Ted's been approved, it's official!

[dobrojim]

I prefer the alt spelling for FuddRuckers akin to nucking futs and pucking fumped

but I have to watch myself around my kids who at ages nearly 13 and 15, are
starting to swear in some cases with surprising fluency.

[Hoopalotta]

Well.....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5629666

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Washington Wizards majority owner Ted Leonsis told local business leaders Wednesday that he expects the NBA soon will have a hard salary cap similar to the NHL's model.

NBA commissioner David Stern said that's not necessarily true -- and warned that Leonsis could be punished for discussing private league business.

"We're negotiating and that was one of our negotiating points," Stern told The Associated Press, "but collective bargaining is a negotiating process, and that was not something that Ted was authorized to say and he will be dealt with for that lapse in judgment."

Leonsis, who also owns the Washington Capitals, spoke to a group of Northern Virginia business leaders before the Wizards' daily training camp session. He told them that the more fans a team has, the more they spend on the team, and the more the team has a chance to get and keep good players.

I must say, one thing that I have really NOT been predicting is a hard cap - it just seems so drastic. I don't even know how to project at this moment what that would mean as far as the landscape, but it seems like there might be a lot of clubs in rather ponderous short term footing right after a switch over.

[Rafael122]

Heh, Ted's got a little learning to do with regard to the NBA. Stern doesn't like owners talking publicly about stuff, and Ted's one of the more approachable owners in the league.

[Halcyon]

Ouch, fined 100K. Dictator Stern is not too pleased.

[LyricalRico]

Heh, Ted's got a little learning to do with regard to the NBA. Stern doesn't like owners talking publicly about stuff, and Ted's one of the more approachable owners in the league.

And this isn't the first time he's spoken out, so I'm wondering of this isn't somehow calculated on his part. I mean, it's not like he's new to sports ownership and he's not even new to the NBA. Not sure what he could gain from these comments, but I'm not convinced that these are accidents.

[JWizmentality]

Yes Mein Fuhrer!

[Hoopalotta]

I find the fines a lot less significant than the actual comments. Wait, you guys think this is coming out of the much celebrated ketchup dispensers? Alright, now I'm worried.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I really think the 100k fine deserves its own thread. This thread is called Ted's been approved, it's official!

How about a Ted Just Got FIned 110K thread?

I would like a platform for which to launch into a tirade against Stern and for Ted. Hyperbole, invective, tall-soap box type stuff I'd like to spew. For now, upon hearing of the fine my thought is HOW LONG HAS STERN BEEN COMMISIONER?

If Stern's doing so great now, why the talk of a lockout with the league going global? Why is he fining Ted? If Abe were still alive and had said the same thing, would have been fined?

And to put a spin that's totally out of left field, didn't Stern just put a gag order on Gilbert? He knows Gil's got Ted's support ...

[hands11]

I really think the 100k fine deserves its own thread. This thread is called Ted's been approved, it's official!

How about a Ted Just Got FIned 110K thread?

I would like a platform for which to launch into a tirade against Stern and for Ted. Hyperbole, invective, tall-soap box type stuff I'd like to spew. For now, upon hearing of the fine my thought is HOW LONG HAS STERN BEEN COMMISIONER?

If Stern's doing so great now, why the talk of a lockout with the league going global? Why is he fining Ted? If Abe were still alive and had said the same thing, would have been fined?

And to put a spin that's totally out of left field, didn't Stern just put a gag order on Gilbert? He knows Gil's got Ted's support ...

Then start one. You could have done it in the time it took you to post this. Hmm, wait. I could have done it in the time it took me to post this.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I really think the 100k fine deserves its own thread. This thread is called Ted's been approved, it's official!

How about a Ted Just Got FIned 110K thread?

I would like a platform for which to launch into a tirade against Stern and for Ted. Hyperbole, invective, tall-soap box type stuff I'd like to spew. For now, upon hearing of the fine my thought is HOW LONG HAS STERN BEEN COMMISIONER?

If Stern's doing so great now, why the talk of a lockout with the league going global? Why is he fining Ted? If Abe were still alive and had said the same thing, would have been fined?

And to put a spin that's totally out of left field, didn't Stern just put a gag order on Gilbert? He knows Gil's got Ted's support ...

Then start one. You could have done it in the time it took you to post this. Hmm, wait. I could have done it in the time it took me to post this.

Roger that, hands. Thread is up.

[Hoopalotta]

So, Ted's calling for ticket buyers to step up with a definite incentive laid out at the end.

When we have a total paid sellout this season, I will do the “Dougie” - I promise.

http://www.tedstake.com/2010/11/04/you- ... -you-lose/

Much like I called out Abe Pollin, I'm gonna call out Ted Leonsis....to get a sellout, he's gonna do the Dougie. That tells me all I need to know about T-Leo. He opened his mouth and confirmed it: not a sharp guy. All about him. In that blog last night, he was out of control, peddling seats like it was a bubble stock. By the way, Jerry Buss had a sellout last night. Jerry's got rings, Ted will never have one.

Oh, I'm gonna get a lot of callers -- Hoopalotta, he's just having fun. When Ted Dougies, that's something that Jerry Buss never would do, Jerry Reisndorf never would, Glen Taylor never would, Herb Kohl never would, Wyc Grousbeck never would, Marc Cuban never would. Well, OK, maybe Cuban would, but the owner is like the quarterback. It's an IQ-judgment position. The great ones are not about themselves. They're about the others. Leadership is IQ, it's not skills.

T-Leo's upcoming 'Yo dawg look at me I'm the man', and his wild, out-of-control style, everybody else is buying his stock, and it told me all I need to know. He's gonna end up on the Dolan, Sterling, Heisley side: great ketchup dispensers, nice urinal pellets, but never fields good smart players and an elite head coach. He's gonna drive people nuts.

[verbal8]

So, Ted's calling for ticket buyers to step up with a definite incentive laid out at the end.

When we have a total paid sellout this season, I will do the “Dougie” - I promise.

http://www.tedstake.com/2010/11/04/you- ... -you-lose/

Much like I called out Abe Pollin, I'm gonna call out Ted Leonsis....to get a sellout, he's gonna do the Dougie. That tells me all I need to know about T-Leo. He opened his mouth and confirmed it: not a sharp guy. All about him. In that blog last night, he was out of control, peddling seats like it was a bubble stock. By the way, Jerry Buss had a sellout last night. Jerry's got rings, Ted will never have one.

lol

I think the Wizards are doing a good job in promoting a relaxed fun atmosphere. There will be tough and frustrating points this season, and I think it will help get through them. Obviously the attitude starts at the top.

[pineappleheadindc]

So...

After the Chicago game, and noting that the Bulls produced a tribute video for Kirk Hinrich that aired during a time out, I wondered why we didn't do the same for our guys who return "home". In particular, though he didn't play, Antawn Jamison was in the building when Cleveland came to DC two Saturdays ago.

I kinda like the idea of tribute videos for appropriate people. Players - like the franchise - have a way of serving as (Leonsis-speak) the connective fiber of the community. Something that becomes a point of commonality with the guys at a barbershop in SE DC as well as a bunch of tech geeks talking in some Starbucks in Herndon.

I wrote Ted about it. To summarize (and paraphrase) his reply:

-- My feeling is that I want to concentrate on promoting our own (current) players.
-- It's hard to envision recognizing guys who ask to leave our organization and think the grass is greener on the other side. Look at Antawn Jamison, he asked to be traded and now he's in Cleveland. (But Ted took pains to say that he thought Jamison was a good man.)
-- Hinrich situation is different. He loved Chicago. Chicago did him wrong by trading him and now they miss him.

As part of my original email, I said that if he (Leonsis) thought tribute videos were a good idea, maybe his staff could have some ready for the Mavs visit when Caron, Haywood, and DeShawn came back. And that the Wiz could perhaps have separate videos for all of them.

Ted (again paraphrasing): Really? Tribute video for DeShawn. You don't know it, but you really ARE a philanthopist.

(Okay, Leonsis got me on that one).

Anyway, I *still* kinda like the idea of welcoming players that have had a decent history with the organization home. But I also see Leonsis' position as owner.

Anyway, FWIW.

[fishercob]

Nice reminder how unique Ted is -- that he'll actually say what he feels in an email to a fan instead of not answering or some sort of pc "we'll consider" bs.

I also like his "worry about our guys first and foremost" mentality. I think it stands to foster a needed sense of unity amongst our players, organization, fan base, etc. Very New England Patriots.

[Ruzious]

And I think we tend to forget - Ted's plate is full times 1,000. We're expecting him to do 1,000 things in his first year as owner, and that's a little bit much. Triage the vital stuff first, and put the rest on the honeydue list. Remember, this is the same owner who's built the Caps into the best organization in the sport - with a hard cap. Let him have his eccentricities - especially when it doesn't have any real effect on the team. When you have as many responsibilities as he does, you need to be a little strange sometimes to remain sane.

[AceDegenerate]

I don't follow Hockey at all, but can someone explain to me how the Capitals are the best organization in the sport? As best I can tell they haven't won a thing and as far as the NBA goes the best comparison to me (again I don't follow Hockey) would seem to be a team like the Mavericks who are consistently good but never win anything.

However, it does seem be thrown around a lot that Ted is so successful in the NHL, but with no Stanley Cup wins or even appearances, it doesn't seem that success in the NHL is measured the same as in the NBA.

[fishercob]

Ted on Bill Simmons podcast last week: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/player?rd= ... id=5930781

Definitely worth a listen, obviously recorded pre-trade. Not a ton of new info in there, but some really nice interplay between Ted and Simmons.

[DallasShalDune]

did anyone catch this?

http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2011/0 ... index.html

[DallasShalDune]

I liked the interview. I like his honesty.

[fishercob]

I liked the interview. I like his honesty.

Agreed. He made no secret about the fact that he'd like to see the kids play more. He must make the same faces we do when Flip plays Armstrong over Seraphin. At least Book is getting more minutes. Hopefully that continues.