Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100204624.html?sid=ST2009100205053]washingtonpost.com[/url]

I'm posting this Caps-Ted Leonis article in the Locker Room, because its what many of us would like to see happen in the Skins Front Office. I apologize in advance for another FO thread, but it's a great article.

A couple of quotes stand out:
"It is very sobering and painful when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see," Leonsis said. "It's easier to go down the 'We're-one-player-away' path. I've been there when I brought in Jaromir Jagr.


"But when you come to that clarity, 'Can this team win a championship?' And if your answer is, 'No,' then you have to do something."
Like tell the truth.

"Of course it was a gamble, because we had a team with brand-name players that fans thought they loved but in hindsight were just familiar to them," Leonsis said. "I said, 'You're going to hate this plan. This is a very hard message for you to internalize. But if you are patient with us, this is the only way we're going to compete for the Cup.' "
Risking losing even his loyalists by waving the white flag, he directly communicated "rebuild" instead of "reload," trotting out an on-the-cheap outfit for two years while promising eventual rewards from the draft and farm system.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

I've seen up close and personal what Leonsis has done (along with McPhee and the rest of the front office) to turn the Caps around and it has been very impressive. He gets it, whatever it is, he just gets it. And he's a great guy...still he has had the benefit of owning the Capitals.

As much as DC loves the Capitals now, they have flown (skated?) under the radar for years in our nation's capital. That has been great for management as it has allowed them to make some pretty wretched mistakes to get to where they are now.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

God I hate Hockey

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Maybe he and Dan can swap franchises or have Ted buy the Redskins.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SOUL-SKINS;603443]God I hate Hockey[/quote]

Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

the capitals really did a great job blowing up the old expensive team pre-cap, and now are a force. was painful to watch for a while, but really pleased with the result.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=Big C;603453]the capitals really did a great job blowing up the old expensive team pre-cap, and now are a force. was painful to watch for a while, but really pleased with the result.[/quote]

A force? Hell, they just might be the best most talent young team in the NHL. I'll go out and limb and say barring any serious injury, they will their first ever Stanley Cup. I like what Leonsis did, he had great vision and a master plan which he executed to perfection. If there's one weakness is goalie, even though I think Varmalov just might be the answer.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Those points that the article brought up are legit Skins questions.

1- Can we win the SB w/our current team? My honest answer would be no. Sure any NFL team has a shot but a legit strong chance? No.

2- Why do we always think we are a player or two away? Are we? No, oline help, help at the playmaker positions-WR-RB-QB, and maybe a playmaker on D (even though Orakpo could be that guy).

Listen, we could turn this thing around this year. Let's play it out and see. At the end of the year if we are mediocre or worst, it's time to be honest.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

yup the caps and ted have come a long way from when ted was squaring off with caps fans after he got rid of bonzai and others.

i still cling to the days of kelly miller, michal pivonka, mike ridley, langway, pete peeters, dale hunter, dino, alan may, bobby gould . . . even that nancy larry murphy. oh the glory days of hockey, how i miss them so . . .

oh back on topic . . . the DS could take a few pointers. I heard an interview with ted and he was asked what did he do when he first got the team and how did go aobut turning the caps around. he said he studied the nhl teams that always put out consistent winners and how they went about it thru the draft and developing their talent with a competent farm system. it was a great interview and ted really highlighted all the background research and studying he did in deciding to take the caps in the direction he did. but really the point he was making was that an owner should really breakdown and study the long term successful teams and model your approach after theirs.

the DS needs to eat some humble pie and spend a few dinners with ted to see how owners can learn, adjust and then thrive.

go skins!!

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SmootSmack;603452]There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.[/quote]

I hated hockey.....until I went to a game.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=RobH4413;603450]Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"[/quote]

Gotta agree, I used to hate it. I still don't follow the pro game or watch on tv. But i go watch the local minor league team (Hershey Bears) who are the farm team for the Caps. It's a hell of a good time. Even my wife likes it.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

It's just not the same owning the Redskins as it is owning the Capitals. Patience is harder to come by for the Redskins community.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SmootSmack;603474]It's just not the same owning the Redskins as it is owning the Capitals. Patience is harder to come by for the Redskins community.[/quote]

True! But then again, we've waited almost 20 years for another Super Bowl Championship and still have not gotten close.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

SS makes a great point. This city is a skins city, and we never seem to be willing to just accept a bad team in the name of rebuilding. I think we need to throttle back, go young, reload, and build.

Also, I think part of the reason the Caps were so quiet in this town were two fold.

1) We now have arguably the biggest star in the NHL in DC right now, which is huge, especially in a sport like Hockey.
2) The strike hurt hockey a lot in general, and now the whole sport is rebounding a bit, not just the Caps.

I'll admit, I'm new to Hockey -- but going to a game got me hooked. I love it now!

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=redsk1;603440][url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100204624.html?sid=ST2009100205053]washingtonpost.com[/url]

I'm posting this Caps-Ted Leonis article in the Locker Room, because its what many of us would like to see happen in the Skins Front Office. I apologize in advance for another FO thread, but it's a great article.

A couple of quotes stand out:
"It is very sobering and painful when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see," Leonsis said. "It's easier to go down the 'We're-one-player-away' path. I've been there when I brought in Jaromir Jagr.


"But when you come to that clarity, 'Can this team win a championship?' And if your answer is, 'No,' then you have to do something."
Like tell the truth.

"Of course it was a gamble, because we had a team with brand-name players that fans thought they loved but in hindsight were just familiar to them," Leonsis said. "I said, 'You're going to hate this plan. [B]This is a very hard message for you to internalize. But if you are patient with us, this is the only way we're going to compete [/B]for the Cup.' "
Risking losing even his loyalists by waving the white flag, he directly communicated "rebuild" instead of "reload," [B]trotting out an on-the-cheap outfit for two years while promising eventual rewards from the draft and farm system[/B].[/quote]

[quote=SmootSmack;603474]It's just not the same owning the Redskins as it is owning the Capitals. [B]Patience is harder to come by for the Redskins community[/B].[/quote]

Smoot you took the words right off my fingertips. Not only that, but Hockey/baseball with their draft and farm system work far differently then the NFL. If DS seriously did what half the fan base says it wants - to blow up the roster, bring in scrubs for 2 years while the real team learned the ropes - the other half of the fan base would be screaming to blow up the FO. (figuratively of course, this isn't New York) And of course after the first 2-14 season, there would be no way that the HC would have any chance with the fan base. So by the 3rd week of the 2nd season you would see threads like HC on the hot seat, New coaches named who? or players would be scrutinized, and anyone defending the FO and saying that they have a plan would be called blind followers of the owner.

Of course, I could be wrong, I really have no reason to believe that any of the above would happen. Maybe DS could just hold the press conference today "Skins fans -- see ya in 2012, we will be ready to compete then"

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;603478]Smoot you took the words right off my fingertips. Not only that, but Hockey/baseball with their draft and farm system work far differently then the NFL. If DS seriously did what half the fan base says it wants - to blow up the roster, bring in scrubs for 2 years while the real team learned the ropes - the other half of the fan base would be screaming to blow up the FO. (figuratively of course, this isn't New York) And of course after the first 2-14 season, there would be no way that the HC would have any chance with the fan base. So by the 3rd week of the 2nd season you would see threads like HC on the hot seat, New coaches named who? or players would be scrutinized, and anyone defending the FO and saying that they have a plan would be called blind followers of the owner.

Of course, I could be wrong, I really have no reason to believe that any of the above would happen. Maybe DS could just hold the press conference today "Skins fans -- see ya in 2012, we will be ready to compete then"[/quote]

I don't think so. I think if you brought in a smart FO-GM type guy and a new coach who develop a plan and implement that plan I think Skins fans would be more patient than you think. I think we just want a plan. A good plan. I think a "new" plan and FO structure could do wonders for this organization. A new approach. With that being said we've got alot of good pieces here already that could be part of that new plan.

I don't see it as giving up on the next couple of years but i do see it as getting rid of dead weight w/ older players who aren't going to be around for too much longer anyway.

Who cares whether everyone is happy next year or the year after? They won't remember it so much if we can put together a good 10 year run.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

And after year one of the "new plan" those same fans would be saying Snyder is interfering, whether there is proof or not, they would scream that the GM is in Danny's pocket, and that the Skins qb can't get it done.

Sorry, I have very little faith in the patience of the fanbase.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Any time a draft pick doesn't start right away we're calling him a bust and wondering why the Redskins wasted a pick on him. We've done it with Taylor, McIntosh, Rogers, Campbell, Kelly and so on

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

The NHL also has the advantage of having a minor league system. There is no Hershey Bears for us to send Colt Brennan to to get game reps

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Maybe Snyder should buy a UFL franchise and use it as a minor league farm system to develop players, then maybe all the other franchises will follow suit. :)

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SmootSmack;603491]Any time a draft pick doesn't start right away we're calling him a bust and wondering why the Redskins wasted a pick on him. We've done it with Taylor, McIntosh, Rogers, Campbell, Kelly and so on[/quote]
Well are we not rushing here saying the O sucks when alot of people said the WCO takes two years to learn?

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SFREDSKIN;603494]Maybe Snyder should buy a UFL franchise and use it as a minor league farm system to develop players, then maybe all the other franchises will follow suit. :)[/quote]

He should buy the Las Vegas team...then he can finally have Jim Fassel as a head coach :)

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Its funny if you ask someone how was the hockey game last night they will either say it was great they had alot of fights or it was OK they really didn't have any fights.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SmootSmack;603452]There is nothing like watching hockey live. TV really doesn't capture hockey well at all.[/quote]

Definitely not a good TV sport unlike football, which is about as perfect of a TV spot there is.

Hockey live is great. I used to go to AHL games all the time.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=RobH4413;603450]Have you been to a game? Four years ago I would have said the same thing. I hated on the NHL, Caps, and the entire sport.

I went to a game, started learning the ins and outs of it, and fell in love with the atmosphere. It's got the old school grit that football has... there's fighting, and there is the finesse aspect of the game as well (see Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc...).

Plus when your home team has a player that's the football equivalent of Sean Taylor mixed with Peyton Manning, its hard not to fall in love with the sport.

People sometimes accuse me (and somewhat accurately) of hopping on the bandwagon. My response is, "Look. My entire life I've been a Redskins fan, an Orioles fan, and a Wizards fan... I've now been introduced to Hockey as a sport... so please feel sorry for me, and let me be a Caps fan. I will never jump off this ship"[/quote]

The answer is no, but like you said maybe if I go to a live game it would change my mind. The thing is I live in CT and we don't have a team really. Although we use to have the whalers but they're long gone.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

I gotta admit I've only been to one Caps game back when I was a kid, but I had a really good time. It was fun, even though you wouldn't think so by looking at it on TV. But its a really good time. I'm sure it's even more fun once you get a few brews in you.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Good article from the beginning of the year for those who missed it:


[URL="http://www.hogshaven.com/2009/2/26/772915/ted-leonsis-shares-his-ten"]Ted Leonsis Shares His Ten-Point Rebuilding Plan -- The Redskins Should Use*It - Hogs Haven[/URL]

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=firstdown;603502]Its funny if you ask someone how was the hockey game last night they will either say it was great they had alot of fights or it was OK they really didn't have any fights.[/quote]
I wouldn't say it's like NASCAR in that respect.. I've been to good hockey games without a single fight.

Never thought that I'd get into hockey either, used to hate it really.. started going to college games and it's a lot better than I ever realized.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

Not really a hockey fan, but I respect Leonsis for what he did with the Caps. It isn't easy to take a team who was built with Superstars and blow it up and suffer for a couple of seasons like he did, but he did it and stuck to it. Now if only a certain owner would get the message we might still be able to get a quality football person and coach before we become the Raiders of the east coast.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

I would be more than willing to wait patiently for the Skins to embrace a blow it up and rebuild type approach. And I mean blow up the Front Office and start completely over from the GM down. You hire the best damn GM money can buy (and we don't want to hear a lame ass excuse from Synder like when he interviewed Bobby Bethard and Synder said Bethard wanted to much money money - sorry but when you pluck down $40 million guaranteed on one defensive player that excuse completely gets thrown out the window).

Than once you bring in the new GM you let him completely rebuild the front office, coaching staff and roster without any interference - all Synder would be there for would be to sign his name on the dotted line on paychecks.

We have tried to buy the championship for 10 years and only when Marty was allowed control of player roster decisions did we start to see in the second half of that year that we were turning the corner - but Synder had to be more involved and thus the Spurrier experiment begin and we know how that went from here on out.

Lets be a copy cat of the more stable teams in the league - hey look at the Patriots - they just traded an DL who is starting to age for a first rounder - shrewd move and they saved money at the same time. Lets stockpile as many picks as you can get - yes some will be flops but the more chances you get to pick the more young talent you get a chance at and those players work harder for the big payday often resulting in exceptional stats and good results. Maybe you resign some of them, but others you let walk and they get to destroy other teams salary caps and team cohesion. The goal of the team is not how many high priced free agents and name players you can get signed at the start of free agency - it is building through the draft and than plucking a free agent or 2 to fill a couple of holes.

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[quote=53Fan;603464]I hated hockey.....until I went to a game.[/quote]

I hated hockey until I watched the Caps playoff game a few years ago. Ovechkin brought me in. Still haven't gone to a game. Would like to though.

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[quote=SOUL-SKINS;603538]The answer is no, but like you said maybe if I go to a live game it would change my mind. The thing is I live in CT and we don't have a team really. Although we use to have the whalers but they're long gone.[/quote]

Go see the Hartford Wolfpack. And depending on where you live you're not far from a Bruins game or a Rangers/Islanders/Devils game

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=SmootSmack;603648]Go see the Hartford Wolfpack. And depending on where you live you're not far from a Bruins game or a Rangers/Islanders/Devils game[/quote]
I was just going to suggest this. Hit up the Garden for a Rangers game, or head up to TDBankNorth for a Bruins game just to take it in. Sit up in the upper deck (around center line if you can) where you can fully appreciate the entire game, watch breakaways develop and watch the teams set up their offenses and defenses. Hockey is a beautiful game and until you see it live, you truly cannot appreciate it's greatness.

I remember seeing my first game at the Cap Centre. Watching the decibel meter hit in the low 100s with the roar of the crowd, Donnie Beaupre in between the pipes, and watching Dino, Langway, Hunter, and Pivonka racing around the ice. It was awesome. Also helped that they pitched a shutout and we got free Jerry's pizza.

Ted Leonsis did it the right way. He was up front, honest and truthful in the way he dismantled and rebuilt the Caps. And now they are the cream of the crop in the NHL, with his hard work completely paying off. And while football is a completely different beast, Snyder can definitely learn a thing or 2 from Uncle Teddy Email.

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

On the topic of hockey anyone else see this yet?

[url=http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4532506&categoryid=2378529]Kings Ransom - ESPN Video - ESPN[/url]

Saw it last night on ESPN and thought it was very well done

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=Mattyk72;603801]On the topic of hockey anyone else see this yet?

[url=http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4532506&categoryid=2378529]Kings Ransom - ESPN Video - ESPN[/url]

Saw it last night on ESPN and thought it was very well done[/quote]

There are some really good movies over the next several months. I haven't seen them all, but the ones I've seen are pretty impressive (totally impartial opinion, I am in no way associated with this project)

Re: Leonsis's Invention of Not Lying
 

[quote=Mattyk72;603801]On the topic of hockey anyone else see this yet?

[URL="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4532506&categoryid=2378529"]Kings Ransom - ESPN Video - ESPN[/URL]

Saw it last night on ESPN and thought it was very well done[/quote]

Yes, i watched it and thought it was good. I'm a sucker for documentaries.