Monthly Archives: June 2009

Soccer for Social Change

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Click here to read about Street Soccer; The Homeless World Cup trials coming to Washington, DC; and the DC Knights homeless soccer team.
 
I am proud to continue my family’s sponsorship of this worthy event. Get involved. Donate some time or money to this great cause and come on down and watch some games at Kastles Stadium.

When is Free Good?

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Click here to read a great article about the importance of being free (kudos Chris Anderson) in the new media world and a counter claim being made by Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author and former Washington Post employee.
 
In regards to YouTube, I agree. Giving away free video stuff costs money and it is tough to monetize. Can you ever trust this community-created video as a brand builder and advertiser? Is it curated? Is it frankly any good in terms of quality?
 

Oh Great – Just What We Need

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We need to be jinxed before the season even begins!
 
Check out this article. The author, a highly regarded analyst, picks the Washington Capitals to win the Stanley Cup next season.
 
While flattering, please burn this article and don’t believe a word of it. Don’t jinx us. There are a million things that have to go right for us to win a Cup. It is nice to be mentioned as an elite team but we all know we have lots of work still to do.

Cringeworthy

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Yuck. What an interview. What a father whose true feelings come out in this interview. Michael Jackson isn’t his son, he is a superstar performer. And let me sell you some stuff I can hawk now as I have this opportunity on a big stage thanks to Michael’s passing.
 
I thought the CNN newscaster was going to slug Mr. Jackson.
 
Click here and check this one out. Any wonder why Michael Jackson didn’t want to go home again. Ever wonder why Michael Jackson reveled in self-loathing? Well here you go. “Thanks Dad.”

Draft Concludes

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We had a productive draft. I bet at least two of the kids drafted can make our team or play in the NHL. If that happens, we can all be happy.
 
We still have work to do. There weren’t many trades made at the drafting tables this year. Perhaps now we all go to work in free agency and those moves will open up personnel needs and create some dynamism in the league?
 
Don’t expect us to make any big long term expensive signings though in free agency. We have many core young players to reward and keep in the fold. We are up near the cap max now. We have some wiggle room but I am hopeful – as noted before - that we add to the team via internal promotion, trades, deadline trades and some smaller free agent signings.
 
Wish us luck. We have work left to do. Click here to read a good article that summarizes the draft.

On the Mystics Turnaround

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Thank you Mystics fans. Business is booming. The blueprint of change is being well executed.
 
Click here to read a nice story about the recent business success of the Mystics and how our business success follows success on the court.
 
Also the Washington Mystics were named the “Emerging Business of the Year” by the DC Chamber of Commerce and will be recognized for that feat later in the fall at a big time gala.
 
I am proud of our work – in all aspects – regarding the Washington Capitals and the Washington Mystics. I believe we have developed a very good system of change and improvement that we now know how to execute and implement in all facets of the operation.

George Is Usually Tight-Lipped

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George is usually tight-lipped about developments at the draft. I am surprised he is being so open and transparent. At 5:00 pm last night, I talked to him on the phone and asked him how it was going. He told me that barring a last minute trade that included the pick that if we had the opportunity at number 24, we would draft Marcus Johansson. And sure enough, that is what we did. So the scouts were all in agreement as was the staff and our GM so I have to feel good about the pick.
 
George and staff believe he is strong on his skates; a well rounded two way center with very good hockey sense; plays D; and has skill and will get even more strength. So in the last three drafts we have taken 3 Swedish centers. The Swedes seem to be all of the rage in the NHL now with 7 drafted in the first round yesterday.