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In this past Sunday’s Toronto Star, columnist Rick Westhead reported that the NHL is considering using goalies as billboards to generate more revenue for the league. According to Westhead, there is a “Goaltender’s Club” — consisting of at least Martin Brodeur, Marty Turco, Dominik Hasek and Dwayne Roloson — that has presented the idea of having advertisements from sponsors put on all goalie’s jerseys in the NHL. It is speculated that this advertising could generate up to $30 million in revenue for the league. Can’t you see it now? Dominik Hasek, brought to you by Requip (restless leg syndrome drug)…
The NHL is either really hurting for money, or they are really trying to turn fans off from the game…. Gary “Blue Skies” Bettman always says things have never been better financially for the league because of the collective bargaining agreement that was reached in 2005, and because of the overall health of the game. What Gary Bettman always forgets to mention when being questioned about the league’s financial health and the reason for it, is what Westhead points out in his article: “Consider that while just six of the NHL’s 30 teams are based in Canada, they account for close to one-third of the league’s overall revenue. And since September 2005 alone, the Canadian dollar has surged some 19 per cent in value, from 83.9 cents U.S. to parity. The loonie’s climb may be responsible for as much as half of the league’s revenue gains since the lockout, says one source familiar with NHL finances.” Furthermore, ticket prices are higher than ever this year (wasn’t the CBA supposed to help lower ticket prices for fans?), which is also the reason for greater revenue.
Just like us, we’re sure you are all sick enough of all of the advertising that already exists in the NHL… from the ads on the boards, ads on the ice, ads all over arenas, ads on TV (especially during the games), ads in the newspapers, ads in magazines, ads on our web site and others, etc… but to put ads on our favorite players?!!! That is an insult to fans and to the players, we would think.
We understand the need for the NHL to make money to survive, but we also think there are a lot of better ways that the league could $30 million per year. What about moving the Nashville Predators to Hamilton, where they were going to go if Bettman hadn’t interfered and taken the team away from Jim Balsillie?? There needs to be more hockey teams in Canada! That is where the biggest fan base is, where the game of hockey got off the ground, and right now, where the league is earning its most money! Next, get rid of the teams in the markets that are failing… Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville (move them to Hamilton) and Florida. That would give us 26 teams in the league, and allow each of the teams to play one another more often, creating more rivalries (and bringing back old ones), thus increasing the enthusiasm from the fans. Next… lower the tickets prices so that you start selling out the games more… with the way the economy is, we would guess the reason why many teams aren’t selling out is simply because the average fan cannot afford to go to many games. Lower tickets $5-10 and you might see a higher turnout, and thus, more money if the difference is made up. Plus think of all the extra money these extra fans would spend on concessions, team paraphernalia, and so on. And lastly, reduce Gary Bettman’s salary from $2 million per year, to at least $1 million.
Our idea of lowering ticket prices so more fans come to games also requires the fans to want to go to games… if you start putting more ads on players, this could be a huge turn-off for fans, and keep them away from games. There are a lot of other reasons why fans still might not go to the games, but we don’t have room to cover all of ways that Gary Bettman has messed up the game here.
However, if the NHL does decide to move ahead with this plan to put advertisements of sponsors on the jerseys of all goalies in the league, we would be first in line to put a FireBettman ad on each of the goalies! What would Gary Bettman think of this money making idea then?
It needs to go further than 26 teams. The following teams need to be eliminated:
Kings, Coyotes, Panthers, Lightning, Thrashers, Ducks, Devils, Predators, Blue Jackets, and Capitals. These teams are either losing money or have no fans. And before both of the Ducks’ fans stand up and yell at me, the only reason they draw right now is last year’s Cup win.
You get down to 20 teams, you will have less dilution of talent which equals a better game which equals more attendance which equals more money.
This of course will never happen because Frodo belongs to the David Stern “Bludgeon them with the product no matter how much they hate it” school. How else do you explain the WNBA existing for 11 years?!! I’m waiting for teams to crop up in New Mexico and Oklahoma any day now. Gary, here’s a clue: Bigger is NOT always better.
Ads on the jersey = soccer. Enough said.
I said on an earlier post that we would see advertising on uniforms to make up for lost revenue. Wait and see what happens when/if the Canadian dollar starts to go down and with it NHL revenues.
Start putting advertising on jerseys and i will throw up. Advertising is a sellout and looks like a sissy soccer jersey where you dont know if the name of the team is viagara or liverpool. there is enough advertisment on the ice and boards, they dont need it on the jerseys. And by the way to morris, get rid of a florida team and you loose a sellout everytime the sabres play in tampa or ft.lauderdale, cause there are more sabres fans than lightning or panthers fans at those games.
great post, as a part-time goalie (i mostly play D) and as a hockey fan in general i am disgusted at such an idea. and morris, equally good comment. although, I would love to see a firebettman.com patch on every players shoulder, now that you mention it…
I would totally chip in to buy a firebettman ad spot if this became a reality. Let’s hope it never does.
Morris, I agree with you 100%. Eliminating at least 4-6 teams will improve the quality of play. Also, reduce the schedule from 82 to 60-70 games would make the regular season better and each game more interesting. I haven’t paid much attention to the games in the last month or two because I know in March is when teams jockey for playoff position. This isn’t particular to hockey. Basketball and Baseball are way too long as well.
Go Sens and any other Canadian team.
this desperate move shows that despite all the positive spin they try to feed us, the new CBA is not working and they are still bleeding money. this league is in dire straits.
Martin Broduer brought to you by Fire Bettman.com- Improving the NHL by Removing Gary Bettman.
AFTER READING SOME OF THE COMMENTS ON THIS WEBSITE…I WANNA THROW-UP NOT BECAUSE OF THE ADVERTISING BUT BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE A BUNCH OF FREAKING CRY BABIES..ALL YOU WANT IS TO ELIMINATE TEAMS AND TALK UP THE “CANADIAN” THING…ALL YOU CANADIANS HAVE YOUR HEAD UP YOUR ASS…WHO THE HELL WANTS A TEAM IN HAMILTON OR WINNISPEG…EVEN CANADIANS DONT WANT TO PLAY IN WASTELAND OF MANITOBA. A LOT OF THE TEAM YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE ACTUALLY DRAW PRETTY WELL. CUP OR NOT, THE DUCKS HAVE SOLD OUT THEIR SEASON AND THE LIGHTNING AVERAGE CLOSE TO 19,000 A GAME. I REMEMBER NOT TOO LONG AGO WHEN THE CANUCKS, OILERS AND SENATORS WERE NOT FILLING THEIR BUILDING. YOU GUYS HAVE A SHORT MEMORY. WHATS THIS CRAP ABOUT CALLING SOCCER “SISSY’…YOU IDIOTS SOUND JUST LIKE SOME PEOPLE I KNOW WHO DON’T LIKE HOCKEY. IF THERE IS ONE THING SOCCER IS NOT…IS SISSY…..WHO CARES IF THEY PUT ADS ON THE JERSEYS….THAT DOESNT AFFECT THE GAME IN ANY WAY…IF THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY…GOOD FOR THEM…CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE GOALIE PADS LOOKING LIKE TO HERSHEY BARS OR A COUPLE OF CORONAS?
Just judging by the fact the you don’t seem intelligent enough to turn off your caps lock, I’ll disregard everything you just posted seeing as you are obviously not too bright.
You guys do realize that they do this in the international leagues right?
Advertising on all sections of (ice) hockey jerseys has been done in Europe for a good part of 20 years. So Bettman is hardly innovative. Can $ with oil price high won’t be around forever near parity so revenues will be raised wherever they can be. I personally welcome football (soccer) as wonderful a sport of hockey. Unfortunately unless we get the sport growing elsewhere and not in sunbelt cities, it will always be a secondary team sport on a global basis like aussie rules, GAA and the like which is a shame. NHL can learn from how Soccer is marketed in Europe. We need a partial division in Europe or a club competition maybe pre season that means something to generate eye ball interest for the sport.
With Betmann, its best to educate the public and pundits what is going round and stay away from the game en masse. We all have freewill. I much enjoy the junior and college games if not even bantam. I know of one corporation who will get rid of their box seats as their CEO is not happy with Bettmans NHL and when the arguments are presented properly, others will tire and influence the board to turf him.
So get busy and make it happen or save the stress, tell your neighbour who has free NHL tickets why you won’t go to games with no disrespect and get people talking and thinking. The more who stay away and not watch/participate in the product, the more the message is heard. If you go to the games, wear something that shows tv cameras politely why you don’t approve of Bettman, maybe a t shirt or goalie jersey with a ‘fire bettman’ ad spot for that goalies jersey number.
In time, and its disheartening this CEO is vastly overpaid and overrated, the message has to resonate stronger that he must do the honorable thing and resign. Its up to fans to say ‘that’s enough-stop the tinkering’. Time will tell.
PS to those who say soccer is about diving and conning the ref its no different to the antics of some on ice enforcers that is discgraceful. Thankfully, like in soccer the beauty of hockey and the fair play of the majority of participants make it the wonderful sport that it truly is to play and watch when the flow of the game is allowed to take its natural course.