The Tipping Point
by David Getz on Oct 6, 2009 11:31 AM EDT
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Last Thursday the Capitals opened their season with more fanfare than ever before and Saturday they returned not only to a raucously loud crowd in a completely packed building, but to a city that's embracing them more fully than at any other time since the franchise started play in 1974. Remember, Caps fans, that just a few years ago this team was the butt of every joke penned penned by a lazy sportswriter, a local sports anchor was announcing on the air that he was giving up his season tickets, and the Verizon Center regularly saw fewer than 12,000 fans and was so dead quiet you could hear another spectator's cell phone go off....three sections away. Now the Capitals are the toast of the town (or Washington sports fans, anyway) and media, both local and national, are taking notice of Washington's new-found "hockey town" status.
Is Washington a "hockey town"? I don't really know because I don't really know what a "hockey town" is. Mostly it seems like an intentionally vague, amorphous concept designed to be used as a trump card in any debate over the relative merits of different NHL cities, franchises, or fan bases. But regardless of where this city's "hockey town" status lies I do know one thing: there's never been this much attention from casual fans, this much attention from local press, and this much optimism from diehards all at one time.
Unsurprisingly, given how drastic the change has been and quickly it has occurred, much of the focus has been on how exactly this happened. The long answer, of course, is that there have been a number of factors ranging from the team's 2007 re-branding effort, the poor performance of other area sports teams, willingness to take criticism from the masses on the parts of Ted Leonsis and George McPhee, and, of course, the on-ice product. Take out any one of those and this team's not where it is today in terms of recognition or buzz. However, even while acknowledging the fact that a number of complex factors came together just right to get the team to where it is today, there's still one moment you can look at as the dawn of the new era of Washington hockey.
January 10th, 2008. The day Alex Ovechkin signed his 13 year, $124 million extension.
Ovechkin's new contract wasn't the greatest personnel decision the team ever made (that would be drafting him in 2004, even if it was a slam dunk). Nor was the extension the decision that got the team over the hump and into the playoffs that season (late season acquisitions Sergei Fedorov and Cristobal Huet get the nod here). And while it's hard to imagine Ovechkin doing much better than his back-to-back Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winning seasons, the reality is that final judgment on the contract is still very much up in the air - after all, we are in year two of a thirteen year extension. But we're not talking personnel moves at this point, we're talking about generating not only fan interest, but fan loyalty, and nothing did more to help that cause than Ovechkin's new contract.
As the Capitals undertook their long and painful rebuilding process, Leonsis was under constant criticism from pundits both inside and outside the mainstream media and was being accused by Capitals fans of just about everything with the exception being a competent owner. Conspiracy theories ran rampant; depending on who you asked Leonsis was solely interested in money, indifferent or contemptuous of the fan base, or merely biding his time until he could take control of the Verizon Center and the Wizards and become the second coming of Abe Pollin, the fact that he'd already shelled out - and lost - millions of dollars on the team notwithstanding. On-ice success would have garnered some measure of media attention and some additional tickets sold, but it wouldn't erase the sting of the fire sale, the prolonged frustration of the rebuilding process, or, more importantly, the wariness-bordering-on-distrust that permeated the fan base.
In one bold gesture the Capitals eliminated the vast majority of criticism about the way they ran the organization. After all how could anyone say Leonsis was cheap when he had just shelled out the biggest contract in NHL history? How could anyone say Leonsis wasn't committed to winning when he'd given his superstar a deal that screamed commitment both in years and monetary value? How could anyone say Washington could fail to keep or attracted top-tier talent when the game's most exciting player had just agreed to play in the city for well over a decade? Some naysayers - either eternal pessimists or long-time Leonsis or McPhee critics who couldn't stand to be proven wrong - certainly must have existed, and probably still do, but they are few and far between. For the vast majority of Washington sports fans the message was loud and clear.
The result was that it became, well, safe to root for the Capitals. In a town where the baseball team seemed to muddle along with no clear direction for several years, the basketball team had encountered hard times, and the football team had been seized by an owner who seemed more interested in making personnel decisions based on his PlayStation and willing to milk fans for every cent they had, the Caps offered a clear alternative. Ovechkin's extension meant Washington sports fans could embrace the Capitals while resting assured that the franchise would do everything in it's power to be as successful as possible and reward that support.
For casual fans this was a welcome respite from other Washington sports teams. For the diehards it was a return to the team they loved, the wounds of the 2004 fire sale having all been healed. For anyone with even a passing interest in the Capitals it was a chance to loudly, proudly, and completely declare their allegiance to a team without having to worry that internal politics or greed would leave them hurt or frustrated. In short, it was a chance to trust, something that's all too infrequent in professional sports. The Capitals gave their fans a reason to believe in them and that, more than the the division championship, the individual accolades, or the most exciting player in the world, is the reason the fans are now out in full force at Verizon Center every night as many others sit on a season-ticket waiting list.
After all, isn't easier to love something when you know it's not going to break your heart? Well, at least not for a lack of trying...
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Very, very interesting analysis, DMG. You bring up something I hadn’t considered, which is a very nice touch.
I think you’re right: the OV extension was a “here I stand” moment. Leonsis told the fanbase that this is the team we’re going to make a run with. Go ahead and get invested, because we’re going for it.
Nice work.
"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"
Good read, but I’d argue that BBs 89-41-15 record has something to do with it also. Best management move they ever made.
I give Leonsis credit for sticking with his general theory of looking for a rising star, rather than staying with the then-prevalent accepted practice of recycling the same, small group of retreads (Quinn, Burns, etc). He tried it with Cassidy, and it didn’t work out, but he hit it with Boudreau…
"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"
To that end, I can’t help but think that, to a large extent, it all comes down to winning. I mean if Jagr had worked out, couldn’t you have said pretty much the following of his contract extension?
In one bold gesture the Capitals eliminated the vast majority of criticism about the way they ran the organization. After all how could anyone say Leonsis was cheap when he had just shelled out the biggest contract in NHL history? How could anyone say Leonsis wasn’t committed to winning when he’d given his superstar a deal that screamed commitment both in years and monetary value? How could anyone say Washington could fail to keep or attracted top-tier talent when the game’s most exciting player had just agreed to play in the city for well over a decade? Some naysayers – either eternal pessimists or long-time Leonsis or McPhee critics who couldn’t stand to be proven wrong – certainly must have existed, and probably still do, but they are few and far between. For the vast majority of Washington sports fans the message was loud and clear.
By the same token, if the Caps hadn’t turn things around under Boudreau and were still floundering, wouldn’t it be a loud chorus of “Didn’t he learn his lesson with Jagr?!”
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I have to agree. The Jagr trade and contract extension was Ted’s first attempt to make a big statement, and it failed miserably. I remember the excitement I felt over that trade and the promise of the long-term extension, and I’ll always remember it whenever a team I root for picks up what seems like a can’t-miss superstar to put them over the top.
While I don’t think any of us ever felt Ovechkin wasn’t worth the contract, there was certainly a time in the “tipping point” year when the Caps had the worst record in the league and things weren’t looking so great. Ovie is, without question, the straw that stirs the drink, but without the Boudreau turnaround, this team could be in a much, much worse place right now.
Winning and personality/flash from the players.
If Jagr had been a winner I’m not sure it would have mattered (after all, their cup run didn’t do much for them). This team has so many personalities that there is investment from the fans in the players, not just the “laundry.”
That’s a great point on the personalities, and I think that is both a function of the players themselves and the way they’ve been covered (i.e. Steinberg, other bloggers, etc.) that didn’t exists even five years ago.
As for the Cup run, it was somewhat anomolous winning – neither that season nor the following one was there a real indication that the team could be poised for sustained high-level competitiveness. A couple of 100-point seasons out of the Jagr teams, though, and I think it could’ve been different.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Absolutely. I was just trying to imagine if the draft years for Crosby and Ovie had been reversed. Would the buzz be the same for a guy that is obviously immensely talented but a bit more vanilla than Ovie? My suspicion is no. Folks here, that really love and get hockey (if I can stroke our collective egos), and can appreciate Schultz as a good player would understand, but the casual fan that doesn’t know much about the game would never buy in. Afterall the Caps were terrific back in the day with Gartner/Langway/Locker etc, but they still didn’t get much traction locally.
I think Caps fans would have hopped on the Sidney Crosby Hype Machine. Oh, and we’d have a Cup, obviously.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
And we’d all love Gary Bettman because he’d love our team.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Luckily, we don’t have to lie to ourselves and instead can spout nothing but truths about Sid, his style of play, and attitude.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 6, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Sid would be less annoying in Washington.
On an unrelated note, does anyone know why fans around the league complain so much about Dale Hunter? That guy was awesome! Meanwhile, Ulf Samuelsson was the worst, most horrible person ever to put on a hockey jersey.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
And we wouldn’t have to be embarrassed when Bettman handed our Captain the Cup.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
by Rob Parker on Oct 6, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
speaking of Jagr.. I wonder how many people own Jagr jerseys and can’t decide whether to throw them away or not…
haha.. I only mentioned it cuz I have a black one myself. Everytime I look at it in my closet it makes me sad.
Not having an avatar also probably contributes to that.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Oct 6, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Score! BP works that in so gently… (it’s a running meme that Bald Pollack is the social director and encourages folks to show who you are with an avatar).
Among other things, of course. I don’t dare diminsh the accomplishments of such a great presence here (seriously).
"I am... *grins* ... 'Nobody' "
- Odysseus
BP works that in so gently…
That’s what she said.
"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"
by fat_daddyo on Oct 6, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Speaking of white home jerseys, I do wish they’d switch it up every now and again. I grew up with white meaning home, they should go back to that, or at least have a different away jersey. I hate seeing teams with white jerseys not play at home.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec’d. It’d be more fun to see different colors every game…
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
if Jagr had worked out, couldn’t you have said pretty much the following of his contract extension?
Well, yes, but the point is that Ovechkin’s did work out. At least to date. I realize that’s circular, but the point of the exercise, as far as I understand it, is to discuss when DC began to approach “Hockey Town” status, as nebulous as that concept might be.
"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"
I realize that’s
circularNylanderian
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
All agreed, and this is the most thoughtful analysis I’ve seen on the issue.
The only thing I don’t get is – why are Caps fans (and hockey fans in general) so self-conscious about their status? Why do I turn on the tv and keep hearing about “is this a hockey town? are the Caps bigger than the Skins?” Who cares? I don’t understand why it’s even an issue at all. Hockey fans are always so in tuned to the tv ratings, and whether the sport is more popular than another sport. Why? I find the whole debate so tiresome.
by katzistan on Oct 6, 2009 12:03 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I think it’s because hockey fans generally have a complex about the sport’s (and their team’s) relative lack of popularity. This certainly isn’t true for everyone, but I think a lot of hockey fans (myself included) long for a day that the Caps (and the NHL in general) get the recognition that they deserve, and that’s part of the reason why the Caps’ meteoric rise is so rewarding to us fans, particularly those that date back to the fire sale years and beyond.
It’s also nice when I can go anywhere and get into a well-informed discussion on tonight’s Caps-Flyers game, for example.
by red army line on Oct 6, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I accepted a long time ago that the NHL would never be a big mainstream sport and it doesn’t bother me in the least. It was always great to run into someone who was a hockey fan or Caps fan in this area because there were so few people (relatively) that identified themselves that way.
The only way the NHL will ever get huge is if they set aside more money to build grass root campaigns across the US to bring more youth into hockey. The sport needs to be cheap and accessible for everyone if they want their league to flourish years down the line.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
Fellow Travelers
To me, meeting a fellow hockey fan is like meeting someone who likes the same (relatively) obscure music that I like. To me, it’s a secret society that only select people get to be in.
This doesn’t mean I don’t want the NHL to grow, but I don’t want it to grow at the expense of becoming another NBA. I’d still love the game, but my affection for the league might dim a bit.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
ditto. when people tell me they don’t care about hockey i actually smile and shake my head. their loss.
i’ll stick with my beloved sport and they can keep their leagues full of heartless prima donnas.
by ns on Oct 6, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
This is actually one of the main reasons I stopped watching P.T.I.
Generally, I enjoyed the discussion and it kept me up on other sports, even though I don’t generally care about other sports, but T.Korn gets on my nerves everytime he says, “you know i’m not a fan of hockey.”
Same for Andy Pollin.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that has a lot to do with it. A lot of people who cover sports in mass media don’t cover hockey and they mock it and that provokes a pretty strong response.
I guess, but my response to them is always, “Why do you think we need you?” To me affinity towards sports is like that towards music. Some people like metal, some like violin concertos, neither one is right or wrong, just what they like. You’re never going to convince someone that they should like another kind of music. They might find their own way there, but if they don’t, it’s not like the grunge/classical/bongo world is going to miss them.
Same with hockey. Who cares if you don’t like it? Doesn’t make my enjoyment of the sport any less.
It changes our opinion of those who feel the necessity to trash our favorite sport everytime they have the bad luck to be forced to acknowledge it. P.T.I., specifically, sometimes had interesting things to say about everything else, but my ability to tolerate them has disappeared with all the pejorative banter.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
But a lot of people don’t like hockey because they don’t know anything about it except the mainstream garbage that they hear. I have two friends from school that came here from TX and I turned both of them into Caps fans in no time at all. All I had to do was get them to watch the game a little bit and explain a couple nuances so they knew what was happening and they were hooked. Both of them have asked me why the NHL hasn’t marketed the speed and violence of the game to NFL fans.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
I have long thought that men who grow up in a football culture (e.g., all of the “blue states”) are natural hockey fans in waiting. It has all of the elements that you love from sports – speed, hitting, teamwork, strategy, precision, unbelievable athleticism – all on amphetamines (figuratively speaking, of course).
"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"
You can play football in warm weather, though, too, and that’s hockey’s biggest downfall in those regions.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Bullshit! Everyone plays hockey inside. That’s like saying the NBA shouldn’t be popular in the north because it’s too cold outside.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
But pond hockey, where most of its loyalty is developed, can’t exist. Hockey’s also expensive as shit when not playing on a pond or with rich/sacrificing parents (mine were the latter).
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
nah. We don’t play pond hockey in northern Wisconsin/Duluth (lack of ponds…..), but that does nothing to dull the enthusiasm kids have for hockey growing up. And some of those towns are poor, poor like you wouldn’t believe. But the community loves hockey and there are always generous types who donate money and/or equipment so kids can play.
heck, Duluth schools are absolute powerhouses in Minnesota high school hockey.
But I’m sure outdoor rinks are everywhere. The outlet for hockey is more readily available up north, is all I’m saying. The culture is also already built-in.
For the south to adapt, it would need frozen ponds and cheap equipment.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
nope, very very few outdoor rinks.
Strangely enough, now that I’m thinking about it, we never even tried to skate on Lake Superior. And we lived on a small inlet that froze so thick every year you could drive on it worry-free. I dunno, there’s just not that culture of outdoor skating in that region.
That’s weird. I wonder why hockey’s so big if people really aren’t able to take advantage of the game itself, unless it’s just street hockey everywhere the eye can see.
but that’s just not the same.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
people strap skates on kids at 2 and 3 years old. its just what they do there. they just happen to skate inside.
As will I whenever I have kids of my own. But my kids will be weather-tested in the cold of Siberia, and I will have only tapes of Alexander Ovechkin shooting and Alexander Semin stick-handling – falling down and stick-foul parts edited out.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Don’t forget the most important skill, Mike Green’s skating.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
If I’m in Siberia, though, shouldn’t I be showing them Sergei Fedorov?
Prettiest stride I’ve ever seen, IMO.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I was sticking with the Caps theme. Fedorov is no longer a Cap, and no matter what anyone wants to think about it he’s not going down in history as a Cap. If you’re going outside the organization I have a couple suggestions that trump AO’s shot and possibly Sasha’s hands.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
Agreed. I think relative economic factors play a larger role than often credited. Hockey has a much higher buy-in, and you can pull up some very clear numbers on regions that pull more or less in household per-capita to see that the left coast and the northeast are ahead of other regions in that respect – making the 500 bucks and change it costs to acquire a full set of gear and pay for a league fee a higher or lower percentage of disposable income.
The advantage the cold-weather areas have is that parents can set up household rinks. (Cue the Staal residence footage.) It opens the game up to more people than those who can afford a lot of rink time, which means more kids playing, which means more inherent cultural saturation.
When in doubt, assume more variables are in play than originally accounted for.
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I’m not saying skating outside in the winter isn’t fun, or important. I’m saying that the vast majority of ice hockey gets played inside. At the professional level both the NHL and NBA are exclusively played indoors, so the local climate of the team is ultimately irrelevant.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
With the obvious once-a-year exception.
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 6, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Right. The one time a year gimmick that demonstrates why it should be played in-doors.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
Hmm. The vast majority of organized hockey gets played indoors. There’s still all those games of shinny on pond ice…
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
Too much college football in the deep south. Yawn.
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College football is anything but “yawn”. I love both, but it puts the NFL to shame when it comes to triggering the emotional/passionate/fanatical responses in fanbases.
That seriously depends on whether or not you have a loyal affiliation to a team. Yeah, you get the drunk college kid crowd at the stadium so it looks more passionate, but I’m just not buying that connections to college football teams are any different to connections to other teams.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
This has nothing to do with drunk college kids going ballistic. Been to an NFL stadium recently?
I guarantee you that I feel more connected to the Virginia Tech football team than any other professional or collegiate team that I’m a fan of. Why? Because I went to school there. You “own” a piece of that logo on the helmet. Yeah, that probably sounds silly and ridiculous, but I’d be willing to bet that any alum of a school with a traditionally powerful football or basketball team feels the same way. It’s not an easy feeling to articulate.
Yeah you went to VT, I went to Colgate. Colgate had a I-AA undefeated season and went to the national championship to get smoked by Delaware when I was there and I still don’t care about the team. I am a Steelers fan and those are the only NFL games I’ve ever been to, and that is also a very connected environment.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
As someone who grew up on a steady diet of football in a “red state,” I think that you’re right that it’s an easy sell to football fans for the speed and violence (not so much the “blue state” part). The NHL is just afraid of its own shadow when it comes to marketing the violent nature of the sport.
Sadly, during my childhood the best marketing tool the NHL had were EA Sports’ NHL games (93 and 94, specifically). Those are actually what made me a hockey fan without ever really paying attention to (or knowing anything about) the real NHL. It’s sad that the NHL isn’t better able (or more willing) to capture those elements in their advertising.
Exactly the same with me, but it was Blades of Steel on the NES that got me interested in hockey. Growing up in rural southern Virginia, that was the only exposure I had to it.
ESPN has practically made it mandatory for their on-air personalities to slip in a jab at hockey every time it’s mentioned. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard “not that anyone saw it, but…” or “a great game if you could find it”, etc.
I feel bad for Cohn and Buccigross. They’re clearly the very small hockey lobby in a very large company relatively uninterested in it. (The hire-ons like Burnside and Hradek are just flat out awful… but I will always give at least a little deference to the Mulletrose.)
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I’m not a fan of Melrose, either. We saw what he did with Tampa. Maybe he got forced out a little early, but I’d take anything he says with a handful of salt.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Melrose loves the Caps. Almost as much as I do. Its very strange. So, I may think he’s an idiot about most things hockey, but at least he’s seen the light so I cut him a little slack.
There’s plenty of Melrose in Bruce’s book, fwiw.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
“It is worth a great deal, as I have preordered it on Amazon” for the uninitiated.
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Wow. I am now initiated into the Longest Acronym Ever club.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I think Hradek and LeBrun are pretty decent.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I liked Melrose pre-TBL. Post TBL, not so much. The tipping point was watching Matt Barnaby school Melrose on the AO v. Sid debate.
Melrose: It’s gotta be Sid, he has a Cup and that’s what it’s about.
Barnaby: That doesn’t matter, we are talking about the best player, and AO is the only guy I would pay to see.
I’m not saying you have to agree that AO is the best to be credible, there are legit arguments for Sid/Geno/Datsyuk/Lidstrom. But everyone here knows how I feel about the “he has a Cup so he’s better” argument.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
It reminds me of the running joke on Sports Night: “We’ll bring you the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat, and—because we’ve got soccer highlights—the sheer pointlessness of a zero-zero tie.”
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Oct 6, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I dunno about the on-air personalities, but it sure seems like ESPN is paying more attention to hockey now than at any point since they stopped showing games. I think they recognize that it’s a growing sport with a ridiculous abundance of likeable young stars, so expect to see more and more of it. They sure look like they’re interested in getting the NHL back based on their coverage (AO and co. on the front page of ESPN.com, etc.).
I really wish I could cock an eyebrow and grin in textual form, then ask, “What’s Brash got to do with this?”
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 6, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
they mock because they don’t understand it. Its easier to knock it than to become educated enough on it to speak intelligently. They are the illiterate mocking and making fun of those reading for pleasure.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Yes. The marginalization actually contributes to a secret sense of superiority. There must be a psychological or anthropological term for that.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Oct 6, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not sure what it is. But the psychological condition for being a Redskin’s fan is called “Stockholm Syndrome.”
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
by Rob Parker on Oct 6, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I think that it is because the game is so great, we all see that, why can’t other people pay the game it’s due?
I love football, but hell, I’m so tired listening/reading/watching a rehash of whether or not Zorn is gonna get canned. There are other things going on. Why can’t someone speak about the fact that the Caps beat the tar out of the B’s in their barn on opening night?
You’re right that the signing was important because it showed Ted’s belief in hockey in DC. But to my mind, far more more important was the fact that the greatest player in the game decided that Washington was where HE wanted to be for the rest of his career. In the history of this franchise, that’s never happened before. Scott Stevens left, Jagr never wanted to be here. But with Montreal beckoning, Alex said no, DC is where I want to play. And if you go back and compare attendance in the games before the signing and the games after, you’ll see there’s a spike of more than 3,000 people a game once Alex signed that contract. It was almost as if fans were saying “If Ovechkin thinks we’re good, then why shouldn’t I believe him.”
That’s a great point, and as a fan knowing that talented players for other teams actually would rather be playing for the Caps is a great feeling. It’s kind of surreal to read about, say, Knuble turning down offers from two very good rival teams to come to the Caps (perhaps for more money, but still) or Forsberg purportedly saying he wants to play for the Caps out of all NHL teams.
In large part that was the most awful part of the Jagr fiasco at the time – he never really wanted to be a Cap, despite signing that extension and the team doing everything in its power to make it comfortable for him, and it showed in every way.
It seems that a new generation of sports owners suddenly get really stoopid when they have enough capital to buy that team. Having read the histories of guys like Dan Snyder, Mark Cuban, and Ted Leonsis, I’m struck not by the fact that they are rich (now), but by the bumps along the way and the persistence and hard work they had to employ to finally “win.”
Then they decide that instead of applying those “nose to the grindstone/hard work” sorts of principles, they just try to buy a club.
Cuban did it in Dallas (although his is a variant…he seems to splurge on a lot of incidentals, but the Mavericks always seem to be just talent short in the end), Snyder did it (and still does) with the Redskins. Leonsis did it early in his tenure with the Caps.
To his credit (to a point), Leonsis learned his lesson and stopped indulging the idea of throwing good money after bad. But his case was a little like the drunk who has really no option left. He didn’t have the built in good will that the Redskins enjoy; he didn’t have a built in fan base that was all that passionate about the sport (hockey ranks low, even by national standards, in this area as a sport that fans follow regularly). He really had nothing left to play but to blow the thing up. If he didn’t — trying to add perhaps another free agent to the Jagr/Lang mix — he’d be in salary cap hell today and probably doing it in another city.
You’d have to think Snyder is just about at that point when he has to blow it up from the top down. Cerrato isn’t very good at what he does, and frankly Jim Zorn isn’t a long term solution at coach. The players are vastly overrated (I hear Joe Theismann announce that their talent is as good as any in the league and I think Notre Dame wants their degree back). It needs to be stripped to the studs, the way the Caps were, and rebuilt.
But sometimes the drunk doesn’t learn.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I remember driving to work on January 11th of 2008 (the next day) and hearing Elliot in the Morning talk about the deal. I was shocked.
I guess my time spent as an Orioles fan had made me accustomed to a certain pattern:
1. lousy team gets high draft pick (because they are lousy)
2. high draft pick emerges as a legitimate star prospect
3. after one or two promising seasons, star prospect is lost to free agency, and all hopes that “we may not be lousy anymore” are lost.
I saw the writing on the wall with Ovechkin. He was obviously talented and worth every bit of hype that had been built up when he was drafted, but the Caps continued to struggle. 2007-08 was supposed to be the breakout year, but at Thanksgiving the team was in last place with a record of 6-14, and had just fired head coach Glen Hanlon. Granted, new coach Bruce Boudreau seemed to be getting a bit more out of these guys and they seemed to actually be winning a few more as the new year approached, but the playoffs still seemed an unlikely possibility. I assumed it to be a foregone conclusion that OV would play out his Washington contract or force management’s hand at a trade and jetison off to a real “hockey town” to play for a contender.
When I heard the news of the extension, I could not have happier. For the first time I knew this team was actually going to compete and be fun to watch for years to come. I bought season tickets a few weeks later.
As far as the “hockey town” argument…let’s just wait until Ovechkin’s 13 years are up. The Caps are a hot item right now, but we have no idea how much staying power their current popularity has.
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 6, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
Hockey Town
I think the ultimate determinant of a “hockey town,” is the number of hard-core hockey fans. The ones who follow the team in good times and bad. The ones who know the names and draft positions of all the prospects. The ones who watch hockey on TV, regardless of whether the “hometown team” is playing.
The number of these folks, and their numbers as a percentage of the population are ultimately what determines whether a city is a “hockey town” or not. Many of the people filling the VC right now would be gone if the Caps weren’t winning. The determining factor in whether DC becomes a hockey town or not is: what percentage of the people in the District getting excited about hockey right now become part of the “hard core,” and what percentage remain casual fans.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
Which itself is largely based on how long these new fans remain anchored to the team, and the sport.. and success is the most likely way to do that.
People knock bandwagon fans, but as I like to point out when able, fans generally come into something with a very small knowledge base, which develops over time as they watch and learn. Having thousands of new bandwagon Caps fans is a wonderful thing, because if the team is successful over time, it means there will be thousands of solid, informed fans in the future – and that is what builds a hockey town.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
Baseball Analogy
As a Mariners fan, I’ve actually been able to see close-up what a period of success combined with charismatic players can do for a franchise and for a team. Prior to 1995 (and even after, to some degree), the Mariners were a perennial topic of relocation rumors, with St. Petersburg, FL being the primary destination (this was pre-Devil Rays). Suddenly, in the summer of 1995, the Mariners pulled off a comeback similar to (but better than) what the Caps did two years ago. They had a charismatic group of players led by young-ish stars like Griffey, A-Rod, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson. They had lovable role players, and they had an affable manager in Lou Piniella.
Many of the people who rooted for the Mariners that summer never became anything more than casual fans, but many of them grew into hard core fans during the years that followed. The Mariners never won the World Series, but they’ve got a solid fan base filled with passionate fans. Their SBN site lookoutlanding.com is the baseball equivalent of japersrink (and definitely worth a glance if you’re into statistical analysis… or slightly off-color humor).
The point of this rather lengthy digression is that Washington will be a true hockey town only if and when the Caps, but more importantly the sport itself, can hold onto the new fans that the recent excitement has generated.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
Its always fun to play "remember when" with Ovi...
Remember stuff like this?
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 6, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions
My favorite quote from that post:
Let’s face it, with Ovechkin in their lineup, the Capitals have shown no signs of being a playoff team. There are no guarantees re-signing Ovechkin will make the Capitals a successful franchise. In fact, if history has taught us anything, moving a young star just might be the best medicine for a struggling team.
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 6, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
This one had me scratching my head…
What if the young superstar tells the Caps he’d prefer to play someplace a little more cosmopolitan than Washington?
More cosmopolitan than Washington? There might be three cities on the planet more cosmopolitan than Washington, and none of them are in Canada.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 6, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
you know, I had the exact same reaction! More cosmopolitan than DC? Please, show me this mythical place.
Ah… Fairfax.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 6, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
In my travels through Canada, I’ve often found that many Canadians don’t really view Washington as a real city. Unlike NY and Chicago, the look at DC as a political capital but not a place where “real” people live.
which just tells me they’re ignorant of the city, and they’re poorer for it. I’m sure they wouldn’t be thrilled if I asked “If Alex were to go to, say, Montreal, how would he get to the rink? Would the Habs issue him is very own personal polar bear?” I mean, that is how Canadians travel around, right? Its all snowy all the time and everyone rides on the backs of white bears.
Montreal does have better adult entertainment, if he’s into that kind of thing.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
Who amongst us is not into that kind of thing?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
(A question I immediately regret asking, even rhetorically, btw.)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
What I’ve always found kind of ironic is that most of the people I meet from the DC area (or who have been here for a number of years) have the characteristics that people think Washingtonians are missing and that a lot of the people who are from out of town and are only in DC on work and temporary are the grumpy ones.
There are so many of the latter I can’t blame people for the perceptions they hold, though.
My Guess
I think that if they’ve never been here, they extrapolate from Ottawa, which, from what I’ve heard, isn’t exactly the party hangout that you’d hoped.
That being said, maybe I’m guilty of the same prejudice. Skating on the Rideau Canal would probably be pretty sweet.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
New York…and that’s all I’ve got.
It delights me tremendously that he doesn’t only like playing on the Capitals, he also likes (or convinces everyone that he likes) living in Washington.
I can’t see this ever beeing a hockey town because our climate will not foster that kind of culture. But this is a great town, and one of the better NHL cities to live in, and thank goodness that’s becoming apparent.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Oct 6, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
MAYBE someone can provide one good reason for Alex Ovechkin to sign a new contract with the before becoming a restricted free agent on July 1, because we sure can’t think of any.
Ovechkin, stuck in a hockey market in DC that’s as irrelevant now as it was before the lockout and therefore denied a suitable stage to showcase his brilliance…
Memo to Brian Burke and all those who would howl at the thought of rival teams “poaching” another club’s marquee player: Ovechkin does not belong to the Caps. Through no desire of his own, he merely is playing for Washington under a three-year, entry-level capped lease that will expire at the end of this season. He never chose to play in DC so much as he chose to play in the NHL rather than remain in Russia after the lockout.
The NHL surely would never admit such a thing, but getting Ovechkin into a marquee hockey market would benefit a league that’s most identifiable now by a combination of cap-imposed mediocrity in the guise of parity and the absence of super teams.
There’s a new coach in Washington after two years of regressing under Glen Hanlon, and the guess is there will be a new GM, too, by the end of the season if George McPhee’s team doesn’t show marked progress between now and the end of the year.
Amid all this uncertainty and performing in a backwater hockey room with talents designed for the big stage, why would Ovechkin commit now to remaining in Washington?
Sinatra left Hoboken, didn’t he?
It’d be hard to create a more epic fail if you tried.
“Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.”
Every time I think Bob Dylan has completely lost his shit and has become a warbling old coot, you hear this tune or 100 others he wrote and appreciate what he did.
Uncle Lar is a bit a stretch for that buffoon. Uncle, in my hockey parlance, is strictly reserved for Uncle Ted. That oaf has been laughable for years. I remember his lock-out musings… made you wonder “have you ever seen hockey?”.
Perhaps more like your “slow but lovable cousin Lar”… ya know… the one who “means well”, and to quote Stephen Lynch “gives strangers GREAT BIG HUGS!”
God kills a kitten every time Sydney Crosby whines.
by Chris meet Alex on Oct 6, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I like this one:
[F]or the NHL to have a player like Ovechkin in a market like Washington is a crime. Night after night, Ovechkin plays to thousands of empty seats and in D.C., he always will. In Montreal, a so-so team without a marquee star in Ovechkin’s league can draw 21,273 for exhibitions….
All it will take is, oh, $120 million over 15 years and a slew of first-round picks. Or the Canadiens can go another route: If the Capitals are reasonably certain they’re bound to lose Ovechkin, the Habs might be able to swing a multi-player deal, offering Washington any player on the roster not named Carey Price. The Canadiens get Ovechkin, while the Caps get a balanced lineup capable of winning hockey games.
And this one (sorry, original link’s dead):
As for Ovechkin, would the Caps trade him for, say, [Mats] Sundin and any three others? They’d be crazy not to.
Luckily for these idiots, I helped them write their post-contract articles…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
In reading that i wondered, are we going to see the “daily awards” make a comeback?
If you've read this far...seek help.
Doubtful – those extra few minutes of sleep in the AM may not sound like much, but at 5:30, each one feels like an hour.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah, it’s wedged in there between “Holy shit” and “you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me” o’clock.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 6, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
In other words
Deep within the ass-crack of dawn.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
I liked reading the Neuvy throwback, haha. http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=629c4fe5-b6dd-4999-81f5-8fe161a5505b
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
I remember stumbling across this a while back, and finding it quite funny to read (notice the date — one day before Hanlon’s firing).
I don’t know what this blog is (it’s not even hockey or sports related) and I think the pic may have been stolen from our own JP, but still, it’s hard to imagine that this team was evoking these emotions just 2 years ago.
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 6, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes. Stolen (even though that post pre-dates mine… I think Blogger lets you back-date posts, but I definitely created that sad, sad image).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Some stuff on the blog is from areas overseas and such (I looked around just to see what it was). Latest updates are from China…? So I’m sure it could be a time-zone/date line thing as well…maybe? yeah, I realize China is actually a day later than we are, but i’m just sayin’
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 6, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know if Washington will ever be a legitimate “hockey town.” I remember Mike Wilbon being interviewed last year about this, and he referred to DC as a “star town.” Like think about how Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards were really popular a couple of years ago, and now they don’t even get people to sit in the 400 levels for their games. The Capitals will be popular as long as Ovechkin is around—while winning—and they will gain a respective amount of fans for the future.
This could end up being a similar situation to Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh. He comes around, makes the team popular, wins a couple of Cups, but no matter what, the team will ALWAYS be second best to the football team. Not to mention, I went to a Penguins game in 2003, and Mellon arena was half full…on a Satuday afternoon. But then, Crosby and Malkin are drafted a couple of years later, they start winning, and all of a sudden, hockey is a popular thing again.
When it comes to DC as whole, I just have trouble believing that it’s truly a sports town to begin with. The city is overrun by transplants, and the heavy political culture seems to overshadow the sports world (this city is kind of the capital of the nation). Pick up a Washington Post, you have to flip through like five sections to get to sports.
DC is no more and no less, for that matter, a “hockey town” than Pittsburgh (as we abuse the comparison for the 1,432,649th time). Both are “star towns” with respect to hockey. Pittsburgh has had two “stars” in its history — Lemieux and Crosby — and their attendance arc follows their respective tenures (not even a Jaromir Jagr could save them from sliding attendance, although he was doing a good job of setting fire to any number of bridges that cross the three rivers there).
The Caps have never had a star of the Lemieux/Crosby wattage until Ovechkin, with similar results. Win + star = full house. In an age where players command high seven-figure deals, necessitating steep ticket prices to pay for them, it is the only reliable formula for filling the arena.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 6, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
There are very few NHL cities in the U.S. where the fans will continue to fill the house without a winning team and probably the best of them is the team they’re playing tonight. When the Flyers were the worst team in the league a few seasons ago, they still sold out every night and the seats were actually filled with fans. They may have been booing, but they still were there. In my book, that makes them a prime hockeytown.
I haven’t looked but I think the Rags have drawn well even in their current state of mediocrity.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
I think they sell out all their games, but it’s different than Philly because MSG has such a corporate STH base. As I understand it, the lower levels are were the corporations hold their seats and the balconies are were the real fans sit. Could be wrong on that, though.
No, you’re definitely right. Many, if not all, of the lower level seats are corporate-owned, and it definitely shows at times at games. Like most arenas, the more die-hard fans tend to be higher up. I would say “blue collar,” but in NYC it’d be more accurate to say “less French-cuff.”
There are certainly knowledgeable Rag fans sitting in the lower levels, but often it’s because they got their company’s tickets for that night.
New York is actually a very blue collar city once you get out of the financial district and central Manhattan. There’s something like 9,000,000 people inside the city limits once you count all five boroughs – believe me, most of them aren’t a part of the French-cuff crowd.
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 6, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Denver
Yes, I know that the Avs’ attendance dropped precipitously last year, but that was due to several factors beyond just the crappy on-ice product. Although their attendance rank is unimpressive, there were two contributing factors:
1) The Avs don’t do giveaways. FLA, NSH and ATL, among others, are notorious for inflating numbers via free/cheap tickets. The Avs didn’t go that route, leading to point 2…
2) Expensive-as hell tickets. When the Avs were great and so was the economy, they could afford to charge what they do, but in a city with a much lower average COL than DC, their tickets were across-the-board ridiculously expensive. It was a business/marketing decision, and it seems as though it was the wrong one, given that they’ve apparently lowered some prices this year.
Still, the Denver market is still regularly in the top-5 markets for hockey viewership, even when the Avs aren’t playing. Not to mention that they sell out Magness Arena for DU hockey.
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
Hmmph
Is the site working wonkily for anyone else? I can’t get anything to post quickly/correctly…
I'm trying to work out a deal with a club in Europe
Nice take on the Caps have shed the "Crapitals" image!
I can’t thank
- God for letting me be here to see this after all these years
- Ted for being an owner with enough sense to see the potential of his own team
- Alex for being Alex and making me remember why I love hockey every time he plays
enough!
not even a Jaromir Jagr could save them from sliding attendance
This is definitely true. Although, lets not forget that Pittsburgh isn’t as rich in employment and income as the DC area (that’s why we see so much black and gold here). It’s also about half the size of DC area.
I went to college about an hour from Pittsburgh, and the culture is much more hockey oriented than MD/DC/VA area. Running into a hockey fan up there is actually quite common. On playoff gamedays, there would be Penguins t-shirts all over campus. All the high schools have hockey as a sanctioned sport. I have to admit that I STILL feel like a little bit of an outsider around here because I like hockey, but hopefully that will change.
That’s ok… I sort of got that impression. To its credit, sports-wise, Pittsburgh is (I think) far more a sports town in general than DC will ever hope to be (and that goes for Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago, too). It took almost 50 years for the Lions to squeeze the life out of their fans to the point where they wouldn’t show up (they have an odd parallel to the Redskins in that they once played in an outdoor barn that was an aesthetic nightmare — Tiger Stadium — that was its own home field advantage, then moved to the suburbs where no one cared). Philly put up with a lot of lean years after a World Series appearance in 1950 by the Phillies, and Connie Mack Stadium was no palace. Chicago has the Cubs and their century of suck.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Great post DMG and I couldn’t agree more. Until that contract was signed, there was still a tangible fear among many caps fans that we were doomed to lose Ovechkin to an offer sheet; The signing allowed Caps fans to breathe a sigh of relief and relax a bit, and was also the poit wghere attendance began to pick up dramatically that season.
I remember exactly where I was when I got a text message from a team mate of mine with details on the contract…standing in the kitchen of my girlfriends place. I literally screamed, jumped and threw my hands in the air with such force the phone went flying and the battery and battery case flew off the phone. And that was when I thought it was a 6 or 7 year deal, not a 13 year deal
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
No way an offer sheet wouldn’t have been matched, but that would have put the handwriting on the wall. Once you know your superstar is staying because he wants to be here, you can’t help but celebrate.
The teeny tiny person inside me does worry what happens the day he leaves (read retires), but that’s so far down the road I don’t need to think about it.
Is Washington a hockey town?
Hockey towns are supposed to be cold in the winter just like Washington. When the Stars were successful a few years ago, they probably couldn’t create the buzz that accompanied Colorado and Detroit.
There is something I love about walking around downtown DC in the freezing cold winter. It is psychologically satisfying, especially after a few beers at the phone booth watching the Caps win a game. I think this can be a great hockey town with not only the best player in the league, but him also being a very charismatic guy that seems to love the area.
When you're born into the human race you're given a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you're given a front row seat. And some of us have notepads.-George Carlin
by Afghanistan Steve on Oct 7, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
55 | 27 | 17 | 11 | 65 |
|
Washington
|
55 | 28 | 22 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
55 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 54 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.13.2012 at 8:45 AM EST)
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