If you don't follow Ted Leonsis, you should. Ted owns the Washington Capitals, and, if his character is really in what he writes, is one of the game's true gentlemen. Ted's blog is updated often, and is always a pleasure to read, mostly because he's not ashamed to let his love of the game, or the Caps, show through. But you won't find a negative word or personal attack on anyone or any team. He doesn't write that way. Leonsis understands that even if you are not a Caps fan, you are still a fan of the game, and what a magnificent game it is when fans can engage in a bit of competition along with their teams. As a long time, old time, Flyers fan, this all makes for an interesting week as the Flyers and Caps square off in a first round playoff matchup.
Ted's all over it of course. And with usual insight, he quickly cuts to the nature of Flyers hockey, or at least how it's presented and marketed: "Orange!!!!!!!!!!; show fight clips; Vengeance is ours!; show fight clips; Orange!!!;— show fight clips; make fun of Caps fans; show old fight clips; Orange!!; show more fight clips; Orange!; show greatest hits clips; show fight clips.Orange! Show fight clips.Vengeance is ours!; show more fight clips." Sad that this hasn't changed since 1973. The Flyers, or at least their front office, still want to be the Broad Street Bullies. The more distant they get from that legacy, the more they seem to embrace it. Fortunately they've moved past it on the ice. Mike Richards showed us that last night, and to someone like Ted Leonsis, well, that's gotta hurt. Richards scored on a penalty shot, and the Flyers are up 2-1 in the series. They'll win, I hope, but here's one case where it would be nice to see both teams earn the prize. If for nothing else, just to read what my fellow hockey fan Leonsis would write about it.
Go Flyers! And much respect to the Caps.
