Financial Boycott of Melnyk-owned Senators

[AchtzehnBaby]

I bet this HFBoard is monitored by teams and the NHL. It is a gold mine of fan feedback with a very large following. They would be stupid not to. Potential owners are probably not personally reading through the threads, but if I was an analyst doing due diligence on the market it would be a valuable source of fan feedback.

Biased info regurgitated by the select 25% (according to my inside sources)

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Anyone that stops supporting their team, is jumping ship. It doesn't matter if its for the "greater good". When you break down into the logic of things, it really isn't.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions....

Nah. Sometimes a stand is necessary even if it has negative effects. They're about to ice a terrible unproven roster, they traded the best player this franchise may ever see, and our 3 most important players are UFA all because they don't want to spend money.

We are a consumer of their product and it's up to them to keep fan interest. This isn't about a winning or losing team or as simple as bad management.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I bet this HFBoard is monitored by teams and the NHL. It is a gold mine of fan feedback with a very large following. They would be stupid not to. Potential owners are probably not personally reading through the threads, but if I was an analyst doing due diligence on the market it would be a valuable source of fan feedback.

I have no doubt they consult places like this at times. I wouldn't even be surprised if there's some Kevin Durrant like troll battling players in here at times.

In the video game industry, Neogaf was an online forum that was known to be free product research and feedback for developers and publishers. It even got to the point they were referenced at game shows by those in the industry.

 

[BonkTastic]

I have to say: the extent that some fans around here will go to lord their "fan card" over others in an attempt to dismiss arguments and trivialize honest discourse and certain points of view, on both sides, is pretty gross.

It's only a very small hand size of this place, but some of y'all need to take a long look in the mirror and decide if this is who you realy are. It's not a good look.

 

[Egg]

Your argument is that fans should tap into their emotional attachment to the team

No, my argument is that fans should stop from their emotional impulse, in boycotting the team, and instead tap into their common sense and reason, and find a more rational way to punish Melnyk vs the on ice product.

Putting words in my mouth, don't make your point any more accurate.

 

[Egg]

Blindly giving a company money that has no intention of filling their end of the bargain is stupid.

Their only bargain, is icing a competitive team. Since they haven't played a single game this year so far, a boycott as a result, is jumping the gun.

Anyways, I'll keep supporting the Senators, and will do so proudly as will all the people I know who are Senators fans. Good luck with your boycott.

 

[BondraTime]

Their only bargain, is icing a competitive team. Since they haven't played a single game this year so far, a boycott as a result, is jumping the gun.

Anyways, I'll keep supporting the Senators, and will do so proudly as will all the people I know who are Senators fans. Good luck with your boycott.

If you need games as evidence to see this isn't a competitive team, I really don't know what to say

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Anyone that stops supporting their team, is jumping ship. It doesn't matter if its for the "greater good". When you break down into the logic of things, it really isn't.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions....

It just seems weird that if you were a Blackhawks fan back in the day you would be essentially supporting Bill Wirtz judging by your fan ideologies. I find it just crazy.

 

[Grizwald]

It just seems weird that if you were a Blackhawks fan back in the day you would be essentially supporting Bill Wirtz judging by your fan ideologies. I find it just crazy.

Along with an Islander fan supporting Charles Wang or Joe Spano; Redskin fan supporting Daniel Snyder; Leaf fan supporting Harold Ballard; Marlin fan supporting Jeffrey Loria etc…etc…etc

 

[Ray Kinsella]

No, my argument is that fans should stop from their emotional impulse, in boycotting the team, and instead tap into their common sense and reason, and find a more rational way to punish Melnyk vs the on ice product.

Putting words in my mouth, don't make your point any more accurate.

In several posts now you've stated, if not argued, that there are better ways to take a stand. You still haven't answered the several posters who have asked you what your suggestions are.

 

[Egg]

It just seems weird that if you were a Blackhawks fan back in the day you would be essentially supporting Bill Wirtz

I am not going to stop supporting the team, just because a small fraction of the fan base is demanding for an owner to step down, not realizing how incredibly delusional that this is.

Melnyk will sell the team once he is ready to. There literally is noting you can do about it. Those boycotting, are the minority. It makes your leverage very weak. The art of closing a deal in your favor, is closing with the leverage heavily leaning in your favor.

Its like buying a car, during the busy season, on the first day of the month voicing your desperation for a vehicle now, vs a slow month, towards the end of the fiscal year, willing to walk away.

I guarantee you, those boycotting won't even be remembered by the end of the season.

 

[Egg]

The only thing that should matter, is the on ice product. If its clear they will be garbage and won't compete, you put yourselves in a far greater negotiating position.

Hard for any outsider to not see the fans turning their backs as highly confusing, as a result.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I am not going to stop supporting the team, just because a small fraction of the fan base is demanding for an owner to step down, not realizing how incredibly delusional that this is.

Melnyk will sell the team once he is ready to. There literally is noting you can do about it. Those boycotting, are the minority. It makes your leverage very weak. The art of closing a deal in your favor, is closing with the leverage heavily leaning in your favor.

Its like buying a car, during the busy season, on the first day of the month voicing your desperation for a vehicle now, vs a slow month, towards the end of the fiscal year, willing to walk away.

I guarantee you, those boycotting won't even be remembered by the end of the season.

As far as boycotting you may be right, you may be wrong. We should know soon enough in regards to that. A boycott can work depending on the amount of people involved and how long they are willing to boycott for.

Your point about a Melnyk selling when he's ready to, I agree with you on that point. Overall my guess he's going to want to get Lebreton done first before he even thinks if selling and will probably take his loss until then.

You definitely avoided my supporting Wirtz comment though. I'm sure there were many Hawks fans who were pissed at the fans who decided to support Wirtz through his years. It would probably be cool to get older Hawks fans opinions of that's mess, actually.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

I am not going to stop supporting the team, just because a small fraction of the fan base is demanding for an owner to step down, not realizing how incredibly delusional that this is.

Melnyk will sell the team once he is ready to. There literally is noting you can do about it. Those boycotting, are the minority. It makes your leverage very weak. The art of closing a deal in your favor, is closing with the leverage heavily leaning in your favor.

Its like buying a car, during the busy season, on the first day of the month voicing your desperation for a vehicle now, vs a slow month, towards the end of the fiscal year, willing to walk away.

I guarantee you, those boycotting won't even be remembered by the end of the season.

Minority?

 

[Sensung]

No, my argument is that fans should stop from their emotional impulse, in boycotting the team, and instead tap into their common sense and reason, and find a more rational way to punish Melnyk vs the on ice product.

Putting words in my mouth, don't make your point any more accurate.

Taking words out of my post doesn't make your post less ironic.

Purchasing tickets is an irrational decision based on the emotional attachment to a team. You are asking fans to continue to make emotional purchases.

I'm saying fans should make the rational decision to punish a business that doesn't deserve their money due to how terribly it is run.

Sorry, but your statement works against your position.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Id really like to know what else can be done to show how pissed we are?

It feels like the tone of the message is usually to just shut up and go to the games and keep paying just because.

If the restaurant accross from my work keeps selling stellar food, ill be there. If they get down to average, ill only go when i really need to. If it gets to the point they're selling us crap food because they're only willing to pay pimply faced teenagers and let the good cooks go, you're damn rights im not going.

They're trying to cram trash down our throats and convince us its great cuz they're young, even though our prospect pool is very average and we gave up our most important piece in this whole plan for a guy that it looks like we're going to have to ship off for rental prices at the deadliine.

Go if you still like the entertainment in front of you, nothing wrong with that, but there's some legitimacy to wanting to somehow take a stand about what's transpired and what's yet to come.

I think a lot of those that think boycotting is ridiculous, may change their tune a bit if/when Stone and Duchene are traded away.

If they can re-up those guys long term, they'll buy some good graces back, but if they're gone, its obvious this is all a sham over money that admittedly may one day still bear fruit with this rebuild.

One of the only things i agree with Dorion on is that we've been too average for years now. I just feel like he's missing some aspects of why thats happened, because it felt like we were close a few times but we can't compete financially enough to fit in those last few integral pieces.

 

[GodEmperor]

Id really like to know what else can be done to show how pissed we are?

It feels like the tone of the message is usually to just shut up and go to the games and keep paying just because.

If the restaurant accross from my work keeps selling stellar food, ill be there. If they get down to average, ill only go when i really need to. If it gets to the point they're selling us crap food because they're only willing to pay pimply faced teenagers and let the good cooks go, you're damn rights im not going.

They're trying to cram trash down our throats and convince us its great cuz they're young, even though our prospect pool is very average and we gave up our most important piece in this whole plan.

Go if you still like the entertainment in front of you, nothing wrong with that, but there's some legitimacy to wanting to somehow take a stand about what's transpired and what's yet to come.

I think a lot of those that think boycotting is ridiculous, may change their tune a bit if/when Stone and Duchene are traded away.

If they can re-up those guys long term, they'll buy some good graces back, but if they're gone, its obvious this is all a sham over money that admittedly may one day still bear fruit with this rebuild.

One of the only things i agree with Dorion on is that we've been too average for years now. I just feel like he's missing some aspects of why thats happened, because it felt like we were close a few times but we can't compete financially enough to fit in those last few integral pieces.

Not a Sens fan, but I'll give a suggestion.

How about simple fliers, all white background and all it says is

Melnyk
Must
Go

No rattling off reasons or anything like that or getting into name calling, but a simple template and a simple message.

Then just put them up everywhere (where it's legal that is). Considering there are a ton of pissed Sens fans, it could create a very big groundswell.

 

[Yak]

EM is a Lil freak , he will totally loose it when the rink is half empty. .....imagine the interviews he will do, will be priceless to see them!

How do you think he is going to act when he is due ping hundreds of millions into a new arena and the CTC is near empty and fans are hating on him and PD?

I dunno but that is enough to make a businessman crack, he thinks he has all the answers , he has screwed with the team, fans and the city long enough. Karma is coming back to bite him in the rear.

He may have a plan but fans have a plan also, let's see who blinks first!

 

[Egg]

Purchasing tickets is an irrational decision based on the emotional attachment to a team. You are asking fans to continue to make emotional purchases.

I'm saying fans should make the rational decision to punish a business that doesn't deserve their money due to how terribly it is run.

Buying a ticket isn't an emotional purchase. Buying tickets to save a franchise, is. I wouldn't be buying to save anything. I'd be buying a ticket to see teams I want to see play the Senators, like any normal fan.

If the team doesn't even compete, then that number of games I'd go to would be dramatically reduced (if not stopped). That's a rational decision. Just because Melnyk is still there, isn't enough.

The team craps the bed, attendance is record low--you then as fans, have more leverage.

Demanding Melnyk step down when you're the minority fan, is silly. The entitlement behind this, is what bothers me, and is why it will not work.

Its like a business owner demanding the NHL gives him a franchise.

There are laws to power, and you're going at it the worst possible way.

 

[Egg]

Minority?

I'm not saying there isn't a strong volume of disgruntled fans (or fans who no longer trust management or their decision making ability). You are the minority however, in volume of fans that will actually boycott the team (especially so, if the team is competitive). The majority of fans, should and will be disgruntled.

 

[Egg]

Your point about a Melnyk selling when he's ready to, I agree with you on that point.

He's a stubborn man, and you're demanding him to leave and are expecting it to work. Just the lack of logic here, boggles my mind.

Think about it. He was willing to trade EK, over probably a million or two per season (10 million is an insult, considering he carries his team, which would put him more in a 11 - 12 million bracket, when you consider Shea Webber's salary, to name one who isn't even as impactful). He's clearly sending his message.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I agree with making Melnyk aware that there is a large group of fans that despise his running of the business, and that he needs to go (or relinquish his control)...

BUT, all the negativity will have a huge impact on the future of the team. The players are not immune to this negativity. Even though it is not directed at them, it affects them. Tread carefully.

My two cents

 

[Sensung]

Buying a ticket isn't an emotional purchase. Buying tickets to save a franchise, is. I wouldn't be buying to save anything. I'd be buying a ticket to see teams I want to see play the Senators, like any normal fan.

Buying a ticket is always an emotional purchase. Ask people why they do and they'll state I LOVE watching hockey live or I LOVE the Sens (insert home team name). Every purchase is to some degree emotional, but spending thousands of dollars on something that provides you with nothing more tangible than memories is emotion based.

If the team doesn't even compete, then that number of games I'd go to would be dramatically reduced (if not stopped). That's a rational decision. Just because Melnyk is still there, isn't enough.

The team craps the bed, attendance is record low--you then as fans, have more leverage.

The team's record is immaterial.
Fans leverage is always exactly the same. Purchase or don't purchase.
When you have a tone deaf horribly run organization with an incompetent GM and the worst owner in pro sports, then you can make the rational decision to withhold funds and encourage others to do likewise to help force change.

Demanding Melnyk step down when you're the minority fan, is silly. The entitlement behind this, is what bothers me, and is why it will not work.

Demanding Melnyk step down and refusing to financially support the team is every fan's right. If enough choose to do so, then the odds go up that they will get what the desire.

Its like a business owner demanding the NHL gives him a franchise.

Derp. No rational connection can be made in this comparison. Try again.

There are laws to power, and you're going at it the worst possible way.

A boycott is the very essence of a consumer exercising their power. Our owner is attempting to wield his in a manner that will kill his business. It is up to the fans to teach him who has the real power. Don't worry, he's about to find out.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I agree with making Melnyk aware that there is a large group of fans that despise his running of the business, and that he needs to go (or relinquish his control)...

BUT, all the negativity will have a huge impact on the future of the team. The players are not immune to this negativity. Even though it is not directed at them, it affects them. Tread carefully.

My two cents

EK left because of Melnyk, not the fans.

 

[Charliebox]

Buying a ticket isn't an emotional purchase. Buying tickets to save a franchise, is. I wouldn't be buying to save anything. I'd be buying a ticket to see teams I want to see play the Senators, like any normal fan.

If the team doesn't even compete, then that number of games I'd go to would be dramatically reduced (if not stopped). That's a rational decision. Just because Melnyk is still there, isn't enough.

The team craps the bed, attendance is record low--you then as fans, have more leverage.

Demanding Melnyk step down when you're the minority fan, is silly. The entitlement behind this, is what bothers me, and is why it will not work.

Its like a business owner demanding the NHL gives him a franchise.

There are laws to power, and you're going at it the worst possible way.

Come on man. You really don't believe this. Look at season's ticket numbers over the past few years. The fans who are boycotting are not in the minority. Most of those who chose not to renew tickets probably aren't calling it a 'boycott', but the end results are the same. This has been festering for years. He has treated his best customers like shit and the majority of them have chosen not to renew. If the rumors are true, and there are only 4000 season seats sold that means it's just over 1/3 of what seasons tickets were at their peak.

And keep this in mind. That was 4000 sold before EK was traded. Those people can't get their money back. "Boycotting" Melnyk (or whatever you want to call it) was already in the majority opinion by the Sens fans who pony up the most money before we traded the face of the franchise. Now that EK has been dumped, it's going to be that much worse.

The people who choose to continue to give this guy their money are the sorry suckers left hanging on. You'll see. Just watch the attendance numbers this year.