The Amazingly Sucky Theodore Leonsis Thread

[hands11]

It amazes me that you guys are surprised.

This is his blog, not yours. He doesn't even need to allow comments to be left. This is a piece of his marketing and outreach. Not a realgm thread.

Its one thing to email him privately for him to read. Its another to go to his house and stick signs on his front yard that says, your an idiot for signing EG to a two year contract. For the record. Telling a multimillionaire that he made a mistake in hiring his highest level executive to a two year contract month after he did it... yeah.. I'm sure he enjoys the feed back. Some person he has no idea who they are that doesn't even understand that they are insulting him on his own blog. He's probably giving those comments some serious consideration.

If you want to bitch, you can do it here and the people that choose to visit this site can read it or they can block you. Hell, our stuff even shows up in a Google search. You can even post on the WP. But getting upset that he or someone that manages his site deletes messages on his own site ? Really ?

Look. The man purchased the Wizards, not the Lakers. I'm sure he got a good deal on this restoration project. Hell, when he bought it, the car was still on fire. I guess if money is no object, he could have thrown a ton at it and maybe have done a quick turnaround. But that wasn't his plan. He walked into this eye open knowing it was going to take more then two years. And he never said playoffs or bust this year.

This is the beginning of the third season of the rebuild and he is missing his two best players, one of which is the PG to run the team. The second is is most established talented post player. If Wall and Nene don't make it back in a reasonable amount of time, maybe they end up tanking again. If so, he gets another asset. In the grand scheme, sucking the first three years is small potatoes considering he will probably own the team another 15-20 years. Such is the way of a restoration project. Sometimes you just don't know what it is going to take. This wasn't a car that just needed a new alternator. And right now, his turbo isn't installed but he has bought one. Same with the headers. And when he gets those installed, we will see how the car runs.

Cut the man some slack. He only signed EG and Randy to two year deals. That is the window for them. Then he will evaluate and decide the next window.

[Benjammin]

This is what I just posted on the "Self-Expression is Good" thread on Ted's take. We'll see if it sees the light of day or not.

Mr. Leonsis,

I appreciate your accessibility to the fans of the Wizards and Capitals. You have made your fortune in part on recognizing the importance of treating customers well and putting their interests in the forefront.

I am disappointed and dismayed that comments to your blog have been deleted, simply because they have had a negative tone (not comments I have posted). My understanding is that these comments have not been rude or profane in any matter. Obviously, this is your blog and you can see fit to handle it in whatever manner you choose. However, stifling legitimate and reasoned discourse is not an effective strategy in this age of media. Rather, any attempt to control the message and flow of information is counterproductive.

Wizards fans are some of the most loyal and long-suffering fans on the face of the planet. Many Wizards fans have no memory or experience of a team that consistently played on a high level. Rather, over the last nine years the winning percentage is .392, and that includes some exciting years with players like Arenas and Jamison.

I would hope you would carefully consider that a robust, but respectful dialogue and exchange of ideas will ultimately be more beneficial to your relationship with the fans of your franchises and will engender more respect and understanding from both fans and the team.

Respecfully Yours,
Ben (a Wizards/Bullets and Caps fan for over 35 years)

[montestewart]

I can understand why Leonsis and staff (acting with his approval, of course) might want to pare down an avalanche of negative posts, but it would be nice if a representative tone maintained. Leonsis' blog is a primary means of communicating with Wizards fans. By removing the posts that don't meet with his approval he blatantly tells fans he's no longer really that interested in two-way communication with his customers (unless it's a losing basketball for money exchange). People that buy a franchise buy the goodwill and public trust that goes with it. Leonsis cannot do whatever he pleases with the Wizards. If hardcore Wizards fans are so unimportant that he can so easily dismiss their non-dollar input, he's tacitly slapping us in the face for the irrationality of our fandom, and the results will continue to show negatively as he loses fans and money.

Over time, I've seen Leonsis turn a deaf ear to valid criticism of his moves, and start to treat fans like unimportant cattle. But I'm a fan of the Wizards/Bullets, not of one of Leonsis' expensive possessions. I saw this coming last year, which is a primary reason that I didn't renew. I can see by some of the other comments here that others did likewise, and still more are considering the same for next year. He really ought to watch it, because once you lose a paying customer, it can be for good. And then how will he pay for all those free agents that will never sign in DC?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

That's the only way to get a business man's ear at times. Empty his wallets and let him face the reality of the sinking bottom line. Money talks. Let them keep losing to force a change. I'm enough of a fan to know that he can sell the team and move it and I would be fine with that. I still like basketball. If this owner takes offense so easily and is so prideful, let him sell the team. I think the better bet would be to trust those who've loved the team for years and to just start winning some games.

Learn from history, Mr. Leonsis.

When MJ bought in to the Wizards in 2000, and before he returned as a player, the Wizards were 19-63. They went 37-45 twice before MJ and Pollin parted ways. All it took was one player, Gilbert Arenas to turn the team around. For four straight seasons from 2004-2005 to 2007-2008, they made the playoffs. Then Gil got hurt. The team went full circle, returning to 19-63 after Eddie Jordan was replaced by Ed Tapscott.

How have things turned out since then?

All you have to do is replace Grunfeld and Tapscott. Trust that your team is ONE PLAYER AWAY from being MORE competitive than they were with Gilbert. This team is one trade away from being a good playoff team. This team is one coach away from being a championship contender in 3-4 years. Replace what has not quite worked out but keep things positive. The fans need to stop coming to games until you redress the mistakes, but don't lose heart.

If that's too much, I hope you sell (because I do know you have people reading this).

[miller31time]

That's the only way to get a business man's ear at times. Empty his wallets and let him face the reality of the sinking bottom line. Money talks.

Absolutely right.

I bought a nice authentic Wall jersey and Draft hat last year and spent hundreds on tickets to about 10 home games.

All in all, that's almost $600 that I spent on the Wizards last year. This season, they aren't getting a penny. I know I'm not the only one out there, too.

Ted will feel this where it hurts the most - the pocketbook. Didn't he even say that's his "bottom line"?

[dandridge 10]

It amazes me that you guys are surprised.

This is his blog, not yours. He doesn't even need to allow comments to be left. This is a piece of his marketing and outreach. Not a realgm thread.

Its one thing to email him privately for him to read. Its another to go to his house and stick signs on his front yard that says, your an idiot for signing EG to a two year contract. For the record. Telling a multimillionaire that he made a mistake in hiring his highest level executive to a two year contract month after he did it... yeah.. I'm sure he enjoys the feed back. Some person he has no idea who they are that doesn't even understand that they are insulting him on his own blog. He's probably giving those comments some serious consideration.

If you want to bitch, you can do it here and the people that choose to visit this site can read it or they can block you. Hell, our stuff even shows up in a Google search. You can even post on the WP. But getting upset that he or someone that manages his site deletes messages on his own site ? Really ?

Look. The man purchased the Wizards, not the Lakers. I'm sure he got a good deal on this restoration project. Hell, when he bought it, the car was still on fire. I guess if money is no object, he could have thrown a ton at it and maybe have done a quick turnaround. But that wasn't his plan. He walked into this eye open knowing it was going to take more then two years. And he never said playoffs or bust this year.

This is the beginning of the third season of the rebuild and he is missing his two best players, one of which is the PG to run the team. The second is is most established talented post player. If Wall and Nene don't make it back in a reasonable amount of time, maybe they end up tanking again. If so, he gets another asset. In the grand scheme, sucking the first three years is small potatoes considering he will probably own the team another 15-20 years. Such is the way of a restoration project. Sometimes you just don't know what it is going to take. This wasn't a car that just needed a new alternator. And right now, his turbo isn't installed but he has bought one. Same with the headers. And when he gets those installed, we will see how the car runs.

Cut the man some slack. He only signed EG and Randy to two year deals. That is the window for them. Then he will evaluate and decide the next window.

Ted doesn't have a sign on his front yard saying "please post signs here about the Wizards." However, he does have a "comment" section on his blog. If he doesn't want negative comments, perhaps he should just have a disclaimer that says, "please only post positive comments here."

You are entirely right that its his blog and he has the right to restrict access or manage it the way he likes. However, inviting comments and then censoring them seems a bit disingenuous to me, especially when the comments are not derogatory (I know mine was not). I don't see other bloggers doing that.

I was willing to cut Ted slack. I even said that this thread was "dumb" 2 years ago. However, that all ended when Ted extended EG. It doesn't matter that he only signed EG for 2 years. The question is, what did EG even do to justify 2 more years? Ted admitted that the culture of this team had to change. Well, any fool knows that you can't change the culture until you start at the top.

[Nivek]

If Ted doesn't want negative comments on his blog, he should just turn off comments. He's the one who put himself out there as being accessible to the fans. Accessibility is double-edged. When stuff is going good, he's going to hear good stuff. When stuff is going bad, he's going to hear complaints.

dandridge uses the word "disingenuous" above. That's a word that keeps coming up when I see and hear the things Leonsis says publicly about the Wizards.

[AFM]

What bothers me most is the numerous times Ted has alluded to ticket sales being the end all, both for the Caps and the Wiz.

[dandridge 10]

If Ted doesn't want negative comments on his blog, he should just turn off comments. He's the one who put himself out there as being accessible to the fans. Accessibility is double-edged. When stuff is going good, he's going to hear good stuff. When stuff is going bad, he's going to hear complaints.

dandridge uses the word "disingenuous" above. That's a word that keeps coming up when I see and hear the things Leonsis says publicly about the Wizards.

You were much better in articulating my point. Thanks.

[Zonkerbl]

Yeah, if it was my blog and some half wit came and complained about me, I'd delete it too. Sorry. Why do I have to put up with anonymous bullying from some idiot who has absolutely no stake in my organization? You don't work for me, you haven't invested in my company. Nobody is FORCING you to buy my product. I don't owe you crap. You have some constructive criticism that I think will inspire useful discussion, it stays. You come to my blog and talk crap about me and my organization while displaying a complete lack of understanding of how my business is run? Go **** yourself.

[montestewart]

Disgruntled paying fans seem to have no valid option other than to stop buying tickets. Leonsis doesn't recognize fans as stakeholders, seems uninterested in meaningful dialogue with fans, paying or not, and has cut off all avenues for receiving constructive criticism. The fans' voices are reduced to the sound of the money they pump into this dysfunctional, losing, and apparently unappreciative organization. Not much good will is left, and it seems like they want to blow it all on hats.

Take it from me, once you do decide not to renew, you'll feel good. Watch some games on TV, spend some time with your family, spend the money on theater tickets, Nationals tickets, a nice trip. If Leonsis isn't going to give a s***, it's hard for me to get too worked up. It's not like he's ruining the Bullets.

[truwizfan4evr]

Has anyone email ted or added him on his facebook page?

[montestewart]

Has anyone email ted or added him on his facebook page?

He'll only hurt you again. You have to let him go.

[Earth2Ted]

The more I follow the NBA the simpler it seems- teams that win are the ones with elite talent at every level, and the owners that win are the ones that make a commitment to acquire that elite talent.

Two owners that come to mind are Mark Cuban (Mavs) and Prokhorov with the Nets- you could see immediately that they were going all out to build a champion. Even if it took years for the Mavs to do it, and even if the Nets weren't able to trade for Dwight Howard this year- you have to think they will win a title at some point.

Ted has been around long enough for a least a couple of critical personnel decisions- GM and head coach- and has had the opportunity to hire guys with the best credentials and potential. It's not a secret who a lot of these guys are- if people on this board know about the Dave Joergers and Troy Weavers, then everybody in the NBA knows about them. When you come out of those personnel decisions with Ernie Grunfeld and Randy Wittman, well, you end up with your oh and eight 2012-2013 Washington Wizards.

I think the worst thing you could say about Ted is this- if Abe Pollin were still owner of this team, would anything be different? Probably not.

Maybe the second worst thing would be this- if Dan Snyder were the owner of the team, would things be any worse? Probably not- doesn't get much worse than 0-8.

[closg00]

Disgruntled paying fans seem to have no valid option other than to stop buying tickets. Leonsis doesn't recognize fans as stakeholders, seems uninterested in meaningful dialogue with fans, paying or not, and has cut off all avenues for receiving constructive criticism. The fans' voices are reduced to the sound of the money they pump into this dysfunctional, losing, and apparently unappreciative organization. Not much good will is left, and it seems like they want to blow it all on hats.

Take it from me, once you do decide not to renew, you'll feel good. Watch some games on TV, spend some time with your family, spend the money on theater tickets, Nationals tickets, a nice trip. If Leonsis isn't going to give a s***, it's hard for me to get too worked up. It's not like he's ruining the Bullets.

Looks like they had a half-empty arena last night, as-long as that his happening, I don't think Ted cares to make any further changes. Ted and Ernie are hanging-on waiting for Wall and or Nene to return. Once we start getting some wins, Ted will turn-up the PR machine...keep those ticket sales rolling.