The Amazingly Suck Theodore Leonsis Thread

[closg00]

ALERT!!! Call to arms, Ted is currently ranked 16th in the this Hoops Hype poll of NBA owners that is open to the public, make your voice be heard.
http://hoopshype.com/2017/08/01/rank-the-nba-owners-from-best-to-worst/

Is it a poll, or was it done by the staff. I think there are some owners who clearly deserve a lower ranking than Ted, like Dolan. But I don't think middle of the league is accurate.

You can vote him up or down, there is a button.

[verbal8]

ALERT!!! Call to arms, Ted is currently ranked 16th in the this Hoops Hype poll of NBA owners that is open to the public, make your voice be heard.
http://hoopshype.com/2017/08/01/rank-the-nba-owners-from-best-to-worst/

Is it a poll, or was it done by the staff. I think there are some owners who clearly deserve a lower ranking than Ted, like Dolan. But I don't think middle of the league is accurate.

You can vote him up or down, there is a button.

Definitely voted down.

Does the feedback change the numeric rankings?

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[payitforward]

Ted's unlimited taste for self-aggrandizement, his almost unconscious use of the royal we (pretending that he's talking about "Monumental" when really he means to be describing himself & what he is doing under the "we" pronoun he uses for the company), his pathetic ability to declare victory when he has a little success & sweep failure under the rug as caused by "chance" while all the time being satisfied with whatever happens -- because he is so utterly satisfied with himself -- all these are deep in his character, & they are both offensive & an almost iron-clad guarantee that the Wizards will never win a championship or even come close.

He doesn't think it matters who the President/GM of the Wizards is. He only thinks it matters that the guy works for HIM. Someone who works for Ted Leonsis is immediately & automatically a quality executive -- he gets it from his boss, the guy in the mirror, the big "we."

This claim is a perfect example of everything wrong w/ the guy:

"We are drafting, developing and retaining our players."

Really? We've had 21 draft picks to use in the last 8 drafts. 3 of them were top 3 picks. We've got those 3 guys & one developing prospect (Oubre) from those resources. I'll pick a team at random to compare us to.... Ok, I landed on the Clippers. They've had far fewer picks & far lower picks to use, but their roster contains eight players drafted by them! & the Clippers are certainly a better team (& a better run franchise) than the Wizards.

Maybe that's just coincidence -- let me pick again by chance.... This time I hit on the Utah Jazz. There are 10 players on their roster drafted by them.

Forget picking by chance. How about the Warriors? Eight guys they drafted --3 of them in the last 2 years (Quick: how many guys do we have out of the last 2 drafts?)

How about the Bucks? Ten guys they drafted. Celtics? Eight.

Don't get me wrong; there are other franchises that operate the way the Wizards do. The Knicks for example. & the Nets too. & some other losers as well.

[verbal8]

Don't get me wrong; there are other franchises that operate the way the Wizards do. The Knicks for example. & the Nets too. & some other losers as well.

He almost deserves Phil Jackson as his GM/President.

[closg00]

ALERT!!! Call to arms, Ted is currently ranked 16th in the this Hoops Hype poll of NBA owners that is open to the public, make your voice be heard.
http://hoopshype.com/2017/08/01/rank-the-nba-owners-from-best-to-worst/

Is it a poll, or was it done by the staff. I think there are some owners who clearly deserve a lower ranking than Ted, like Dolan. But I don't think middle of the league is accurate.

You can vote him up or down, there is a button.

A surge in down votes has knocked Ted from 16th to 17th.

[keynote]

I read this article twice. The headline ("How This Billionaire Sports Owner is Reinventing the Fan Experience") was promising, but the article isn't about that at all. It describes the various ways Ted/MSE gathers data on attendees' in-arena experience, but doesn't say a thing about what conclusions they've drawn, or how they otherwise plan improve the fan experience. Frankly, the entire thing sounds completely one-sided: it's obvious why MSE would benefit from "analyzing who fans follow on social media," but it's not at all clear how it would benefit the fans.

https://www.inc.com/tom-popomaronis/how-this-billionaire-sports-owner-is-reinventing-t.html?cid=search

[BigA]

I read this article twice. The headline ("How This Billionaire Sports Owner is Reinventing the Fan Experience") was promising, but the article isn't about that at all. It describes the various ways Ted/MSE gathers data on attendees' in-arena experience, but doesn't say a thing about what conclusions they've drawn, or how they otherwise plan improve the fan experience. Frankly, the entire thing sounds completely one-sided: it's obvious why MSE would benefit from "analyzing who fans follow on social media," but it's not at all clear how it would benefit the fans.

https://www.inc.com/tom-popomaronis/how-this-billionaire-sports-owner-is-reinventing-t.html?cid=search

You just lack imagination. Here's how it will work. Say I'm taking a leak, and tweet out "third urinal from the righthand wall in the Men's Room behind Section 102 could use a new cake." An MSE staffer will have replaced that cake before I've even shaken and zipped back up.

Likewise, Ted can personally track the condiment situation on his smartphone using realtime Big Data analytics. And if Dat2U posts on Facebook that he's going to a game, that info will be fed into an algorithm that automatically increases the amount of Fireball stocked at the arena by 30%. I'll be able to buy Groupons and see Washington Valor highlights wherever I go.

Ted is a visionary. We can't hope to understand all the ways he will be able to generate revenue.

[montestewart]

I read this article twice. The headline ("How This Billionaire Sports Owner is Reinventing the Fan Experience") was promising, but the article isn't about that at all. It describes the various ways Ted/MSE gathers data on attendees' in-arena experience, but doesn't say a thing about what conclusions they've drawn, or how they otherwise plan improve the fan experience. Frankly, the entire thing sounds completely one-sided: it's obvious why MSE would benefit from "analyzing who fans follow on social media," but it's not at all clear how it would benefit the fans.

https://www.inc.com/tom-popomaronis/how-this-billionaire-sports-owner-is-reinventing-t.html?cid=search

You just lack imagination. Here's how it will work. Say I'm taking a leak, and tweet out "third urinal from the righthand wall in the Men's Room behind Section 102 could use a new cake." An MSE staffer will have replaced that cake before I've even shaken and zipped back up.

Likewise, Ted can personally track the condiment situation on his smartphone using realtime Big Data analytics. And if Dat2U posts on Facebook that he's going to a game, that info will be fed into an algorithm that automatically increases the amount of Fireball stocked at the arena by 30%. I'll be able to buy Groupons and see Washington Valor highlights wherever I go.

Ted is a visionary. We can't hope to understand all the ways he will be able to generate revenue.

Well stated. Remember, the article said, "Reinventing the Fan Experience," not "Benefiting the Fans." I'm guessing the replaced urinal cake sliver was subsequently ground into a pulp and put into condiment packets. Nothing ever goes to waste at the (They Didn't Even Have the Imagination to Call It) Capital Centre, except an occasional Wizards season.

[BigA]

Just knowing that Ted is collecting all my data and monetizing it is really improving my fan experience.

[AFM]

Snapchat was invented by Ted to help 3D model my dick

[verbal8]

Nothing ever goes to waste at the (They Didn't Even Have the Imagination to Call It) Capital Centre, except an occasional Wizards season.

There are those burdens on the GM known as draft picks that get wasted. That happens pretty much every season.

[closg00]

No discussion about the Wizards being one of 9 teams that lost money after profit sharing?

Read on Twitter

[payitforward]

I thought about starting a thread on this subject, but didn't get to it.

I wonder what kind of bookkeeping is behind these losses, or if they are real -- which I find hard to believe.

A "loss after sharing" is the worst situation to be in, obviously. I find it hard to imagine this would stand up to scrutiny. But... I could be completely wrong.

[montestewart]

I thought about starting a thread on this subject, but didn't get to it.

I wonder what kind of bookkeeping is behind these losses, or if they are real -- which I find hard to believe.

A "loss after sharing" is the worst situation to be in, obviously. I find it hard to imagine this would stand up to scrutiny. But... I could be completely wrong.

Not wasting a lot of time on it but I don't much buy it either. Revenue buried within a Leonsis corporate web of intrigue, perhaps? Or maybe he really is just a lousy business man with much more luck than skill/vision.

The Spurs lose money while the Knicks make money. That should be Exhibit A in league parity discussions (although maybe the Spurs are just good at hiding the profits).

[BigA]

I thought about starting a thread on this subject, but didn't get to it.

I wonder what kind of bookkeeping is behind these losses, or if they are real -- which I find hard to believe.

A "loss after sharing" is the worst situation to be in, obviously. I find it hard to imagine this would stand up to scrutiny. But... I could be completely wrong.

Not wasting a lot of time on it but I don't much buy it either. Revenue buried within a Leonsis corporate web of intrigue, perhaps? Or maybe he really is just a lousy business man with much more luck than skill/vision.

The Spurs lose money while the Knicks make money. That should be Exhibit A in league parity discussions (although maybe the Spurs are just good at hiding the profits).

We've discussed at various times how Ted/Monumental have an incentive to show losses as a way of extracting public subsidies, now and in the future. Ideally, he'll want a deal like the Lerners got for a new arena that replaces Capital One.

The whole league has an incentive to show losses so they can claim poverty in the next CBA negotiations.

I think there's good reason to believe that the Wizards are manipulating ticket sales and pricing to lose money on the live gate.

It is funny that the Wizards are in the 7th biggest media market, the value of franchises is exploding, and they are reporting losses.

[BarnabyJones]

Question: Does Laurene Powell Jobs buying 20% stake in the Wizards/Monumental matter at all?

[montestewart]

Question: Does Laurene Powell Jobs buying 20% stake in the Wizards/Monumental matter at all?

This is how it starts. Leonsis came into the organization with a percentage here, a percentage there. This is the perfect time to start cashing out to one of the wealthiest families in the world. he just can't seem to fire EGgo, so he's going to sell out to someone that can.

[BigA]

Question: Does Laurene Powell Jobs buying 20% stake in the Wizards/Monumental matter at all?

This is how it starts. Leonsis came into the organization with a percentage here, a percentage there. This is the perfect time to start cashing out to one of the wealthiest families in the world. he just can't seem to fire EGgo, so he's going to sell out to someone that can.

After Lebron retires, Laurene Powell Jobs will suggest that Ted bring him into the ownership group and hire him as GM. And the cycle will begin anew.

[Rafael122]

I'm sure Ted has a number he'd be willing to sell it at. Clippers and Rockets being sold for over 2 billion will help, wouldn't be shocked if the Wizards are worth $1.5 billion when the new Forbes article comes out.