He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and the tight knit community that he loved and supported.
George Michael was a giant, a lion, an innovator and a king. He was a great mentor and a great boss. There was no one like him in DC media. He was bigger than the medium he served. He loved the Caps and I believe always gave us our due.
And boy was he tough! We would go at it at times all in a good natured way. I was asked if George was mad at us over the last few years and all I can recount is the following:
” The Caps ain’t making the playoffs and Alex Ovechkin ain’t no MVP!” A few fans reminded him of that comment and boy did he get mad at me in return and you never wanted George Michael mad at you that is for sure. He always growled at me when he would see me at charity events or press events.
“Look, if you tear down this team the fans will think you quit on them. I will think you quit on me as a season ticket holder. If you blow the team up and cut payroll, I will cancel my season tickets. I will never go to a Caps game again. Don’t do it. Listen to me, don’t do it. You are dreaming if you think you can improve the team by getting bad to get good. Won’t work - ever!” This was what George Michael told me as a mentor when I ran the rebuild program by him before we actually implemented the program. Sure enough, he canceled his season tickets. He was very angry with us for our announced plan to “get bad to get good.” I was very nervous that he so disagreed with our plan. Why? Because I respected him and his opinion. He was smart, savvy and knew the business inside and out.
One of my favorite moments ever was being on his NBC news show at 6:30 pm. He was grilling me and making me feel uncomfortable in a fun way. I looked at him, pointed to his tie and then ran my finger up his tie and tweaked his nose. He pushed my hand away laughing. Jim Vance couldn’t stop chuckling and said, “George, - That was the best TV moment ever! Ted, I got your back if George tries to get even for that one!”
I was a big George Michael fan. He was cantankerous. He was brilliant. He challenged you. He was “da man” in town. They broke the mold. George Michael will truly be missed. RIP. “Nice tie, George.”
