Caps fan to GU: Get Out

[HoyaChris]

This is not a Verizon Center issue, but a Caps issue.

There are metrics for measuring ice quality specified by the NHL, and the Verizon Center does well against those measurements.

I was at Saturday night's game. The ice quality was poor at the start of the second and third periods and it was because the ice was not given enough time to freeze after being resurfaced. This reflects conscious marketing decisions by the Caps, specifically, eating up 5-6 minutes at the start of the intermissions with a Mite hockey game and a human puck contest. By the way, the Mites were adorable.

Parenthetically, it is a lot easier posting about the ice surface at the Verizon Center than our play there. We need more hockey threadsl.

[kchoya]

I count TWO times this season where GU and the caps have played (or will play) on the same Saturday at the Verizon Center. Two games. Big deal.

[jgalt]

Feb 10, 2009 14:16:38 GMT -5 kchoya said:

I count FIVE times this season where GU and the caps have played (or will play) on the same Saturday at the Verizon Center. Five games. Big deal.

There are only TWO Days this year where the caps and hoyas have home games on the same day (these were the pitt game and last saturdays game)

I am a fan of both teams (they are the only two i follow) and have written the Site's owner an email which gives him a clear picture of the situation, that i consider unbiased (or rather complete biased towards both sides) because i want what is best for both teams.

Also as surprising as it may be for some of you to understand that blog, "On Frozen Blog" is considered to be one of the best hockey blogs on the net (in fact many of the caps blogs are considered such). The proprietor is a very intelligent man who is passionate about hockey and is very good friends with Ted Leonsis and has been issued press passes to many a caps game. He is not Jamison Flemming.

A final word, by my count the ice conditions at verizon have (by my count) cause serious injury to 6 players over the last two seasons. One injury cost the Captain of the capitals to miss almost all of last year with a groin pull and his production has never been what it was three season ago (where he scored 30 goals). The issue is serious but is not GUs fault.

[HoyaChris]

Feb 10, 2009 18:04:07 GMT -5 jgalt said:

Feb 10, 2009 14:16:38 GMT -5 kchoya said:

I count FIVE times this season where GU and the caps have played (or will play) on the same Saturday at the Verizon Center. Five games. Big deal.

There are only TWO Days this year where the caps and hoyas have home games on the same day (these were the pitt game and last saturdays game)

I am a fan of both teams (they are the only two i follow) and have written the Site's owner an email which gives him a clear picture of the situation, that i consider unbiased (or rather complete biased towards both sides) because i want what is best for both teams.

Also as surprising as it may be for some of you to understand that blog, "On Frozen Blog" is considered to be one of the best hockey blogs on the net (in fact many of the caps blogs are considered such). The proprietor is a very intelligent man who is passionate about hockey and is very good friends with Ted Leonsis and has been issued press passes to many a caps game. He is not Jamison Flemming.

A final word, by my count the ice conditions at verizon have (by my count) cause serious injury to 6 players over the last two seasons. One injury cost the Captain of the capitals to miss almost all of last year with a groin pull and his production has never been what it was three season ago (where he scored 30 goals). The issue is serious but is not GUs fault.

The Caps have incurred more groin injuries on the road than at home over the past two years, suggesting that if ice is the sole cause of groin injuries, Verizon ice is, on average, better than away ice.

[strummer8526]

Well, we now have a page and a half of logic in response to a half a page of crap. We should somehow convey our outrage to this moron.

[jgalt]

i didnt realize how excessive that Two was going to be.

[jmac]

Just went to shu game and the devils play there . Not sure how many games shu plays there though . And yeah thought the same thing about st johns at MSG . Where is this info from

[summersshowers]

didn't know there was so much whining in hockey.

are you done with your temper tantrum? your sport is irrelevant, move aside for the hoyas.

[jgalt]

Feb 11, 2009 9:38:19 GMT -5 summersshowers said:

didn't know there was so much whining in hockey.

are you done with your temper tantrum? your sport is irrelevant, move aside for the hoyas.

there is so much irony in this statement that my computer almost exploded.

[theyellofallyells]

it's worth noting that Ovechkin is a huge Hoyas fan and comes to games...I think we should ask him. Remind me again how many times the Caps have been worth watching?

[IDenj]

i find it amusing the way some run down hockey. you don t like it fine. leave it alone. but then they are the same people who defend baseball and football as the best sports. nothing wrong with those sports!

if the ice is poor give dan craig a call. he ll fix it.

[TigerHoya]

All the comments from here on the original post got a response onfrozenblog.com/2009/02/12/thursday-joe.html

[CTHoya08]

Yet he totally misses the most important point in this thread: that we only share a handful of home dates with the Caps.

[Boz]

Feb 11, 2009 10:04:08 GMT -5 theyellofallyells said:

it's worth noting that Ovechkin is a huge Hoyas fan and comes to games...I think we should ask him. Remind me again how many times the Caps have been worth watching?

That wasn't a serious question, was it?

If it was, you have revealed yourself as not a serious questioner, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume this was tongue in cheek.

The Caps are not my favorite team, as jgalt well knows, but they have probably been the most successful franchise (DC United excepted) in DC over most of the past two decades. And if you meant recently, well then, as I said, you're just not to be taken seriously.

In the end, however, my loyalty lies with only one team. I will side with the Hoyas in any dispute between the two, but this one seems slightly fabricated.

[theyellofallyells]

Boz...straight from the internet here...didnt make the playoffs all that often, and had one winning season...

caps went to the stanley cup in what, 1998?? got crushed as I recall...this season I hear they are good...that doesnt make up for the last 30 years

Redskins have been in the playoffs more in the last 10 years than the caps, and have actually won a championship even if it was 1991...hell even the wizards/bullets won a championship in 1978...hoyas have a championship and have been to a few final fours....i mean the caps are a crap franchise, in a dying sport...who cares if they are decent this year? not me.


Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
2003–04 82 23 46 10 3 59 186 253 1282 5th, Southeast Did not qualify
2004–05 Season cancelled because of 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 82 29 41 — 12 70 237 306 1426 5th, Southeast Did not qualify
2006–07 82 28 40 — 14 70 235 286 1205 5th, Southeast Did not qualify
2007–08 82 43 31 — 8 94 242 231 1015 1st, Southeast Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Flyers)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Capitals

[Boz]

How very selective of you. I see you omitted much of the rest of that wiki entry about the Capitals perennial playoff status a little earlier than the chart you chose to paste. You want to run down the Skins' cumulative record since 1991? It's not on the sunny side of .500, I can tell you that, not by a long shot. As for Les Boulez, well that's just a joke.

You're just a hater and that's all there is to it. It's to your own detriment and loss, so I really care not. (plus, this is really a topic for another board).

And why the #$@^% am I defending the Caps anyway. Galt, get your butt in here and stand up for your boys.

[theyellofallyells]

I think we can both agree that DC sports franchises in general are pretty awful...even if i don't like hockey I guess it's nice that the caps are doing really well this year....maybe AO can give a pep talk to the Hoyas

[JohnJacquesLayup]

At least the Nats are good.

[jgalt]

Feb 12, 2009 12:28:29 GMT -5 Boz said:

And why the #$@^% am I defending the Caps anyway. Galt, get your butt in here and stand up for your boys.

Haha. Sorry boz, ive been spending my time catching up on Lost and Defending the hoyas over on On Frozen Blog.

Listen everybody- If you dont like hockey, fine (i think that is pretty lame, but whatever), but the thing is the two teams can co exist. Neither is negatively effecting the other (the ice problems are because Pollin is too cheep to spring for new equipment).

Over the past ten years the two teams have been at about the same point in their development and success. and each has had its highs and lows. but there is really no reason to argue about which team has been better when they are in different sports and especially when one team is professional and the other is a college team.

It is stupid to be in this debate if you dont know about one of the parties involved (or are for some reason completely against their existence).

The hoyas are not going to be moving out of VC any time soon, period

[Coast2CoastHoya]

Posted this on that blog, but thought it was appropos here too. Is this a good idea or am I just delirious from the flu?


"Alternate proposal: the Hoyas and Colonials should go in together (a la Lakers and Clippers) and build a 9,000 seat arena on the hole where GW hospital used to be, and it should be called the George Center (which George? GU and GW fans can debate...you could even make marketing gags out of it). The Hoyas can play major-draw games at the Phone Booth, kinda like the Wildcats do in Philly, and play the rest of their games at the George."

And the Hoyas would, of course, get first pick at dates and times