Monthly Archives: January 2010

Tough Numbers

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Wow. The POTUS’s approval ratings are sinking. These are low numbers for only being in office for 13 months or so and for having – for the most part - the three Ps, ”pretty positive press.”

When you get to 57 percent disapproval ratings on several subjects, it may be time for a Plan B. I don’t have an answer but I do know the wisdom of crowds on big picture issues is pretty articulate and fair and for the most part, the vox populi here is not pretty or positive. Check out the Gallup Poll numbers.

Hall of Famer Joins Mystics Coaching Staff

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This is a good move by the Washington Mystics injecting even more talent to our coaching ranks. Marianne Stanley knows the league; its players; its officials and our city.

She is a class act and will do wonders with the team’s best post players. We are a young team and we are now working free agency and the dispersal drafts to improve on last year’s performance and record.

We have a plan. We will stick with it. We have a system. We will draft and recruit to fit the system. We have a system and our coaches will adhere to it and encourage players and coach them to work the system and execute it well.

Marianne Stanley is a winner and she will command respect of our players and work hand in glove with our staff. Well done.

Bad Game – Great Blog Post

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Sorry about that. That was an odd game, a game where we expended so much energy to lose 7 to 4. We were down 4-1; tied it up 4-4; then basically lost the “second game within the game” by a score of 3-0.

To say nothing worked on defense, in goal and on our special teams would be an understatement.

Where are all of the experts on ice quality today, by the way?

Alex Ovechkin was ready to fight to help jump start us as a team. That is what Captains have to do sometimes but Matt Bradley wouldn’t stand for that. Check out this blog post. It is witty and has great graphics and captions.

Sorry about last night. That wasn’t fun. We can’t lick our wounds as we have another game tonight.

RIP Paul Baker

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A long term close friend and former AOL associate passed away in early January. All of us that were close to Paul Baker are still reeling from the news.

I just saw Paul in late November at a Capitals game. He looked and sounded great. He made me smile and he made my day. He laughed and joked with my son, daughter and other friends in the owner’s box. He was “just Paul being Paul.”

His loss is a great blow to many of us. He was a great and loyal friend. He was a terrific executive and lawyer. He was a heck of a great guy! He is missed. Go to Facebook and look up RIP PAUL BAKER to see some wonderful photos of Paul at his best.

Many friends have asked that I pass on the information on his funeral and related services so here they are:

Wake/Service will be Friday, January 15, between 6-8pm with rosary at 8PM.
Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home
9902 Braddock Road
Fairfax, VA 22032
Phone: (703) 425-9702

The church service will be Saturday, January 16, at 11AM.
St. Andrew the Apostle
6720 Union Mill Road
Clifton, Virginia 20124
Phone: (703) 817-1770

Such a loss. Be strong. Love one another and carry on…

Congrats to SB Nation and Japers’ Rink

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Japers’ Rink was named the Top NHL Blog and SB Nation had the most entrants in the Top 10 of any blogging network.Well done and kudos! Read this article about hockey blogs and the best of the best. It didn’t take long for the bloggers to overtake traditional media in terms of quantity and sometimes quality of coverage and generation of a massive amount of wonderful pixels covering our great sport.

With the Washington Times shutting down its sports section, we have the Washington Post and the Examiner as print properties that cover our team on a game by game basis and yet, when you walk into our locker room after a game, there are dozens and dozens of people interviewing our players and our coaches.

I have to admit that I am proud that we as a franchise led the way in creating and activating and embracing the blogosphere. I am also proud to be an investor in SB Nation, a place I start my day everyday to get the latest in news and commentary on the NHL.

Happy – Smiling

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Thank you. I smiled when I read this article in Sports Illustrated. It made me happy.

We are scrappy. We are talented. We are confident and we remain hungry and humble.

It is an honor to get pixels generated on our team such as this article. It makes us all proud but not cocky. We haven’t done anything until we win a Cup but once in awhile, the journey is the reward.

Paperless? I Don’t Think So

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I thought we lived in a paperless world? I thought the digital revolution would do away with our need for pulp.

Yikes! Americans use the most amount of paper. We are cutting down forests; using clean water; and releasing methane into the air. Yuck.

Here is a very straightforward, fact-filled film. It is six minutes in length called The Secret Life of Paper. I found it very powerful and smart. Click here to learn what you can do as a consumer to create change.

Twelve in a Row

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The Hershey Bears are winners of twelve games in a row with a record of 29-8-2. They are playing the best they have ever played.

We are so proud of this franchise. We are so proud of how “simpatico” we are with the folks in Hershey. Congratulations to them for the system they run; the expectations they place on their personnel; and how they develop our young talent. Bears. Bears. Bears. Whooooooo! What an awesome season so far. Go Bears!

I Have Been There

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The Capitals have been blown out by teams by big scores in the past. It isn’t fun at all. We won last night 8-1 and we get the two points on the road.

We can score a lot of goals with our offense, which at present, is the best in the NHL. We didn’t try to run up the score last night in any manner. We just played the full 60 minutes and our shots were going in.

The game was a good way to start a three game road trip against division opponents. We play Atlanta three more times all at home. We will have to be ready. No team likes being beat 8 to 1. We will have to be ready when we play the Flyers at home next as well. We beat them last time 8 to 2.

A win is a win but I would rather beat teams 2 to 1 than 8 to 1.