Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Read this article. What do you think?
Make a division championship banner raising have more celebration or play it more modestly?
We have done both. I am fine either way but what do you think? Let me know.
Ted's Take
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I was watching on TV and waiting for that moment. All I got to see was a late cut in on the video and then with no seeming announcement or forethought the camera cut to the banner already in place (yes it was upside down but it was clearly visible in full) and then have it released so that it dropped and was right side up. It was a real let down. I wouldn’t have bothered to tune in as early as I did if I had known that was going to be it. I understand not wanting to overplay and not wanting to take too much time but at least give it more respect, at least until we have a cup or are regularly winning the conference.
BTW, when will Kolzig’s # be retired. Please bring him back for a nice ceremony.
Last year’s Opening Night was fabulous, and helped erase the pain of that last (stupid penalty call induced) loss in the playoffs the year before. I had hyped up the opening to some friends there for the first time. This year’s was not so exciting. but it was exactly right. We(sorry, the Caps) won another division title – here’s the banner, yeah!
But that win was a repeat of the previous season’s accomplishment; let’s celebrate more for the NEXT step towards the ultimate goal.
Shame on Feinstein, a New Yorker, for not recognizing the similarity to the Yankees who acknowledge but do not celebrate division titles; only World Series Banners deserve the absolute fanfare.
Let’s hope this conversation is irrelevant next year as the ultimate banner does get raised!
Ted, just look at the sales of t-shirts with back-to-back division champs. It is a nice achievement for a young team but the fans believe it is a team capable of going much farther. I think the article’s analogies with basketball are misplaced. That is a ritual that happens within a tournament post-season, not between seasons. The impact on the psyche is much different.
ted–this one is no brainer-you did it the right way!
in fact and although i have not been to the montreal forum(oops the bell center or whatever it is called now)in a number of years, i am sure the only banners hanging in montreal are the stanley cup banners.
given the remarkable comeback in 07-08 and the lack of any significant accomplishments immediately preceding said season, for dc it was appropriate to have a banner celebration..in fact my nephew has his souvenir banner hanging in his room from that ceremony
here is the bottom line..the team and fans need to now have the same attitude about the cup as team canada in the olympics…only gold is acceptable everything else is not
As I noted in the other post, it was just the right note. I know the regulars around me in Section 425 didn’t want a whole lot of hoopla for a SE Division banner. We had an 11 point cushion at the end of the regular season, so last year’s division title was a bit anti-climactic, unlike the come-from-behind frenzy that was the 2007-08 regular season. A lot of us felt that in 2007-08, the appropriate benchmark was making the playoffs. For 2008-09, we felt that making it to the conference semi-finals was the baseline for success, making it to the conference finals would have been achieving ahead of schedule, and making it to the Cup finals would have been overachieving. This year, the mood seems to be, we should win the division, the conference finals are the baseline and competing for the Cup (six games minimum) is the objective. From the fan’s perspective, seeing where we are from a talent development and contractual standpoint, you never know where things will go in future years, so we hope this is the year. That’s why we’ll be there, game in and game out, making the Verizon Center one of the toughest places to play.
Bottom line – last year’s banner raising was the recognition of the incredible turnaround the team accomplished during the 2007-08 with the team rallying behind Bruce and showing what it’s capable of. This year’s banner raising was a recognition of a good year, but not the great year. Teams which focus too much on minimal accomplishments tend to set low expectations and underachieve.
Hi Ted. I think it was just right. The banner is up there. Every fan sees it and can recognize a successful season. But we all know the Cup is the goal.
I liked this year because we wanted more. The previous season was bigger since we came back to really fight and claw our way to the division but last year we expected it and then some. I think just the modest one is good for now at least for the divisional titles.
It’s not so much the division championship that got slighted. It was a season full of special moments that was, in my view, summarily glossed over.
Who can forget Alex Ovechkin’s pass-one-way-spin-the-other-get-knocked-down-and-still-score? Who can forget “Excuse me! Caps win, suddenly!” Who can forget Alex Ovechkin’s back-to-back MVP awards? Who can forget “Happy Birthday, Shaone Morrisonn!” Who can forget #80? Who can forget Mike Green’s consecutive-game scoring record? Who can forget a 50-win season, and a franchise record in points? Who can forget how Washington at long last embraced its warriors of winter?
And who will EVER forget how a young goalie with an NHL GP in single digits came off the bench to steal a playoff series from the New York Rangers?
True, the Caps didn’t win the whole shebang. True, the playoff exit was heartbreaking. True, it hurt us all to see our archrivals go on to skate the Cup after ending our season.
That doesn’t in any way diminish the many accomplishments, positive steps, and special memories that we bore witness to last year. It was a banner year in every sense. Perhaps I’m alone on this, but I wish it hadn’t gotten such short shrift.
Ted,
I thought what you did the other night was classy and a good way to celebrate/honor not only the team and the players but the fans that ROCK THE RED! Being at the game I thought it was well put on, the players were on the ice to witness and appreciate it, the fans were into it, he banner had enough time to be showcased and then it was on to the business of the 2009-10 season. Keep being the best owner in DC, your organization is doing everything right! GO CAPS!
The unfurling of the banner was very appropriate. Not mentioned is the new capitals colors on the banners. I did think the faces on the banners of our retired stars were classy – but these new banners celebrate the historic times of the franchise as well as its current ‘rock the red’ promise.
I have trouble with the ‘Kharma’ issue here. I just can’t see Mike Green lacing up and being in any way impacted because the banner celebration was too short. There have been so many opportunties to celebrate the accomplishments of last year … on the streets of the city, the front page of the post (not just the sports page), the offseason awards, lead sports stories months away from opening day .. the 5000 fans at the Caps convention.
And yes, the banner was placed there … hard to miss. The Caps did accomplish something worth celebrating. While the greatest joy (and I maintain accomplishment) was the comeback playoff series win against the Rangers, the division championship is nice as well. As long as the 2008-2009 SE Division Champions banner is on the rafters, the accomplishments of that special team will be recognized. We get it and the players get it.
We did celebrate it properly. If the home opener was also our first game of the season, we could appropriately make a bigger deal of it. Being the second game, I’m sure most of our players, and our opponents, want the game to get underway as soon as is practical. Once the first game is played, home or away, the pregame fanfare looses its luster.
Martin
Having the banner raised at the tone, speed and wisp in my perspective was perfect for encompassing the edge and spirit of The 2009 Capitals season. One of our teams motto’s is “Unleash the Fury”. We have even more passion filled fans, The Capitals our hungry with desire to win.
I loved how the home opener was quite the contrary to the ponptous, boring penguins opening btw.
Capitals rock the Red, Raise our salutes with fast victory, and Spirit from sea to shining sea!
I think the way the banner was placed in the rafters was perfect. Save the pomp and circumstance for the Eastern Conference Banner and the Stanley Cup Banner. The divisional win was recognized, with a banner, and a ceremony … it didn’t need to be as extravagant as some people think it should be.
I see John’s point, it is important to celebrate and appreciate your accomplishments. I think it can very well be done, and still maintain your focus on the final goal – THE CUP! Was there any conscious decision by the Caps to downplay the banner presentation? Any reason they chose unfurling vs. raising?
BTW: Did you see this nice piece giving props where they are due?
http://www.japersrink.com/2009/10/6/1064650/the-tipping-point
Talk about being knitpicky (sic). That banner that hangs in VC does not even come close to representing what this team accomplished last year. A few years ago this franchise was on the edge of an abyss, but look at us now. Waiting lists for season tickets, red outs that are accomplished WITHOUT free handouts (intentional shot at the champs), and arguably the best show in D.C. I only wish I could afford to move my family up there so that I could go to more than 2 games a year.
Ted, you keep on doing as YOU see fit, I am a believer.
LETS GO CAPS!!!
I thought last year, with a bit more ceremony, was fine then due to the circumstances of the division championship (coming back from being left for dead on Thanksgiving morning). It was a major accomplishment and deserved to be recognized as such. I also thought this year, with a simpler unveiling, was also fine because the Caps were expected to win the division and did so. To me it has nothing to do with the notion of winning the division not being enough. If that were the point, then it would have made more sense just to have the banner already hanging there and not to acknowledge it at all. By doing the unveiling the way you did, I think the Caps struck the right balance in recognizing that winning the division IS an achievement but was not the same major achievement that it was the previous year.
I should also add that this year I liked having the banner in the correct place from the start. I wasn’t a big fan of seeing banners raised down the other end of the ice where the Bullets’ banners hang.
Next year I trust there will be ample ceremony when you hoist the Stanley Cup banner!
Hockey has always had a modest mindset. Keep it that way.
The 2008 division title was the first for the Caps in many many years so it was appropriate to raise the banner from the ice and celebrate.
I liked the way that the 2009 banner was unfurled after a video highlight package of ALL the Caps’ accomplishments last season (most wins, most points, Ovie’s trophies, Green’s scoring streak, etc). So it was part of a celebration of the team. Didn’t need to raise it because we all expect more now, as do the players.
No bad karma
I think showing a video of the highlights of last season was great to pump up the crowd, but I would have even done less with the Southeast Division banner than was done. The Caps are beyond that. If they finish in second place in the Division this season, yet still make the playoffs and win the Cup is anyone even going to notice that they didn’t win the division?
Stupid article, you did the right thing Ted. Go Caps!
Ted I think what was done was perfect! It recognized the accomplishment with class and dignity and nothing over the top. I think we can all agree that when we have that Stanley Cup and banner we will once again show why the Washington Capitals are a class organization and not a team (or fans) that need to showboat!
Hey Ted – I say don’t worry about that guy’s opinion. I was at the game on Saturday, and I thought the banner unfurling was great – the highlights from last season were the perfect way to welcome the Caps back to DC, and I thought it was a great celebration of what you achieved last year. Feinstein is talking about a total lack of acknowledging success in his other examples, which wasn’t the case on Saturday night. Besides, Caps fans know that celebrating success is about more than just dramatic lighting and a 60-second banner raising. The atmosphere in the VC and the sell-outs / red-outs throughout the season are more of a celebration of how far the team has come and how much DC loves the team. GO CAPS!
I thought what transpired on Saturday evening at the Verizon Center was fine. It was acknowledged that the Capitals had won the division, I was proud to see the banner there. (By the way – I like all of the redesigned banners).
I didn’t feel that any disrespect was shown to the club, fans, or players by doing it the way it was done. Onward to 2009-10 & hopefully a few more banners may be raised at next year’s home opener with a much greater fanfare & celebration
I was at the opening-night game. I didn’t feel the division championship was downplayed. It was simply celebrated in a different way: nice highlights video followed by dropping of the banner. The new banners/retired numbers also made this year’s ceremony seem special. If we’re fortunate to have a new banner next year, change it up again: maybe you could personally deliver the banner to the ice via a bungee-jump from the rafters, Ted. Or do you only do that for the Cup?
Absolutely fine with it. Proper appreciation for that type of milestone.
Paul
Ted,
What was done that night was tastefully done. With the video of last years highlights and the culmination of the banner being shown, we were able to celebrate the accomplishments of the team.
Dont get me wrong, having a banner showing accomplishments is a great demonstration of respect for the previous teams who have labored to earn it. It will only be fuel for the future team to strive to live up to, and exceed, those accomplishments.
We cant be cocky and diminish what has been done.
As you always say…. “be humble”
Lets give em hell
-S
The home opener this year was excellent minus the banner reveal. The reveal of the banner almost felt like an afterthought of a well put together look back of last year. Raising the banner from the ice like last year would have fit better I feel. Thanks for listening!
Ridiculous.
But then again… WP reporters seem to have a disposition towards finding the negative in just about anything… they think it sells papers. It’s a by-product of being around the Redskin propaganda wheel.
“This is a town starved for not only a winner but a truly outstanding team. Maryland won a national championship in 2002, and the Redskins won the Super Bowl in January 1992. That’s it for the last 20 years…”
There’s the real source of the reporter’s angst…
The rest is drivel.
Tell that guy to take a hike. 1.) I think he is reading to far into the banner just being dropped instead of ceremoniously raised into the rafters. 2.) Every caps fan can probably agree that we like the division champs banners but we want a stanley cup champions banner. And when we get it, raise it slowly and cherish it for as long as we can, until it is time to start the game and start the journey to winning another cup.
Keep up the good work! Don’t let the nay-sayers make you doubt anything!
Go Caps!
-Mark
Don’t worry about Feinstein, Ted. His article immediately harped on the negative and stayed that way. What you did was great. I prefer unfurling, myself. Only hoist if it is a Conference or Cup championship.
I think that man doesn’t know the first thing about hockey, the players or the history of the NHL.
Keep doing what you’re doing Ted. To have made a huge celebration & spectacle out of the banner raising Saturday night would have been giving in to mediocrity, which is not what this team was built for & striving for. I admire & praise you and your staff for building a team made to win the bigger prize rather than settling for the minor ones.
Here’s to continuing the journey tonight in Philly.
If John Feinstein wrote regularly about the Caps or hockey, then maybe I would give a crap about what he wrote. Considering he knows more about basketball and golf, that’s where he should keep his analysis.
A better comparison to his “not cutting down the nets” by college basketball teams would be if the Caps won the conference title and didn’t touch the trophy because they only want to hold the Stanley Cup. In 1998, Hunter did accept the trophy and took it into the locker room, so maybe he should have done some research there.
Winning the SE Division is a minor accomplishment and was celebrated appropriately on Saturday night. Ask the players, I think they would agree.
Ted,
I disagree with the article only in one respect… it’s not the banner unfurling I didn’t like. I thought simple and respectful was a perfectly fine way to go. I never had the impression we were saying, “this isn’t good enough.”
The one thing I missed though was the appropriate giveaway, and thought that was a missed opportunity. In the past, fans had gotten a pin or a cloth (albeit inexpensive) replica of the banner. It was a nice personal piece for all the fans in their remembering a great year. Saturday’s game had a Mike Green bobblehead.
Now, don’t get me wrong — I love that Greenie got his own bobblehead, and I’m glad I have one, but why opening night? Couldn’t we do something more in tune with opening night and save Mike for later, perhaps when recognizing him individually for something? I think you’ll agree the fans were a big piece of what we accomplished last year. They somehow should be able to have a piece of that.
I hope you don’t think I’m complaining. I’m really not. Just offering a suggestion to your question.
I think it was done the correct way.
I agree with him on a few points. I don’t believe it will bring us bad karma, however I do think the banner unveiling was a bit under played. Last year’s banner raising was awesome. We had fog and sparks around the banner, it was AWESOME. I feel he hit it right on the head. Being back to back division champions is a great thing and we should’ve celebrated it like it was a (Stanley Cup) championship banner. What is done, is done. But like in past seasons we really played up the “back to back” thing. I wish we had this time.
eh… I kinda thought the same thing but in the end, who cares? The banner is there, that is what matters. How it was put there is definitely not worth even mentioning in an article.
Nope…the goal is to improve, and hang a bigger, better banner each year.
I think you did it right Ted…You didnt ignore it completely…you just toned it down from the year before…