Monthly Archives: September 2009

Caps Convention

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I”m on my way to do one of my favorite things – mingle with 5,000 of my closest and best friends – fans of the Washington Capitals. I am so looking forward to our first Capitals Convention.

We will learn a lot. We will share a lot. We will have a lot of fun with staff, fans, players, league officials and media.

Bringing together this big community of interest and having some fun is my goal today.

To the 5,000 of you who believed this was a good new innovative idea, thank you for your support.

I am sure we will have some kinks to iron out in this convention format. We will listen to our fans and make it better and better over the years. But I see no risk in bringing together our communities all in one place and time. This should be a positive, happy day. I am excited. Go Caps!

More Signs

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Is there a sustained recovery afoot?

Twitter is valued quite highly.

Google stock is about to hit $500 again.

The Today Show this morning had a real estate segment talking about nice homes for sale in the million dollar range.

Several of my companies are in some strategic discussions with big strategic partners.

As the song says, “Something is happening here, but we don’t know what it is. Do you Mr. Jones?”

Dream in Doubt

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As I watch the news and see the arrests of Americans suspected of terrorism I cringe. I am concerned for our public’s safety and am proud of our security forces; intelligence agencies; and their vigilance and talents. They are getting results from their hard work. But I also am concerned about stereotyping as each of the suspects “fits” a profile.

Here is a film on SnagFilms that deals with this subject. It is called Dream in Doubt and it focuses on how a family copes and deals with stereotyping. This is a thought provoking film and so very relevant today. Watch it this weekend. Thank you.

NHL and NBA Right Around the Corner

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So great! The NHL season opens next week. The Caps play twice next week at Boston and then at home.

A month or so later, the NBA starts. The NHL opens earlier this season because of the planned Olympics break.

The Washington Wizards – in public and private - are very enthusiastic about the start of the new season. This is to be expected. We have a healthy core of key players after a long series of injuries; some new players added via trade; and some young players with more experience. Bad health and injuries is the number one enemy of many teams. If we stay healthy, I believe the Wizards will have one of the best teams in the East.

My prediction: The Wizards are the most improved team in the NBA and qualify for the playoffs.

Wouldn’t it be great to have one year where the Wizards, Capitals and Mystics all made the playoffs in the same season? That would be so great for the local respective fan bases.

A Few Comments

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Last night’s preseason game was a lot of fun to attend. We met with our season ticket holder advisory board before the game. They are so smart; so passionate; and they answered a very simple set of questions for us: What do you like best and what are your aspirations for our franchise as a fan? What is your biggest set of concerns for us?

It is so educational to listen to our fans and get to know them one on one. Thanks to all that turned out. Your time and knowledge is most appreciated.

The game was a lot of fun too. We had terrific goaltending. We crashed the net. Do you “K-now K-nuble?” Chris Clark crashed it too to create a goal. And Brooks Laich was banging inside too. This is a new dynamic for a team and a good one to boot.

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Olie the Goalie Retires

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He will be missed. Olie Kolzig was the most competitive person I know. He cared deeply about the team; his community; and his family. He was and is a class act and he is one of my favorite athletes of all time.

He was the greatest goaltender to date in our franchise’s history; a winner of a Vezina Trophy; and he took us to our lone Stanley Cup Final.

I respect Olie and consider him a friend.

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Predictions in Pixels

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Here are predictions on this coming season by people who care; bloggers that follow the team; and the NHL. Thank you for the positive vibes and positive pixels.

My prediction is to expect the unexpected. We may not have as many points as last season. We may not win the division. We need to stay healthy and just qualify for the playoffs. The regular season is now only a prelude to a playoff run for us. We must stay healthy and we must qualify for the playoffs. That is what matters to me most these days.

Once you qualify for the playoffs, then you start anew and nothing matters and carries over from the regular season. Just stay healthy, make the playoffs and then go from there!