bloomberg of course, he said, 474 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 4: have we just missed that you are a master negotiator 475 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 4: all these years? And I said, perhaps you have. But 476 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 4: like if you have to stand in front of a 477 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 4: neighborhood and try to convince them that they need sidewalks 478 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 4: when they don't want them, you become a really good negotiator. 479 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 4: Or if you have to go in a neighborhood and say, hey, 480 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 4: we want to complete this network of bicycle lanes and 481 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 4: it may mean that you're going to lose three parking spaces, 482 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 4: you become a good negotiator. At the same time, I 483 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 4: negotiate with big unions teachers unions, and for example, or 484 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 4: tough to deal with. But I've gotten three labor contracts 485 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 4: through in the last ten years with teachers and many 486 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 4: other So I think the experience of being a big 487 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 4: city mayor puts you in very micro negotiations on blocks 488 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 4: and very big negotiations in boardrooms. I think I have 489 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 4: learned how to do both. And I even think in 490 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 4: the case where all of our sports teams, some of 491 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 4: these negotiations take patients, some of them take big, bold 492 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 4: ideas that you got to just push and push hard 493 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 4: until you get them done. But in any case, I 494 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 4: think you start off a negotiation with your core values, 495 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 4: and when you can work with a partner across the 496 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 4: table and hit your core values and allow them to 497 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 4: get their core values, you get a win win. 498 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 3: Given where you sit. I do wonder and we talk 499 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 3: about this, Alex and I all the time. We talk 500 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 3: with other guests about it. You know, sports does it 501 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 3: hits different, you know, than than almost any other industry. 502 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 3: Especially in times where we can't agree on much of anything, 503 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 3: people do tend to rally around sports. You are obviously 504 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 3: no stranger to politics, and all of it's right there 505 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 3: in your literal backyard. Is there or should there be 506 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 3: a way to keep sports sort of out of the 507 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 3: political discourse? 508 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 2: Should it be? 509 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 3: How does it fit into a world where we're arguing 510 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 3: about so many things all the time. 511 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 4: I think that would be amazing if we could do that. 512 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 4: I don't know how realistic it is, but I think 513 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 4: it would be good for us. There's politics everywhere in 514 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 4: and around our arenas. Our arenas have becomeback drops for 515 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 4: political fundraisers, like as you said, we just hosted. When 516 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 4: the inauguration moved indoors, it was inside the Catwan Arena 517 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 4: and different. I think political figure engaged with sports differently. 518 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,719 Speaker 4: So I think it just depends. If you have a 519 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 4: big sports fan in the White House, then you probably 520 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 4: will see different engagement. I think all of the members 521 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 4: of Congress that I have been involved with love to 522 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 4: be around successful sports teams. And we wouldn't be sitting here, 523 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 4: for example, if I didn't strike up a great relationship 524 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 4: with a Republican from Kentucky who said I'm going to 525 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 4: help you get that land. And interesting he absolutely did, 526 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 4: and that his name is James Comer from Kentucky. He 527 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 4: happens to be the oversight chairs long until we become 528 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 4: a state. Jason, we have an oversight committee that ask 529 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 4: us any number of questions. In one particular meeting, I said, listen, 530 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 4: I'll answer all your questions about public safety or whatever 531 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 4: it is, but this is my question for you. Will 532 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 4: you help us get people back to work in their offices? 533 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 4: And will you help us get RFK? And he said 534 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 4: yes I will. 535 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:07,959 Speaker 2: So interesting. 536 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 3: Yes, interesting, that that's a really that's a good insight 537 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 3: into into how things work, again differently for you than 538 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 3: than maybe any other big city mayor. All right, so 539 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 3: we're gonna do a quick lightning round to wrap this 540 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 3: up and let you get back to you know, running 541 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 3: our nation's capital. It's five questions, you know, first thing 542 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 3: that jumps to your mind. All start, and then Alex 543 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 3: will pick up. All right, you ready, yes, okay? What's 544 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 3: the best piece of advice you've received on deal making 545 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 3: or business? 546 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 4: I think the best piece of advice on deal making 547 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 4: is to stay at the table. 548 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: All right? Who is your dream deal making partner? 549 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 4: I think is Josh Harris? 550 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 2: Good answer? 551 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 3: What team do you want to see win a championship 552 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 3: more than any Ooh? 553 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 4: You know I can't answer that, but we would no, no, no, 554 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 4: I will answer it because we would love to have 555 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 4: the super Bowl. Like we haven't hosted a super Bowl 556 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 4: with our stadium. It will have a roof in Roger Goodell, 557 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 4: he didn't promise, but he got right up on the line. 558 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 4: We would love to host a super Bowl in our 559 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 4: new stadium in. 560 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 3: RFK and have the Commanders win that probably right, Yes. 561 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 4: I know they don't have to play here, but it 562 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 4: would be great if like they were in the super 563 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 4: Bowl in DC. 564 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: What's your hype song before a big meeting or negotiation? 565 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 4: Oh my god, I have a new one, Alex is 566 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 4: so funny that you nobody knows this. 567 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 2: Oh freaky news. 568 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 4: My new hype song is by Whitney Houston and it's 569 00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 4: called My Name Is Not Susan. 570 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 2: Oh whoa. That's great? All right. 571 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 3: Finally, what's your advice for someone listening who wants a 572 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:08,320 Speaker 3: career like yours? 573 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 4: My advice is, don't listen to people when they tell 574 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,760 Speaker 4: you is not your turn. Get through the window. 575 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 2: I love it. I love it. Mayor Muriel Bauser. 576 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 3: We had really been looking forward to this and you 577 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 3: over delivered, which is it seems like it's your style. 578 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: So thank you so much. We really enjoyed it. 579 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 4: Great to see you. Thank you guys. 580 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 3: The Deal is hosted by Alex Rodriguez and me Jason Kelly. 581 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 3: This episode was made by Anamazarakis, Stacey Wong, and Lizzie Phillip. 582 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 3: Amy Keen is our editor and Will Connelly is our 583 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 3: video editor. Our theme music is made by Blake Maples. 584 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 3: Our executive producers are Kelly Leferrier, Ashley Hoenig, and Brenda Nenham. 585 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 3: Sage Bauman is the head of Bloomberg Podcast. Additional support 586 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,399 Speaker 3: from Rachel Carnivale and Elena Los Angeles. Thanks so much 587 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:06,760 Speaker 3: for listening to the deal. If you have a minute, subscribe, 588 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 3: rate and review our show. It'll help other listeners find us. 589 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 3: I'm Jason Kelly. See you next week.