For those of you interested here is the Groupon road show video and
slide show embedded into this article. Unfiltered and direct to
you. Perhaps worthy of your time and attention as to facts. Thank
you. Click here.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Honoring Those That Volunteer
Thanks for the nice mention here but it is all of the volunteers in nonprofits that are the local heroes to our community. This was a fun event and I was honored to have met so many of you. Thank you – click here for a nice mention in the Washington Post.
Tears of the Motherland
Libya. The real story. Ripped from the headlines.See what life was like before and after.
A really good film.
The more fuller story.
Watch on SnagFilms.com. Thank you.
Don’t Get Too High with the Highs
And too low with the lows.
That is a very important life lesson.
Last season when we lost seven games in a row, I vowed to not get to low with the lows.
The emails and media coverage were quite negative.
The calls for blood lust were over the top.
I said to myself, “It can’t be this bad, can it?” I tried to be unemotional and rationale. I didn’t get too low. It was hard to do.
Now we have won seven games in a row passing the self proclaimed tests by media this early in the season. We have beaten Tampa, Pittsburgh, Philly and Detroit along the way. We are scoring lots of goals. We are playing well on specialty teams. We are getting terrific goaltending. I like the way our D is playing.
The pixels are starting to get positive. I get very few emails which is a good sign. The emails I received overnight were about text based games on phones, sound systems, scalpers outside the arena and beer cups.
We are undefeated to start the season. The season is two and a half weeks old but we can’t get high with the highs.
It is October.
It is not how you start – it is how you finish.
Enjoy the ride.
But don’t ever get too high with the highs and too low with the lows. Thank you. Go Caps!
I Believe You are the Best Fans
I don’t care what a small sample poll says and how it is interpreted by members of the media. And people who don’t live here.
Thank you Caps fans. Thank you Wizards fans. Thank you Mystics fans.
I am hopeful we can connect with a generation of fans. And have the fans fall in love and stay in love. Love is a commitment.
I want to build teams that are as great as its fan base, that are worthy of the bandwidth and attention, love and fanatical support.
I am an optimist. I believe in people. I believe in our city. I believe we are in it together.
I never believe totally in polls like this. The sample sizes are quite small. Sports are all about emotion, dedication, belief and commitment. Our community is huge and growing. It is tough to encapsulate it by making a few random phone calls. That is an old school methodology and one that has failed politicians for decades.
And who cares what people who used to work and live here and now live and work elsewhere have to say about us?
There is a covenant. If a team does the right thing the right way, wins and offers hope and promise and belief then fans can trust and then love. And they turn out in support in so many ways. For a long, long time.
Polls and media coverage are nice and needed. The role of media in covering teams is also important. We rely on what we see and hear but we can gauge interest, support and loyalty in many ways- including actual sales, actual ratings, in actual pixel generation, in Tweets, in news feeds; in searches and in merchandising sold. And on and on. We also subscribe to many other long standing research surveys too. There is a big picture out there and it all shapes up to say that this is an educated, hard working, growing and successful community. One that tries to live full and self-actualized lives and one that loves sports as much as any other community.
I think DC and VA and MD are GREAT sports communities. I think you are the best fans. I respect you. I want to earn your love and support. I am unabashed in that belief. I didn’t grow up here but I would never live anywhere else. I have been connected to Washington, DC since 1975. This is my home. A place with great sports fans!
Read this one, a huge article in the Washington Post. Tell me what you think of the poll and the story and whether you think this article says what is on your mind and in your hearts. Thank you.
Take the Challenge
The Audi Best Buddies Challenge – walk or bike with us tomorrow on the Mall.
I have been involved with this cause for 15 years now; my Best Buddy Big Ken Holden is coming to town to participate in the walk as well. We will have fun.
This is a great cause; learn more by clicking here. Thank you Anthony Shriver for all of your great work!
Metro Work This Weekend
The work on the Red Line could affect traffic to Verizon Center for Saturday night’s game.
Click here to read about it; plus what to do for fun this weekend. Thank you.
CNNMoney’s 40 under 40 List
For business executives.
I am proud of Andrew Mason of Groupon who made the list. Kudos.
Food and Good Health
We have almost 100 films and documentaries about good health and food. This weekend; kick back and watch a few – feel good about yourself.
Click here for the list from SnagFilms.com. Thank you.
Number 68
That was the number of the suite the Flyers provided me at the game last night – ironic, no?
That was a fun game – an intense game – a game that we all wanted to see.
We played well after going down 1 to 0. I was happy to see Alex Ovechkin score 2 goals; see highlights within.
We are now 6 and 0.
Not a lot more needs to be said for the moment. Go Caps. See you all Saturday night as we face off against the Detroit Red Wings.