I blog to as many people as I can and I am transparent and accessible. I publish my email address. I get lots of input and lots of comments on my blog and Facebook page. Thank you. I encourage it.
Sometimes when someone leaves a comment that is tough minded or is a rant or is mean spirited I will try to reach out to that person by email to chat. To follow up on a concern or try to understand where that person is coming from. It is being courteous and curious and I might learn something via our interaction.
And almost always that person who left that comment has provided us with a bogus email account. And that person is anonymous and it is a fake account.
I think that shows no courage and equally less tact and is not being a good net-i-zen.
Why are you afraid of leaving a name or real email address but you are not afraid to come and comment to your heart’s content on my blog? Enlighten me? I don’t get it. Isn’t it a two way street?
Some streets are well lit and clearly marked, while other sreets are dark and hidden. Your two-way street probably only intersect with some people’s dark, one-lane, short-cuts.
Some people are just disrespectful drivers.
GO CAPS!!!!
And yes, sad to say – that really is my e-mail address.
Ted,
Have you ever used your power as the owner of the Caps and leaseholder of Kettler Capitals Iceplex to threaten to take away someones season tickets, or hockey playing priviledges?
I know you have personally e-mailed me about posts made on the official capitals messageboards, which was clearly posted as a satire/joke (The “murphy’s law, what can go wrong will go wrong” thread). In that e-mail you asked for confidentiality, which I gave you. I did not, and have not shared that e-mail with anyone else, either in public or private. But you took the content of a lighthearted thread way too seriously.
You have the power here, you can rescind tickets, ban people playing hockey all for what, for posting something you don’t agree with. And then you wonder why people use fake names/contact information here?
Perhaps what you call “reaching out”, others see as threatening, since you are in a position of some esteem in the community and have significant influence to wield.
I would urge you to focus on, as your book title says, the business of happiness, and less on what frustrations are expressed (usually after a loss) on a blog or message board. The only light they see is the light you choose to shine on them, and usually if you ignore them, they are forgotten about and confined to the dustbin of “generic internet rants” within a few hours.
You will see I have left my name and e-mail here also, my correct information, as I have always done on your blog
I view this issue as being very similar to anything else online: Ignore the trolls. Think about when you read reviews on a site like Amazon.com. It’s not hard to tell which reviews are worthwhile and which ones should simply be ignored, is it? “I recommend you not buy this phone because of the ridiculously short battery life, the problems with inability to hold a signal, and the flimsy case” says a lot more than “This phone is crummy and it sucks. If you like it, you suck too.” Unfortunately, for whatever reason there are a lot of people on the Internet who seem to have an axe to grind, or who lack the intelligence to say anything more than what’s in the second example in my previous sentence, or who simply get their jollies from acting in a juvenile fashion.
It seems to me that if a person posts a fake e-mail address, it means that he doesn’t want a reply, and if I were the blog host, I’d probably consider that fact in deciding whether it’s a comment that’s worth taking seriously. It seems to me that if a post is “tough minded or is a rant or is mean spirited,” it’s probably in the nature of the “it sucks” review. (In my mind there is a different between a constructive rant and flat-out garbage-spewing, BTW, and I interpret Ted’s comments as being a commentary about people who spew garbage.)
As a blogger I’ve had to deal with this type of passive aggressiveness. It hurts b/c you do care and you do want to make things right so this person is happy but what it comes down to is separating the wheat from the chaff. You’re so accessible; you’ve established such a compelling gameday experience; and your organization has put together a winning product for years to come so, what you have to do is appease the few detractors who have genuine grievances and ignore the faceless haters who want to bring you and us down. Go Caps!
Must be that caphcky dude
Whatever! Dumbest post I’ve ever READ! You’re the WORST owner in SPORTS!
Signed,
Nunya Business
(Jokes aside, I love your candor and accessisibility. Thanks for the great hockey. Although, I do wish you’d have brought back the Student Rush this season… games are a little tougher to afford this year. Sincerly, Andrew Large 78large@cua.edu)
At least some portion of your public persona is tied to your livelihood. You view this as a positive.
Some people don’t have this luxury. Discussing sports (and even being critical) maybe isn’t what people want to come up on Google.
Note: Except for outright trolls. They are just trolls.
*Sports
Sorry for the typo :s
Ted,
Just want to let you know that I am a lifelong fan, my mom has worked in the press room/press box since the days at USAIR arena, the staff at USAIR arena and Verizon center are like family. She continues to work the press box as a second job, driving from PG county, fighting the traffic, finding parking, etc…..She does it because she loves the caps, she loves the atmosphere, and she loves what you have done for this franchise. She doesn’t work the wizards or concerts, only the caps. Obviously, I grew up with the awesome privilege of being able to go to most games, waiting outside the old press door for the players to come out and sign autographs. I was there at the Verizon center when the red wings ripped my heart out and won the Stanley Cup, and in the years after where you could hear a pin drop during most games. I came to North Carolina for school in 2004, finished, and now work for a consulting firm based in Florida. I still watch every game on NHL CenterIce. Now, I plan on moving back to D.C. to be closer to my family, friends, and caps. What you have done for the city, fans, and hockey in D.C. is remarkable. I still cannot believe how every night fans continue to “Rock the Red”. So, as a family who has sacrificed everything for this team, what you have done has made it all worth it! I just wanted you to know that my family and I thank you, support you, and wish you all the best. Go Caps!
Hi, Ted
Just wanted to let you know that, while I may not always agree with or understand the moves made by the Caps’ front office, I am extraordinarily pleased with the results thus far. The franchise has gone from being a joke to a being legitimate contender; from a place where marquee players facing a trade would tell their agents: “anywhere but” (e.g., Jeremy Roenick) to a team that free agents are publicly excited and proud to join.
IMO, one of the next steps for the franchise should be the acquisition/building of a hockey-only venue = no more challenges with the ice surface. I know how hard the VC staff has worked (and continues to work) on improving this situation. Still, DC now has one of the best teams (if not THE best)in the NHL…it follows that we should also have the best ice.
Another positive step would be a long-term agreement to carry the Caps’ games on a local FM station. I know that about 6 games are scheduled to air on 106.7 FM this season, but the remainder are on AM radio which has horrible reception throughout the listening area after sundown (I have posted on this subject recently as “Rhino40″ on the Capitals Insider Blog). About 2 or 3 seasons ago, all of the regular season games were carried on an FM station, and it was great. Then it was back to AM. I ask this because many of us can’t be at the games and/or can’t be in front of our TV sets when the puck drops. So our alternative is to listen on the road, and many of us cannot justify the added expense of satellite radio.
’nuff said (for now).
Keep up the great work.
You are The.Best.Sprots.Franchise.Owner.Ever.
Regards,
David
Some streets are well lit and clearly marked, while other sreets are dark and hidden. Your two-way street probably only intersect with some people’s dark, one-lane, short-cuts.
Some people are just disrespectful drivers.
GO CAPS!!!!
And yes, sad to say – that really is my e-mail address.
Penguins are a lot like chickens.
Oh I know the answer to this one!!! Because hiding behind anonymity means that they think they can say whatever they feel without having to be held accountable for it! It’s easy to spout off and be a big shout when you aren’t going to be called out about it. The anonymous posters on all blogs and boards are usually the ones that have the most venom to spew. I’ve gotten to the place now where I just skip their comments completely as if they can’t sign their name, they aren’t worth my time!
But it’s not a two-way street is it? It’s a dirt track going one way and a six-lane highway the other.
Maybe some of those that comment are, indeed, tactless. Cowards even. But maybe some have witnessed the gusto with which you set out to right wrongs (real or imagined). Taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut is a sure-fire way to ensure a little deceit and misdirection is used the next time the nut wants to speak out. As a former participant in the now defunct PCOI games, I too wonder if I should have provided my real email address.
I agree with you and appreciate all that you have done for the Washington Community, not just the Washington Capitals. When I lived in the DC area I enjoyed being a season ticket holder. I am currently in Pensacola, FL and follow the Caps via the internet. Soon I will be relocating back to upstate New York and while they have three hockey teams I will continue to be a Caps fan. Again, thank you for taking the time to reach out to folks. I believe we would have a lot fewer problems if each of us took the time to consider others feelings while doing our best to improve our communications skills.
AMEN, Ted. Preach it!
I am so proud of you and your team I could just bust. This season has been nothing short of amazing, and I hope the team takes the attitude they have right now all the way to Lord Stanley’s Hardware Store. That will show the league that we may be the redheaded stepchildren, but dammit, we are the BEST THERE IS!!!
~Sal
Teddy, Not everybody has your KIND of courage. Some people are simply mean spirited. And some want their ten minutes of fame anyway they can get it!
I’m grateful you are responsive to fans — illustrates quality of character. I was in Chicago this weekend and saw the game Sunday. Not a hard hit but an unfortunate hit. I truly wish it hadn’t happened. I worry Ovie will have a target on his back during the playoffs. No one is indestructible. Having a heroic soul, Ovie will shrug off such concerns. The greater the adversity, the more engaged he will likely be. As for Sunday and tonight, I’m thrilled that our team has the depth and will to win with or without our hero.
Hi Ted,
The only thing I ask: Is lead the charge of the owners against Campbell Not just for this incident. He has proven time and time again to be inconsistant, displays favortisim, and abusing the power Gary gave him that he is not fit to hold in the first place.
I am not the only one who has said this over the years. This is a repeated pattern and unfortunately I do not have time to dig up all of the examples of this.
As fans, we can boo, blog, rant, yell but the only thing we can really do is to stop coming to games, stop watching, stop buying jerseys and walk away. As an STH, this is something I thought I would never even think of, but I have started to.
But as an owner, you can do more than thousands and thousands of fans. Go public with your disapproval, call them out. Heck, I’ll even contribute to any fines they give you and I’m sure I’m not the only one. At least start the voting process or add to the votes to get rid of Campbell, and pressure Bettman.
I know you know this, but I don’t think many of the other owners do. Gary isn’t the one that makes a team profit. Its the fans. On top of that, the loyal and die hard fans spend more money over longer periods of time, and bring more people to the game than Bettman’s “quick buck” strategies.
But I’m sorry for ranting, but the inconsistent rulings and favoritism starting at the ice and on up to Campbells office, and hearing the same “we’re trying and doing better” lines and seeing the same thing over and over again, so much that it may cost us a third straight Hart after costing us a playoff series last year (at least contributing to the loss), I have had it.
So please, be our voice, lead us, and don’t let these guys ruin our game.
Thanks for reading my rant, and thanks for being the best owner in sports!
“I love hockey. I’ve loved hockey as long as I can remember. But the more I watch it, the less I seem to understand certain parts of it. Doesn’t seem like that’s how it’s supposed to work.” – Mike Vogel
ted,
kudos to you. i’ve emailed you maybe 10 times over fiver years, mostly with complaints …and i’ve always gotten a response. it is appreciated.
since i bugged you about the directv thing, i’ll say thanks on the settlement. i’m sure owners like yourself lobbied hard behind the scenes. can’t wait to see the playoffs.
The world is full of one-way streets, dead ends, and cul-de-sacs.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
I’ve run into much the same on blogs of my own. People feel entitled to ‘be that guy’ when they have no worry of follow up for their comments/ranting.
Setting up registration of some sort alleviates the issue to an extent, but there is still that level of anonymity afforded by a user name that people tend to act far outside what is socially acceptable. Then again, that online persona is more the true character than the person on the street.
You’ll never have to worry about any anonymous emails from this end of the web!
Start requiring registration with valid email confirmation – may be the only way to avoid this I guess.
That’s the problem with the Internet as it is today. It provides a forum for people to say what they want, anonymously, and people are always more willing to be controversial when no one knows who they are. And if we delete those comments, it’s called censorship. I envision more restriction of these type of comments in the near future.
Ted
I’ve been a fan of yours since you bought the caps. I love the fact that you are willing to communicate with the fans. How refreshing! I’m a former partial plan holder (before you came on board), but don’t get there much anymore because of family concerns.
I found your site several months ago – it is a daily must read for me. I’v never posted on any site before, but please don’t get too frustrated with the few malcontents. There are many more who appreciate the things that you do in the community who never say THANK YOU to you. Take this as my thank you for giving of yourself, and giving back to the community.
Best regards,
Mark
Hi Ted: I really appreciate your position and your story…I have,’t read your new book yet…but I plan to…I have the privilege to hear you speak at the National Sports Forum in Baltimore earlier this year…I became a big fan of yours then…I work at NASCAR and produce short form video and media content…any chance we could work together?? We have a new state-of-the art production facility located in Charlotte NC…come visit and we can hopefully work with you…
Thanks for being accessible!!