A Winter Clunker

By now you know that the 2010 Winter Classic will feature the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in Fenway Park. Scuttlebutt had the Caps being the visiting team at first but apparently, NBC didn't like the ratings the Caps pulled when they played the Rangers in the first round and insisted on the Flyers instead.

Personally, we could care less whether or not the Caps play in the Winter Classic, unless of course the game takes place in RFK Stadium. But the larger lesson here is that the NHL's chicken's are coming home to roost. When even the Worldwide Leader in Schlock has a problem with the way you're marketing the game, you know you're in trouble.

Because let's face it folks, how absurd it is that the reigning two-time NHL MVP and Goal Scoring Champion (who also happens to fill highlight reel after highlight reel, something the WWL knows all about) can't "draw flies" as they say in TV ratings?

Simply put, it's because the NHL has refused to market said player. And let's not kid ourselves folks, the only reason why A.O. has gotten as much attention as he has is because of his play. There is no thanks at all owed to a league that goes to extraordinary lengths to promote one player above all others. The NHL is continuing to do this in spite of the growing opinion that Canadian Diving Team Captain, Lowblow Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby isn't even the best player on her own team. But she's still considered the best player in the league as far as the NHL Hype Machine is concerned. The fact that A.O. has gotten through as much as he has is a testament to his superior talent. A.O. won't need the benefit of a real extra attacker during a game to turn a series in his favor.

So with no other individuals to market and the "Original Six" Match already done, the NHL and Nothing But Cindy Network went with the "team" or "big market" angle and viola, Boston and Philly. Color us unimpressed and the hype already building for this game isn't good either as far as we're concerned.

The NHL is heading into an Olympic year and Olympic hockey has always far out paced NHL hockey in the TV ratings. A large part of the reason is why is because there is no fighting allowed in the international game. With the pleading for fisticuffs and focus on the two teams "hard nosed style," the 2010 Winter Classic could become the last profitable one for the NHL because there's no way the casual fans will continue to tune in if they're greeted with Ultimate Fighting on Ice. The only hope for the NHL should the Winter Classic turn into a bloodbath is that the Olympic tournament is so good that everybody forget what they saw a month and a half earlier. But don't cout on that.

Of course we do have to chuckle at those who float the idea of the Caps playing in Yankee Stadium against the Rangers in 2011. Why did the Nothing But Cindy network veto the Caps again??? Figure on a Rangers-Islanders contest should the game go to Yankee Stadium for 2011

Oh, and for the folks who are pushing for an outdoor game on the National Mall in Washington, DC, please explain how you're going to accommodate around 40,000 fans with no infrastructure in place to do so, let alone basics like locker rooms and a place to fuel the Zambonis. RFK, Natinals Ark, and even 90,000 seat Landover are much better ideas for hosting than on the Mall.

Finally are we really the only ones who remembered all the yelling and screaming over the commercialization of the Mall when the NFL held their Kickoff celebration there in 2003? Because that's another hurdle to overcome because there's no way you could pull that off without slapping corporate logos all over the place. That idea reeks of coming off a message board somewhere.

We're Not Jumping The Gun...

We're just making an investment in the future...

First it was FS over in Darwin's Waiting Room to get one of these at the Dick's Sporting Goods in Sterling, VA. Then Ted Starkey at Cap Centre picked one up and posted a picture that Dan Steinberg ran. So we decided to pay a little visit to the Dick's Sporting Goods at Bailey's Crossroads and sure enough...

$21 later we had one of our own.

Of course the good folks down in Raleigh might have a little something to say about that. We happen to think that if the Caps cannot earn at least 5 points over their last seven games against teams like the Ning, Islanders, Thrashers, Buffaslugs, and Panthers; then they deserve this kind of humiliation. We're holding onto this puppy for the simple reason that should the Caps gack up the Southeast Division, we can put this thing on ebay to help recoup the cost of the booze were very likely to drink because of it.

So folks, head on over to your local Dick's Sporting Goods before their gone, the Caps choke the division away up, and/or Dick's lose their license to sell official NHL Merchandise...

Waiting Is Often the Hardest Part

If you're like us, you're as jumpy as a three year old at Christmas. You keep waiting to hear something and the longer it goes without any word the more and more crazy you get. You logon to the Caps Official Website and continually hit F5 over and over hoping to see something. Yeah, the The Big Ten story and Q & A with Alan May are interesting, but that's not what you're waiting for.

You head on over to Tarik's blog to see if he has anything (some commenters may but you're not sure) Corey disappoints you because he's more interested in talking about other teams. You think this would be right up Dan Steinberg's alley but he just teases you with stories of media hijinks. Mike Vogel has neglected his blog but did write the aforementioned articles that briefly distract you.

On the off chance, you check in with J.P. and while you find some his sidebar stuff interesting, it isn't what you're looking for. You know Ted will post something, but ex post facto. You even hold your nose and check out the On Frozen Morons to see if they have what you're looking for. Hey they're in tight with Ted and they did lead all of North America with the A.O. contract extension news despite not having all their facts correct. (We'd say something like, but they're just as quiet as everybody else, but we can't because we don't know because they banned us)

Your frustration builds because you felt as though you were promised something on September 8th and now it is almost September 10th and you still don't know who the Inaugural Members of the Caps Ice Girls...er...Spirit Squad are. Trust us folks, while the announcement has been held up for some reason, we believe that the grand unveiling will be worth the wait.

Iced Girls

Yes, we saw this and quite frankly have been alternately amazed and amused by the whole sordid spectacle. What you see there now is NOT what was originally posted. Originally, they were only looking for females. Females "in great physical shape" Google Cache reminds that these females also needed to have a "a lean athletic figure. [Because] Uniforms consist of half tops, skirts, shorts and pants, so being physically fit and toned is necessary."

Now, our opinions on this matter are well known and do not need to be repeated. We were honing our photoshop skills (and would have taken the pictures ourselves thank you very much to avoid copyright claims) but what happened to this whole thing would have been down right comical if it wasn't so sad.

First Ted "defended" the idea by throwing the sponsor under the bus. (We're sure whoever these guys are were very happy about that.) Though we along with many other people didn't buy it for a second. #1. Ticket prices went up but so have the number season ticket holders. When the Caps traded for and then signed Jagr, there was no mention of starting a "Spirit Squad" to compensate for the additional payroll. It was just a ticket price hike. #2. We thought the NHL was awash in revenue and the league along with the franchises fortunes were going up, up, up??? #3. If this is about about raising $$$$$ to pay the player's salaries (which is by far the biggest expense) why are the "performers" themselves drawing a salary??? Call us crazy, but won't the salaries for the "performers" cut into the desperately needed $$$$$ to pay Tomas Fleischmann and John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles a combined $1.275 million to sit in the press box/waste ice time? Not only would getting rid of those two players save $$$$$ but it would also increase the entertainment value of the games because we wouldn't have to watch them stink up the joint.

When lame excuse #1 failed to quiet the masses, wholesale changes to the scheme were made. Men were now invited to try out and women were no longer explicitly required to have "a lean athletic figure." The uniforms no longer consisted of "half tops, skirts, shorts and pants" and it was explicitly stated that the Ice Kids and Mites of Ice programs would continue (We're still trying to figure out why people thought Mites on Ice was endangered by this bad idea). Ted then claimed they were just trying to put the entertainment team on steroids and we didn't know what we were talking about when complaining about Ice Girls.

One thing we still don't understand though. Why if this is NOT a dance squad are the members required to learn dance...er... sideline routines? Though, they are still drawing a paycheck and this is an example of a "professionally designed long-sleeve shirt and pants"...

Of course, we remember when Dishonest Abe and La Soose tried to import the "Amtrak DC Scream Team" to Caps and Bullets games in the mid 1990's. It didn't go over very well and barely lasted one season only because the contracts had been signed and the performers/entertainers were going to get paid anyway.

But what really amazes us is that for a guy like Ted who wants to be universally loved and adored (why else would he seek to manipulate Google searches of himself?) he has a serious stubborn streak about him. Despite continuing protestations of long-time Caps fans, he refuses to get rid of the stupid goal horn and return the Caps back to their roots of just a siren for goals (which would make them unique once again). However complaints about "violent videos on the scoreboard" and "Rock-N-Roll Part II" from parents got both of those deep-sixed.

So good luck figuring out what Ted is or isn't going to do next if you complain. It isn't as if there hasn't been a precedent for Ted floating out a trial balloon and quickly deciding to reverse course when it doesn't meet the reception he was looking for. Remember the ill-fated Tommy Hilfiger Uniforms? After getting over like a lead balloon, Ted denied the leak and the whole concept in spite of that fact that he went as far as to trademark the logo. Now we've seen the same thing again with the Spirit Squad.

One thing is for sure, when Ted first floated the trial balloon, his mind was made up to bring this to D.C. come Hades or High Water. According to our vast network of spies and informants, Ted was ready to run with this last year but decided to delay it for another year "for further consideration" (english translation = needed more time to sell it to a fanbase that clearly didn't want it). So now they're here and they may or may not stay but that is beside the point. The fan reaction to them will be interesting to say the least but considering the clumsy way they have been born, they will have a long uphill battle to gain any kind of acceptance from the fans. I hope the sponsor is writing a big enough check because this now sounds like it could be an older version of the awkward "Mistakes Mayhem" squad.

But at the end of the day, like Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins, this is Ted Leonsis' team. He can do with it whatever he wants and there's really nothing us rabble can do about it. We'd have more respect for Ted if he came clean about this stuff because all the backpedaling and spinning about this had to have given him vertigo. It certainly made us dizzy.

An Overdue Honor

By now you already know that the Caps are retiring Mike Gartner's #11. It is odd for a number of reasons, most of which is that Tim Bergland, Bob Carpenter, Jeff Nelson, Esa Tikkanen, and Jeff Halpern have all worn the number since Gartner last did in 1989.

He stood atop the Caps career scoring list for over ten years after leaving the Caps and despite being scapegoated for the Caps Playoff Failures in the 1980's, he currently sits 10th all time in playoff points with 43 points in 47 games. He played in four All-Star Games for the Caps, starting in his first appearance, and becomes the fourth player in Caps history to have his number retired.

Despite what some may say, this is a "feel-good gesture." Caps fans have been clamoring for this since Gartner retired and it never ever hurts to placate the fans, no matter how good or bad things are going. This also completes the fence mending process between the Caps and Gartner because of the way he was run out of town and scapegoated for the team's failures in the playoffs. We get the feeling that this would have been done a lot sooner had those fences bend mended sooner (and a certain ex-captain had been willing to give up the number). Gartner was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 and is only now having that accomplishment recognized by the club. In contrast, Rod Langway (who's jersey was retired at the final game at the Cap Centre in 1997) was honored by the Caps shortly after his Hall of Fame induction in 2002. (There might even STILL be some memorabilia from that night on sale at the Phone Booth.) Yvon Labre and Dale Hunter saw their jerseys retired by the Caps shortly after their careers ended. It is pretty clear that getting Garter to appear and that the reception he received at the Draft Party/Jersey unveiling last year put the wheels in motion.

However, there is good reason to be concerned about this. As noted, Gartner becomes the fourth player to have his number retired. The Caps will also raise their fourth Division Championship Banner. Not Stanley Cup, Division Championship. If it wasn't for the 1998 Eastern Conference Championship Banner, the Caps would have as many retired numbers as they have banners. As a matter of fact, there can be no doubt that Peter Bondra and Olie Kolzig will eventually see their jerseys retired and should the Caps fail to add new Championship Banners before then, they will have more retired numbers than Championship Banners.

Certainly being the first Cap to be voted into the Hall of Fame, an All-Time Fan Favorite, and being the franchise leading scorer for over a decade is worthy of consideration for having your number retired over a guy who never appeared in a All-Star game, is not in the Top Ten in All-Time Scoring either in the NHL or for the franchise.

But just because there's no reason to NOT retire somebodies number doesn't mean you should. With some of the talent currently on this team, you could make a serious case for retiring another three-four jerseys just based on their performance so far and their potential alone. Considering that winning three Cups over ten years is considered a modern day dynasty, you're talking about having more than twice as many retired numbers as you have Cups should the Caps actually become a modern day dynasty.

Again, we're not saying that Mike Gartner does not deserve to have his jersey retired by the Caps, we're just wondering if the standards are set too low.

Will They Add His "Style" to the Menu?

Dan Steinberg gets the credit for telling us that A.O. will be endorsing the Hair Cuttery next season.

Make up your own jokes at home folks.

Not Seeing Red Yet

Today the Caps announced that the team will wear their white jerseys for all of their exhibition games this season, including the three home games this week.

This is taking a page from the 1995 jersey redesign when the Caps did not wear their home jerseys until the regular season home opener as well. What this exactly proves I don't know, but that's what the team has decided they are going to do. Something tells me that people are going to be more interested in the new scoreboard at the Phone Booth than they are about the jerseys the team is wearing. (All 3,000 at least tomorrow night...)

Of course with the all boo-hooing over the redesigns (my favorite are the complaints from the fighters, hey maybe now they'll think twice before mindlessly dropping the gloves because somebody looked at somebody cross eyed) maybe this isn't a bad thing. Though something tells me if these new jerseys get dumped, the Caps will still have the same stupid new logo.

Thanks Ted!

As usual, the Caps Promotional Schedule is out now that training camp has arrived. And while J.P. is all over the Mullet wigs (which really would be more appropriate when the Penguin Scum arrive); I'm a fan of the scarves on January 13th and I'm obnoxious enough to take credit for the suggestion. Though what's the deal with the Mr. Potato Head giveaway?????



In personnel news, the Caps were dealt a blow when Eric Fehr failed his training camp physical (First reported by new media blogger Corey Masisak). This hurts because the Caps needed to get him time on the top two lines this season and will have now have to scrape again to find somebody to work in with A.O., Alexander Semin, Viktor Kozlov, Nicklas Backstrom, and Michael Nylander.

New Caps Radio Carrier

After well publicized dust up between WTEM and Caps owner Ted Leonsis, the Caps today defied the odds and announced a move to WWWT today for Caps radio broadcasts.

WWWT is currently another one of Ted's favorite targets, the Washington (Com)Post's radio station, WTWP and is the current radio broadcaster of the Washington Nationals. It is a two year deal for the Caps and Bonneville (the parent company of WWWT).

I am old enough to remember when the Caps were on 1500 AM (then WTOP) and word circulated last year that Ted wanted the Caps on WTWP but Bonneville's asking price for air time was too high. I guess with the radio station tanking even further (they're dropping the (Com)Post programming on September 20th) the air time got even cheaper.

The one real curious thing about this is the future of Tony Khornball at the radio station. He's currently on haitus to dumb down ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts but he was the only show on WTWP to generate any kind of promising ratings for the station. (The rest of the "NPR on caffeine" programming proved that there is no market for lefty moonbat talk radio.) If you think Steve Czaban has been/is dismissive of the Caps and hockey, he's got nothing on Khornball.

One positive thing to note, the Caps shouldn't be scrubbed from WWWT nearly as much as they were on WTEM due to conflicting programming, but how the situation is worked out in April should the Nats return to WWWT should be interesting to say the least. Bonneville doesn't have the extra space like Clear Channel (parent of WTEM) to make accommodations.

Too bad though we aren't getting rid of Steve Kolbe...

It's Not In The Game

No fault to Ted who pointed out the team's new threads appearing in the video games already, but the EA Sports website hawking NHL '08 today releases the Caps Theme Package with the old logo well intact. (If you happen to miss today's Caps Theme Package, it is #25 on the list at the bottom.)

It is amazing to me how EA Sports can release screenshots with the new uniforms but can't put together a download package with the new logos.

Channelling Mr. Blackwell

After taking a look at the whole package of the new uniforms and logos and taking some time to digest them, I have what really amounts to a mixed review.

First of all, I like that the Caps are returning to Red, White, and Blue. In the quote packages the Caps sent out; they quoted Khornball who was dead right when he said in 1995 that the Caps should wear Red, White, and Blue. So what Montreal and the Rangers have been wearing the same colors since they started in the NHL? It isn't as if the Caps can go out and create brand new colors exclusive to themselves.


The "blank" jersey itself I think looks pretty good. I like the design of it and while they did give into some of the modern styles of vertical and curved lines, they didn't do something as garish as the original Caps jerseys. Don't get me wrong, I like the old school stuff but it had a very 1970's design that I don't think holds up very well. I think because the Caps avoided some of the extremes that you see today (Oregon football comes to mind) that this jersey can last a long time. The only gripe I have is that the bottom of the red jersey could use a block of white underneath the blue piping to help it stand out more.


The logos however are going to take a very long time to grow on me, if ever. First of all let's look at the chest/primary logo:

Courtesy of the Washington Capitals

Ok as I've said before, I think this logo just looks stupid. I understand that it is an "update" of the original logo but what made the original logo work was that it was simple. While the original jersey design screamed 1970's, the logo itself didn't. This writing here comes across as what is currently passing for "space age" which isn't going to hold up in my opinion. Where the original "T" hockey stick looked like a hockey stick, this new "T" hockey stick barely pulls that off. As a matter of fact, you wouldn't know it was a hockey stick a first glance despite the blade being more realistic.

Oh and good job telling everybody that the three stars represent the District of Columbia, the People's Republic of Maryland, and Virginia. It is only a matter of time before the fans in the PRMD demand that their star be bigger than D.C. and VA's because they are where the real Caps fans are...

Now for the shoulder/secondary logo:

Swiped from On Frozen Blog

Look familiar? Ok, that was a cheapshot joke that everybody else is doing, but I'm not above doing that...

Here the Caps once again come up with a great secondary/shoulder logo. The Dome logo was great on the shoulder but didn't do very well IMHO as the main logo on the jersey. I think the same dynamic applies here. This a logo that will look good in a smaller size on the shoulder of the jersey and maybe on hats. The subtleties of the logo however will be lost should you try to enlarge it and make it the primary logo. The only problem with putting this logo on a hat is that the Nats have got the market cornered on "W" hats with their curly W.

The numbering and lettering on the jersey is certainly easier to read and not as fancy as what the Caps were just using (though I did like the font). However, in the photos the Caps sent around, the lettering needs to be bigger to make them easier to read which was a catalyst in the uniform overhaul to begin with. The blue pants are ok, (why not bring back the stars on the pants?) though the socks make the pants look longer than they really are. I'm curious as to why the Caps chose blue helmets to wear at home. Are they really channeling the Canadiens and Rangers?

So are these as bad as the Buffaslug? Certainly not but I think they had a better idea with the crash diving eagle than they did with this futuristic nonsense. I applaud resisting the temptation to stylize a "D.C." logo as well. Also bear in mind there may be some tinkering with things before the team hits the ice in October which is what happened with the last uniform switch. It was mentioned in the (Com)Post yesterday at the end of the article that the last rejected design is likely to be used as a third jersey in the future. I almost shudder to think what was rejected in favor of these. However time will tell and we'll get to bash those in due time.

At Least We Can Read This Font

Over at The Dude Abides we get some close up shots of the uniforms as well as a look at the Numbering that will go on the new jerseys.

Validation

Yep, Tarik finally confirms for us that I had the scoop all along.

Which is cool considering the shoutout from D.C. Blogs today.

But as I said folks, these things always end up getting leaked before their officially unveiled and this was no different.

Feel free now to bash away about the new jerseys.

EDIT: If you want to blame and curse me for ruining the surprise and the entire "Draft Day Party Experience" go ahead...

And did I read blue pants with blue socks???????????

I think once again we'll have another mid-season uniform change...

A Tangled Web

So here we are more than 24 hours after "the leak" and despite rumors of decoys, the Caps have yet to put anything else out to squash "the leak." No diversionary tactics, no other "leaks", just letting things ride now.

So I got the scoop huh?

Well, I'm not ready to pat myself totally on the back yet.

Eric McErlain at his AOL Fanhouse blog offers more evidence as one of his guys does what I couldn't do, which is find the new draft day hat. However, that link is now dead too.

One would think that finding that hat on NHL.com would seal the deal and confirm that as the new logo. However, Ted led the charge to "standardize" the NHL's websites so the setup on one team's page is the same on another team's page. (BTW Ted, MLB did that a long time ago) It is very possible that NHL.com is in the hoax. But as Ted said in an interview elsewhere, us Caps fans are very web savvy. While I have no respect for the webmaster the Caps employ, they had to know that putting it out there somewhere would lead to it being found before the Caps wanted it to be found.

Another sign that this could very well be a hoax, the MSM has yet to pick up on it. Tarik El Bashir of the (Com)Post isn't buying the leaked jersey even though he's doing a story on it and Dan Steinberg has been on radio silence all day (as are Ted's boys over at OFB, at least as it relates to the leak). Only The D.C. City Paper ran with the story.

So was I duped? Well, I very well could have been and I freely admit that. Give Ted and Co. credit, they've created a bigger buzz about this than there was heading into this week. But a word of caution for you guys, this better not be a put on. This is a franchise with little in the way of credibility with their fanbase to begin with. Pulling bait and switch stunts like this will only add fuel to the fire of those who are critical of everything this franchise does. Why praytel do you think that you can do this and win people over? It does not matter what the Caps wear on the ice in the 2007-2008 season, the Caps will be judged on their wins and their losses, not on their uniforms and logos. Lose more than you win again next year and this will not be looked upon very fondly.

Well the flash animation is now back up and the "glitch" that led to "the leak" has been solved. Note now that the colors on the "old" jersey are not accurate on that thing. It has been well documented that the Caps are going back to red, white, and blue so that funky orange and black screen capture is wrong from a color standpoint.

I do however hope that logo is a joke.

Am I A Dope? Er....Dupe?

Word is starting to circulate that these are decoys.

Well let me say, I hope so because that logo is just stupid. It is one thing to go "retro" but the old logo was simple, this stylized nonsense just looks stupid.

However, allow me to offer in my defense:

1. New stuff gets leaked all the time. The Nats jerseys were leaked, the Buffaslug was leaked, even the crash landing Eagle was leaked before the official unveiling. This is not an uncommon occurrence.
2. Ted is offline until next Monday. No chance now for him to issue rebuttals or denials.
3. And speaking of rebuttals and denials from Ted, remember this monstrosity? Ted swore up and down the street that was bogus. Well , if you bother go to the U.S. Trademark Office, click on the search link on the right, select new user form, type "Lincoln Hockey" in the search box, set the field to Owner Name and Address, and click search; record #3 76000377 will look very familiar despite being listed as "abandoned." (However, you won't find the new logo, whatever it ends up being, registered on that site right now) I would take any official word out of the Capitals about these with a grain of salt.

This very well could be a hoax. Dinking around the NHL.com store website, I did find a picture of the 2007 Draft Day hat for the Caps. Problem is, it is the "old" dome logo and colors. So who really knows? We'll find out on Friday for certain.

One thing to keep in mind, I don't know where it is but I do have a couple of pictures of the uniforms that the Caps had when they switched from red, white, and blue to blue, black, and bronze. The Caps tweaked the uniforms before the season started so what you see here and elsewhere may change between now and opening night.

Personally this reminds me of what Former Coca-Cola President and CEO Donald Keough said about the introduction of New Coke leading to the return of Coca-Cola Classic "Truth is we are not that dumb, and we are not that smart."

You Knew This Was Going To Happen

Sometimes the folks in Darwin's Waiting Room surprise you.

(UPDATE: That link is dead because the original thread is gone. Too late guys, the cat is out of the bag!)

Which is why we don't have to wait until Friday to bash this:




The colors seem off on this but that logo is just downright stupid.

Say what you want, but at least it isn't a crash diving eagle or a slug...




UPDATE AGAIN: Here you get a better look at the new shoulder patches. The "Eagled W"

Hey, at least we avoided the current Washingtonian fetish of stylizing a "DC" logo...

Are They On The Way?

Filling out a fan survey the Caps sent my way I'm faced with this question:

How interested would you be in seeing each of the following topics featured on a regular basis on WashingtonCaps.com? Please rate each feature using a 1-5 scale, 5 being "extremely interested" and 1 being "not interested at all".
...

Cap Girls Profile: Learn more about the members of the Caps cheer/pep squad.

I think my thoughts on this idea should be pretty clear. Though why are they asking a question about a group that, as of right now, does not officially exist?

Unvieling News

I got the notice from my season ticket account and didn't pay much attention because I'm not interested in going, but the Caps just sent this out:

The Washington Capitals will distribute free exclusive passes to their special Draft Day Party and new uniform unveiling, to be held Friday, June 22, at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Capitals ticket plan-holders will have priority access to passes for the event, which will be required for admission to the building.



Plan-holders will have the opportunity to reserve and print passes online in an exclusive window from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 14. All plan-holders will receive emails on Friday and again on Monday with instructions how to obtain tickets through their online account manager, with a limit of two tickets per account.



The general public will have the opportunity to reserve and print passes beginning at 2 p.m. Monday, pending availability, also with a limit of two passes per person.



Two types of passes – Red Rink and Blue Rink – will be issued for the event, with Red Rink passes issued on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning with plan-holders. Fans with Red Rink passes will receive priority access to the Capitals practice rink for the uniform unveiling. After Red Rink passes are sold out, Blue Rink passes will be issued that will provide access to the rest of Kettler Capitals Iceplex. All fans in attendance, including those with Blue Rink passes, will have the opportunity to watch the unveiling on closed-circuit television via a 19-by-26-foot video screen, see the jersey in person after the unveiling and participate in all of the Draft Day Party activities.



Doors will open for the event at 5:30 p.m. Fans are asked to be seated by 6:30 p.m. with the uniform unveiling beginning at approximately 6:40 p.m.

So can I scalp my two free passes?????

Speechless...

So I decide to take a break from reading the research on the paper I have due for class on Monday night and in a sheer fit of boredom I end up in Darwin's Waiting Room.

Turns out that less than a month w/o the Caps to complain about they jump all over an On Frozen Blog Post throwing out the idea that Ice Girls will be added as a part of the "Change is Coming" Campaign.

They must either be really, really bored already or just downright stupid (take a guess as to which one I think) because they've already gotten to four pages and only one of them has the requisite reading comprehension skills to realize that it is simply a proposal from the guys at OFB and not an official announcement from the Caps.

I've already weighed in with my thoughts on this issue but J.P. gives me the impression that there is some kind of inside information out there that this is a done a deal and Ice Girls are on the way.

If that is truly the case, then I'll have to put Photoshop on my shopping list and take a crash course in the software...

That's Nice

But I still won't attend.

First of all, nothing against the Caps or the much ballyhooed "reversion" to Red, White, and Blue but draft day parties are boring. Boring beyond belief if you ask me.

Kudos to the Caps to doing the new uniform unveiling there and of course it would make sense that they would want to put the new draft pick in the new threads.

But working my way through Arlington Friday night rush hour traffic to get the "up close and personal" look at the new jerseys? No thanks. I'll just go with what gets "leaked" to the press ahead of time.