The cure for failure is failure

[Zonkerbl]

In economics, there’s a saying — the best solution for high prices is high prices. Maybe the same goes for sports — the best solution for failure is failure. Except for the Lebron Jameses of the world, you have to have to take your lumps before you experience success. Michael Jordan’s Bulls failed against Detroit 3 times in a row before finally breaking through in 1991, and that year the Bulls went on to win it all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulls%E2%8 ... ns_rivalry

Now, just to avoid a big kerfluffle let me poke a few holes in this comparison myself:

1) there's a big difference between losing the Conference Finals three years in a row and bowing to inferior competition two years in a row
2) In the second year the Bulls got to the ECF by upsetting superior opponents, which, well, the Caps haven't had an opportunity to do the last two years as the top seed.

Hockey's different from basketball. Hustle amplifies your talents in basketball while in hockey hustle can neutralize talent. I think that's because of the current rules in basketball, not something inherent in the sport, because there are examples in the nineties where defensive hustle was effectively used to neutralize talent gaps.

But it's probably true in both sports that age counts for something, and the Caps are young. Hope next year everyone’s a year older and wiser.