Rumor: Gretzky in talks with Caps & three others

[g00n]

Nov 13: Ted gives himself an "F" and declares making the playoffs not good enough
Nov 20: Caps suffer embarassing loss to Pens, starting 4 game losing streak
Nov 22: Gretzky at Caps game vs MTL, sparking rumors of a position in DC
Nov 25: Erat demands trade
Nov 26: Story comes out that Orlov is constantly recalled but not playing because of a contract clause
Nov 27: Orlov demands trade
Nov 29: Neuvirth injures himself in warm ups, video editor is backup goalie, Fehr and Grabo carry the team vs MTL dealing a blow to Oates' handedness scheme, Beagle in, Laich out
Nov 30: Erat and Orlov back on the ice, Mike Green suddenly wakes up
Dec 3: Gretzky reaches deal with NHL in lawsuit regarding PHO, Green back on PP and scores first goal of season, Alzner quote indicates team did not take Carolina seriously in 4-1 loss
Dec 4: Rumors of Gretzky to Washington heat up


Think GMGM was feeling some heat? Oates? Think the players know something is going on? Is there fire behind this smoke? Or is this just making something out of nothing?

 

[Chokingdogs]

Nov 13: Ted gives himself an "F" and declares making the playoffs not good enough
Nov 20: Caps suffer embarassing loss to Pens, starting 4 game losing streak
Nov 22: Gretzky at Caps game vs MTL, sparking rumors of a position in DC
Nov 25: Erat demands trade
Nov 26: Story comes out that Orlov is constantly recalled but not playing because of a contract clause
Nov 27: Orlov demands trade
Nov 29: Neuvirth injures himself in warm ups, video editor is backup goalie, Fehr and Grabo carry the team vs MTL dealing a blow to Oates' handedness scheme, Beagle in, Laich out
Nov 30: Erat and Orlov back on the ice, Mike Green suddenly wakes up
Dec 3: Gretzky reaches deal with NHL in lawsuit regarding PHO, Green back on PP and scores first goal of season, Alzner quote indicates team did not take Carolina seriously in 4-1 loss
Dec 4: Rumors of Gretzky to Washington heat up


Think GMGM was feeling some heat? Oates? Think the players know something is going on? Is there fire behind this smoke? Or is this just making something out of nothing?

it didnt really dawn on me until just now, seeing that timeline, at how odd his self-grading comment was in terms of when.

the time to say something like that would be after a playoff series ends ( like after the montreal debacle ), or over the summer. saying it a month into a season, after yet another 1 round bounce is, in my view, strange.

 

[Halpysback*]

it didnt really dawn on me until just now, seeing that timeline, at how odd his self-grading comment was in terms of when.

the time to say something like that would be after a playoff series ends ( like after the montreal debacle ), or over the summer. saying it a month into a season, after yet another 1 round bounce is, in my view, strange.

No, you say something like that when it's least likely to get picked up or force you to own up to it, but so you can still get it out there and then point back at it later. Now if **** hits the fan he can point to it and be like see I showed humility and understanding. It's like John Edwards admitting to his affair when the world's attention was somewhere else and no one cared.

It's a known relations tactic and a damn good one. Learn from uncle Teddy and you will go far. Not far but far nonetheless. <-there's another one

 

[NoMoreChoking]

When did Ted give himself a F?

I confuse

 

[g00n]

No, you say something like that when it's least likely to get picked up or force you to own up to it, but so you can still get it out there and then point back at it later. Now if **** hits the fan he can point to it and be like see I showed humility and understanding. It's like John Edwards admitting to his affair when the world's attention was somewhere else and no one cared.

It's a known relations tactic and a damn good one. Learn from uncle Teddy and you will go far. Not far but far nonetheless. <-there's another one

Ted's comment in mid-November of a hockey season is not akin to releasing bad news on a Friday or while something else has peoples' attention. It's a very odd time for Ted to essentially reverse course on years of "metrics" he's used in judging the performance of himself and his organization. It's a shot across the bow at the start of the season and something he can point to later if big changes need to be made, not something that's intended to be hidden, imo.

 

[g00n]

When did Ted give himself a F?

I confuse

I think I listed it in the timeline as the 13th but it may have been 11/12. Either way, discussion here:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=74275005&highlight=leonsis#post74275005

 

[Langway]

Might want to add this:

“If we don’t win the Stanley Cup, we do what?†Leonsis asked. “Will people cancel their season tickets? Will sponsors stop supporting us? Will Verizon say, ‘No, we don’t want to be on the Verizon Center anymore?’ No, I don’t live in fear of that.â€...

So what if, once again, the Capitals don’t win a championship and the Wizards miss the playoffs this year? Or the next? Or the next?

“You write nasty articles,†Leonsis replied, “and we go at it again next year."

Maybe it makes sense to add to the front office in an advisory capacity. In theory that shouldn't hurt and some of the best franchises have stacked front offices but not sure Gretzky is that guy.

In any event, it'll be interesting to see what sort of impact a potential Monumental Network channel has on how they re-invest down the line. Maybe everything they do until then is focused on positioning themselves the best for when that time comes.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

In any event, it'll be interesting to see what sort of impact a potential Monumental Network channel has on how they re-invest down the line. Maybe everything they do until then is focused on positioning themselves the best for when that time comes.

Are you implying a potential sale in the medium term future?

 

[g00n]

Might want to add this:

Maybe it makes sense to add to the front office in an advisory capacity. In theory that shouldn't hurt and some of the best franchises have stacked front offices but not sure Gretzky is that guy.

In any event, it'll be interesting to see what sort of impact a potential Monumental Network channel has on how they re-invest down the line. Maybe everything they do until then is focused on positioning themselves the best for when that time comes.

So after about a week Ted went back to his usual "we're not failures, winning championships is hard, we'll still fill seats and sponsors will still pay us" attack on the press and critics. And if you look at the timeline it coincides with the entry of Gretzky into the picture, at least publicly.

I wonder if the two are related.

 

[Halpysback*]

Ted's comment in mid-November of a hockey season is not akin to releasing bad news on a Friday or while something else has peoples' attention. It's a very odd time for Ted to essentially reverse course on years of "metrics" he's used in judging the performance of himself and his organization. It's a shot across the bow at the start of the season and something he can point to later if big changes need to be made, not something that's intended to be hidden, imo.

That's what I mean.

It doesn't hurt/stir attention now, but it's something he can point at later. Saying that after the playoffs would have put pressure on him. Throwing it out now means not much pressure now and significantly less pressure later.

Not hidden, but delivered quietly. Possibly a shot in the arm to casual STHs becoming disillusioned with the team.

 

[Langway]

Are you implying a potential sale in the medium term future?

No. Just that the near-term goal is likely building up an empire rather than anything like bringing local fans happiness or some such dribble. If moves need to be made in the front office it will be with that first objective in mind and only if the situation is very dire.

Maybe Leonsis is starting to re-evaluate things to a certain extent but the overall picture I think is already pretty well established. Tweaking around the edges won't fundamentally change that he's primarily interested in marketing hype and brand growth.

 

[jsykes]

I fear the only thing that is going to get Ted to actually do something about the team is for the Verizon Center to start to sit empty for games, which I dont see happening any time soon.

 

[Capitlols]

I fear the only thing that is going to get Ted to actually do something about the team is for the Verizon Center to start to sit empty for games, which I dont see happening any time soon.

It hasn't been empty, but it's been far from a sellout game-to-game.

 

[jsykes]

It hasn't been empty, but it's been far from a sellout game-to-game.

Well, hopefully he is seeing that and not just looking at the tickets sold because I think they keep announcing another sellout at VC.

At least I know I heard it not too long ago as some extended sellout streak again at VC. Granted I havent watched too many of the most recent games very closely due to the frustration.

 

[Hivemind]

Finally, an answer to the 2C problem.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It hasn't been empty, but it's been far from a sellout game-to-game.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance


Currently averaging 18506 which is exactly the stated capacity for hockey....

 

[Capitlols]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance


Currently averaging 18506 which is exactly the stated capacity for hockey....

Should of specified and said actual attendance.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Should of specified and said actual attendance.

Paid attendance is all Leonsis cares about.

Sadly, unless they miss the playoffs, nothing is happening IMO. As a season ticketholder, I've been surprised at how supportive Caps fans have been about attending. More likely DC fans desperate for a team NOT playing like the Skins are, or the Wiz have (historically).

 

[Liberati0n*]

Paid attendance is all Leonsis cares about.

He probably cares about a decline in actual attendance as a predictor of one in paid attendance.

 

[Hivemind]

Actual attendance drives up concession and gift shop revenue.

 

[Halpysback*]

He probably cares about a decline in actual attendance as a predictor of one in paid attendance.

In that case we are screwed, since this team could lose half its STHs and replace them overnight as long as the team is middle of the road and has Ovechkin. If there is one thing Leonsis knows as well as anybody it's the casualness of DC sports fans.

Given his personality he'd probably take a buddy buddy atmosphere/team and players he's comfortable with and break close to even over a team he's not as personally comfortable with that could net him 5 mil a year due to one extra round. That money is chump change to him anyway. Oh, he probably wants to win but he covets the warmth as much as anyone I've ever seen.

If we had HunterHockey last year I'd bet a good deal the caps would have made more on account on getting 1 or 2 rounds further but Ted would have still preferred Oates and a fun resurgent Ovechkin.

 

[n3ss]

Oh god this would be right up the caps alley..

 

[Ajax1995]

Paid attendance is all Leonsis cares about.

Sadly, unless they miss the playoffs, nothing is happening IMO. As a season ticketholder, I've been surprised at how supportive Caps fans have been about attending. More likely DC fans desperate for a team NOT playing like the Skins are, or the Wiz have (historically).

As a clearly unhappy season ticket holder when do you put up?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

As a clearly unhappy season ticket holder when do you put up?

I'm pretty close, but my seats are so damned good I fear I'll never get seats as good again. Would make it more palatable if the resale market was decent, but it's been in decline for 3 years.

I'm a hardcore Caps fan. I'm just as happy to watch from the comforts of my couch. If they miss the playoffs or fail miserably in the 1st round again....it's almost a certainty at this point. I have friends who work for the team, I'd just buy a handful of good games a year until ownership showed me they give a damn about on ice performance in the postseason.

 

[jsykes]

I'm pretty close, but my seats are so damned good I fear I'll never get seats as good again. Would make it more palatable if the resale market was decent, but it's been in decline for 3 years.

This seems to be the feeling I get from those I know that have season tickets, especially those that have had them for some time. Chances of getting good seats again are nearly nil, especially if they turn it around (which is when you'd want the seats back), so you just keep holding on to the seats you have, whether happy or not.

In photos I've seen, there seems to be quite a few of the lower bowl seats empty, which are likely a lot of season holders that are not interested in going to all the games any longer. However, those show up as sold on the stat sheets and lead to another VC sellout crowd.

So if Ted is just looking at the numbers, things are good, but if he's looking into the stands and actually listening to the season holders, things may not be so rosy and hopefully he is seeing it.