Yes, it is true. I have received emails from some of our ”fans” complaining about last night’s practice. The tonality of these emails goes like this…”Why wasn’t I invited and why don’t you do it at this rink which is less than a mile from my house next time?” ”Why didn’t they stay longer as I didn’t get so and so’s autograph?” “Don’t you care about the season? This wasn’t a real practice. It was a fun night and you have lost two games in a row. You are not a real franchise committed to winning a Cup. You should sell the team.”
And on and on.
Will there ever be a thing we do that someone doesn’t complain about? 
Most people thought the night was fun. Check out this blog post on the activities.
To begin with, it is a very long season, and a little “fun” goes a long way for moral.
On a side note, I have a nice patch of ice left over from earlier in the week. Mind you, it is not big enough for the whole team, but maybe you could send a couple players for my own personal enjoyment. I have ample parking, and make some mean hot apple cider.
Just have your people contact my people, and we can work out the details.
By the way, sweet victory over the Red Wings.
Ted, pure and simple, some people just suck at life.
I’ve been to Chevy Chase’s rink and skated there.
There’s simply no place to park and put the thousand or so who would flock there to see a Caps practice.
Best suggestion I can give is get a connection from a member there. I was able to make it over there because I knew a member and went with him and his son.
Some folks are just unreal- so one practice isn’t open to the general public. On the bright side, the New York Times hockey blog, Slapshot, included part of Tarik’s WaPo coverage and the Caps 365 video from the scrimmage in one of its blog entries today. GO CAPS!
Start by winning at least 1 playoff series, then you can bitch about people complaining too much.
Again, if that’s the worst people have to complain about, then the team is doing pretty good as an organization. Keep up the good work and don’t let the id10Ts get to you.
Ted I am in Central-Southern Illinois and would like to express my outrage that you didn’t fly the team out to my house as I have a large pond in my back yard and a huge cornfield that could have been used as a landing strip. Please keep this in mind next year as it would be SO convenient for me. It’s a short 808 miles and would have been a great time. haha people are ignorant ted just keep smiling and doing what your doing boss.
I think it was a great idea and the players deserve to have a little fun. However, it would have been nice if it was open to the public, instead of only to country club members. Obviously you are limited by the number of outdoor rinks in the DC area (maybe the country club has the only outdoor rink), but I think the main gripe is that it wasnsn’t open to the public. I’m sure most fans would love the opportunity to see the Caps scrimmage outdoors. Rightfully or not, many fans felt excluded because it was restricted to the country club members.
No, there will never be something that you do that does not result in complaints. You cannot please everyone. But you already knew that
Seriously Ted, those are not Caps fans. Dont read that garbage.
Ted, I am a season ticket holder for my 3rd season and i just read about that awesome practise in the post this morning. Do i wish i knew about and was there? HECK Yeah!! Will i complain no, I think Gabby had a great idea about enhancing their practise. It sucks that you keep getting bunch of emails that B**** and Complain, hope you get more from fans that are just excited that the Caps are doing great and on track going further than last season!! and just maybe a Cup at the end!!!
It seems to bother a lot of fans that the practice was closed to the public and held in a private country club. The economic climate, I think, exacerbates some folks further. But I can’t think of where else the team could adequately host the event, which is now a wonderful annual tradition.
Ted, I think you are swell and all but sometimes you sound sort of whiny. It may have been a good deed for the team and I’m all for that, but it did not do anything for the fans (at least those who are not members of the Chevy Chase Club).
I read about the “game” and it seems the players had a great time and I hope, as we all do, that it was just right touch to get them refocused on the big weekend and beyond. However, you are not being “punished” for doing a good “deed”. It was like reading the locker room comments from after a game…important for the players to participate in but it doesn’t involve us (the fans).
My son and I will be at both games this weekend. Go CAPS!