Comments on: Meet the Caps, but Beware the Batwing

By: On Frozen Blog › Caps Party: More Fans, More Flags, More Fun

On Frozen Blog › Caps Party: More Fans, More Flags, More Fun — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:08:53 +0000

[...] Last year’s event set a baseline for Meet the Caps events; this year’s met and exceeded that standard. A hearty thanks to Ted Leonsis and the Caps crew for choosing a venue much more engaging than milling about the Verizon Center — those who wanted autographs still had ample opportunity, yet the rides and games made the night so much more exciting for players and fans alike. [...]

By: hockeypunk

hockeypunk — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:31:02 +0000

Yea, wtf Backstrom? Yankees??? booooo

By: OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)

OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:30:31 +0000

For video of the event, check out the Caps' site: http://capitals.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=811&id=21865

By: katzistan

katzistan — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:46:47 +0000

Yeah, it was ok, and this was my first so nothing to compare it to, but it wasn¬¥t so much a ¬¥party¬¥ as it was an autograph event. There was no central event, like a rally introducing the players or anything. Just a bunch of autograph stations. I met Fedorov, which is cool. But I thought it could have been more creative.

By: odessa steps magazin

odessa steps magazin — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:05:09 +0000

The Caps are in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation.
Hold it in the burbs and city people complain.
Hold it in the city and suburban people complain.
I give them credit for not doing the same old same old.
I missed the Bears’ event due to work again. ironically, there’s is at Giant Center, despite being right next door to Hersheypark. :>

By: Cathy W

Cathy W — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:37 +0000

I don’t quite buy the Verizon Center is too small theory. Do they now really have more full STH than before the lock-out? Yeah, the format that they used last year might not work, but the players used to be at tables that were spread out all over VC – the press box, in Ted’s suite, the locker room, around the concourses, and on the floor of the arena. Is it that VC is really too small (not all STH attend this event) or is the problem the number of people waiting in line on 7th Street to get in for OV’s autograph and they were blocking the entrances to businesses? I know that the Caps don’t have to accommodate me and I am happy for those who went and had a good time. I also give the Caps credit for being creative, but Six Flags only appeals to a certain demographics. This is an event that I looked forward to each year. While I am not an amusement park fan, I considered going, but I didn’t go because I take Metro and the bus service back to the Metro was once an hour (I looked it up when I thought about going), not all that Metro accessible. (I did give my voucher to someone I work with who lives near Six Flags,secretly hoping to get her and her boyfriend interested in the Caps; the Caps fan that I work with did not want to go as their child had school on Friday.) If the Caps don’t hold it at VC next year, then a more Metro accessible location would be greatly appreciated.

By: pepper

pepper — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:45:14 +0000

Nice write up and photos, OC, I was hoping someone would cover the event from a guest’s point of view. Makes me wish I were still living in DC.
I loved the video on the official site where Ovechkin refuses to sign the Wings jersey. Good stuff.
And I second the reaction to Nicky wearing the Yankees’ cap. Brutal. Especially since El Capitan is a Red Sawx fan.

By: zelda

zelda — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:17:37 +0000

It can be tough to get to the Phone Booth, too, so it probably doesn’t matter where they have it. A few years ago I had to try to leave work early, pick up my kid and get to the Verizon Center. By the time we got there, most of the players had stopped signing, and my kid was bereft that she couldn’t get Olie to sign her jersey. Up walks Ted, and my daughter explained her plight as only an 11 year old could. Out from Ted’s pocket came an Olie rookie card, which made her day (and her frazzled mother’s, too.) Ted also signed her jersey, so it was all worthwhile to my daughter. Sorry we missed this event – it would be fun to see the players enjoying the event as much as the fans.

By: OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)

OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:29:34 +0000

@ Flipper, I didn’t get out of work until 6:00 p.m., and it took me over an hour to get to Six Flags. It was still worth it. The problem with weekends is that most amusement parks still operate their normal schedules through early November, whereas a weeknight event meant the park was available. And frankly there are so many season ticketholders now that hosting at the Phone Booth would be more difficult than in the past.
I agree that weekends would be easier for fans, of course; but the Meet the Caps events have usually been on a weeknight anyway, just downtown instead of 16 miles east of downtown.
No doubt that the lack of easy public transportation to Six Flags is unfortunate (though buses run from the Largo metro station to the park). I drove to work on Thursday specifically so we could attend the event, so yeah it was a pain and I had to pay for gas instead of just riding metro, but again, it was worth the effort IMO.

By: Flipper

Flipper — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:55:10 +0000

sorry, but holding it on a weekday at rush hour at a place that is difficult to get to via public transportation was a bad idea. I’m sure they day was fun for those who could attend, but some of us don’t get off work until 5:30. I hope they do something during the year at Verizon Center so more folks can actually make it.