Here is a nice slide show of images from the wonderful Caps Convention this past Saturday. Check them out here on On Frozen Blog.
Someone asked me on Saturday if I would commit to them that we would do the Caps Convention on an annual basis. I responded that we would have to get perspective first on how this one went and listen to our fan base about how to improve before we could make any decisions. That got me to thinking about commitment and pledges.
So herewith my pledges to you:
- We will always operate the team as if it is a public trust. It is our job and responsibility to hold a mirror up to our community and be a reflection of the best of our fan base;
- We will always strive to be transparent and open and communicate often and honestly with our fan base;
- We will be interactive and high tech/high touch as an organization;
- We will always remain humble and hungry and sweat all of the details;
- We will be first class in all of our efforts. We will do less things but the things we do undertake as a franchise will be world class in execution;
- We will adhere to a system and a plan and stick with our strategy;
- We will strive for continuity and harmony;
- We will strive to offer value in all offerings to our fans. We seek ” Happiness” as a state of mind and being for our fan base;
- We will be an innovator and leader in our marketing and customer relations efforts;
- We will work hard to keep our team together so we can ice a great team for a long time;
- We will only be focused as an organization on winning the Stanley Cup. We have a singular goal.
Thank you to all of our fans who attended the Caps Convention this weekend. Thank you to all of our fans who can’t wait for the new season to start. We have our hands full to meet expectations this season. Might as well go out and see what we are made of. Drop the puck – let’s go! Go Caps!
Ted – thanks for putting together such an excellent and entertaining product… I’ve been going to Caps games since their first season, and this is the most exciting my team has ever been. It’s a joy to watch the Caps, even when they come up on the short end of the scoreboard.
Now, if you could do me one favor… PLEASE BUY THE REDSKINS!!!
Heard this list on fm 106.7 and sought it out. I think it’s an awesome, inspiring list. I’m a NY Rangers fan, but am hugely impressed by the pledges you’ve articulated here, and it’s obvious from your actions that they are more than just words.
I (and all passionate fans) would consider myself lucky if my favorite teams all had owners operating in this mold. I’m saving this list of pledges because I think the principles apply in many business contexts; indeed, my guess is the philosophy that underlies these pledges has been a driver of your past business success.
Congratulations on the success of the team (and may you always finish second to the Rangers)!
Dear Ted: Thanks for all you do as an owner. I just read an article on the Post’s website about how the Lerners are making so much money off of a terrible team like the Nats, and I’m sure that everyone is sick of reading about how Snyder and the Redskins are squeezing their long-time fans while fielding a mediocre and unfocused team. It’s not that I wouldn’t give them time to build talent, but there doesn’t seem to be any interest in that. Your focus and your commitment to your fans is a rarity these days – so again, thanks.
Hi Ted,
My husband and I are second-year season ticket holders. This month has been very tough; my 98-year old mother was admitted to hospice care and we have had to deal with many issues surrounding this change: clearing out her room at her assisted living home, signing DNR orders, talking with the doctor and nurses, watching a vibrant and strong woman fade. It’s extraordinarily draining. But when I set foot in Verizon Center on September 21, 23, and 27, and when I arrived at Gaylord National Convention Center on September 26, I was happy. My spirits were lifted to the rafters each time. So thank you; you have, for this fan, definitely achieved the “happiness” goal already.
Go Caps!
Gosh! Where to start…
First off Ted THANK YOU this past Saturday was awesome! Though before I say any more I’d like to agree with Jp, the way the situation with Bourgue was handled left a lump in my throat, I cant imagine how Chris is feeling…that being said I so hope you make the Caps Convention a reality for many years to come. That day took me back so, my now husband had taken me to my first Caps game, after that it was history! You have been a saviorm after falling inlove with the CAPITALS and hockey then came the husband and children and with these past years you have brought the energy, excitment & passion back to my first love. I have to admit we are nolonger season ticket holders and we so miss being at every game but your commitment to the CAPS & their FANS is the BEST. A comment regarding feedback of Saturdays convention, we had some issue with the fact that some players were willing to sign but the staff prevented that. I understand there needed to be a control level but in the “pledge” one focus is connecting to the fans. Also I’d like to thank you for the picture you took with me and being among us fans its such little effort but means so much…THANKS AGAIN TED, YOUR THE BOMB!!
JoDluvmycaps
Ted…I loved this when I read it…but today I’m just confused…
“we will always operate the team as if it is a public trust. It is our job and responsibility to hold a mirror up to our community and be a reflection of the best of our fan base”
Can you explain this comment as it relates to telling Chris Bourque that he made the team and he’d have a chance to start and then less then 24 hours waiving him….Common Ted I love the Caps, and I love your ownership but this is appalling…somebody dropped the ball big time here, you owe us an explanation.
Your approach is so refreshing – especially since the local football team has the exact opposite modus operandi, and it has been spectacularly unsuccessful. I hope you are rewarded with great support and success. Thank you.
You are welcome! THANK YOU for doing such a great job with my favorite team. This is my favorite team in all of sports, and I’ve loved and rooted for this team since my first game when I was 7 years old. That’s a big deal to me. Because of you, I got to meet Nick Backstrom on his signing day, and now I’ve gotten to meet Rod Langway (on Saturday), who’s my favorite hockey player of all time. Thanks for posing with my wife and I on Saturday as well. I tagged you on Facebook.
My sole complaint about the entire event is that the Calder Cup wasn’t more prominently displayed. I feel like it was a really proud achievement, and rightly so, of many of the Caps future prospects. This is where many of the Caps players came from, including Coach Boudreau. It should have been somewhere other than in the back corner with the Home Depot. I talked to Keith Aucoin about this, and he seemed to agree with me. When the Bears win it again this year, you’ll have your chance to fix this injustice.
I actually took off work today so that I could come watch the Caps practice at Kettler. It was amazing! We picked the perfect day to come. Anybody who would ever criticize OV should come and watch him practice. He has so much passion for the game, and he’s always a pleasure to watch. He takes practice seriously, and he competes hard with everyone.
Four or five years ago I was asked to a focus group the Caps marketing staff was conducting. A professional facilitator led the discussions, asking numerous marketing-speak questions that all boiled down to: “As an organization, to what should the Capitals aspire?” No matter which way he asked the question (“What kind of car would you like the Capitals to be?”, “what adjective describes the Caps you want to cheer for?” “Tell me a word that defines the Capitals in 3-5 years”, etc.), I said: “Stanley Cup Champions”. People rolled their eyes but I stuck to my guns. Toward the end of the event, the facilitator skipped over me as he went around the table recording everybody’s answers, saying: “we all know how you feel; you are very singular in focus.” I was. And I am. Glad to see you are, too, Ted. Go Caps!
The good things is these words are being backed up by your actions. Each year for the past few years I’ve spent a little more on the Caps; more tickets, more stuff, more time, more emotion! Obviously I’m not alone. This town is theirs for the taking now more than ever. I can’t wait for this season to get underway!
All I want to say is thank you. I have been a season ticket holder for a couple of years now, and not only have you made these last couple of years exciting and enjoyable, you have also done what I thought was impossible, you have turned a very football oriented city into a bonafide hockey town. For that I owe you my thanks.
Ted, I really enjoyed talking w/U and taking a picture with you…it really made me feel like I,the fan, is important…and that’s really what Caps hockey is all about!
Ted,
The Convention was awesome! Thank you for that and don’t ever get rid of it, I will be there every year. Can you do me a favor and also buy the Redskins? I can’t take it anymore with Dan Snyder. I think he likes to make people feel horrible and that is the only reason I can think of why he would manage the organization like he does. I’m so glad the Capitals are there to lift my spirits.
At least give him a lesson on how to be a good owner.
You Rock! (The Red!)
Ted, I will be up front. I am a Boston Bruins fan. I have lived in the DC area my whole life, and unless they are playing Boston, have always held a hometown love for the Caps. THANK YOU for being the kind of owner that other sports teams (including local pro football teams) WISH THEY HAD. Thank you for the RESPECT that you show Caps fans. Thank you for making the Caps a model that other pro teams look to on how to run a TEAM, not a BUSINESS. Hats off to you, Ted.
Right on, Ted! Can’t wait for Thursday.