Talk Hockey to Me, Wrap Around Curl and Puck Huffers, among other blogs, spent yesterday discussing the new Club Scarlet website, an marketing effort by the Washington Capitals to reach out to female fans by objectifying members of the Capitals as hot guys, and explaining the basics of the game. I'm on the fence about this and an effort in the same vein by the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins - Hockey and Heels - an event to teach women about hockey while they are at a day spa. While I understand the initial knee-jerk reaction to these efforts by female sports fans, they're not intended to offend.
I'll be blunt. There have been a lot of things I have done in my twenty-seven years that were solely motivated by the attractiveness of guys. Joining indoor track in eighth grade. Becoming a fan of the Steve Young led San Francisco 49ers even though I lived in Buffalo Bills country. Joining Hall Government at Binghamton even though I had sworn off being involved after transferring (haha.) Call me shallow, but I would rather call it primitive. Since the beginning of time, heterosexual females like males, and will find ways to be near or see attractive ones.
So to say that efforts like Club Scarlet and their marketing of the Capitals as a team of attractive men that look like they belong in the now-defunct Playgirl is horribly misguided is horribly wrong. There is a reason why in college many advertising majors have psych minors - because they want to make a convincing and successful appeal to those they are advertising towards, and what better way to do so by using psychological elements of human nature. Therefore, you want to draw more female fans, you appeal to their natural desire to seek out attractive members of the opposite sex.
As for the arguement that efforts like Club Scarlet and "Hockey and Heels" dumb down the sport of hockey to a female population, I say good for the teams for taking what can be a confusing game that is not popularly played in the majority of the United States and making an effort to explain it. This level of basic explanation needs to happen not just towards females, however, but accessible and marketed towards a variety of populations as well. For example, last Friday night at the Boston University - Northeastern game, the stranger borrowing my season ticket neighbors seats for the evening had never seen a hockey game in his life. He was from California, and understood soccer well, so when he asked me to explain the game to him, I used that sport as a basis to explain hockey. If teams took the opportunity to educate fans more - maybe during a game break by having an amusing quick Jumbotron video, or through features on their websites - that would only build their fan bases.
And last but not least, the arguments about Club Scarlet brought up the neverending discussion of the pink teamwear that is prevalent in the NHL Shop. Yes, I think many pink options look somewhat tacky. But believe it or not, it sells. I was interviewing a new sportswear company founder for my blog a few months back, and I asked him about why, among his great looking female shirts for the Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox and Celtics, he had included a pink Celtics shirt. "Despite the outcry about 'pink hats', we and other companies have done extensive market research regarding designs and products, and the pink stuff actually sells." he said. "I'm not going to not carry a style of shirt that sells, especially as a new brand."
In these economic times, which despite what any governmental official says are far from over, sports leagues need to make a drastic effort to reach out to every potential fan base possible. Efforts such as Club Scarlet and "Hockey and Heels" are means of doing so, means of keeping sports leagues that are all at the edge of becoming obsolete in a society whose entertainment budgets are becoming non-existent.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Adventures in Marketing (or Why Club Scarlet and Hockey and Heels Aren't As Bad As We Make Them Out to Be)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thoughts?
To my HLOG sisters, as well as our estblished and newer Gentle Readers:
Saturday, November 01, 2008
2 Minutes for Wandering?
Although technically he's not our coach anymore, he spends enough time in the ol' barn that everyone in Chocolatetown still thinks he's part of the family. And because our Caps bloggers have fallen off the face of the planet, I'm gonna take it on myself to say: Hey Bruce. How's it going?
On opening night after the win at Wilkes-Barre, we started to pull out of the Wachovia Arena parking lot when Graham Mink yelled up as loud as he could “WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE!” Our bus driver that night stopped suddenly, as if we forgot something or somebody (it happens sometimes…) The staff and rookies in the front all looked back, and Minker yelled “DID WE PACK THE TWO POINTS?” Laughter and cheering followed, we started on our way home and an old tradition was brought back in an instant. It may not sound like much, but that was something that guys used to do back in 2005-06 after a big road win, and it was good to hear it again. I thought of that again tonight, because it was Bryan Helmer’s turn to yell up front and ask Beaker if we packed the two points tonight. I think that’s what you get when you have a team that has great veterans that lead by example, but have fun doing it at the same time. That’s this team. They watch movies on the bus together, they go to the mall on off days on the road together, they laugh together and they shrug off disappointment and turn the page (see Bulldogs, Hamilton on Wednesday night).
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Calder Trophy Conference Call
I’m listening to it right now and I have to admit, I find it very amusing. It features Nicklas Backstrom, Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews and outside of the monotonous typical responses, there are little nuances that I’m enjoying. Click to listen.
- Toews follows up all of Kaner’s responses with “yeah I agree” or “I think Patrick said it.”
- You can tell Nicklas Backstrom doesn’t do that many interviews. After the question, “can you give us your thoughts on all of the other great rookies in the league?” he responds with, “I think there's a lot of good players, I mean, I think a whole bunch of young players have stepped up this season, I mean, I think it's special for us. I think there are many good, young players.” There are many good, young players…interesting Nicklas. Then after the question, “could you share the best tip you’ve received this year?” he responds brilliantly with, “I think there's a lot of young players out there…I don’t have a good answer, sorry.” Oh poor Nicklas.
- Toews responds in complete French to some callers…and I wonder what all of the laughing was about…
- Whoever transcribed it on the Blackhawks website made Nicklas Backtrom sound like an idiot. Whereas the mass amount of fillers Toews and Kane used weren’t included…mysteriously.
- Kane sounded as though he’s been talking to the media for years, as usual.
Who do you girls think is going to win it? Read More......
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Weekly Topic 1: Oh, the Irony!
There's no difficulty for me in making my decision but the answer provokes something approximating fits of multiple personality disorder!
The team I most wanted to see this post-season was the Washington Capitals. Since we all know how much the Hockey Gods love to mess with fans, it figures Philadelphia had to play them this round.
I've enjoyed watching the Caps' bounce-back from the basement. (I remember our season-long vacation there last year!) The scrappiness, the trade deadline transactions, the goalie situation...it's kept the season exciting for those who followed them.
Here are the players that sealed the deal for my interest in the Caps and why it sucks that I can't fully enjoy watching them in every game we play right now:
Alexander Ovechkin: I love to watch the ever-evolving sense of humor and personality that Ovie displays. From the golf clip to the hilarity of his online dating actually working out for the (right now?) best, the kid keeps me laughing and dazzles me more than Cindy, er, Sidney Crosby.
Olaf "Godzilla" Kolzig: Zilla is among my squees from other teams. He's been one of my favorites since he started playing. And let's be honest, how many bad-ass goalies like him are playing in the NHL right now? Combine that with his off-ice charity work and there's just that much more to admire in Olie the Goalie.
Sergei Fedorov: When I really became a hockey fan, there were only three non-goalie players in my universe and I affectionately called them The Troika. Mogilny. Fedorov. Bure. They rocked! So what happens? As a twenty-nine year old, one of my childhood dreams comes true with Feds' trade to an EC team and we have to play them in the first round? Murphy's Freakin' Law strikes again!
Add to this continued exposure to CapsChick and Shmee's insanely witty posts of their favorite players' antics and I just couldn't help but cheer the Caps on this year.
Right up until the pairings were announced.
Now, if you'll forgive me, I need to go figure out how I can be the Flyers fan I am and reconcile it with the fact that I don't passionately dislike the "enemy."
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Weekly Topic (I'm a sheep!)
This is rather a loaded question for me, because I’ve got ties to two separate NHL teams at this point, both in the playoffs, and my two NHL teams’ AHL teams are currently playing each other for their Calder Cup run. Basically, I spend a lot of time cringing no matter what happens.
But, if I could put all that ulcer-inducing Pens/Caps/Babypens/Bears orgying aside for a moment, I’d have to say that since the beginning of the series, I’ve been keeping about half an eye on the Boston Bruins (although I did choose Montreal to win the series).Currently, they’re fighting back 2-3 against the Habs, so who knows if I’ll get to watch them much longer, but I have to say, their group of little scrappy Czech rookies (Sobotka and Krejci) have sort of warmed the cockles of my heart during the beginning of playoffs.
Player-wise, the specific non-Cap-non-Pens people currently on my radar for playoffs?
Tootoo, who I waver back and forth between liking and wanting to punch.
Biron, the only Flyer I can stand, probably because he’s the only one I’ve never seen pull Flyerish crap (sorry, Nadine!).
Turco, mostly because he’s my car’s namesake and because he’s really a fantastic goalie.
And in the AHL? I’d say I’m watching the Syracuse Crunch, but I’d be lying. I do know they have Brassard and Brule playing for them right now, and I’ve been sort of passively interested in Emo!Brule since he was pegged as the guy in Sid’s shadow for that draft year, and I always feel for the players who do the called up, sent back, called up game. No, I’m really just focused on the Bears. And barring that, on the BabyPens. That's one of the few good things about having ties to two, even if they do play each other from the getgo.... SOMEONE's gotta move on, right?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Cardiac Caps
I hope you'll forgive a girl for not posting so much lately.
You see, it's been a little bit crazy here in DC. More than a little bit crazy.
...okay, it's been downright insane.
It's that time of year where scoreboard-watching and standings-checking have become part of our daily routine. Sometimes part of our twice or three times daily routine. And if you've been doing that at all in recent weeks you've probably seen a scrappy little team perched just outside the coveted eighth place that just won't die.
That's my boys. Caps fans have had quite a rollercoaster ride this season, going from worst to first and everything in between in search of their first playoff berth since 2003. We've seen old friends depart via the trade route, cagey veterans brought in to shore up holes, and a season by Alex Ovechkin that will go down as one of the greatest in Caps' history - playoffs or not.
Let's hop into our time machine and go back to November 21, 2007. After a promising 3-0 start to the season, the Caps saw their early optimism plummet as they proceeded to win just five games over the next two months, with two four-game losing streaks and one five-game losing streak under their belts.
The day in question, Thanksgiving Eve, was that fifth straight loss. It came at home against a Thrashers team experiencing it's own rejuvenation - and amid chants of "Fire Hanlon" from the few hometown fans who even bothered to come to the rink anymore. It was the darkest of times in a season full of darkness.
And then suddenly, there was light...and it came from the unlikeliest of places. It arrived in the form of a short, chubby, bald man nicknamed "Gabby" who wore bad suits and changed the face of Caps hockey for good. Bruce Boudreau, the Caps' new head coach, wasn't about to let this team and its amazing young talent get lost in the bottom of the standings.
His philosophy? Let them play the way they can play. Let the young guys do their thing, let the offense play offense and let the defense get involved, too. Let's make this game fun to watch again. Let's make it fun to play again.
The change could be seen almost immediately.
Suddenly it was fun to be a Caps fan again. Even when the team lost it no longer felt like the world was ending, like you'd just wasted three hours of your life and part of your soul only to see the Caps lose...again. Sure, there were bumps in the road. Two consecutive wins to kickstart the Boudreau era were followed by three straight losses as players learned the new systems and with them their new roles.
Slowly things fell into place, though, and gradually the Caps began the long, hard climb out of the enormous hole they'd dug for themselves. They put together small strings of wins and minimized the losing streaks, not dropping consecutive losses in regulation until two weeks ago - which they rebounded from by winning seven of their next eight.
A large part of the success is due to the coaching change. Another large part is due to the performance of Alex Ovechkin, whose heroics this season are overshadowed only by the amazing team player and leader he has become.
And then there is a group of misfits following close behind - from young talents only beginning to find their potential like Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Brooks Laich, to grizzled veterans with experience, talent and wisdom like Olie Kolzig and Sergei Fedorov, to the hard-working guys who don't get enough credit like Dave Steckel, Matt Bradley and Shaone Morrisonn.
On December 1, the Caps were ranked thirtieth in the league with nine wins, twenty points and a horrific home record. Today they sit two points out of third place, seventh place and eighth place after closing a gap that at one point seemed impossible to close. They have emerged from the pack of teams on the playoff bubble to be the only one with a realistic shot to overtake someone in front of them.
Their fate now is only partly in their hands. Winning all four of their final games won't even guarantee a spot and they'll need some help, especially considering the three teams ahead of them - Philadelphia, Boston and Carolina - all have coveted games in hand.
But to some extent whether they make the playoffs or not is irrelevant. This is a team that struggled through the worst franchise start in over twenty years only to make a legitimate push toward the postseason. Fans are back in the building and even the local media is paying attention to hockey again - a virtual coup in the land of Redskins supremacy and hockey ignorance.
And there seems to be an unspoken agreement among fans, the media, and even the players that missing the playoffs after this run will not be looked at as a disappointment. It will be a building block for next year and many years to come.
Friday, March 21, 2008
A Capital Loss
The game was a few days ago, but I haven't had time to relive the amazingness because of other school commitments. I will now take the time to gloat and giggle over the wonderful, and appropriate, 5-0 shutout.
The pre-game honoring of Tony-O wasn't bad. Rocky Wirtz made another sweet reference to home games on TV when he spoke, the crowd roared and I gave him a silent salute from my couch. My favorite was the little montage:
I knew from the beginning that Kane and Backstrom were facing off. Two spectacular rookies they are and all I could think about was seeing them fight. That would just MAKE the game.
The first intermission began with a bang 4-0: a beautiful tip in by Williams from Wiz; a rather dirty, jam-the-goalie-down, goal by Toews during Lepisto's power play; a wonderfully placed slap shot from Yanic; and to top it all off, Sharpie's, easy-as-pie, hit into the 2 hole. Khabby didn't make any absolutely amazing saves during the first intermission but he did a good job. Wiz was mic'd up/live wired/talky talk boxed/whatever-you-want-to-call-it'd during the game and they showed some funny scenes of him touching the line judge's butt and saying "ohh ohh" when he was on the bench. What a rapscallion. Be careful James Wizniewski, we all know you have a big mouth and a junk yard dog demeanor but, I'd prefer it if you didn't make some unfriendly enemies.
My rather vocal hopes that Kane and Backstrom would battle it out were almost forgotten.
A little Semin on Burish. (Sorry Burish...I Just had to say it.)
The second period was full of angry Capitals. Alex "the great" Ovechkin was on a rampage; slamming our biggest guys (though not so 'tough' in Seabrook's case) into the boards whenever he had the chance. Though Big Dustin Byfuglien got a nice, crowd roaring slammer in, eventually. Then Ovie gave Khabby a little shot after the whistle blew and Toewser Laser flew over there and some punches flew. My happiness could not be expressed as I saw Kane and Backstrom pushing and shoving off in the corner of the screen. Both Toews and Ovechkin received roughing penalties; I gave Toewser a vocal kudo. Rene Bourquenstein (my own nickname, teehee) broke away within ten minutes and tapped it in smoothly. The second period ended, 5-0.
Dan and Eddie interviewed the great Tony-O during the second intermission:
I may be slightly ashamed that my brother and I couldn't breath because we were laughing so much. When Tony said, "hey Dan", I pretty much pissed in my pants. That's OK, he's an old guy and a jolly one to boot.
The third period began 5-0 but the defeat in the eyes of the Capitals was only a dull glimmer; they were coming out with a vengeance. At the same time we were leaving the locker room with a mission also: stop them. And at all costs we did. Khabby made a few spectacular saves. The crowd began to shout, "Khabby! Khabby! Khabby!" Sound familiar? "Tony! Tony! Tony!" was the usual chorus at the old stadium (and none of the announcers forgot to remind us all through out the game). Khabibulin, now fully charged with the sight of a shutout on the horizon, began to play at top speed. He finished with an absolutely fabulous diving save. The crowd went wild.
A shutout on the very night we honored one of our goalie greats. An appropriate finish.
Friday, January 11, 2008
The 124 Million Dollar Man
Shmee has already done a lovely job of talking about our beloved Alex Ovechkin and his big fat contract, but it wouldn't be me if I didn't add my two cents! (x-posted to A View from the Cheap Seats)
Last night at a Meet the Team party for season ticketholders Ted Leonsis made public what many of us already assumed - that Alex had signed a contract extension. What we didn't know was that the length of time was something beyond even our wildest dreams. Thirteen years. Thirteen years of Ovechkin's grins, his goal celebrations, his joyous tackling of teammates. Thirteen more years of his ever-evolving talent, his leadership, and his presence on and off the ice.
There are some - in fact there already have been some - who will sneer at the length or the amount, claim he's not worth the bucks or he's handcuffed himself to a team that can never really fully appreciate the great talent that he is. Ovechkin is insane. The Caps are insane. This is a horrible idea.
...is it? $124 million is a lot of money, yes. 13 years is a long time, absolutely. But the way the contract is designed, it will pay him $9 million a year for the first half (that's only $300,000 more than Crosby gets with his new "hometown discount" contract, by the way) and $10 million in the second half. Anyone thinking that Ovechkin wouldn't be making that kind of money anywhere he goes has underestimated his value severely - it just sounds like a more insane amount because it's over 13 years.
As for that number...the Caps have said time and time again that Ovechkin is the cornerstone, the building block of this team. He is the face of the franchise and we want him to continue to be the face for as long as possible. All this does is remove the burden of having to renegotiate with Alex every few years - it removes the pressure from the team and removes the distraction from Ovechkin.
It's also a statement. A statement by ownership and management that all their rhetoric about wanting to keep Ovechkin and build around him was not just a bunch of words but a true belief in his ability to lead this team to a championship. A statement by Ovechkin that he may like playing in Montreal or Toronto for the hockey atmosphere - but he loves being a Cap. He could have signed a shorter deal and still said he loved being here...maybe somewhere in the, oh, I don't know, five year range? But he didn't. He jumped in with both feet and proclaimed to fans, ownership, and the rest of the league that DC is where he wants to play.
There are two arguments likely to crop up in the coming days from those bitter journalists and analysts who hate seeing successful players in anything short of a hockey mecca. It's not hard to predict - we've heard them all before.
The first is that Washington is a horrible hockey town, a place where good players go to fade away from the spotlight and waste their talents on a team going nowhere. I'm not even sure where this stigma came from, but after years of following Washington hockey I can tell you it's not true.
Yes, the excitement has dwindled slightly - but anyone who attended games back in the late 80s, the heyday of the Caps and their consistent playoff appearances, knows that there was once a passion for this team that rivaled the best hockey cities in the league. And anyone who was at the Meet the Team event last night knows that the passion has never really faded away. There's still a buzz of excitement around this team and someone like Ovechkin is helping to fuel it - it may be moving slower than we'd like but it's happening and it's only a matter of time before this team is back in the spotlight where it deserves to be.
Furthermore, in recent years we have seen four or five players give up the chance to play for a so-called "contender" or to earn more money by staying in DC. Alexander Semin, coming off a 38-goal year, signed a two year contract extension to stay here. Kolzig has continually turned down the option of trades or free agency to stay here. Chris Clark, also coming off a career year, chose to ink four more years with the team. Michael Nylander turned down more money to come here. And now Ovechkin has made the biggest statement of all - he never wants to leave.
So on to the second argument. It's too many years, too much money, and the Caps will find themselves burned like they were with Jagr.
I almost don't know how to respond to that except to say that, luckily, Ovechkin is no Jagr. Good ol' JJ showed signs of being a temperamental diva and an underachiever long before he signed that big money longterm deal with the Caps. Ovechkin, on the other hand, never seems to take a shift off. He never phones it in. He hates not scoring but hates losing more; his celebrations when his teammates score is just as big if not bigger than if he had scored the goal himself. The guys so obviously love him just as we all love him - and that makes him worth every penny.
If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at the video from last night of Ted announcing the deal, courtesy of the wonderful people at OnFrozenBlog. Watch the looks on the team's faces; listen to the sound of the crowd. It was an amazing moment and one I'll probably never forget. Check it out:
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wow
I am wowing for two reasons. 1) Ovie contract extention. 2) I was so busy at work today, I FORGOT that the "Meet the Team" party for STH'ers was tonight (smacks forehead). If I wasnt going to make it, I would have liked to give the ticket to someone.
But in bigger news then my airhead moment, Ovie is ours. And we are never going to let him go! Do I sound like the stalker in one of those Lifetime movies, or what?
Alex Ovechkin's new deal is worth $124 million over 13 years and will keep the star winger in Washington through 2020-21. It's believed to be the wealthiest deal in NHL history.
The first six years are $9 million per, the last seven years are $10 per.
I'm a happy gal tonight for a lot of reasons. We get one of the best players in the world locked up for the forseeable future. At the end of his contract, AO will only be 35. That said, I think the length of the contract is a bit ridiculuous. There is no doubt that AO wasnt going to sign for less then 8.5-10mil a year. But 13 years? I didnt agree with the DiPietro contract, or the Richards one, or the Yashin one for that matter. And as much as I am a fan, I cant help but find the length excessive. A lot can happen in that time. Again though, I am certainly happy to have AO on the Caps.
This is also a happy moment because all those "well sourced" folks, who had Ovie moving to the Oilers/Habs/Rangers/Superleague/PGA circuit/Real Madrid for 15 mil a year, three live-in Playboy bunnies, a Siberian tiger and his own cotton candy machine, will finally shut up. Actually, what am I talking about? They will just move on to Dion Phaneuf.
Lets also remember that Ovie has not cleaned the Caps out. They still have room to sign the Mike Greens of the world. Even with their off season aquisitions (Nylander, Poti, Backstrom, Kozlov), the Caps have a little under 40 mil in payroll this season (projected, because of bonuses), and about the same number (actually a little less) projected for next season. Next year's numbers of course dont include people who are UFA/RFA after this season, but the point is that the Caps still have about 13 mil to fill a couple holes - and that is based on this year's salary cap. The cap will certainly go up a bit next year. Donard Brashear is a UFA next season, as well as Matt Bradley and Olie Kolzig. Mike Green, Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Shaone Morrisson and Steve Eminger round out the RFA list. While the Caps had to pay 3.46 mil to the Rangers for Jagr this year, that money does not go against the cap (though, it must effect the budget) and there is the possibility that they may not have to pay the money next year, which is dependent on Jagr hitting a series of benchmarks.
So, tomorrow night, knock back a straight vodka in salute to Ovie. I certainly will be.
PS: It was pretty classy of AO to thank Glen Hanlon during his contract announcement speech tonight. Until his Thanksgiving Day firing, Hanlon was the only NHL coach that AO has known.
x-posted to Capital Addiction Read More......
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Washington, The Trip That Was
I'm too apathetic about my Leafs to discuss their sad arse problems, but want to say a few things about my trip to Washington, DC. The highlight was getting to meet CapsChick and Shmee - so nice to finally meet up! Hopefully the next time it lasts longer.
For those interested in more:
http://hockeytalkie.blogspot.com/2008/01/holly-jolly-hockey-holiday.html
Sunday, December 02, 2007
HNIC Spotlights Bloggers
Last week we had an interesting discussion going about bloggers and journalists and all that good stuff, with a lot of good points made. It's a tricky subject but one I think bears revisiting from time to time, especially since all of us have such varied experiences as bloggers.
Clearly Hockey Night in Canada producers read HLOG, because they descended upon Verizon Center this past week to take a look at this whole crazy blogging thing, airing the results in their pregame show earlier this evening. Take a look:
As someone who has benefited and will probably continue to benefit from the Caps' progressive policy towards bloggers I'm not convinced as to whether or not I belong in the press box. But I certainly appreciate the opportunity and try to make the most of it when given. I view it as a privilege, not a right, and I think there has to be that distinction made to some extent...if only so the "real" reporters don't step on your feet and elbow you in the stomach in the media scrums.
For me, it's tricky. On the one hand I like to be able to bring interesting quotes and perspectives to my readers. I like getting to see the players up close and personal, hear their opinions beyond just the sound bites you get on the news or in the paper, watch how they interact with one another. On the other hand, I enjoy being a fan and watching the game with only that perspective, cheering when appropriate and showing emotion when they lose. That's impossible to do in the press box and it's one of the main reasons I haven't applied for a press pass more often.
I will say that in my brief experience, the people who want to have this kind of access from the blogging world are more likely to treat it with respect. I've never seen bloggers acting any differently than the established media types, and again I question, seriously this time, the basis for Pothier's comments. If anything, from what I've seen they're more engaged, more interested in what the player or coach has to say and often more likely to ask the question no one else will ask.
That's not saying that bloggers are smarter or better than the mainstream media. We simply work without restrictions. Reporters work on a deadline and have limited space in which to print the facts, while we can explore any number of topics at any given time and that frees up the line of questioning a bit.
And to that end, there should be guidelines and rules - there's a reason the Caps don't give out credentials to every blogger, and those of us who have been credentialed know where the line is (for the most part) and are invited to ask questions of the media relations staff if we're unsure. It's a learning process on both sides and the road is likely to be bumpy at first, but the Caps have done a great job in laying the groundwork for what could be the future of hockey coverage.
I think once it gets a little more formalized and once the novelty has worn off for bloggers and the team itself, we'll start to see just how much is gained or lost by allowing this kind of access. It'll really be interesting to see how the NHL can work with the internet and the people who provide it's multifaceted content in the future. The fact that on HLOG alone we have the most wonderful spectrum of bloggers and hockey fanatics, each with their own style and voice tells me that the potential is endless.
So...thoughts?
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Here Come the Caps
The IPB gals set the bar pretty high, but I figured I would be remiss if I didn't do some sort of preview of the Caps, so here goes.
There's a lot of stuff up in the air for my boys as the season looms - pundits of all shapes and sizes seem to be unsure of where to put this scrappy little team with the brand new look. I've seen them placed everywhere from 3rd to 15th in the East...and those are just the "respectable" analysts. Frankly I'm not really sure where they'll end up, either. All I know is that they've improved, which wasn't that hard, and there's a lot of new stuff to be excited about.
Breakin' it down:
Forwards
The Caps definitely bolstered their offensive production by bringing in puckslingers Michael Nylander and Viktor Kozlov, who will likely provide a boost to Russian sharpshooters Ovechkin and Semin (although with 86 goals between the two last season, it's not like they struggled before). Throw in a newly formed checking line that has the potential to add another 30-40 goals easily, a fourth line that can chip in as well, and a slew of youngsters in Hershey that add some depth that was missing last year.
Kettler Capitals Iceplex
KCI, or K-Plex as its been dubbed by one local reporter, is the Caps' shiny, sparkly, beautiful new $43 million dollar practice facility. It's perched precariously atop a parking garage and for the first time offers a metro-accessible glimpse at the boys while they practice in the lap of luxury. It has two ice sheets, loads of locker rooms, a weight room with views of the Washington Monument, a swanky lounge and office space for the whole Capitals staff to set up shop. Anyone who has been there can tell you its a beautiful facility and the boys are just gushing over it - proximity, design, functionality, everything is getting rave reviews from the team. And a happy team is a winning team...right? Right?
Defense
This is the area where the Caps most needed to improve, and they took the first step in doing that by bringing in Tom Poti, a puck-moving defenseman who can serve as quarterback on what was once an anemic power play. More importantly, though, will be the continued development of defensive prospects like Mike Green and Jeff Schultz, as well as the huge and increasingly talented pairing of Milan Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn. If the Caps are going to succeed they'll need these youngsters to prove they're ready to play consistently, a daunting task but not out of the realm of possibility.
Goaltending
Here's the thing - 37 is old for an athlete. Any athlete. And it's natural for the body to slow down a bit at that point, even for normal people. Olie Kolzig, the face, backbone and mouthpiece of the team, is 37 and will be 38 before the end of the season, and at times he has seemed to show his age, looking a little rusty in net coming into camp albeit in fantastic physical shape. Each preseason game he's gotten a little better, though, and I have the utmost confidence that with an improved defense in front of him he'll be able to carry this team to the next level. It helps that his backup, Brent Johnson, has come into camp looking extremely sharp and should be able to carry a bigger load this year, resting Zilla a bit as they prepare (hopefully) for a playoff push.
Scoreboard
Okay, this one's more for the fans, but I think it's still worth mentioning. Verizon Center up until this year featured what had to be the worst scoreboard/replay screen in the league - weird missing spots, ugly graphics, outdated design...it was all bad. They've finally updated it, though, unveiling an impressive new set of HD screens and a computerized scoreboard for all your scorekeeping needs. At last glance there were still some kinks to work out (like the fact that it only has space for two penalties per team...that could be a problem when certain teams come to visit) but its head and shoulders above what we used to have and replays have never looked sharper.
Special Teams/Shootouts
Now we're getting into the real reason that GMGM signed guys like Nylander, Poti and Kozlov. Sure, strong centers and puckmoving defensemen are great and highly necessary, especially on this team. But the Caps needed to improve in these two areas if they even wanted a shot at the postseason, and with the three additions over the summer plus the continued evolution of penalty killers like Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, Dave Steckel and Matt Pettinger, that looks like it will happen.
Uniforms
Come on, I had to mention it - and not to be immodest or anything, but I really believe the Caps have the best new jerseys in the league, bar none. They may have taken awhile to grow on me (I believe my exact words upon seeing them the first time were "ew...really??") but now I'm hooked and will be searching the couch cushions for spare change to save up and eventually buy one for my very own.
This is a team full of guys that no one has ever heard of and that few people care about - and while I don't think that will change overnight, I do think this team is going to surprise a lot of people. Whether that translates into a playoff spot or not remains to be seen, but I'm predicting that they'll at least be in the fight for a postseason berth right up until the end.
For the first time in a long time it's fun to be a Caps fan again, and that's really all I could ask for - things are looking good in DC!
Monday, September 17, 2007
I-95 Highlight Reel
Not for the weak of heart or short of time:-)
As IPB has already given us the heartfelt and intelligent version of the Hlog I-95 meetup, I'm going to go the "Best Of!" route, and I'm going to attempt to do it in chronological order. This may get ugly quickly.
All images used within can also be found at my Flikr site
Your blog for tonight will consist of:Pookie, Schnookie, CapsChick, Elly, Steph and Shmee. Your team will be the Washington Capitals. (or the Hershey Bears.)
Friday:
I arrived at Shmee's apartment. If parking was truly lighter than other days, DAMN, I am NEVER moving to D.C, as I went around a 6 block area for about 20 minutes looking for somewhere I could park Turco's ample posterior. (Turco is my 1997 green Subaru station wagon. Big. Slow. Green..... he sort of named himself.) After the pleasantries and introductions, we decided to go punish our livers in the rainbow district nearby.
Enter Gay Danny Briere. No joke. Little guy, button down shirt, dark hair cut into that awful shaggy-wedgy-wants to be a gymnast style, and I couldn't stop laughing. I believe there was a text message to the CapsChick/Steph party about him, but I was rather fermented at that point, and can't be sure. After soaking ourselves up in a little greasy fried stuff, we moseyed our way home, and crashed for the night.
Saturday:
We got going late, the Metro hung us up, and we stopped for Starbucks, so we didn't actually get to Kettler until around 10:40. Once there, it quickly devolved from "Get to know You" to "World's Loudest Hockey Fans Invade D.C. Mall, Details At 11." For whatever reason, one of the recurring weirdness of the weekend became Elly and my desire to make as many of the Caps as possible bastard love children of the Pens and to figure out their parentage. Our crowning glory was as follows:
This also allowed me to coin the phrase, "He's Maloney in the eyes."
Of course, later on we decided that all hockey players had a variation on one of about 12 heads, which is why so many of them look so similar... then every 20 years they bust up all the molds and make a new batch. But more on that later, when we get to Fluffy and BabyMalkin on Sunday.
It turns out that the Caps were also not the only team there. The Canucks had sent their forward scout, Comrie "Thorguld" Sedin. This poor guy got the dreadedly unsubtle 'turn and stare' from all of us, and was sufficiently creeped out enough to avoid making eye contact for the rest of the day. Of course, as far as weirdness levels go, Cape Dude was the hands down champion.
After the rookie scrimmage, (that's Scott Barney from Hershey) we wandered across the lobby en mass to the other ice rink, where we found the big boys doing drills. (and lost Elly to one of those dumb crane games.) It's ridiculously thrilling to me to be standing literally on the other side of the glass as two people attempt to shove one another through it, so I was having the time of my life. This was also the longest time we saw Ovechkin practice for the entire weekend. He and Semin seemed to have this idea that because they were the big names, they didn't really need ice time that badly.
Onwards, there was lunch (nachos and dip and chips and beer... some people had sandwiches), over which we discussed the role of the female fan, and how you couldn't really wear a Sidney Crosby jersey or and Ovechkin jersey and be taken seriously. Schnookie got the winning quote from that conversation when she brought it home with "We're sports fans...who objectify." I managed to challenge her quote supremacy later on the way back to Shmee's house, when we had to climb 2.5 stories on a dead escalator out of the Metro and nearing the top I whined "I'm getting Sidney Crosby butt from this!"
Shmee greeted us with a drink that went from being named "Rachael Ray's Spiked Pink Lemonade" to "Pink Drink of Firey Death" and the evening went downhill from there. Between Rocky-Horrorizing The Cutting Edge (we even had the SIDE PONYTAILS, come on) and Shmee recounting her adventures in supposedly skanky clothing, the evening could really only end with a field trip. And where else would one go on a field trip than to the Verizon Center?
Sunday:
Up and at it on time this time. Loaded into Turco, picked up the rest of the troops, and headed out the the rink again. This time, we settled in for the drills and actually watched what was going on, about three rows back from what we were guessing were Ovie's parents. Ovie and Olie were in rare form from the beginning, scrapping verbally during a shootout drill then each dancing when they managed to best the other. However, Olie's game disintegrated from there, and by the time they were done he had cracked his stick and wound up throwing it off the ice at one of the equipment people. CapsChick started edging away from us early this time, especially after Steph asked in true Steph loudvoice "Is Olie looking especially creaky today?" The rest of the first round players were in high spirits, however, and two of them wound up horsing around amusingly as well.
After a slight Zamboni break (and a chance for us to go raid the Caps store for the *right* team's stuff, we went back out to watch the prospies. Enter Fluffy, BabyMalkin, Backcountry Pyatt and NotMachesney. (in reality, Jay Beagle, Dan Kronick, Tyler Sloan(I think) and Kris Mayotte) interestingly enough, Alexander Semin was also lumped in with this second group, but spent more of it lounging on the boards and looking disinterested than he did actually playing. It was interesting to see the prospies go through the same drills that the big boys had just finished, because you could tell that these were the guys who were really WORKING to do well and make the team, not the guys that knew they were already there. Frederic Cassivi (Hershey's goalie) was down in the same net Olie had been in earlier, and wasn't doing much better. He seemed to be overcommitting to one side of the net and disregarding anyone not in his immediate line of sight. We debated getting him a flowerpot to improve the chi of that end of the rink, but decided that probably wasn't gonna be enough to help him. The other goalie, Kris Mayotte or NotMachesney, (as he was NOT Daren Machesney from Hershey the way we thought he was, but a potential Machesney backup, as Machesney broke himself at some point in the near past) was doing much better overall. After finding out that he was an import from the Arizona Sundogs, I really hope that they decide to keep him around and send him up here to Central PA to play with the Bears... not only was he showing some real promise, but he seemed to be meshing with all of the other prospies pretty darn well.
As all the prospies were packing it in for the day, we also got the treat of getting to watch Puck Handling 101, which was pretty downright amazing.
And of course, as we were leaving for lunch, we wandered into the other rink and watched the last period of a local hockey club's game, which was really much less GAME and much more FIGHT. I think I actually physically squee'd when the two dudes started pummeling each other directly in front of us, and I took way too many pictures, just proving my previously known goon slut tendencies.
All in all, I couldn't have come up with a better way to spend a weekend. Except maybe Pens camp, but even then, I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with a different group of people. I think the I-95 meetup may well become a half-yearly thing, and Elly and I are already plotting towards the Ice Bowl in Buffalo.
Oh, and when you thought it couldn't get much better? Hershey Bears open practices start Thursday.
I'll see you there! Read More......
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Caps On Their Way
I've spent the majority of the last week camped out at the Caps' flashy new practice rink, watching the rookies skate and then seeing more and more of the regular players showing up for informal practices of their own. Every day I get a little more excited for the season to just get going already, but never more excited than I am today after seeing and talking to some of the guys about the upcoming year.
Said our beloved captain, Chris Clark, "I've never been more excited for an opening game than I am this year." He said it with such enthusiasm, such genuine excitement, that you couldn't help but believe it, and his attitude was pretty contagious. Everywhere you looked guys were smiling and laughing, even as they trudged through what must be incredibly mundane tasks like talking to the media and taking those trusty "yearbook" pictures.
Olie Kolzig, venerable goalie and longtime face of the Caps, looked positively spry at 37. "I'm a vintage car," he joked, smiling and laughing with the assorted members of the media (and a few lucky bloggers).
Added Clark, "[Ownership and management] put a lot of effort and a lot of money into the team this year and I think it’s our turn to step up and show that we’re a playoff team. We have the resources, we have [Kettler], everything we need to get there and it’s up to us. On paper right now we should be a playoff team. We just have to get there."
For us Caps fans, hearing something like that is a breath of fresh air. It's been a rough few years here in DC...actually, it's been a rough few decades. The team has gone from perpetual first or second round elimination to missing the playoffs and everything in between, but you always got the sense that they were just one or two key components away from being that quintessential championship team. This year it's starting to feel like something could actually happen, like the rebuild may eventually pay off.
After struggling through some rough times and hoping for better days, I can't put it better than Kolzig himself - "these are the better days."
Oh, and Ovechkin? Well, he came to camp looking a little scruffy, to which Olie said he needs a haircut. Ovie's response: "It's my style. Gangster style." Naturally.
Judge for yourself:
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Two things...
ONE: rumor has it that A.O. has started his own blog here. From a cursory overview, just with the layout and because it's a paid account and all, I could believe it's him, as I doubt a wacko fan would go to even THAT much trouble. I'm just watching to see if he starts scoping out LJ communities on himself, because oh, the scandals we could make out of that. Especially if he finds the repositories of hockey slash I'm pretty sure are floating out there somewhere.
TWO: Late congrats to Ryan Malone who got married at some point in the near past. Supposedly (and although I tried to be a good internet pseudostalker and find the wedding pictures I couldn't find them to verify this) much of Abby Malone's wedding album is her 'getting ready' in her underwear. But damn, they're cute together. However, if I ever look at you, or don't look at you, or are in your general vicinity, and you hear me say "Man, it would be great if someone could take pictures of my dimply white butt in my underwear on my wedding day." PLEASE, for the love of god, make sure somebody kills the robot, and start checking closets for the real me?
Srsly, though, can I ask what is it with hockey players and straight haired skinny blondes? At least this one's not orange (or a color of grey that reads immediately as orange) but what's wrong with an entirely average looking person with a decent personality? Why can't a hockey player marry Velvet D'Amour? Or at least a Bettina? At the very least, take a Kate to a big event once in a while?
Sheesh. I don't think dating a pinup model is TOO much to be asking from you boys.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
GMGM is Old School...and Hanlon's a Loon
Need something to take your mind off this sloooow news day?
This is fantastic:
Even more satisfying? Current Caps' coach Glen Hanlon.
Trust me, you won't want to miss the last minute of the video.
(As if I needed another reason to love ol' Hugs and GMGM...)
Monday, July 02, 2007
New Caps and Old New Caps
Edit: Judging by the silence around here since I posted and the lack of comments (oh, and the title of the post right before this...nice, Jordi!) I'm guessing I am one of the few people happy today. So I ask - how is that possible?!
...oh, right. No Rangers fans in the HLOG. I forgot. Chin up, ladies - take heart that your teams probably were so close to perfect you didn't need all these silly additions to your roster...right? Right?
May I just say woo...HOO!
This is the first time in a long time that I have not sat around on July 1, July 2, July 3, and wondered what the hell my general manager was doing. This is the first time in a long time that more than one free agent of any note has wanted to come to DC. This is the first time in a very long time that I actually have hope for the Caps' upcoming season that isn't completely based on misplaced delusions.
Let's recap what has frankly been a really exciting two days here in DC, shall we?
- Tom Poti: A puck-moving defenseman coming off a career year and at 30, just hitting his stride on the blue line. Someone I thought the Caps would pick up a few years ago, apparently he was very high on their list from the start - so high that McPhee called at 12:01 pm, the first team to contact Poti. The addition of Poti adds someone who can create the breakout pass (something the Caps have had problems with in the past...clearing the zone? What is clearing the zone? Huh?) and who can quarterback a power play that with Ovechkin and Semin should not have struggled as much as it did last season.
- Viktor Kozlov: Another Isles castoff, Kozlov brings a skilled winger to help set up either one of our young Russians. He has played on a line with Ovechkin for Team Russia and that was apparently part of the draw for him to come to DC. His addition should further bolster the Caps' special teams and more interestingly their fortunes in the shootout...if you followed them at all last year you know that they won once. Out of 17 tries. Yeah, that ain't pretty. Two years at $2.5 million makes him a low-risk bargain, too, which you can't exactly say about some of these long-term deals being tossed around.
- Michael Nylander: Oh, Michael. This one is brand new (like an hour ago brand new) so I'm a little too giddy to really look at this with an analytical eye like the other two. I will say that I loved Nylander during his first stint with the Caps and the thought of him feeding passes to Ovechkin is almost too much to bear, it's so exciting. In Nylander the Caps get a center for their first line who can also mentor his fellow countryman and Caps' rookie Niklas Backstrom, and I for one am beyond excited to have him back in the nation's capital. I think I've said it before...
(As for those false reports that had him going to Edmonton? No idea what happened there. Sorry, Oilers...)
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The Draw of the District
Is anyone else going absolutely crazy today?
This is always the worst part, be it the trade deadline or draft day or the opening of the free agency period - the day before. The hours go by so slowly it's almost as though the clock is mocking me. Stories trickle in of another handful of potential unrestricted free agents now locked up by their team...or another player once perched on the cusp who has decided to test the open market.
The worst thing about this final day is the rumors, the guessing games; one "expert" saying one thing, another "expert" saying the complete opposite. If you listen to these pundits, eventually you would assume that every single player is signing with every single team. That's one way to go completely insane.
I'll be honest, despite my impatience for tomorrow to get here already, I'm not sure how optimistic I am that anything will actually happen...at least not involving the Caps. Here in DC we're in an odd situation of having a lot of money to spend yet not being an organization that traditionally draws the big names.
What's more, as I've said before and as many others have pointed out, free agency isn't always the best route to go down for a rebuilding team. Does it pay to lock up a big name for big bucks in a big fat long-term contract, especially with a crop of young talent that will, oddly enough, want to be paid more down the road? For that matter, with the prices already set so high, are any of the available players even worth the price for which they are likely to go?
I guess I'm just interested to see what Caps' general manager George McPhee (or GMGM as he's known in these parts) will do, whether it is to dip into the pool of free agents or try his luck on the trade market. And if anyone else has heard the rumor of a pending 9-year extension for a certain Russian superstar, there are understandably some other questions whirling around as well.
18 hours and counting...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Cap's QAs
Tarik has the list of players who were made qualifying offers by the Caps :
Steve EmingerI am fine with cutting Kris Beech and Jiri Novotny loose. Beech hasnt proven himself at this level, despite plenty of opportunity to do so while playing on a line with Alex Semin. Novotny was one of those young guys that we took during a trade. Sometimes GMGM gets the steal they were looking for (Jurcina) and sometimes they dont. Novotny just didnt look like he was playing for a roster spot.
John Erskine
Tomas Fleischmann
Jamie Hunt
Milan Jurcina
Jakub Klepis
Brooks Laich
Brian Sutherby
Dave Steckel
Guys who make $660,000 or less get a 10-percent raise (salary maxes out at $1million). Guys who make more than $660,000 get a 5-percent raise.
Here are the guys who didn't get qualifying offers, and thus are being cut loose:
Kris Beech (no surprise)
Jiri Novotny (no surprise)
Matt Stefanishion
Joey Tenute
Jonas Johansson
Louis Robitaille
Maxime Daigneault
But Joey Tenute? Boy makes me squee. He punctured a lung during Hershey's playoffs, and was back a month later in the lineup. Every team needs a couple gritty players who put the team first and Tenute is one of them.
As for the Caps we kept, I am really glad to see Eminger on that list. I know he can be a hot mess on the ice, but he is really young and definitely in development. The Caps did a disservice to their young D-men last season when many of them were not paired consistently with vets. The Caps didnt have much of a choice in that decision, but I think Eminger deserves a chance to prove himself. I know, I know -- if he sucks, then his value as trade bait goes down. But, I am hoping to see him out there in September.
John Erskine? He is awesome. Dude scares small children, but still manages to look like he has a chihuahua named CoCo Chanel at home.
Seeing Tomas Fleischmann on that list was also very squee-worthy. I think Flash is going to be a solid, maybe even exceptional player for an NHL team. He's got moves, he can skate, and he's got curly red hair to match his jersey. Boy needs to gain a few pounds, but he can work on that.
Milan Jurcina is one of those gems that GMGM found and made the right trade for. We got him for a 4th round pick in 2008, and the Bruins can keep kicking themselves in the ass for that one. He eats minutes, lays crushing hits on guys, and you know he gives Shaone Morrisonn one of these on Valentines Day.
Jakub Klepis: glad we kept him, now he has got to show us what he has got...consistently. He kicked ass when we sent him back to Hershey, and we need him to show his skillz up here too.
Dave Steckel: He got a little bit of time with the Caps this season and from what I saw of him, he looked like he was fighting for a spot on the roster. Having seen him in Hershey, it seems like he is a big fish in a small pond down there and the reverse would be true in DC. I think he has definitely got potential, but isnt he a checking line forward with the Caps? And dont we have a glut of those? That said, I really like him and we'll see how it plays out at training camp.
Now, lets see who gets traded, what free agents get signed, and how many times GMGM can make us squee this summer.
(x posted on Cap Addiction) Read More......
