, Atlanta Thrashers, Bruce Boudreau, Comcast SportsNet, Florida Panthers, Joe Beninati, Philadelphia Flyers, Stanley Cup Playoffs| Permalink| Comments (7)

How to Watch the Playoffs Without Going Into Labor

By DC Sports Chick
Saturday, April 12, 2008

I obviously didn’t plan the timing of this pregnancy well, since I now find myself watching the Caps’ playoff run from the comfort of my couch instead of being at the Verizon Center. When you’re 9 months pregnant and less than a month away from giving birth (in total, it actually works out to 40 weeks, or 10 months), and you can’t fit into the seats anymore, it’s time to stay at home. Dear husband Chanuck is at the arena, so it’s just me, the remote, and the Internet. The one key item I’m missing is beer, of course. Don’t talk to me about non-alcoholic beers; they’re pointless. Let’s hope the Caps win so I won’t be wishing I had one.

7:10- Here we go! Can’t get enough of that sea of red. Glad to hear the “Flyers suck” chant is going already.

7:14- How ironic that Brashear gets the first goal against his former team.

7:23- Lousy Vinny Prospal. I hope the Caps shove it up his posterior.

7:29- Here’s the Flyers’ statistically impressive power play. Deep breathing exercises commence: hee-hee-hoo, hee-hee-hoo.

7:36- The GEICO ad with the dancing caveman is actually kind of entertaining- then again, I’m a fan of jazz hands. The Bruno Cipriani ad, however, is not. I think it would be greatly improved if Giuliana or Joe B. used jazz hands.

7:43- End of the 1st period. What’s with the two guys in the crowd wearing Rangers jerseys? They’re clearly confused- why, the Rangers aren’t playing here tonight!

8:05- Joe B. is ridiculing a fan for “scarfing down a little snack” and not sharing his chicken fingers. That guy must be pregnant too.

8:06- Excellent goal by Steckel! That’s a great way to come back from a broken finger.

8:17- Briere is going to sit in the box and feel shame. There is some justice in the world after all.

8:22- So much for that justice- the Magical Spearing Midget (MSM) scores a goal.

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Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Dave Steckel, Donald Brashear, Joe Beninati, Mike Green, Philadelphia Flyers, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (11)

Caps / Pens Rewind

By The OFB Team
Saturday, March 8, 2008

It looks like the league is really trying to promote Sunday’s Caps/Pens game televised nationally on NBC. The communications department of the NHL alerted us to a special recap video of the January 21st Caps/Pens game that saw two friends and fellow countrymen score two goals and assist each. Ovechkin and Malkin were the first and second stars, respectively, in a game that saw the Caps beat the Pens in a 6-5 shootout.

We’re not trying to look past today’s game versus Boston (and the players better not) but we wanted to share the video with you which contains radio highlights from both teams and parts of the Versus broadcast with our very own Joe Beninati.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rFAR0pyAxQ

Speaking of the NHL on NBC, Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a preview of OvechKam. NBC will have live cameras following both Ovechkin and Crosby through their shifts. The rub lies in that you’ll only be able to view those camera angles online.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3342KMeidkc

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Joe Beninati, NBC, National Hockey League, Pittsburgh Penguins, Versus, Video Clips, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

Leafs TV? How About Caps’ TV?

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Cup'pa JoeApprised of Comcast’s commitment to the Caps this week, I turned on Comcast SportsNet the moment I arrived home from work Monday night, and left it there. What I watched over the next four hours stunned me.

I saw new Comcast Caps’ beat reporter Lisa Hillary studio host a season preview alongside Joe Reekie. I saw just about all of Alexander Ovechkin’s first-ever NHL game (I’d forgotten that he was a flubbed breakaway from a hat trick that night). Then I saw JoeB and Craig host another studio half hour, “Caps Speak,” for another team preview. Promos for Comcast’s “SportsNight” that followed promised even more Caps’ coverage.

It was “Monday Night Hockey in Washington,” of course.

Head Coach Glen Hanlon was interviewed in depth by Hillary. GMGM was thoughtfully interviewed, at length, and he provided his customary thoughtful replies. Key personnel — Chris Clark, Olie Kolzig, Tom Poti, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Nylander — all took turns before Comcast’s cameras. Tarik El Bashir’s segment with Joe and Craig I thought was a highlight of the entire night. (Tarik, true to form, offered a sober and fair assessment amid the rampant optimism engulfing the organization early this autumn. The Caps, he said, could finish anywhere “from sixth to tenth” in the Eastern conference.)

Broadcast Buzz about pro hockey in D.C. these days? Umm, yes — only if you regard all-consuming, single-topic devotion by the local sports television outlet to the city’s red-headed stepchild of pro teams “buzz”-indicating. Apparently it’s going to be like this the remainder of the week each evening on Comcast.

At one point during the prime time proceedings I saw Joe and Craig flash on the screen multiple-screen listings of Caps’ prospects. I saw the names Michal Neuvirth, Simeon Varlamov, Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, Mathieu Perreault, Francois Bouchard, Dave Steckel, and Chris Bourque, all broadcast on an outlet that never in its life held an office fantasy hockey pool. Briefly, it was like a breakout from hockeysfuture, and two DraftGeeks renting out the Comcast studio and making like Wayne and Garth on local cable access.

Wayne, er, JoeB: “Look at all this talent in the pipeline, Dude!”

Garth, er, Craig (head cocked): “Excellent!”

This is what importing one Canuck can do to an outlet!

More seriously, Hillary was hired to bring her NHL coverage experience to Comcast. The in-house hockey talent was significant, if under-appreciated and grossly under-utilized, but had the outlet ever boasted a dedicated reporter on the beat? Next I’m going to allege that coverage decisions like Comcast’s for this week haven’t occurred in a vacuum, and that they’re a harbinger of better coverage to come, print and broadcast, traditional and alternative. To an extent, it’s fashionable, of course: the Caps may not make it to the postseason this year, but they will not be dull.

But of course I’m a subscriber to the theory that a media revolution for this team and its sport is well underway these days, in these parts.

I’m also, at week’s end, when this trial run on Comcast terminates, planning on becoming a subscriber to CapsTV.

Filed in Chris Bourque, Comcast SportsNet, Craig Laughlin, Francois Bouchard, George McPhee, Glen Hanlon, Joe Beninati, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Lisa Hillary, Mathieu Perreault, Media, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Simeon Varlamov, TV, Tarik El-Bashir, Training Camp, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (7)

Party at the Phone Booth

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)
Friday, March 9, 2007

OFB attended the Capitals’ Meet the Team Party on Wednesday. Here’s a review, knee-jerk style:

  • Sparse attendance, maybe half as many people as last year’s. The weather is partly to blame  people in DC react to snow flurries as if it were a nuclear winter (duck and cover!). But hosting the event late in the season for the first time was an odd choice by the team. Then consider the recent trades and the Caps’ precipitous drop in competitiveness, and I understand why some fans chose to stay home.
  • Despite the low turnout, plenty of star-struck children still excitedly queued up to meet their favorite players. So in that regard the event was a definite success.
  • The autograph lines were lengthy but not outrageous; in fact, the lines for free hot dogs & sodas seemed as long as most autograph lines. Olie Kolzig was personable as usual (which I’m sure slowed his line a bit, but no complaints) and seemed in good spirits.
  • Matt Pettinger is wearing a clear cast/brace on his broken finger, which did not make autograph-signing much fun for him.
  • Freddie Cassivi’s name is now above Olie’s usual locker, with the understanding that Olie will reclaim it when he returns to the roster. Olie skated this week for the first time since the MCL tear, albeit in sweatpants rather than goalie pads, so the team assigned him a temporary locker until he’s off the IR.
  • At 8:15 PM, the lights dimmed and Joe Beninati took the stage. He gave a brief speech thanking the fans, then introduced each player in numerical order. When he jumped directly from #8 to #10, it felt like he forgot someone… the gap in number sequence mirrored the hole in the lineup left by Zubrus’ departure. This observation is not meant as an indictment of the trade, but rather as the gut reaction of a Caps’ fan grown accustomed to seeing #9 in a Capitals sweater.
  • Ted Leonsis was not in attendance due to numerous prior commitments (see Ted’s blog for details). They did not screen the video he mentions on his blog  not sure why. [admin edit: check the comments for the explanation from Ted why the video was not shown. Many thanks to Ted for the update.]
  • Anyone who towers over Kolzig is tall. Welcome to DC, Jeff Schultz.
  • The final Cap to take the stage  #87, Donald Brashear  hammed it up, sashaying down the stage and doing a spin-turn at the edge of the stage to great applause.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eraQoYwEBx4

    Terrific moment; perhaps a tip of the hat to the classic Slap Shot fashion show scene? That would be appropriate for the Capital closest to being a Hanson Brother.

  • Chris Clark stepped up to give a brief speech. A few words in, he paused… “I have to remove my teeth, I’m not used to talking with them in yet.” So he popped his recently-installed false teeth into his hand and continued his speech. High comedy.

An enjoyable evening, though the energy level was admittedly lower than prior seasons’. The Capitals displayed a real stand-up quality by making the entirety of the organization accessibile during a rough time and on the heels of a dispiriting bit of roster upheaval.

Memo to the team: move the party to preseason (or October) next season  and sign a few key free agents to fill out the roster  and next year’s Meet the Caps party will be a hot ticket.

Capital Lineup
Filed in Chris Clark, Donald Brashear, Hockey, Joe Beninati, Olaf Kolzig, Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (4)

A View from the Press Box

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki)
Sunday, January 21, 2007

Press Box ViewLast week I journeyed to the top of the Phone Booth to cover the Caps/Flyers game for Off Wing Opinion, where you’ll find my game coverage from that night. What follows here is a glimpse into my experiences in the press box, locker room, and the concrete-and-steel maze that is the Capitals’ home.

After entering the arena and wandering through the bowels of Verizon Center, I did as all good journalists do and made my way to the free food. They served a decent pasta and chicken parm that night, and I proceeded to wash it down with copious amounts of Diet Coke. I introduced myself to Nate Ewell, Capitals’ Director of Media Relations, who kindly offered to show me up to the press box.

I settled in an assigned seat in the press box alongside many of the Philadelphia media. I fired up the laptop after getting some free popcorn and coffee — by this point there may have been more caffiene in my veins than blood — and took a look around at the spartan but functional surroundings. The television and radio staff have separate rooms, but the rest of the media are practically in the crowd.

I walked over to meet Capitals’ Senior Writer Mike Vogel. We chatted hockey for a bit, including his upcoming Caps road trip TravelBlog (the timing of the trip would, sadly, prevent him from watching Hockey Day in Canada).

As I settled back into my seat I was struck by how tiny the players looked: even the numbers are sometimes hard to see from that Eagle’s Nest-esque height, which leaves me all the more impressed with Joe Beninati’s ability to do play-by-play. I was struggling to type pithy observations while tracking the action; Joe B calling the game on live television is something else entirely.

The puck dropped and the action started immediately — Ben Clymer scored fifteen seconds into the game — so I was typing furiously from the very start. You have to fold the laptop screen almost flat to avoid obscuring the ice, which meant I was typing blind… after the first few horrendous misspellings I settled on a combination of ad-libbed shorthand and player numbers.

I was not about to attempt typing “Afanasenkov” again until I was in the comfort of my own home, with a frosty beverage to soothe my cramped fingers.

As the blowout became a foregone conclusion (6-2 win), my neighbors in the press box and I started various sidebar conversations, like whether Brashear could get the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, and fight). After all, a tough-guy like Brashear getting that goal is like a baseball player nailing a triple in his first at-bat — hitting for the cycle has to cross your mind once the toughest part is out of the way, as the GHHT crossed ours after Brashear’s fluky tally.

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Filed in Blogs, Dan Steinberg, Joe Beninati, Media, Mike Vogel, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (10)

Morning cup-a-joe (1/15/07)

By pucksandbooks
Monday, January 15, 2007

cupajoe.jpegReadying myself for the office this federal holiday morning, my quasi-consciousness ran through its customary inventory of what was potentially significant about the day’s agenda. Firstly, was there a hockey game to watch this evening? That of course means, first and foremost, is there a Caps’ game? This morning’s answer was no, and this precipitated a comparison with the King holiday of a year ago. Then, too, I worked it, except that that day featured the novelty of an uber-rare happy hour broadcast of a Caps’ game. The Phoenix Coyotes were hosting the Caps in a desert matinee then, and for those of us puckheads working in the East, that meant out the office door at four and into earlier-than-usual R&R.

My season ticket holder friends Mike and Marleen, who were not working that day, hosted a game-watch dinner for it at their Capitol Hill home. My next recollection of a year ago in the pre-joe Monday morning darkness today was of the tripple-espresso jolting variety: The Goal!

Happy Stars-and-Planets-Alignment-Altering Anniversary, Ovie!

By the third period of last year’s game with Phoenix Mike and Marleen and I may have had more than the customary number of puck sodas typically associated with a Monday evening game-watch. But whatever level of spirits-fog had settled in upon us, it wasn’t sufficient enough to dull our receptors for, and reactions to, the once-in-a-generation, perhaps never again burst of virtuosity authored by number 8. Seated next to Michael on his couch, I didn’t need a replay to recognize instantly the holiday history that had presented itself to us.

I remember staring transfixed at the screen in the seconds before Comcast’s initial replay, JoeB’s Al-Michaels-like, perfectly pitched real-time narration (”Simply Sensational!“) alive in my ears, my jaw slacked, and reaching my right hand into Michael’s chest to grab a fistful of shirt as I beer-screamed my disbelief.

And I remember alleging this to the assembly, none of whom at the time would second the sentiment: “It’s one of the greatest scores in hockey history.”

I remember leaving Capitol Hill that evening and on the Metro ride home being anxious to chronicle the larger media’s reaction to the feat. Sure enough, ESPN was all over it. But it was the Internet that played a lead role in not only airing the replay footage around the globe in an instant but through its message board and bloggers’ enthusiasms being a driving force in the goal’s ascension into the realm of a Where-Were-You-When moment. The Caps’ site, which had the replay up virtually instantly, received something like 50,000 hits on it in the following 24 hours.

Predictably, the print media lagged behind in acknowledging the enormity of the event. Tuesday’s Washington Post mentioned it in the body of Tarik’s game file. But by Wednesday even The Post couldn’t ignore the impact cyberspace was having. At the very top of Wednesday’s Sports section, Thomas Heath’s file was titled ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World.’ A still-frame color montage of it ran immediately beneath.

A federal-minded question for this federal holiday: should the Caps reach out to the U.S. Postal Service and initiate a dialogue about getting a stamp commissioned to honor The Goal? (I think so.) Somebody high up in the Postal Service, after all, is home today with plans on watching hockey.

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Blogs, Comcast SportsNet, Internet, Joe Beninati, Media, Morning cup-a-joe, Phoenix Coyotes, Print, Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Capitals, Washington Post Express| Permalink| Comments (3)