His name does not have the cache or ring to it that George Steinbrenner has.  He is completely the opposite of Al Davis, to say that he actually is in touch with the reality of his sport.  He is far from Jerry Jones, he actually allows his team to be run with a real general manager, and the coach really is the coach.

He doesn’t have championship rings. YET.  He does not have the wisdom beyond his years that a Rooney, any Rooney might have.  He is not despised like some owners are, like Jim Dolan — his multi-sport counterpart of the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks is.  He is certainly more loved in his own backyard, then the owner of the most famous team in his town is. That would be Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins.

What he is — at least in one man’s opinion, and I know a lot of others would agree — is the best “young” owner in professional sports.

So who is he?   He is Theodore “Ted” Leonsis, the 52-year old reach out and really touch him owner of the Washington Capitals.  He also was an icon at AOL, during the internet explosion and basically made the company what it was, and perhaps still is.

He has survived a plane crash, thrived despite the stock market crash,  withstood the crash of his sports franchise and a year and a half, after having to basically plead with fans to buy tickets and come to see the greatest player in the sport, he is at least for right now on top of the hockey world and more important in Washington DC then President Obama.

Alright, maybe that is going a little too far, but you get the point.   Still when a video shot of the owner popped up on the Verizon Center scoreboard — Leonsis got a huge pop and an enormous standing ovation.  How many owners get that kind of reaction, in a extremely tense do-or-die situation, in this economy?

Ted Leonsis can do just about nothing wrong these days, and yet has the decency  to waltz into a sweaty, terrible smelling locker room and get peppered with questions for about 15 minutes on Tuesday night about his teams accomplishments.

Not a big deal you say, well what about his blog “Ted’s Take” which he posts frequently throughout the day on.  He allows you to comment and interact with him, unlike other owners who want nothing to do with their fans, except to pry open their wallets and drain every last penny they can from them.

He was the first to allow “bloggers” to regularly attend games, practices and get media credentials — even if they didn’t always say the nicest things about his franchise.  He secured a beautiful practice complex just outside of Washington, in which every single practice is free and open to the public. 

He is very charitable, with his time and money — but he also realizes that one does not get to where Leonsis is by not being a smart businessman.   His ticket prices are still among the most affordable in the entire sport, and obviously that makes for a lower generation of revenues, but sometimes you can’t gouge your customers for every dollar they have.

He knew his team was struggling at the gate before calender turned to 2008, so as he puts it — his business model was  “to be honest and transparent,” with the fans, according to Leonsis in the modest but relieved Capitals locker room, after his team won a Game 7 against the New York Rangers.

“We were going to develop around the core, and  I promised the fans we would be a great team for a long time.   If we can be good for a long time, why not win it all now?”

You just have to love the honesty, confidence and yet humility that Leonsis sets forth.  At least I do.  I’ve talked to Leonsis via e-mail several times.  I had never talked to him face-to-face before Tuesday night, as I do not cover the Capitals on a regular basis outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — although I would be less then honest if I said — I didn’t want to be around this team every day. 

He loves his team. He loves his life. He loves his family. He loves the fans, and he loves one of the guys who is chiefly responsible for this torrid love affair in vibrant red.

Alexander Ovechkin, a Russian kid — who is anything but a kid.  Mature beyond his years, already a league MVP and a scintillating superstar who is by far the best all around player in the game, and in my opinion — the most talented individual athlete in the world.

He hits like a locomotive.  He skates like a deer.  He hustles like Pete Rose once did.  He scores like Gretzky.  He’s unselfish, just like LeBron James is.  He is beyond charismatic.  The charisma oozes out of Ovechkin on the ice, like it used too out of Hulk Hogan, when he was on the mic.

Leonsis loves Ovechkin so much that he showed him 124 million reasons why the Russian phenom should stay in Washington for the rest of his career.  A 13-year extension, was a huge gamble based on Ovechkin’s ability to stay healthy — but that has not been a problem in any way so far in his career.  Of course, it is a concern that “Ovie’s” hard charging style may lead to an injury, but Leonsis made the commitment for more then just Ovechkin’s ability to put the “biscuit in the basket.”

He made it because he saw a kid develop right before his eyes, from a kid to a man, from a rookie to a leader, from someone who didn’t know much English at all into a part time comedian.  He also did it because he saw something else.  A winner.  A desire to be the best, but not just selfishly.  He did it because he knew that Ovechkin wanted to win Lord Stanley’s Cup more then anything.

Leonsis on Tuesday night recalled traveling back on a charter with Ovechkin last June, after the NHL Awards ceremony and Ovechkin basically saying that you could take all of his individual accomplishments and throw it out the window.  He said “I don’t care if I score 10 goals, all I want to do is win the Cup.”

Great owners and great managers recognize terrific talent and not only surround themselves with it, but embrace it with every thing they have.  There are many owners that claim to love their players and their team and their fan base.  That is not a novelty.

With Leonsis however, it is 100 percent pure and from his heart.  As we were talking to one happy and relieved “monkey off his back” owner looked at his superstar, extended his hand and said “Congratulations” and “Thank you.”  He could have whispered  the Russian translation to thank you which is spasibo, at least in my family it was.  My mother and her family is from Belarus.

They did not jump around or pour champagne over each other’s heads. such as the baseball tradition.  Instead it was two genuine people attached at the hip by a common passion, making the Washington Capitals as best they can be, appreciating each other the way happy and relieved men do.  Then it was over. 

Unfortunetly, for the rest of the league — it is really just beginning.

With Leonsis and Ovechkin together — the rainbow of success  for the Capitals is getting brighter by the day.  Together, they are simply the best combination running in professional sports today.

Chris Russell is a long time nationally syndicated sports talk show host  and reporter on Sporting News Radio, Sports Fan Radio Network, and SIRIUS XM Radio.  Chris is also a guest  NHL Analyst/Reporter for NHL Home ICE and “Into The Night” starring Tony Bruno.  You can reach Chris directly at sftherooster@yahoo.com or listen to some of his radio work at www.chrisradio.com.