2013 Washington Capitals Season Review

We thought with the lockout would cancel the 2012-13 season and with the bitterness between the players and owners (specifically Donald Fehr and Gary Bettman), that was the likelihood. Sure enough, they agree on a new CBA and the 2013 season was on…which wasn’t good initially for the Caps.

As the season started, the Caps had to know Adam Oates’s system on the fly and as the result, the team struggled from the gate. Instead of thinking about the playoffs, the Caps were in the Popeye Jr. (Defenseman Seth Jones, projected to be the number one prospect of the 2013 NHL Draft) Sweepstakes. As the season went on, the team got use to the Oates system, Alex Ovechkin was onboard, and the Caps won the Southeast.

Although the Caps were coming to the playoffs hot, the Rangers were as hot. Although the Caps had home-ice advantage, and all the home teams won in this series, it was the Rangers who prevail and the Caps with an early exit…again.

Caps fans have to admit this team is the New York Knicks of hockey. The have the offensive flair, some defense, and they prefer to shoot from the perimeter. The only difference is the Knicks are selfish, while the Caps are passive.

This was a team that should’ve learned from Dale Hunter last year to learn about defense and be mentally tough. Instead, it’s the old Bruce Boudreau teams of a high-octane offense, but with little grit. Most people want to blame the players and coaches, which is fair, but I think it’s more of the culture of the team, which starts with owner Ted Leonsis. Yes, the Stanley Cup is the hardest-earned trophy in sports, but it seems Leonsis is satisfied of the business side of the sport than the result. He says he might care, but you have to act on it.

This leads to the GM of the Washington Capitals, George McPhee. He has done a good job shaping the team in the late 90s, early 2000s and rebuilding the team around Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green (and Alex Semin). Since 2008, the team has made it to the playoffs, but have not passed 2nd round. Although McPhee has drafted and got great talent from free agency and trades, he has focus on talent and not character that can counteract with Ovechkin.

Speaking of Ovechkin, one of the biggest faults for the Caps is making him captain. He is a talented player, but his personality is the culture of this team and fair or not with the passing and the perimeter shooting, he is shaping this team and from the looks of it, he does about winning, he doesn’t know how.

As for next season, there will be a new conference, an actual 82 game season, and new players who can fit in Oates’s system and be the Yang to Ovechkin’s Yin. If we get Oates as the assistant coach who learned about the trapping defense from the New Jersey Devils, the Caps are set for a potential deep run.

Next year will be Ovechkin’s biggest year yet as the Caps will try again to make it in a crowded playoff field with the Devils, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Islanders, Hurricanes, and Blue Jackets. In addition, next season is an Olympic year and it is in Sochi, Russia so we might see a motivated Ovi or an uninterested Ovi depending on the result. Marketing wise, of the six outdoor games, none have the Caps, which tells us the Caps have lost their wide appeal.

Next year is very crucial for the Caps in more ways than one. You get the subplots and the players, but the most important question every year since the 1980s is can the Caps stay with the status quo or do they breakthrough? It’s up to them.

The Redskins Name

In the D.C. Area, there has been a lot of talk about the Redskins nickname. Recently, there has been a surge of coverage and protesters who want Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, to rename the team. The reason for this surge is the popularity of Robert Griffin III. People believe if RGIII stands on an issue, everyone will follow and accept it, hence these protests and exhibits in D.C. to bring the movement forward.

On one side, “Redskin” is slang for a racial descriptor for Native Americans that is meant to offend. Also, the Redskins name didn’t come from D.C.; it came from Boston when George Preston Marshall had complete control of the Boston Braves, renamed it the Redskins and then moved the team to D.C. in 1937 to reach the southern market. Although Marshall has done charitable things in the D.C. area, he was a promoter first and that means pander to his audience and that is the southern market. He also change the lyrics of “Hail to the Redskins” from “Fight for old D.C.” to “Fight for old Dixie.” It has since change back to the original lyrics.

On the other side, most proponents of keeping the Redskins name say it is keeping the tradition and using surveys of Native Americans stating they aren’t offended with the term. Although that might be true, they don’t give a strong argument of keeping the name. To make a stronger argument, you have to see the organization’s intent of using the name. In my opinion, Dan Snyder is using it to the best represent Native American culture. At worst, he is profiting out of the name but not out of racism, but with their history of success in the 1980s.

The tiebreaker to me and why I’m for keeping the name is the Washington Redskins have redefine the name. Instead of using it as a racial slur, the Redskins represent community, greatness (in the 80s), unity, and pride. As an example, look at the “Harlem Shake.” The Harlem Shake was popularized by the people of Harlem, NY, but it has gain worldwide recognition because of a few random people started a meme that everyone can enjoy by randomly dancing and wearing costumes and bring joy. Although the initial term for “redskin” had a negative connotation, the Washington Redskins have change it enough that a slur is secondary.

Then why all this hatred of the Redskins name? Frankly, it is not about the Redskins name, but the person currently behind the Redskins name. Dan Snyder is one of the most polarizing figures in this area. On one hand, he has used his money trying to buy a Super Bowl and use the Redskins as a marketing tool and not building an actual football team, although in the past few years, he has change his image some. Also, he hasn’t been friendly to fans and media members here locally. If Snyder had change his persona some years back, maybe there would be some deflection on the Redskins name, but most of the hype on the Redskins name is caused by him, either directly or indirectly.

Tony Kornheiser was right that the Redskins name will or will not change because it is simply to be correct. The question is what is correct? Do we leave the word alone because we were told it was bad, do we fight to change the meaning to be correct, or is there another reason?

Your 2013 Washington Nationals

If last year was the breakout year for the Washington Nationals, this year is where expectations are met. Expectations meaning as Davey Johnson would say, ‘World Series or Bust.”

I cannot wait for the baseball season to start. I also worry about people think the Nationals have to be great everyday.

My problem isn’t with the team or management. The team is stacked everywhere: pitching, hitting, defense, bench, farm system. All credit goes to Mike Rizzo and his front office and scouts of building a team that was crap five years ago to now.

My problem isn’t with the media and their predictions. Most baseball experts from ESPN to Sports Illustrated have the Nats winning the division and winning the World Series. You can really dispute that since the evidence are there.

My problem is the fans expect to be the 1998 New York Yankees or the 1986 New York Mets (also managed by Davey Johnson). Nats fans would want a dominating team, but in reality, the only part that matters is September and October. I want my Nats to be steady and act like this is a marathon. It doesn’t matter if you have the best record in baseball; it’s the best record that matters the most.

I know there will bumps on the road like injuries or unforeseen circumstances, but that makes baseball fun to follow for six months…and that the Nats have a deep bench. I will not panic in April, May, June, July, and most of August. If they’re still in contention, all I want is the push to the postseason which leads to the World Series and bring back the title to D.C. since 1924.

Last year, they needed to win all season to get experience in the postseason. This year, they know how to pace themselves. Can the fans handle that? Let us enjoy the ride.

xxxSilver Elvis

Oh, the return of NatsJobs is today as well. Job postings are free for the month of April. Send your job posting to tracy@tranrecruiting.com or Twitter at @_natsjobs_

If I Were Running A Company…Mike Rizzo

The sports networks are all buzzing about 1) The NFL season returning and 2) The Stephen Strasburg shutdown. Except in the DC media, everyone is up in arms of how the Nationals (most of the anger goes to Senior VP and General Manager, Mike Rizzo (above)) will actually shutdown Strasburg before 180 innings because he had Tommy John surgery two years ago. The national media wants the Nationals to be “creative” of Strasburg’s innings and see him pitch in the playoffs, while Rizzo has long said that Strasburg is going to get shutdown this year. If this were the business world, Rizzo would be applauded.

What leaders do is assess the situation and look at the long-term view and stick to it. All Mike Rizzo is doing is sticking to his plan. If crap happens like the Strasburg injury, he has a plan not only for the injured player, but for the team. Tom Boswell explains it perfectly on the shutdown. What leaders also do is make a decision that is best for the organization and person that might be unpopular, but it is necessary. It’s true not only the national media, but Nationals players, even Strasburg’s father and Mike Rizzo’s father hate Rizzo’s decision, but Rizzo is sticking with the plan, which you may not like, but he’s creating a culture of transparency and accountability.  As a result, the Nationals (as of now) have the best record in Major League Baseball.

I’m going off my HR seat for a minute and talk as a fan. Please national media…SHUT UP! You don’t speak to the Nationals (and DC) fans of what to think about the shutdown. We don’t like it the shutdown, but at least we understand. You have your own opinion and we respect that, but don’t talk like you’re part of us that you know everything about DC sports and how we should act. If you want to act like us, live in the D.C. area for a minimum of a year and experience being a DC fan. You’re always welcome to our bandwagon. Back to HR mode.

You’re wondering why Rizzo is shutting down Strasburg and why 160-180 innings? For a detailed story, read Jayson Stark’s article and for statistical reasons, read this from my friend, Ouij.

What Rizzo is doing is an educated guess at best, but he has a few examples to look at. The first two are Chicago Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood and Florida (now Miami) Marlins pitcher, Josh Johnson. They both had talent, blew out their arms, showed glimpse of returning to form and then struggle. The last example is Rizzo’s first test on the innings limit: Jordan Zimmermann.  Zimmermann had Tommy John Surgery  in 2009, came back late in 2010, and pitch 161 1/3 innings in 2011. This season, Zimmermann has the best ERA in the National League and is projected to pitch close to 200 innings and in discussion for the NL Cy Young (best pitcher) Award. It is a small sample, but Rizzo has reviewed the data and the case studies and see if Jordan Zimmermann worked out, so can Strasburg.

Think about your Stephen Strasburg at your workplace; a talented person who might be sick, pregnant, or an life-altering moment. How would you handle your most talented worker in that situation? First, understand they’re human and assist them. Second, if the person will be out for a short or long-term, or be gone permanently, have a talent pipeline (internally, externally, or through an agency) come in and step right in. In Rizzo’s case, when Strasburg goes down, he does have a backup plan with John Lannan and Christian Garcia (who is like Stephen Strasburg, but in the bullpen). That’s why they had the number one farm system in baseball (that was before the Nationals traded four prospects for Gio Gonzalez)

Overall, Mike Rizzo’s leadership is about the basics: toughness, honesty, transparency, and accountability. However, the one aspect Rizzo sets apart from the rest is his conviction to go through the plan. People say they have a plan or an idea, but don’t follow-up. For Rizzo, he’s committed to his plan if you like it or not. The Strasburg shutdown is not a popular, but I commend Rizzo of going through the plan from his research and talking to medical experts. If that is not the best retention plan, look where the Washington Nationals were at four years ago to now. What a difference great leadership can make.

The D.C. Sports Renaissance (Revisited)

One of my famous posts I did on my personal blog was my potential giddy-ness of the return of the D.C. Sports Renaissance two years ago. At that time, the Redskins had Donovan McNabb, which we all thought it was good, the Nationals were starting their youth moment with the drafting of Bryce Harper and the debut of Stephen Strasburg, the Wizards had John Wall, and the team that got a head start, the Capitals, had an identity. That post got a lot of attention, Ted Leonsis linked it to his blog. Fast forward to today, D.C. is reaching the goal of being a sports town, but the reasons two years ago have shifted.

The only thing that remains stagnant is the Wizards. Even with John Wall, the Wizards have been the Bullets/Wizards for nearly 25 years (except for a few good years from the Gilbert Arenas era). I don’t expect that to change unless David Stern can override trades like he did with New Orleans and screwing with the Lakers and helping the Clippers, but I doubt it.

The team that is on the decline is the Capitals. The Caps were the top of the D.C. sports sector for a few years. When they lost to Montreal in 7 games after leading 3-1, it started their identity crisis. In those two years, they change coaches and change philosophies. Gone were the “run and gun”, the “Greatest Show on Ice” team. In was a defensive philosophy that was surely put this team deep in the playoffs. That defensive philosophy went the same path as the “run and gun” offense: it reached to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Everyone said the team had gain an identity in this year’s playoffs and lost it when Dale Hunter wasn’t coaching this team next year. I think the Caps lost their identity when they saw how the Los Angeles Kings are performing in these playoffs and are one game away to win the Stanley Cup. These L.A. Kings were the Caps suppose to be: 200 feet of “Hells on Ice” on offense and defense. Sadly for the Caps, they wish they thought about it sooner.

We then have the potential resurrection of the Washington Redskins, which after two terrible years, can come back to the top with Robert Griffin III as their franchise QB. After having 100 starting QBs in the past 20 years, it’s great the Redskins now have their “franchise” QB if RG3 meets (or exceeds) expectations. Although some fans question Mike Shanahan’s move of trading to get Donovan McNabb two years ago and gave use dumb & dumber last year, give Shanahan credit that he pulled off the trade with the St. Louis Rams since 1) they gave up 2 first round picks and a second this year & 2) Shanny and new Rams coach, Jeff Fisher, are good friends. This has been the most anticipated Redskins season since the 2004 season when Joe Gibbs came back to the sidelines. This one I expect to be longer.

Finally, to the team everyone is buzzing about and the basis of the original post two years ago: the Nationals. My original point for the post two years ago was if D.C. wants to become a sports town, it needs the baseball team to step up. There’s always football with the Redskins in the fall. There’s basketball and hockey in the winter and spring time. Even if we didn’t have pro basketball or hockey, there’s college basketball to make that up. Before 2005, there was no activity in the summer in D.C. (D.C. United and Mystics aside). After 2005, there was baseball, but it was just there as another D.C. activity because the team stunk. That change in 2010 with the debut of Strasburg. Although he got injured that same year, you can tell the Nationals were building something. Today, they’re in the hunt for the postseason (it also helps MLB added an additional team to the postseason) and they could be in the hunt for the next 5-7 years. With the Nationals success, there is D.C. sports all-year round and before the Redskins break camp, people can enjoy the Nats and hopefully it sticks.

Between these two years, the post I wrote was hyping up potential. Those two years never came to fruition as D.C. teams did struggle. This year, you see a different vibe as you won’t see any D.C. teams win any championships immediately; we’re closer than we think. It won’t bring any casual fans in, but if you’re a D.C. sports fan, it is time to invest.

D.C’s Fourth Greatest Sports Fan

The last month has been very busy for me: conferences, DCWeek, networking events, donations, projects, and the one that came unexpected…I was chosen as one of the ten finalists for Washington Post’s “D.C.’s Greatest Sports Fan Contest.”

I knew of the announcement the day before the Post publicly announced the ten finalists. I was going to announce it through my social media networks until someone beat me to it (forward to the 2:00 mark).

Yes, that was Tony Kornheiser giving me a shout out and support for this contest. If there ever was a bump in Washington Post traffic, it was Joe Paterno and me since I’m associated with Mr. Tony, which could help (or hinder, depending who you ask) me through this contest. I carried most of the publicity for this contest. There were three rounds in the contest.

Round 1 

The first round was to write an essay on one thing you want to change to one local team. I decided to not write about the Redskins or Nationals since most of the contestants will cover that, and the Capitals since it was tough to argue Ted Leonsis and their play at that time. It was down to the Wizards or D.C. United. There are many things I wanted to discuss about the Wizards, but neither of my arguments had substance, so I decided to do the D.C. United stadium situation because it was known that week that Major League Soccer (MLS) was thinking of locating D.C. United to Baltimore. I knew I had a topic to write about because it involved Baltimore; soccer as a rising sport not only in D.C., but in the states; and D.C. politics. The outside-the-box thinking help me get into the 2nd round, but barely.

Round 2

This was going to be a hard challenge for two reasons.  The first is my D.C. sports memorabilia isn’t all that impressive. I have an autograph jersey from Ted Leonsis, a Bruce Boudreau signed hockey puck, an Elijah Dukes signed jersey and a signed Chris Clark hockey stick. Those sound awesome, but the stories behind it were not impressive. It was down to two items: the Stephen Strasburg debut ticket stub or the August 28 Nats ticket stub. The Strasburg game was great and the best experience I ever had…but 41,000+ had the same experience. If it had an autograph from Strasburg, then my memorabilia would have been cooler, but it was not. I went with the August 28 ticket stub because it had a huge back story and I have told this before.

The second issue I had was I had no camera person since I already took a family trip to Williamsburg with my middle brother the week before and my oldest brother was on call. My other friends were busy that weekend, except Welvin, who was my classmate in college and accepted my offer to volunteer. We went around the D.C. Metro area for 5 hours shooting a 90-second spot. I had three minutes of material, but have to edit down to 90 seconds.

When the videos were posted, I knew it would be the “Veterans” versus the “Young Guns” and the videos showed experience matters. The “Young Guns” videos (including myself) were choppy and unpolished while the “Veterans” were slick and ready for the film festival. Also, the “Veterans” had an impressive sports memorabilia and great stories behind it, while ours was a spur of a moment, so to speak. It came down to the worst of the “Veterans,” which was John Pence and the best of the “Young Guns,” which was me. Although my video was not the best and my memorabilia isn’t all that impressive, I was relying on my back story to carry me to the top 3. If I had 3 minutes, I might had a shot, but in 90 seconds, it was too tough and frankly, the judges picked the right three to advance. I came in 4th, which wasn’t too shabby and I can call myself “D.C.’s Greatest Sports Fan under the age of 35.”

Of note: there was one comment saying that the Washington Post should have pick one of the “Young Guns” since our memorabilia were not impressive and didn’t have the experience. That’s nice, but truth be told, there are many D.C. sports fans, younger than me, who have memorabilia saved from their family or experience it, so the judging was fair. I just need better memorabilia. In hindsight, I could have done a video of One Helluva Ride signed by Liz Clarke to suck up to the Washington Post judges to surely put myself in the top 3. Oh well.

Round 3 (if I was there)

Although I did not pass round three, I tried out the written test without studying and scored a 28, which was very good and frustrating since I had in my head, “what if?” As for the top 3 contestants, the winner was John Mann, who scored a 32 out of 54.

I entered the contest for three reasons: 1) $1000 worth of free tickets to any sporting event, 2) publicity for myself and my business and 3) the cool title of “D.C.’s Greatest Sports Fan” to put on your resume. Number 1 failed and number 3 sorta failed, but I hope number 2 comes to fruition after the Thanksgiving break and hopefully they stay in March 2012 for the big announcement.

I personally want to thank Mr. Tony and the littles for their support, Welvin helping me shoot the video, my family, the contestants including the top 3 of Mann, Pence, and Michael Ortman, and @emmi1966 for putting me into the second round and almost to the final round.

This was a fun ride and although I didn’t win, I realize there are many D.C. sports fans out there (although there was one contestant who is a Baltimore Orioles fan and sneak in through the process. Hint: not the top 3.) and hopefully I’ll meet them soon at a sporting event or drinks. To the other 9 contestants…Cheers!

Also, I’m still looking for a woman who is Catholic and loves D.C. Sports

Jizz Cares Results

First off, the Caps were terrible last night as they lost to the Dallas Stars 5-2. The team played poorly. However, Jizz was very active, good and bad. Jizz had a goal, 2 penalties, and an unfortunate picking of his nose:

(via Kristy Morrison, @clancykolzig on Twitter. This is from the Carolina game last Friday)

Though Bruce Boudreau lashed out Jizz at his press conference for his dumb penalties, Jizz brought in a total of $200 for “Give To The Max.” The big winner of the $200 is…Friends of Fort DuPont Ice Arena. Congratulations.

Sadly, only two nonprofits participated for “Jizz Cares”: Friends of Fort DuPont Ice Arena and Little Lights Urban Ministries. Just for Little Lights to participate, I will donate $25 to their nonprofit.

Overall, “Jizz Cares” raised $225. Hopefully next year, Ted Leonsis will mention “Give To The Max” (better yet, this year) as be a great way for nonprofits to raise money during these tough times.

Now, will “Jizz Cares” come back next year? That depends if Semin returns to the Caps since he’s being going on one-year deals. I hope he does, but if he doesn’t return, who deserves to take his place? The players will change, but the process is so much fun when nonprofits and sports are involved Let’s do this again next year…and hopefully a Caps win!

Jizz Cares

Ever since Matt Bradley was quoted that Alex Semin “doesn’t care” about last year’s playoffs, most of the Caps fan defended Semin, although everyone agrees he needed to step up when the stakes are higher.

This season, people have started the “Semin Cares,” “Sasha Cares” tweets and chants and it is getting old very quickly. Those chants should be only reserved for the playoffs and one other occasion.

That one occasion is “Give to the Max Day.” “Give to the Max Day” is a fundraising drive in the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia nonprofits and charities in a 24-hour span. The fundraising event in DC is on November 9. This is where nonprofits step in.

On November 8, the Washington Capitals face the Dallas Stars. When Jizz does something during the game, I will donate money to a charity/nonprofit the following day at “Give it to the Max” Day.  Here’s the breakdown:

• JIZZ!!! (Whenever Alex Semin scores a goal): $100
• Jizz on the assist (Semin assist on the goal): $50
• Jizz in the Box (Semin gets a penalty): $25

Bonus: If Jizz is one of the stars of the game:

• 3rd Star: $100
• 2nd Star: $150
• 1st Star: $250

Rules:

The first charity/nonprofit/nonprofiteer to retweet whenever I tweet when Jizz does something, gets the donation. Your nonprofit must be in the DC Metro area (DC, Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland) participating and have a page on the “Give it to the Max” website to be eligible.

So nonprofits/nonprofiteers, root for Jizz on November 8 to do something and your charity/nonprofit will get something in return from me. Let’s hope Jizz is “Giving it to the Max”…but not the bad kind

The DC Sports Scene: Fall 2011 Edition

For the longest time, the DC sports scene has been horrendous. You’re lucky if you had one good DC team. However, this has been changing the past few weeks.

Redskins

Obviously, this is not the best Redskins team ever, but from training camp, interviews, and their play, this is a different Redskins team in year’s past. Gone are the flashy names Snyder has signed and coming are football players who want to play. Everyone criticized Mike (and his son, Kyle, for that matter) Shanahan for not keeping the house in order and didn’t develop Donovan McNabb or motivate Albert Haynesworth. With the offseason moves they made, guess the Shanny made the right decision. This is a real team. They might win the NFC East, like Rex Grossman predicted, and they’ll unlikely go to the Super Bowl from the mouth of Tim Hightower, but this is finally a “team” and hopefully this continues on a few more years…and hopefully better QBs  and WRs down the line.

Nationals

I predicted the Nationals would win 77 before the season start just for the Werth signing, not necessarily for the statistics, but what he brings to the clubhouse the Nats really lack: winners. I was close…the Nats won 80 (could have been 81 if it wasn’t for the monsoon that hit the Dodgers series). Some say this team will start contending for 2013…I think they’re starting now. They have solid pitching, bullpen and starting, a strong infield, a revelation in power hitting from Michael Morse, and a team bonded together and actual hope. Of course, the Nats need a speedy center fielder, but no necessarily a leadoff hitter. Just want the guy at the 6 or 7 spot to help out the bottom of the lineup. The Nats also need a veteran for the pitching staff. Most everyone will want C.J. Wilson from the Texas Rangers. It would be nice, but after the Yankees performance last night, they’re moving all in to get him and CC Sabathia. Best bet for the Nats: sign Mark Buehrle for a 2-4 year deal and he will be beloved in Washington since when he is pitching, it usually ends around 2 hours, a must for the transient community here. The bigger picture is this: the Nats are coming and a dynasty might start a year earlier than expected. As for the baseball fans in DC: get your tickets now, especially against the Philadelphia Phillies, so we don’t see their tour buses and piss around DC… literally.

By the way, please no managerial change until 2013. We don’t really need Terry Francona, although Joe Maddon is available after the 2012 season.

Wizards

There’s nothing much to say since the Wizards are not going to be good and there’s a lockout. If you’re a fan of the Wizards, you want to side with the owners for a hard salary cap since that will be the only chance the Wizards can be good and if they’re lucky, a championship.

Capitals

If the Nationals are the most anticipated team in DC in 2012, the Capitals are the most anxious. As you know from my past posts, hockey is my number 1 sport to watch, but as I learned from previous years: the regular season doesn’t matter. The NHL regular season is also known as the longest preseason North American sporting league ever. It’s great that the Caps are the best in the “preseason,” but they’re always be determined when the “real” season starts and that’s the playoffs. I do not want the Caps to be number 1 in the “preseason.” I want them to use the regular season to prepare for the playoffs. I expect some struggle, some triumph, some agony, some pain, and something unorthodox throughout the 82 games, but that’s great because it makes the team hungrier to advance beyond the conference semifinals and hopefully the Stanley Cup. Like many other Caps fans, I’m cautiously optimistic for this season, but the Caps need to know: this is the year to capitalize. If they go to the Conference Finals and beyond, consider it a semi-success (the real success is if they win the Stanley Cup). Anything less than that, not only heads will roll at Kettler Iceplex, but the fan base will move somewhere else. From the looks of it, the Caps are looking like the Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s. The question is can they win Stanley Cups like Detroit in the 90s? I am anxiously waiting.

DC has come a long way, but next year is the moment DC should become an emerging sports town as we have more than one (or two) team to root for and anticipate. I don’t remember that happening in DC in a long time. There’s something in the air and t looks great for DC…politics aside.

Public Media and Baseball

A few weeks ago on a #pubmedia chat session on Twitter, I mention what has public media done well and what public media should add. I mention public media should add sports, but sports that fit to the public media culture. The sport that first came to mind is baseball. Not because public media needs baseball, but baseball needs a partner for the long run.

I was a decent baseball fan throughout my life. In 1999, I went to my first baseball game at Camden Yards when the Red Sox faced the Orioles. I was semi-interested, but the Orioles weren’t my team as I learned DC used to have a baseball team and got rejected from MLB owners (mostly Peter Angelos). I started to get into baseball fully when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington to become the Nationals in 2005. It was in 2008 that I understood how special baseball is.

I had partial season tickets to the Nats inaugural season at Nationals Park and attended 20 games. However, it was my trip to Chicago that I went to Wrigley Field for the White Sox-Cubs interleague rivalry and words can’t describe the experience as a tourist in Wrigley Field. I wanted to like baseball, but the Nats were stinking up the joint. Then when Stephen Strasburg arrived in Washington for his MLB debut last year, I understand how baseball is that magical.

Baseball every year has these magical moments. The problem I have with baseball is not the game (although there need to be tweaks, but that’s for a different post), but the broadcasting.

The problem with baseball announcing is that it is trying to excite you artificially or that they don’t care for the game. I’m looking at FOX, who bought a lot of money to get the MLB package, but from the looks of their broadcasting team, coverage, and theme music over the years, it seems like Fox put baseball in the back-burner. TBS are at the same boat since they’re in a network that shows comedies. ESPN is being ESPN.

In addition, youth baseball has been dropping every year since 1996 because sports like lacrosse and soccer have constant motion and have excitement, but in baseball, you stand there most of the time. I mostly blame that on managers (mostly parents) who want to be the alpha people among the teams by yelling and screaming, when the game requires patience, which most of us don’t have.

This brings me to public media, specifically PBS.

What baseball is missing in most broadcasts is storytelling. Baseball announcers are renowned for their voice and stories. Vin Scully comes to mind as a great broadcaster and storyteller. Without commercial breaks, PBS can use the middle and end of each inning to describe what is going on and why it matters and if the game is a blowout, a few stories to tell. The PBS broadcast would let the game flow dictate how to call it.

Another thing PBS can bring to baseball is the element of community. PBS affiliates do a great job promoting arts and culture to their local community. Teaming up with MLB and minor league baseball, not only you would get an engaged community, but a diverse community that is lacking in public media. In addition, you bring the 170 million Americans who contribute to public broadcasting and have something to unite.

If baseball came to PBS, it would eliminate the “elitist” label that public media perceived to have since baseball is a global sport. PBS has done some sports from golf, tennis, and Ivy League football, but those sports tend to be the high-end of the spectrum (to be fair, they did air the FIFA World Cup in 1982). Although baseball is played by world-class athletes, it’s the magical moment people want or do not want to believe that makes the sport special.

Finally, baseball has two things on their side: history and government. Baseball’s history is rich and with PBS having Ken Burns (Baseball, The Tenth Inning), the game can be preserved. Add to that, most government officials and politicians are still fond of baseball (1994 strike, steroid hearings involved the U.S. government). If baseball is struggling, MLB can rely on the U.S. government to help, possibly bring MLB back to the non-profit side. The U.S. government still allows the NFL to be a non-profit for some odd reason.

Baseball might be dropping like boxing and horse racing not because of steroids or parity in the field. The problem with baseball is networks like Fox, TBS and somewhat ESPN are trying to spice up baseball with graphics and hyperbole when the game doesn’t require it.

This is a perfect time for PBS and its affiliates to pony up and get baseball after the 2013 season, when MLB’s TV contract with Fox, TBS, and ESPN are up, to bring baseball back to life and give the sport its proper due.

Realistically…

MLB would want a big contract with the major broadcast and cable networks after 2013 and wouldn’t care about the long-term effects of the game. MLB are still thinking about being cool at the grown-up table instead of being the adult.

PBS and their affiliates do not have the resources to pay a quarter of what MLB is asking and really can’t do anything except do stories and make documentaries about baseball. In addition, who pays for the TV rights: PBS, PBS affiliates, a third party?

Public broadcasting and baseball would have been a great relationship because both need each other and would fill each other’s weaknesses. It would be similar to hockey in Canada with TSN doing the heavy load of the work and CBC handling the major hockey events (Winter/Heritage Classic, All-Star game, Stanley Cup Final). Instead, greed will always win in baseball and some in the public media audience would not appreciate baseball as an art form. That’s a shame on both accounts.