Tuesday, April 22, 2008

NHL Playoffs

NOBODY AT THE HEAD OFFICE OF THE NHL WILL ADMITT IT…BUT…
TONIGHT THEY ARE ALL CHEERING FOR WASHINGTON AND SAN JOSE…
LET’S START WITH THE CAPITALS…SHOULD THEY KNOCK OFF PHILADELPHIA…
THAT WILL SET UP A SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND PITTSBURGH…WHICH MEANS A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SYDNEY CROSBY AND ALEXANDER OVECHKIN…
“LAST YEARS HART TROPHY WINNER…AND THIS YEARS HART TROPHY WINNER…”
SINCE EXPANSION IN 1967…RARELY HAS THE LEAGUE SEEN ITS TWO BEST PLAYERS GO HEAD TO HEAD IN THE PLAYOFFS…
THE LAST TIME WAS IN 1990…WHEN THE KINGS MET THE OILERS IN THE SECOND ROUND…
WAYNE GRETZKY VS MARK MESSIER…
IN 1977…IT WAS MONTREAL AND PHILADELPHIA…
GUY LAFLEUR VS BOBBY CLARKE…
AND IN 1974…IT WAS BOSTON AND PHILADELPHIA…
PHIL ESPOSITO VS BOBBY CLARKE…
FOR A LEAGUE DESPERATE TO KEEP ITSELF ON AMERICAN TELEVISION…CROSBY AND OVECHKIN IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS…
BETTMAN AND HIS CREW IN NEW YORK WILL ALSO STAY UP LATE TO WATCH THE SAN JOSE SHARKS AND THE CALGARY FLAMES…
THE SHARKS ALSO HAVE A FORMER HART TROPHY WINNER IN JOE THORNTON…
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY…THEY PLAY IN SAN JOSE…
THE LAST 3 STANLEY CUP FINALS HAVE INCLUDED THREE SMALL MARKET CANADAIN TEAMS…
OTTAWA…EDMONTON…AND CALGARY…
SPORTS FANS IN AMERICA COULD NOT FIND THOSE THREE CITIES WITH A G.P.S…
A SHARKS WIN WOULD LEAVE THE NHL WITH SOME OF ITS BIGGEST TV MARKETS IN THE WEST…
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA…DALLAS…DETROIT…AND DENVER…
IN THE EAST…THE LEAGUE HAS ALREADY CLAIMED ITS BIGGEST PRIZE WITH NEW YORK…
THE RANGERS HAVE A GOOD SHOT TO ADVANCE TO THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE GRETZKY TOOK THEM THERE BACK IN 1997…
BUT LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING…
THE NHL SUITS WILL NOT BE THE ONLY ONES WATCHING TONIGHT…
SO WILL THOSE WORKING FOR NBC AND ESPN…
WITH A LITTLE LUCK…TONIGHT IN AMERICA THE NHL CAN ACTUALLY GET ITSELF BACK ON THE MAP…

1 comment:

kclau69 said...

The resurgence of the NBA began with the head to head matches of Larry Bird Vs Magic Johnson. Back then though it was hyped as Bird, Parish, McHale Vs Magic and Kareem. Then came the Bulls featuring only Jordan (scottie who?) and the NBA changed its marketing of only star players on each team. The danger of highlighting only the star players leads to a slippery slope of the general public only knowing names and not the franchises. Free agency reduces the association between a player and his team. when you say Shaq; do you think Orlando, or LA Lakers or Phoenix suns? Yes free agency is the reality of professional sports but if there is no branding of teams; then how does the casual fan cheer just for a player? Fans do not follow players, they follow teams. The NFL has the best model for branding its product. When you think packers; you would associate Farve. When you think patriots, you think Brady. The branding is teams first and superstars later. Stars gets the fans in but Teams is what makes the fans loyal. If the NHL follows the NBA model of highlighting stars first; then once the player is gone; the fans lose interest and the buzz is gone. Yet year after the year, Packers fans will be packers fans regardless of the change in players. That can be said of the branding of the Yankees and Red Soxs. They are team brands that are hated or loved but the fact remains is that they are a brand regardless of who is on that team.

The marketing of the NHL has gotten better over the years but in order for them to be successful, they must market the franchises. Nobody outside of seattle cares that the sonics are moving. Imagine the uproar if the Yankees are moved. That is branding building loyalty in a team.