Ted's Take

Looking ahead to this weekend’s NCAA games, and George Mason’s historic run to the Final Four, I remember watching the game that many observers still consider the biggest upset in tournament history, # 8 seed Villanova’s win over #1 seed Georgetown in the 1985 national championship.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s NCAA games, and George Mason’s historic run to the Final Four, I remember watching the game that many observers still consider the biggest upset in tournament history, # 8 seed Villanova’s win over #1 seed Georgetown in the 1985 national championship.  I remember at halftime being confident.  Although Villanova had played a fantastic first half, hitting 13 of their first 18 shots, Georgetown was down by only one point at the half.   I called my friends and said "We got em!  They played their best, and there’s no way they can keep that up in the second half!"  Well, I was right.  They didn’t play the same level.  They played better.  In the second half, Villanova shot a staggering 90% from the floor, and hit 11 of their last 14 shots from the foul line, in putting together a game that’s still referred to as "the Perfect Upset".   The only difference is that they had a really amazing team, with a couple guys who would end up in the NBA.  George Mason doesn’t have anybody who’s likely to play in the pros.  If Mason goes to the national championship, the only upset remotely like it would be Buster Douglas upsetting Mike Tyson - except that George Mason will have to win six fights in a row.   Along with millions of other Americans, I hope they pull it off.

Last night, the Caps lost to the Montreal Canadiens (3-2) in overtime.  But even though they lost, I’m incredibly proud of how well the team played.  The Caps have had three games in a row against teams that are going to the playoffs - they won the first two, and came close to winning the third.  One of our goals this season was to play every team hard, and as these last few games have shown - we have.

Last night, the Caps won their third game in a row from the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.  It was a great game for the Caps.  They hustled, skated hard, and stood their ground in front of the net.  Backup goalie Brent Johnson made 49 saves and had a spectacular game.  Matt Bradley got two goals, and Alex Ovechkin scored one to bring his season total to 48.  

Today’s issue of USA Today has a great column by Kevin Maney - a man with a great eye for new media applications.

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since the Palm was first introduced.  My Treo was invaluable on my recent trip to China (where it worked like a charm).  I’m always amazed at how quickly people adopt to new technology and how quickly it becomes a vital part of our daily lives.

I actually had one of the first Palm Pilots that is now buried somewhere in my basement along with my Wangwriter word processor, a Kpro PC, an Osborne PC, a PC Junior (the peanut), one of the original IBM PC’s, a 128k Mac, and an early Dell laptop.  Someday I will open a museum that showcases all the hardware and gadgets I’ve collected over the years.  

It is truly incredible to see how the Washington-area college basketball scene is booming. Three local teams: Georgetown, George Mason, and George Washington made it into the NCAA tournament, and all won at least their first-round game.

It is truly incredible to see how the Washington-area college basketball scene is booming.  Three local teams:  Georgetown, George Mason, and George Washington made it into the NCAA tournament, and all won at least their first-round game.

George Mason’s victory over U.Conn on Sunday at the Verizon Center was an upset for the ages.  Offhand I can’t think of another school that has had such an improbable run to the Final Four.  Coach Jim Larranga and his team deserve all of the accolades they’ve received, and I hope they know that everyone is rooting for another upset, and a chance at a national championship.

I was the commencement speaker for last year’s graduation ceremony at George Mason, and a number of AOL’s employees attended the school.  It truly is a world-class institution with almost 30,000 students.  The national media’s attention must be a boon to the school, and it will surely help build the George Mason brand, but those of us who have been living in Northern Virginia have always known that GMU is a winning program and a winning school. 

If you were a business archeologist and you dug into the history of AOL, I think you would find five events over the past 20+ years that transformed the company and drove our greatest growth. All five of them were controversial and dramatic changes that were done mostly on instinct, an understanding of the business, and sheer courage. More important, after each event, the company launched into a period of significantly increased usage and revenue growth

I got home last night, and after hugging and kissing my family, we all sat down together and watched the last period of the Caps game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

We’ve been losing so many one goal games, and games in overtime, that it was great to see the team finally get a win.  I’m so proud of the way this team has stayed together and played hard every night.  It really is a testament to the character of these players. 

I’ve been gone for 10 days, spent 38 hours on planes, 8 hours in cars, saw 4 in-flight movies, and crossed too many time zones to remember. I am jet-lagged beyond belief, and I had a great trip.

I’ve been gone for 10 days, spent 38 hours on planes, 8 hours in cars, saw 4 in-flight movies, and crossed too many time zones to remember.  I am jet-lagged beyond belief, and I had a great trip.

China was everything I expected it to be and more.  Their economy is booming.  The internet in China is booming.  And, the Chinese people seem to be optimistically and enthusiastically racing towards the future. 

China is a fascinating balance between old and new, and between tradition and innovation.  Every person I met was warm, welcoming and exhibited a can-do attitude that I can’t help but admire.  I want to thank all of the people who made this trip so informative and educational (and you know who you are).  This was my first trip to China, but it will most definitely not be the last.

Over 1.3 billion people live in China. There are three mega cities that are each home to at least 10 million people (Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin), and there are another fifteen cities that each contain over 3 million inhabitants. Having such a large population means that manpower is often used to solve any problem

Over 1.3 billion people live in China.  There are three mega cities that are each home to at least 10 million people (Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin), and there are another fifteen cities that each contain over 3 million inhabitants.  Having such a large population means that manpower is often used to solve any problem

I met an entrepreneur at the Four Seasons in Shanghai (where I’m staying) who runs an outdoor media company.  Whenever a new mega apartment building or office structure opens up (an everyday occurrence in Shanghai), he deploys an army of foot soldiers to put posters and ads inside each elevator and outdoor outlet, such as public bathrooms.  His employees are also responsible for updating these outlets with the most current cards, handouts, and posters.  Because the materials are always new and up to date, both consumers and advertisers love the service, but it is an enormous undertaking and one that is possible only through the mobilization of a huge workforce.

But having such a large and available workforce in China also means that manpower can frequently overwhelm even the most mundane situation.

Yesterday, I went to a very nice salon to get my hair cut.  One employee guided me into a small room where there were four more employees waiting to take care of me:  one to wash my hair, one to cut it (did a great job by the way), one to use a brush and small vacuum to pick the stray hair off my face and clothing, and one to sweep the cuttings off the floor.  The whole episode took about forty-five minutes and cost $12 ($20 with tip).  I am very happy with the outcome, but have to admit that I don’t really see the team approach to haircutting catching on in the United States.

I went for a run around Shanghai early this morning, and I couldn’t help but notice how cosmopolitan, and European, this city looks. There are parts of this city that could be dropped down in the middle of a neighborhood in Paris, and no one would notice the difference