Capital Spirit

As of this writing, we are little more than three weeks away from the first preseason game of the Capitals’ ‘09-’10 season. And yet, for spiritual reasons, I have to wonder if the season is already over before it has even begun. It’s very difficult for me to write that, but please read me out on this. I know I won’t win any friends by writing any of this, but somebody has got to say this. And I cannot, and will not, remain silent while the spiritual foundation of our season is in danger.

Now, what does all that mean in English? To explain, I need to go over some events of the summer, as best I’ve been able to piece them together. Some of the history is admittedly sketchy, as there are parts of this which I either did not see at the time, or which I currently have no idea where to find.

The Summer of Discontent began even before the final game was over. Being on the wrong end of a 6-2 clunker, at home, in Game 7, against the Pittsburgh Penguins–they of zero PIMs fame–was too much, and a lot of fans, myself included, took that loss hard. Worse, we watched the Penguins go on to win the whole kit-caboodle. If that’s not enough to wreck a summer in Washington, nothing is. So there were a lot of raw emotions among the fans, and some of the discussions on the Caps Message Boards were getting very, very testy.

Even worse, the boards were getting trolled by Penguins fans, who were needling the regulars with seeming impunity. At the same time, some of the regular Caps fans were being disciplined–sometimes with very little explanation of why they were in trouble. The perception, real or imagined, took hold that Penguins trolls were being given the run of the place while regular Caps fans were getting in trouble. Chaos ensued, and it got so out of hand that the off-topic side of the forums was shut down. That set off a near revolt, with several off-topic threads being posted on the main forum. Threads were being deleted, users were being banned, and the entire system was shut down over the 4th of July weekend. The public message may very well have been, Enjoy the holiday weekend, but the subtext seemed plain enough: the entire forum was, essentially, being placed in time-out. Around this time, an unofficial board was created, and members began migrating.

Now, here’s where it admittedly gets a little sketchy, because the only information I have on the unofficial boards right now is secondhand via a source I trust. I don’t know where the unofficial boards are right now, and frankly, I’ve no interest in going there at this time. But my source has offered to give me the URL if I so request. And I may yet take them up on that.

Now, from what I understand, relations between Caps management and a couple of long-time fans got a bit strained. Apparently, one person was told by team management that their employer would be alerted about their abuse of the Caps Message Boards on company time, while another was contacted on their cell phone after posting something that evidently didn’t sit well with team management. That apparently has gotten a lot of keys clacking on the unofficial boards–deservedly so, if that’s true, but more on that further down.

As for the members there, one of the rites of passage on those boards, evidently, is to get yourself banned from the official message boards, although some have not burned that particular bridge just yet. Apparently, those of us who aren’t in the club seem to be viewed with extreme contempt. I’m also told by my source that there’s even some gossip and backbiting going on, although I admittedly have no names on either side at this time: that information has not yet been given to me.

On the ice, everything seems fine: Knuble and B-Mo have been brought in to take the places of Feds and Kozlov; Milan Jurcina’s arbitration was evidently cordial all around, and his new contract isn’t a cap-buster; and most of the returning players from last year’s squad are itching to prove something to the hockey world.

But will any of it matter if the spiritual dimensions of the team are being ignored? I have said before that thoughts, words, and actions affect the greater reality. If that is indeed true, then a discordant fan base can be part of the reason a team does not succeed.

Now, if what I’ve heard of management’s actions are indeed true, that cannot help the team, spiritually, in the long run. Given the raging emotions of a summer of discontent, it would have been ill-advised to alienate long-time fans. Even the appearance of heavy-handedness should have been avoided, if only to avoid staving off a potential fan revolt. If what I’ve been told is true, I must respectfully submit that management has, at best, misread the mood of the fans, and at worst, has overplayed its hand.

This is arguably not the right way to build a united fan base to provide the team with moral and spiritual support. Factionalizing the fan base, I must respectfully submit, is spiritually self-defeating. Last summer, my reading on the fan base spoke of fans who are ready to believe the worst. Given that the Caps’ season ended in the most nightmarish way possible, those fears may have been well-founded. And now, with the season nigh upon us, some fans are in open revolt. That may very well add spiritual obstacles to the Caps’ Stanley Cup dreams. Now, while I don’t think it entirely impossible for the Caps to win the Stanley Cup with a fractured fan base, I must wonder in print if that’s true, or merely wishful thinking on my part. I shudder to consider the latter.

But less than optimal fan management by the team does not, in any way, excuse the behavior of some fans. I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice, and I’m going to say it a third time: Caps fans, we will not be much help for our team if we’re too busy tearing each other apart. It’s just not possible. We cannot unite for our team’s common good if all we’re in it for is a personal high score on internet debating points. And if we allow ourselves to be rent asunder by our egos and individual pride, then we will have nothing of worth to contribute to our team.

Again, I do not believe it impossible for the Caps to win the Stanley Cup if we fans keep on expecting the worst; doubting management’s intentions; denigrating our players beyond reason; and being so uncivilized amongst ourselves. But it cannot make the going any easier. When an entire forum is scrapped on the official boards, that does not speak at all well of our interpersonal interactions.

I’m no saint in this regard. Fine. You all have me dead to rights on that one. But I’d sooner aim for the stars, and miss, than aim for the gutter, and hit.

We all–me included–must do a better job loving our team, loving our players, and loving our fellow Caps fans. We have to get behind our team as one.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.”–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NRSV

We can’t keep doing this, Caps fans. We cannot keep complaining, second-guessing, and infighting. That’s not how fans of a championship team act. Yes, it is proper to point out mistakes, but we all–me included–do it too much, too often. We have to be able to look past our own interests, and to the greater good of our team, and our community.

We have to be the threefold cord that helps pull our team to victory. We can’t continue to be just a bunch of loose strings tied all over the place, pulling in all different directions. As a threefold cord, I believe we could, spiritually, help our team win it all. But if we continue to be just a bunch of loose strings…frayed knot.

The train is about to leave the station for the ‘09-’10 season. I hope we all can get on board, as one, and enjoy the ride. And yet, I doubt it will happen. I’m sure some will choose to stand on the platform and get left behind, and there may be others who try to jump in front and get themselves run over.

But let me put it this way. What, exactly, would it cost us to be full-throated supporters, win or lose, of our team? What, exactly, would we have to sacrifice to get on board this train? Would it be anything other than pride and ego? And, really…how’s that whole incessant negativity thing working out for us so far, anyway?

We can do better, we must do better, and this is the third time I’m having to say it with a four-figure word count. Frankly, I expect this to be about as effective as the other two times. But I cannot, in good conscience, see our fan base breaking apart, and say nothing.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
5 OF CUPS

It’s been noted in several other places that Caps goaltender Jose Theodore’s two-month-old son has passed away.

The death of a child is a tragedy; the death of a newborn is crushing. My sincerest condolences to Jose and his family.

Some passages to consider:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
–Mary Elizabeth Frye

Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.–Ecc 7:3, NRSV

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
–Alfred, Lord Tennyson

One sunny morning, we’ll rise I know,
And I’ll meet you further on up the road.
–Bruce Springsteen

Even such is Time, which takes in trust
Our youth, and joys, and all we have;
And pays us but with age and dust,
Which, in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days:
And from which earth and grave and dust
The Lord shall raise me up, I trust.
–Sir Walter Raleigh

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away.
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day.
–Mike Oldfield

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.–Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-3, NRSV

Would you know my name,
If I saw you in Heaven?
Would it be the same,
If I saw you in Heaven?
I must be strong,
And carry on,
‘Cause I know I don’t belong
Here in Heaven.
–Eric Clapton

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”–Rev 21:3-4a, NRSV

It’s difficult to know where to begin when contemplating the loss of someone who had just begun to live. The question is “Why?”, and there are both too many answers, and none at all.

Consider first the passage from Ecclesiastes. “By the sadness of countenance, the heart is made glad.” I have seen that in action in my own life, and I can say firsthand that it’s true enough to be nearly a law of nature. There have been times in my life where I’ve lost friends and loved ones, and tried to act like I was too composed to mourn. That has always–every single time–ended up making the process more complicated. So go on and cry–in a cruel world, facing a tragic loss, genuine sorrow is nearly always what’s best for the heart.

Let’s turn now to Tennyson. The key part here is this: “And may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark.” Tennyson knew that death was not the end of life, but only part of a much longer journey. What waits beyond the harbor of life, he doesn’t know. He does know, however, that it’s time to set sail upon waters unknown. But he has one last hope: “I hope to see my Pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar.” Once past the bar, and out to sea, he hopes to see the face of God. And so he tells those back on the shore not to be sad at his departure: even though he’s not sure what’s out past the bar, he does trust his Pilot. And he does know that his journey isn’t over yet.

Which brings me to Mary Elizabeth Frye. “Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I do not die.” Yes, it is certainly true that a sad face is good for the heart. While it is good to cry, the point here is not to stand at the grave and cry, for it means you’ve stopped there, and intend to stay there. Those we’ve lost, are always with us. There’s no need to stay in one place, mourning. Instead, look around. The softly falling snow, the starshine of the night, the flowers that bloom, all of these can remind us of the loved ones we’ve lost–and will, one day, see again. We don’t have to stay in one place and cry.

And this is where Eric Clapton comes in. “I must be strong, and carry on, ’cause I know I don’t belong here in Heaven.” The passing of a loved one gets us all to contemplate, however briefly, our own eternal fates. For a few moments, we all stand, metaphorically, at the gates of Heaven to wish our loved ones farewell. But we can’t stay there. We don’t belong. Our time has not come yet. Heaven, for us, is, as Mike Oldfield has it, far away. And yet we still pray to see them again, in Heaven, one day. Until then, we can rest assured, as The Wisdom of Solomon has it, that their souls are in the hands of God; no torment shall touch them; and that they are, indeed, at peace.

But it still isn’t easy for those of us who must live on. For not only do we get a short glimpse of Heaven in the passing of a loved one, but we’re also forced to confront our own impermanence. Sir Walter Raleigh put it well: time takes away our youth and our joys, and gives us back age and dust. Still, “from which earth and grave and dust/the Lord shall raise me up, I trust.” And here is where we consider Bruce Springsteen: “One sunny morning, we’ll rise, I know, and I’ll meet you further on up the road.” Our own time will come one day, and most of us will leave loved ones behind on Earth as well. And yet, that will be our time to go further on up the road, and be reunited with those we’ve loved, who have gone before.

For now, though, living on is our responsibility. But it is so hard, isn’t it? They don’t call this place an earthly vale of tears for nothing. And when we lose someone we love, who has only just begun to live, our tears run greater still. On Earth, we may never know why we’ve loved, and lost, one who was so young. But we will know why, once we meet them further on up the road. Until then, we can take comfort in knowing that our loved ones are with their loving Heavenly Father. For “God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Those we’re separated from–in truth, for but a hairsbreadth of eternity–are safe in God’s arms. And one day, we will meet them further on up the road.

Jose, you have my sincerest condolences. My prayer for you is that God and His angels will comfort your entire family in the days, weeks, and months to come. Be comforted; be strengthened; and be blessed.

With deepest sympathies,
Capital Spirit

I’ve been noticing, in some quarters of the online Caps community, some notes of dismissal regarding fans who don’t go back past the lockout. The perception by some of the long-time fans comes across, at least to this particular Johnny-come-lately, as “Oh, you’re recent, so you don’t count.”

With regard to my own individual situation, I only moved to the Washington area during the lockout year. I also discovered that I missed hockey–even though I hadn’t really followed the sport that much prior to my arrival in the District. I was a basketball and baseball fan, and conversant in football. Hockey was barely on my radar, and you can blame my environment for that. Baltimore was not really a hockey town.

So my birthday present to myself after the lockout was my first Caps game–October 16, 2005, against Tampa Bay. The announced attendance for that game was 10,001, and the number of fannies in the seats was much less. Still, by the end of that night, I knew I’d just found a team to be a fan of. I had a full plan by the end of that year–no sales pitch required. I just went to one of the sales tables and said, “Sign me up.” I just knew, at a soul level–this was my team, win or lose. And there was a lot of losing in the ‘05 and ‘06 seasons. I was there for most of the home slate in ‘05, and all of it in ‘06–win, lose, overtime, or shootout. This was my place–I’d found something bigger than myself to be a part of.

Speaking only for myself, I have to dispute the perception in some quarters that post-lockout fans are somehow less than genuine. Now, I will concede that fans like winning teams, and the Caps are the only team in town right now with any realistic chance at a championship. The conventional wisdom cynicism is that if the Caps start losing again, we’ll be back to a half-empty Verizon Center. Maybe I’m just a natural optimist, but I think it will be a very long time before we ever have a chance to test that proposition. This Caps team is very likely going to be very good for a very long time.

What, then, to say of recent converts to the sport and the Caps? In my case, I was not a Caps fan until recently for mostly geographic reasons. And I don’t think I’m the only fan that applies to. Washington isn’t exactly a shrinking market last I heard. Some new residents of the DC metroplex may also be new to the sport, and looking for a team to root for. Yes, some may be coming aboard because the team is winning–I won’t argue that. But I think that some of the new fans aren’t necessarily as fair-weather as some of the long-timers would believe.

The Caps may never be more popular than the Redskins: Washington is, and always will be, a Redskins town…right? We’ll see how that holds up in a few years. A couple of Stanley Cups at the Phone Booth while the burgundy and gold continue to struggle–if that happens–may give that canard a run for its money. Still, the ‘Skins have a waiting list that’s a million miles long, and they haven’t even played in an NFC title game since they won the Super Bowl in 1992. Heck, they’ve only made the playoffs three times since 1992. Credit where it’s due: it does speak very highly of Redskins fans when the team has box office success that almost seems inversely proportional to its on-field success. That’s dedication.

Can the Caps do that? We won’t be able to answer that question definitively for a few years, but I think the ingredients may be there. Consider: the Caps have never had a waiting list for season tickets before, ever. And if I could travel back in time to 2006 and tell Caps Nation, “Hey! Better get your Caps season tickets now, before you have to get on a waiting list!”, I don’t know what would have gotten more laughs–the message, or the outfit.

Admittedly, I haven’t been a Caps fan since Day One. But that’s a good thing–I don’t remember that historically awful inaugural season.

No, I wasn’t there for Craig Laughlin’s three game-winning goals in the ‘84 playoffs. But I also wasn’t there to see the Caps lose four straight to the Islanders.

No, I wasn’t there in ‘86 when we finally kicked the Islanders to the curb in three straight. But I also wasn’t there to see us lose four games to the Rangers by an aggregate five goals–two of those games in overtime. I don’t remember the heartbreak.

No, I wasn’t there in ‘87 to see our season end in the 4th overtime of Game 7. Just as well, I say–seeing a season end like that would make me a bitter fan, too.

And no, I wasn’t there in ‘92 when Jagr put the dagger in our season in another Game 7. To the good, I say–last year’s playoffs thereby don’t seem like deja vu all over again.

No, I wasn’t a Caps fan when the Rangers rolled past us in ‘94–and I was actually happy for the Rangers when they won it all. Nor have I allowed that goodwill to be erased by my new allegiance: I was an outsider, the Rangers’ Cup was special, and I will always see it that way.

No, I wasn’t there in ‘98 when we got to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. (Note well that I say “first time,” not “only time in our history.”) And while I admittedly don’t have any personal connection to that first conference championship, I also am removed from the agony of seeing us get swept out of the Stanley Cup Finals.

No, I wasn’t there for a lot of special moments in Capitals history. But I also wasn’t there for some of the many, many painful moments this team has suffered through the years. So I don’t know the Capitals to be a losing team.

What I know of the Caps is Alex Ovechkin, winner so far of the Calder, Hart (twice), Pearson (twice), Richard (twice), and Ross trophies. I believe, check that, I know, that he will one day add a Smythe to that trophy case of his.

What I know of the Caps is a team that has slowly built itself the right way. With mistakes, true, but always with an eye on long-term victory over instant gratification.

What I know of the Caps is a never-say-die hockey club that, with new blood behind the bench, went from an afterthought to a division championship, all in one season.

What I know of the Caps is a team that made “Don’t Stop Believin’” cool again.

What I know of the Caps is a team of promise, not despair; a team with aspirations of victory, not regrets of defeat; a team of the future, not the past.

I don’t look back and curse the heartbreak of seasons past. I look forward to a future that I know will see the Stanley Cup coming to Washington, more than once.

Kool-Aid? Rose-colored glasses? Alternate-colored sky? Foolish optimism? Say what you want, but I know our best days lie ahead of us. Because they certainly can’t be behind us.

And I think there are a lot of new fans who are in the same boat–new to the team, or perhaps the game, and thrilled to see a team on the rise. Perhaps, once the Capitals win the Cup, it will not be the end of the story for us post-lockout greenhorns. We will know a team that was built the right way, and reaped the ultimate reward for it.

That is the sort of thing that may well turn today’s newbies into tomorrow’s lifelong Caps fans. No, the Caps may never have Redskin-esque waiting lists. But I believe we will one day have a fan base that is just as dedicated, just as passionate, and just as committed to this team–win or lose.

No, we rookies weren’t around to see the heartbreak. What I have to wonder going forward is this: will the veterans who were, be around to see the triumph?

CAPITAL SPIRIT
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S MUSING