Are there standards over here? Yes, so I'll be up front here with this report - it's one source, but one I feel strongly has the correct information. I would be much more comfortable if I could get a second, independent confirmation, but while I've had some very telling "Umm .... (pause) ... no comment" answers, no confirmation.

Based on information recieved from a top aide of a senior U.S. Congressman, the hopes and dreams of Washington baseball have died on the absurd demands of Selig and Angelos. Instead of a new, downtown stadium, baseball has turned its eyes elsewhere. According to the source, Selig demanded not only a $300m sales tag on the decrepit Expos, but complete taxpayer funding of a new baseball-only stadium. There were three sites under consideration, but the biggest holdup on those was the current status of RFK. To meet Selig's standards, nearly $50m would need to be put into RFK to make it acceptable. Added onto nearly $400m for the new land and stadium (which sounds low to me, but I'm no real estate guru), that raises the full price tag for new ownership to near $850m. (No, that doesn't add up yet.)

Given the recent sales - Mets, Angels, and Dodgers - and the price placed on the Brewers ($175m), that price looks more and more outrageous. What is even more outrageous is the price for "damages" that Peter Angelos has asked for. Yes, that's the extra $100m. Given the revenues of the Orioles, that's about 10% per year of revenue that the Orioles have never generated given no competition. Sure, the south D.C. suburbs and AOL-fueled NoVa economy are about two hours to Camden Yards, but that's ridiculous. I think. Maybe. Who really knows?

Given Bud's recent "a team is what revenue it can generate" edict, I'm not sure if a team in D.C. could generate enough revenue to overcome the debt load it would need to take on. The Malek ownership group certainly seems strong, but I remain unconvinced that a D.C. team would be able to be level with the Red Sox on a revenue basis without a phenomenal stadium (and when's the last one of those built?) and a quick, D-Back-like rise to contention. This ISN"T an expansion team; this is an Expo team and minor league system that has been drained during MLB's mishandling. To win, the team would either have to commit to a rebuilding and refocus on the minors or they'd need to go after free agents.

Possible? Yes, but distinctly unlikely. Without the support of local and national politicians and a distinctly un-Seligian desire to challenge an owner (and the concept of territories), Washington is out. This leaves Monterey, Las Vegas ... and contraction.