You Can Wine Me, and You Can Dine Me, but....

So I get an email this fine foggy morning from the team that supposedly contains a "Special Announcement." I figure, ok, I'm game.  I open it up and there it is...this season's schedule!   For my initial reaction to said announcement, please go here and click the play button.

But wait there was more.  Training camp starts on the 13th (that's today, so get out there, those that can and/or want to) which also happens to kick off....CAPITALS FAN APPRECIATION WEEK!  Hubba-whaAAAA???

Week?  Did that really say week?

I swear I had to rub my eyes and read that again.  But yeah, it really said the word "week."  As in seven days.  Seven days.  Insert ominous pause here.

ARE YOU FA--REEKING KIDDING ME?????????

This abomination of a lockout that is supposedly over lasted 113 days. That is well over 16 weeks.  Sixteen weeks of time lost which cannot and will not ever be regained.  And you want to insult our intelligence by trying to fool us into thinking it can all be made up for in the space of a week?  Well, Mr. Theodore John Leonsis, you are going to have to do WAAAAY better than that.

Am I giving you the impression I wasn't feeling the fan appreciation? Good.

I took a minute to calm down and I figured I would read the fine print as it were.  Well the "week" basically consists of a Jan. 17 event at the VC (that's the Verizon Center to you non-Caps hockey folk).  This will be an open practice complete with free food of the diet-ruining mentality.  Also scheduled is a Q & A with "select players," games for the kiddies, plus a meet-and-greet with Caps legends Rod Langway and Peter Bondra.  And there's also the obligatory 20% discount at the Team Store.  Do with that what you will.

The rest of the week consists of a goodwill tour by Slapshot who will be personally giving prizes away in and around the DC area.  There is also a week-long contest at the website for other assorted giveaways including luxury box tickets.  To top it all off, the Capitals will pay for all convenience fees for individual-game tickets purchased through Feb. 13. Take THAT Ticketmaster!

Okay.  Well I had to admit after reading all that it didn't sound too bad....for a first offer.  Come on, Ted.  You're going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that over the course of this season to get back on our collective good side.  If this indeed is your opening salvo then fine, let's see what else you've got.  If not, well, the way this team may be going, you're going to wish you hadn't raised ticket prices last year.  Just saying.