Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying

[redsk1]

washingtonpost.com

I'm posting this Caps-Ted Leonis article in the Locker Room, because its what many of us would like to see happen in the Skins Front Office. I apologize in advance for another FO thread, but it's a great article.

A couple of quotes stand out:
"It is very sobering and painful when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see," Leonsis said. "It's easier to go down the 'We're-one-player-away' path. I've been there when I brought in Jaromir Jagr.


"But when you come to that clarity, 'Can this team win a championship?' And if your answer is, 'No,' then you have to do something."
Like tell the truth.

"Of course it was a gamble, because we had a team with brand-name players that fans thought they loved but in hindsight were just familiar to them," Leonsis said. "I said, 'You're going to hate this plan. This is a very hard message for you to internalize. But if you are patient with us, this is the only way we're going to compete for the Cup.' "
Risking losing even his loyalists by waving the white flag, he directly communicated "rebuild" instead of "reload," trotting out an on-the-cheap outfit for two years while promising eventual rewards from the draft and farm system.

[SmootSmack]

I've seen up close and personal what Leonsis has done (along with McPhee and the rest of the front office) to turn the Caps around and it has been very impressive. He gets it, whatever it is, he just gets it. And he's a great guy...still he has had the benefit of owning the Capitals.

As much as DC loves the Capitals now, they have flown (skated?) under the radar for years in our nation's capital. That has been great for management as it has allowed them to make some pretty wretched mistakes to get to where they are now.

[SOUL-SKINS]

God I hate Hockey

[SFREDSKIN]

Maybe he and Dan can swap franchises or have Ted buy the Redskins.

[RobH4413]

Originally Posted by SOUL-SKINS

God I hate Hockey

Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"

Gotta agree, I used to hate it. I still don't follow the pro game or watch on tv. But i go watch the local minor league team (Hershey Bears) who are the farm team for the Caps. It's a hell of a good time. Even my wife likes it.

[SOUL-SKINS]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"

The answer is no, but like you said maybe if I go to a live game it would change my mind. The thing is I live in CT and we don't have a team really. Although we use to have the whalers but they're long gone.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by SOUL-SKINS

The answer is no, but like you said maybe if I go to a live game it would change my mind. The thing is I live in CT and we don't have a team really. Although we use to have the whalers but they're long gone.

Go see the Hartford Wolfpack. And depending on where you live you're not far from a Bruins game or a Rangers/Islanders/Devils game

[BDBohnzie]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Go see the Hartford Wolfpack. And depending on where you live you're not far from a Bruins game or a Rangers/Islanders/Devils game

I was just going to suggest this. Hit up the Garden for a Rangers game, or head up to TDBankNorth for a Bruins game just to take it in. Sit up in the upper deck (around center line if you can) where you can fully appreciate the entire game, watch breakaways develop and watch the teams set up their offenses and defenses. Hockey is a beautiful game and until you see it live, you truly cannot appreciate it's greatness.

I remember seeing my first game at the Cap Centre. Watching the decibel meter hit in the low 100s with the roar of the crowd, Donnie Beaupre in between the pipes, and watching Dino, Langway, Hunter, and Pivonka racing around the ice. It was awesome. Also helped that they pitched a shutout and we got free Jerry's pizza.

Ted Leonsis did it the right way. He was up front, honest and truthful in the way he dismantled and rebuilt the Caps. And now they are the cream of the crop in the NHL, with his hard work completely paying off. And while football is a completely different beast, Snyder can definitely learn a thing or 2 from Uncle Teddy Email.

[SmootSmack]

There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.

I hated hockey.....until I went to a game.

[dmvskinzfan08]

Originally Posted by 53Fan

I hated hockey.....until I went to a game.

I hated hockey until I watched the Caps playoff game a few years ago. Ovechkin brought me in. Still haven't gone to a game. Would like to though.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.

Definitely not a good TV sport unlike football, which is about as perfect of a TV spot there is.

Hockey live is great. I used to go to AHL games all the time.

[Big C]

the capitals really did a great job blowing up the old expensive team pre-cap, and now are a force. was painful to watch for a while, but really pleased with the result.

[SFREDSKIN]

Originally Posted by Big C

the capitals really did a great job blowing up the old expensive team pre-cap, and now are a force. was painful to watch for a while, but really pleased with the result.

A force? Hell, they just might be the best most talent young team in the NHL. I'll go out and limb and say barring any serious injury, they will their first ever Stanley Cup. I like what Leonsis did, he had great vision and a master plan which he executed to perfection. If there's one weakness is goalie, even though I think Varmalov just might be the answer.