January 14th, 2010
Sarge!!!!!! He leads the entire NHL in plus/minus rating. He is ahead of Alex Ovechkin in plus/minus on our team.
He is quiet. He doesn’t toot his own horn. He does his job and he does it very well.
So I will toot his horn.
We are proud of Jeff; his development; his acumen to make smart plays; and his ability to be on the ice and make good things happen for us.
We think we have a great group of young developing D men and we are quite happy with Jeff Schultz this season.
Go Caps! And thank goodness we never listen to some of the “experts” that call into radio shows after our games. Just saying…”Jeff Schultz leads the entire NHL in plus/minus rating.”
Tags: Jeff Schultz, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Posted in Hockey | 17 Comments »
January 14th, 2010
For all of you with tattoos and for those of you considering getting one, here is a wonderful film on the origins of tattoos and body art.
The film is called Ancient Marks. It is an artsy documentary with a wonderful film score. You will like this one, trust me. It treats the subject with great respect.
Tags: "Ancient Marks", SnagFilms, Tattoos, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take
Posted in Films | No Comments »
January 14th, 2010
Another day; another game; another comeback. Only this one was successful. A 5-4 shootout win after being down 4-1.
We can take stock and believe that our team has a lot of heart and character. Thankfully with our depth and scoring prowess, we are really never out of a game. That is “goodness.”
I was pleased that we never got discouraged or played like we didn’t think we could win the game. I was pleased with “new guy” Jason Chimera. He skates like the wind. He scored, had an assist and a fight - a Gordie Howe hat trick last night - welcome Jason!
I am happy that Jose Theodore came in and played quite well. If we get average to above average NHL caliber goaltending, we are well positioned. Goaltending and special teams play is key to success in the long run and in the playoffs.
But heart, determination and a “never say die” attitude are also very important. We won 2 of 3 on the road all in the division. We have 62 points. We are second in the East in terms of points generated.
We aren’t happy with how we are playing but we are winning and getting points. We now - finally - come home for awhile. Some home cooking is what we need. Come out on Friday night and scream your lungs out as we now enter a very tough stretch of games. Go Caps!
Tags: Florida Panthers, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Posted in Hockey | 1 Comment »
January 13th, 2010
There is such a great tragedy is unfolding in Haiti. The loss of life and of property will be mind-blowing.
Mother Nature can be cruel.
Here is a film to remind us all of how violent our Earth can be. It is very sobering and very relevant to today’s news. Watch this film to understand Earth’s destructive powers.
Tags: "Violent Earth", SnagFilms, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take
Posted in Films | No Comments »
January 13th, 2010
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.
Tags: President Obama, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take
Posted in Politics | 1 Comment »
January 13th, 2010
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.
Tags: Marianne Stanley, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Mystics, WNBA
Posted in Sports | 1 Comment »
January 13th, 2010
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.
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Matt Bradley, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Posted in Hockey | 8 Comments »
January 12th, 2010
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…
Tags: AOL, Paul Baker, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take
Posted in In Memoriam | 2 Comments »
January 12th, 2010
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.
Tags: Hockey Blogs, Japers' Rink, SB Nation, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Posted in Blogosphere, Hockey, Sports | 1 Comment »
January 12th, 2010
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.
Tags: Hockey, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Posted in Hockey | 2 Comments »
