The Amazingly Suck Theodore Leonsis Thread

[Frichuela]

Also remember the fruitless long GM search conducted by our genius owner. To me, it's reasonable to think that he ended up with Tommy because he is cheap and did not offer enough incentives to get Tim Connelly or (even more far fetched) Masai.

[payitforward]

OUTSTANDING article by DA. Leonsis is the worst. I can't blame Tommy when he's hamstrung by Turd. We're going to be in perpetual mediocrity. I hope Beal leaves for nothing this off-season. I want Turd to hurt in his wallet.

Why can't you blame Tommy? The narrative that poor Sheppard is a victim and is being hamstrung because Turd is a bad owner is nonsense. Sheppard is just as much to blame for this fiasco with his constant Beal asskissing, his mediocre draft picks, and his piss poor signings. He hasn't hit on one draft pick, and he gave silly contracts that he's already regretting.

There were better executives available in the offseason, and they bypassed them to resign Sheppard. If he can't do his job properly, then quit. This excuse making is not going to fly.

You know... you've gotten really sour lately.

Not that I could blame you! Given the current mess!

But, still....

[payitforward]

The 3 worst things Tommy has done all seem like they were at Ted's behest -- at least that's how they seem to me. Maybe I'm just too focused on Ted....

1. Picking Rui #9 in 2019 -- a good draft that year would have been a huge jump for the team (i.e. trade down & wind up w/ Clarke & Thybulle or Clarke, Keldon Johnson & a 2020 R2 pick).

2. Failing to take a R1 pick for Davis Bertans when Boston offered it (we'd have Desmond Bane on our roster).

3. Giving Davis a colossal over-pay lengthy contract.

Rui brought a market/revenue with him: that's why I put the first decision on Ted. It was a business decision rather than a basketball decision. I sort of feel the same way about the handling of Bertans.

Worth mentioning is the fact that virtually every single member of this Board was a strong supporter of all 3 of those moves. Not you, TGW, you were against re-signing Bertans for so much $$ & so many years.

In the end, even if you are right in your view of Tommy Sheppard -- it still all comes down to Ted. In 2019 he couldn't find anyone to take what he thought was a desirable job. He barely got anyone to come in for an interview! So, I'm not sure you are right that "better executives (were) available in the offseason."

[closg00]

Ted figures that his "process" has resulted in Championships for 2 of his 3 teams, so why change anything

[Illuminaire]

Worth mentioning is the fact that virtually every single member of this Board was a strong supporter of all 3 of those moves. Not you, TGW, you were against re-signing Bertans for so much $$ & so many years.

In the end, even if you are right in your view of Tommy Sheppard -- it still all comes down to Ted. In 2019 he couldn't find anyone to take what he thought was a desirable job. He barely got anyone to come in for an interview! So, I'm not sure you are right that "better executives (were) available in the offseason."

I don't really count because 2019 was my divorce year for the Wiz, but for the record...
(1) I didn't like Rui as a draft prospect. I was very, very high on Garland, Ja, and Clarke. I faintly liked Culver for the Wiz, which would have been a terrible mistake.

(2+3) I'm always in favor of getting value for roleplayers instead of overpaying them. You overpay for niche pieces when that's the difference between the playoffs and a championship run. You never, ever overpay for dudes like Davis when you're still in 10th seed territory.

On the broader topic, I don't think one can separate the rating of Tommy or Turd. Ted is certainly the first mover in this cascade of ineptitude, but Tommy bought into the job and is willing to go along with it. That makes him culpable. And since his track record is rather rocky over the last few years, I think it's more than fair to want an upgrade.

I also think it's fair to acknowledge that no upgrade is even possible until the owner repents/resigns/falls into a mineshaft in Minecraft.

[DCZards]

The 3 worst things Tommy has done all seem like they were at Ted's behest -- at least that's how they seem to me. Maybe I'm just too focused on Ted....

Yes, you’re too focused on Ted. To my knowledge there is zero evidence that the draft picks, signing, etc. that you bring up are not just as much on Shep as they are on Ted.

[spaceman_E]

I don't really count because 2019 was my divorce year for the Wiz, but for the record...
(1) I didn't like Rui as a draft prospect. I was very, very high on Garland, Ja, and Clarke. I faintly liked Culver for the Wiz, which would have been a terrible mistake.

I didn't see the point of letting Jabari and Bobby P walk to draft Rui at #9. Somehow I was still too high to think he could even match those guys.

[payitforward]

The 3 worst things Tommy has done all seem like they were at Ted's behest -- at least that's how they seem to me. Maybe I'm just too focused on Ted....

Yes, you’re too focused on Ted. To my knowledge there is zero evidence that the draft picks, signing, etc. that you bring up are not just as much on Shep as they are on Ted.

Truth is... you're right, Zards. For better or worse -- & with no real evidence to back it up -- I simply prefer to blame Ted rather than Tommy for the key mistakes that I see.

Now, there's a sense in which blaming Tommy still doesn't lessen Ted's responsibilities -- it's the old saying that sh#t flows upwards: the boss is responsible for the bad work of someone he's hired.

But, that's not what I mean. I just cannot resist thinking, for example, that Ted called for us to draft Rui: Ted not Tommy. It's just a feeling. But I can't shake it -- & you are right to call me on it.

[FAH1223]

Also remember the fruitless long GM search conducted by our genius owner. To me, it's reasonable to think that he ended up with Tommy because he is cheap and did not offer enough incentives to get Tim Connelly or (even more far fetched) Masai.

Troy Halliburton at Washington City Paper reported that Ted did make a good offer for Masai but probably used it for leverage with Toronto.

That I can’t fault Ted. He shot his shot.

Connelly was a disappointment. I’m tired of not being able to draft!!!’n

[mhd]

Listened to Kevin Sheehan today and he had a nugget about Ted and never tanking. Apparently, the two home playoff games are huge revenue providers to the team (especially considering it lacks true die-hard fans who sell out the arena). He needs that revenue apparently.

God, we are so screwed. Turd only cares about being a treadmill team.

[AFM]

Apparently the article in The Atlantic about Ted today was brutal. Anyone have a subscription and want to paste it here?

[mhd]

Apparently the article in The Atlantic about Ted today was brutal. Anyone have a subscription and want to paste it here?

It is from The Athletic. I don't think it is ok to post content from subscription sources, but DA's article in the Athletic has some eye opening critiques:

"Five words, spoken three years ago, continue to keep the Wizards in suspended animation. “We will never, ever tank,” Ted Leonsis said in London on Jan. 18, 2019, when his Wizards were just a couple of games out of the final playoff spot in the East"


"The most patient, unfulfilled, ridiculously loyal fan base in the NBA shouldn’t be asked to wait, not another second, to begin the pursuit of building a team capable of competing at the top of the league and competing for a championship. Fans have waited four decades. And the wait will continue, because of five words uttered three years ago"

[queridiculo]

This is the year I'll probably just throw in the towel if I don't like where this is heading in the offseason.

The only thing that could keep my interest for the remainder of this season is if the Wizards made a radical move to get rid of some of the vets and made a concerted effort to put the ball in the hand of the young guys.

It should be Kispert, Kuzma, Deni, Holiday, Gafford and Hachimura from here on out supplemented by whomever is left around to play the remainder of the minutes.

This stinks, I can't remember the last time I was this down on this franchise.

Leonsis has taken all the good will and any chance he had to signal a true departure from business as usual when he moved on from Grunfeld and went right back to giving the fan base a good rogering.

[queridiculo]

Apparently the article in The Atlantic about Ted today was brutal. Anyone have a subscription and want to paste it here?

It is from The Athletic. I don't think it is ok to post content from subscription sources, but DA's article in the Athletic has some eye opening critiques:

"Five words, spoken three years ago, continue to keep the Wizards in suspended animation. “We will never, ever tank,” Ted Leonsis said in London on Jan. 18, 2019, when his Wizards were just a couple of games out of the final playoff spot in the East"


"The most patient, unfulfilled, ridiculously loyal fan base in the NBA shouldn’t be asked to wait, not another second, to begin the pursuit of building a team capable of competing at the top of the league and competing for a championship. Fans have waited four decades. And the wait will continue, because of five words uttered three years ago"

The gist of the piece basically:

Five words, spoken three years ago, continue to keep the Wizards in suspended animation.

“We will never, ever tank,” Ted Leonsis said in London on Jan. 18, 2019, when his Wizards were just a couple of games out of the final playoff spot in the East.

Exactly a year after that, on Jan. 18, 2020, the Wizards were five games out of the final playoff spot in the East.

Exactly a year after that, on Jan. 18, 2021, the Wizards were a game and a half out of the final playoff spot in the East.

And exactly a year after that — last month — the Wizards held the eighth playoff spot in the East, a game and a half ahead of the 11th-place Knicks.

Never, ever tanking should produce better results than one Play-In Tournament appearance in three-plus seasons.

[payitforward]

This is the year I'll probably just throw in the towel if I don't like where this is heading in the offseason.

The only thing that could keep my interest for the remainder of this season is if the Wizards made a radical move to get rid of some of the vets and made a concerted effort to put the ball in the hand of the young guys.

It should be Kispert, Kuzma, Deni, Holiday, Gafford and Hachimura from here on out supplemented by whomever is left around to play the remainder of the minutes.

This stinks, I can't remember the last time I was this down on this franchise.

Leonsis has taken all the good will and any chance he had to signal a true departure from business as usual when he moved on from Grunfeld and went right back to giving the fan base a good rogering.

This a thousand times!

[closg00]

This is the year I'll probably just throw in the towel if I don't like where this is heading in the offseason.

The only thing that could keep my interest for the remainder of this season is if the Wizards made a radical move to get rid of some of the vets and made a concerted effort to put the ball in the hand of the young guys.

It should be Kispert, Kuzma, Deni, Holiday, Gafford and Hachimura from here on out supplemented by whomever is left around to play the remainder of the minutes.

This stinks, I can't remember the last time I was this down on this franchise.

Leonsis has taken all the good will and any chance he had to signal a true departure from business as usual when he moved on from Grunfeld and went right back to giving the fan base a good rogering.

This a thousand times!

Co-sign, I feel like a battered wife being a Wiz fan

[doclinkin]

Well. I am no longer a fan of Ted. But I don't hate the guy. His instincts may be terrible but his heart is in the right place. He wants his team to be made up of good guys with fine character. He wants to reward handsomely a player who has shown loyalty despite the losing record etc. He does not want to lose in order to win, he thinks highly paid athletes should all strive for victory at all times. Even his concept of a double-bottom line, while it may be mostly PR happy talk, and an excuse for why it is okay to lose with dignity, still, it is not overtly evil. It's a nice idea. Even if the real world doesn't care about nice as much as it does ruthlessness.

Yeah he got his feelings hurt by Wall when he had been highly supportive of him in his rehab, and was paying him untold millions to work out and recover. Okay he got his feelings hurt that Westbrook pressured the team to swap him to LA after rescuing the franchise's rep with a remarkable year -- probably the last of his career.

Yes he listens to his own happy talk and convinces himself he has insight on basketball decisions. Yes that means he comes off as meddling when he has hired another happy-talk PR guy to run his basketball operations.

Does the franchise owe me wins for my own loyalty? I mean yeah I feel like it does. It gets hard to take moral victories all the time. Like its tough being a Lefty in a country that is literally psychotic at times, and sociopathic often. At some point you want perseverance and common sense and good heart to win over ruthlessness and cruelty and appealing to the worse things in human nature.

But I still don't root for LeBron. Or Kobe. Or, or, or...

I'm a home town fan. These are my guys. I like Deni, Rui, Kispert, Gafford. Shoot I like Neto even if he is overmatched. The lil dude fights his heart out. I love the enthusiasm of Thomas Bryant, even in rehab looking like he would re-injure himself by waving his towel too hard in street clothes on the bench. I love the heart of an undersized workhorse like Trez. Okay I'm less of a fan of Brad than I was of Wall or Arenas or whatever. But he does work his tail off in the offseasons to add things to his game. Yeah, like most of the combo guards in the league (undersized gunners) he took a hit with the new rules emphasis. Yeah he sulks when he does not get calls. Yeah he has never been an inspiring leader on any team. But he does put up his numbers, does adjust. This year though his shot isn't falling he has taken over PG duties, despite that never being his strength. And put up better assist numbers than he has in the past.

No that is not worth a max or supermax to me. A nice guy who works hard but does not bring wins in any year despite his counting stats, yeah, that is not a guy you overpay just because he's a decent dude. Yeah that robs the franchise of highlevel players in the future by paying a Good Guy tax. Coldhearted snakes like Pat Riley would not pay that up front. A team like the Spurs regularly swap out their talent just before they become overpaid. Other teams like GSW do a better job of evaluating talent and are more willing to swap it out when it is clear they have a ceiling. I can't complain that the team is unlucky when we have had top lotto talents multiple times in my memory. Yeah we wasted those chances, but we did have Top 10 picks, top 5 picks, many times in my fandom to date. Wall, Kwame, Beal, Otto. A chance at Stef Curry. A trade for Jamison instead of Iguodala. The opportunities have been there.

But the guys we have had, I want them to succeed. I still root for Wall, Garrison, JaVale, Otto, Oubre. They're still my guys. Yeah I want the team to become a TEAM. A team to be reckoned with. A championship contender. A dynasty. Okay I won't buy tickets, I'll watch on feed, or watch the replay later when the game has been decided. But this is my team. It was my team before it was Ted's team. Or Beal's team. Or, okay not Wes Jr. It was his team way before me. But still, it is the team of the DIstrict. The team of the DMV. And the fact that we can see how they could do better, suggests that there is always hope. Tommy has been pretty creative. His picks are better than I thought they were, even if they were not as good as the guys I wanted. He has gotten some bargain players who became fan favorites. And basically: you never know. You never know. There is always a chance.

So, in sum, I guess I'm saying that while I have my grievances with Ted, I'm not going to let him spoil my fandom of the team for me. Yeah it's weird hoping that he takes a loss, but the team somehow wins. Yeah if and when it all turns around I will be resentful that he shares in the happiness of it after the 14 years of Ernie, and other abuses of fan loyalty. But still. This is MY team. And I will look forward to the wins and progress and hope wherever I can find it.

Doesn't mean I won't bitch about it though along the way.

[Silvie Lysandra]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Dan Snyder is a better owner than Ted Leonsis, simply because of the fact that Dan Snyder actually wants to win and cares about winning, he's just **** bad at it and too self-absorbed to realize he's bad at it. Ted is the same way, but he *doesn't* want to win, nor does he care about winning.

It kills Danny Boy every day that he can't get number 4, he just can't fully admit and internalize that he's the problem. In theory, someone could get through to him, or he'll luck into success and luck into not ruining it, because that's how the NFL is, and he'll keep trying **** until he lucks into something, even though he'll probably never actually fix the organization. The Bungles might win a Super Bowl this year, you know. Joe Burrow didn't make the Bengals a good organization, QB is just so important that a franchise QB gives you a chance to win a SB no matter what. Ted doesn't **** *care*. He's okay with playin.

[9 and 20]

Ted is horrible. He is both thin-skinned and always convinced that he is the smartest guy in the room. That is a terrible combination.

Still root for my guys, but Terd makes it hard.

[Frichuela]

Ladies and gents, can we all raise our hands and say F**** you Terd you clown