(An Open Letter to the Owner)
Mr. Leonsis,
I saw you briefly in the victorious locker room at Verizon Center last night, so I know that you saw and heard what I did when the in-game entertainment crew shared with the Red Army footage of John Carlson’s gold-medal-winning goal for the United States from Tuesday night. It was a warm moment to be sure, and the video acknowledgement I thought was poignant, but I wonder, since you’ve made a marvelous and regular habit of honoring authentic American heroes at your hockey games, by bringing them to the games, would you consider organizing an acknowledgement for a hockey hero who now belongs to all of HockeyWashington — John Carlson?
Dim the arena lights one night, have Carlson walk out to a center ice spotlight of Red, White, and Blue, with his new gold medal hanging around his neck, and let us see how this hockey town reacts to the moment.
We’ve never had such a spectacle in this town, not at a hockey game. I submit that John Carlson is a national sports hero, one who will soon call Washington home.
Carlson of course would have to be comfortable with submitting to such a brief hero’s welcome, but I know for a fact that John Walton would drive him down from Hershey for the evening. Additonally, I’d ask that Bob McDonald sing our national anthem immediately following the acknowledgment.
The Hershey Bears of course are busy each and every weekend, so we’d need to try and pull this off before a weeknight home game. Let’s do it!
And invite President Obama, too.
Respectfully,
p&b
10 Comments
Alternative idea: bring him up as a player for a game and let him skate with the team. Got to be at least one game we think have a lock on. Begin the night by having him skate out for the start by himself (maybe with the team holding their sticks up in an arch?). Just saying.
I’m all for it!! That game was HUGE for hockey in the United States! Not only that, but it brings positive publicity to our organization which is ALWAYS a plus in my book.
@Snowman: I like your idea too, btw. That would work best if he gets called up though. Unfortunately, there really isn’t a game any team has a lock on. That’s the beauty of hockey – If a team gives a solid effort for 60 minutes, any team has a chance of winning. Underestimating your opponent only leaves you ill-prepared for battle.
Pucks, No Fair! A weeknight? It’s too far for those of us in Hershey to make the trek for such an affair without calling in sick (and believe me, many of us would!)! In comparing the 2 schedules – Sunday, April 11th would be perfect.
1) The Bears are off that day, but play in Norfolk on Saturday the 10th – so a busload of Bears (including Carlson) could pull in on the way back to Hershey.
2) The game is in the running for the “NBC game of the week” spot – and this would make for great television (as honoring heroes usually does)!
3) It’d be a perfect end to regular season play for both teams – and serve as a “pep-rally” for Playoffs.
Katie,
The only weakness I see in your proposal — commendably constructed in its foresight — is that it’s too far removed from the feat. JC I think deserves a more immediate acknowledgement.
He absolutely deserves more immediate recognition – but after reading Walton’s account of the Media frenzy in Winnipeg – he doesn’t seem to have a lot of spare time in the immediate future anyways.
It would still be an amazing regular season wrap up!
Great idea! Leonsis is a marketing guy, let’s hope he goes for it.
A fabulous idea!! I agree that April is a little too far removed from the event to be proper. If John can’t get him to Washington, I’m sure that you would have many volunteers to get him there. I may have to take off work and make the trip down if this happens and it is a weekend. I don’t think I would even hesitate making the decision.
In a related story I was listening to the Hershey game last night in Manitoba. It came down to the ever unpopular shootout to decide the game. Carlson came out in round 6 (if memory serves). The response from the Canadian crowd was unmistakable. It was the loudest chorus of BOOOs that had been heard to that point by far. You can be sure that the Canadian hockey fans will remember him for many years to come.
How ’bout having it in Hershey?!
I know, I know.. it isn’t as big of a deal as being in the Verizon Center being honored, but he’s played most of his games at the Giant Center. Hershey is home to him, for now.
You don’t need to worry about having a lock on the game to call Carlson up. This kid is the best defenseman I have seen come through Hershey. Given his age he has an incredible head for the game.
How about having him recreate it in OT in the Stanley Cup finals?
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