Proposal: Latino Heritage Night

[Desert Ice 11]

I am 100% white boy but growing up in the valley Latin culture (specifically Mexico) has been a huge part of my community growing up. Visiting Rocky Point when I was younger, eating Mexican food (not taco bell) almost every other day and celebrating Mexican festivities ( 5th of May, Day of the Dead,..ect).

Talking to some people they think that hockey is only for white people. Then I educate them about how many minorities are in the NHL and recommend they give hockey a try.

I think it would be great to reach out to this important piece of our southwest community and celebrate with a pre-season game that pays tribute to the Latino culture.

So the question is..What do you think about have a Latino Heritage night at jobbing.com arena?

I wanted to make a poll but I guess I can't and have to leave this up the members to voice how they feel. And if you don't like it because of race reasons stay out of this conversation!!! Don't need that negative stuff..

Click to read more...

 

[Howler Scores]

Dbacks and Suns do it but I question if they actually raise attendance figures for a game. Most of the time I don't realize it until I see the bands.

 

[ck26]

No.

The reasons hockey hasn't taken hold in the Latin world are many. A quasi-racist one-night promotion isn't going to change any of them.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Dbacks and Suns do it but I question if they actually raise attendance figures for a game. Most of the time I don't realize it until I see the bands.

Maybe not for those sports that already have a strong Latino following.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

No.

The reasons hockey hasn't taken hold in the Latin world are many. A quasi-racist one-night promotion isn't going to change any of them.

Not even for everyone else to recognize and show appreciation for a major part of our community?

 

[0point1]

As a white guy that loves latino culture I am all for this.

BTW: Sharks games in San Jose and Kings games in LA both have a large Latino attendance, I've seen it first hand. Yotes are just really bad at outreach to the Latino community.

 

[SniperHF]

The reasons hockey hasn't taken hold in the Latin world are many. A quasi-racist one-night promotion isn't going to change any of them.

If this qualifies as quasi-racist you should have seen the whole whole Gomez to Phoenix talk that popped up several times over the years

I'd have no problem with a Heritage night. I don't think it would actually accomplish anything but I fail to see any negatives.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

I have seen plenty of diversity overtime at the games and it's growing on its own without the help of doing such promotions.

 

[ck26]

Not even for everyone else to recognize and show appreciation for a major part of our community?

This thread is about to get very political very quickly.

The reasons I like hockey, soccer and fight sports have very little to do with being white. The reasons I kinda like basketball have very little to do with me being white. The reasons I don't like football, baseball and NASCAR have very little to do with me being white.

The Cardinals can "appeal" to me however they'd like ... short of just giving me a free ticket, I'm not going to the game. And even then, I'm probably just giving the ticket to someone else.

What does it mean to "show appreciation?" What did the Latin community do to warrant appreciation from the hockey community? What's the value of that appreciation to the Latin community? Why does any of this involve the Coyotes?

If you want to grow a sport with a segment of the population in which it isn't popular, that takes a wide-reaching generational effort. The entire NHL should probably look into this, although the league is going to need your help explaining this effort to MTL, WPG, CAL and every other team that doesn't stand to gain very much from the money they pour into it.

We need Latin kids playing the sport, which could be tricky because the rinks are all in Peoria, Scottsdale and Chandler, not West Phoenix, and every hour of ice time given to a 6-year-old Latino kid is an hour not sold to a 28-year-old Anglo. Not sure what the solution here is. I do know that a one-night effort where we play "Himno Nacional Mexicano" and have a mariachi band and serve Tecate beer is not it. It's just racist.

I think the Coyotes need to focus "outreach" efforts on the very real market of "Red Wings fans who live here" and "Canadians who visit 4 months a year" instead of throwing money down a dark hole on a vague, potential market of the population that is overwhelmingly dispassionate about the sport of hockey everywhere in North America.

 

[CC96]

Why not? I'm all for it, I'm half Indian & Spaniard too, so I'm pretty much half Mexican.

 

[Mosby]

Then I educate them about how many minorities are in the NHL and recommend they give hockey a try.

How many minorities are in the NHL? Maybe 2 or 3 at most, none of which are Latino. I think this idea makes more sense if there are Latino hockey players, especially a Latino player on the Coyotes, but since there isn't, it seems like reaching for something that doesn't exist.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

This thread is about to get very political very quickly.

Then refrain from talking politics or just don't talk at all.

What does it mean to "show appreciation?" What did the Latin community do to warrant appreciation from the hockey community? What's the value of that appreciation to the Latin community? Why does any of this involve the Coyotes?

Its not about the hockey community. Its about the community in the south west. It involves the coyotes strictly because of their geographical location.

If you want to grow a sport with a segment of the population in which it isn't popular, that takes a wide-reaching generational effort. The entire NHL should probably look into this, although the league is going to need your help explaining this effort to MTL, WPG, CAL and every other team that doesn't stand to gain very much from the money they pour into it.

What effort? One per-season game that if you gain a fan great if not then atleast everyone had a good time. Why not make something different and create a great experience for the fans?

We need Latin kids playing the sport, which could be tricky because the rinks are all in Peoria, Scottsdale and Chandler, not West Phoenix, and every hour of ice time given to a 6-year-old Latino kid is an hour not sold to a 28-year-old Anglo. Not sure what the solution here is. I do know that a one-night effort where we play "Himno Nacional Mexicano" and have a mariachi band and serve Tecate beer is not it. It's just racist.

I have no idea what you point you are trying to make.. Are you suggesting no Latino lives in Peoria, Scottsdale, and Chandler? I don't see how it is racist either. Its not pandering to Latinos, its having a night that highlights the influence of Latino culture in the southwest community.

I think the Coyotes need to focus "outreach" efforts on the very real market of "Red Wings fans who live here" and "Canadians who visit 4 months a year," not throwing money down a dark hole on a segment of the population that is overwhelmingly dispassionate about the sport of hockey everywhere in North America.

I don't see what you have against having a fiesta instead of a party. I am not Mexican but I enjoy Cinco De Mayo (5th of May).

 

[Summer Rose]

I'm 1/4 Chinese, they need to cater to the Asian-American community!

 

[Desert Ice 11]

How many minorities are in the NHL? Maybe 2 or 3 at most, none of which are Latino. I think this idea makes more sense if there are Latino hockey players, especially a Latino player on the Coyotes, but since there isn't, it seems like reaching for something that doesn't exist.

Riberio has Portuguese heritage.. That is Latino. And Since when did people with African heritage get taken off the minority list?

 

[Desert Ice 11]

I'm 1/4 Chinese, they need to cater to the Asian-American community!

If there was a bigger Chinese influence in my community I would agree with you.

 

[0point1]

I am also for Asian heritage night if it means more cute Asian girls at the game.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

No love for Ladies Night? I'm sure BizNasty 2.0 would love to host Ladies Night at Jobing.com Arena.

 

[Summer Rose]

No love for Ladies Night? I'm sure BizNasty 2.0 would love to host Ladies Night at Jobing.com Arena.

Well it would have to be him or Antoine Vermette, after we traded David Rundblad.

 

[Sinurgy]

So the question is..What do you think about have a Latino Heritage night at jobbing.com arena?

I don't like it, there is no good reason for the Coyotes to have a night dedicated to any particular ethnicity and that includes Latinos. If there happens to be a home game on Cinco de Mayo, sure do a promotion around that but a specific Latino Heritage Night...ummm, no.

 

[PHX FireBirds18]

I'm 1/4 Chinese, they need to cater to the Asian-American community!

If there was a bigger Chinese influence in my community I would agree with you.

1/2 Asian checking in. 2 is enough right? That's the same number of Latinos that come to the game. Latino night doesn't seem necessary to me. They don't seem as entrenched in the local sports scene as much as they are in somewhere like LA.

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

Thought you guys were doing that on Thursday night with the sombreros.

 

[Bondurant]

As a white guy that loves latino culture I am all for this.

BTW: Sharks games in San Jose and Kings games in LA both have a large Latino attendance, I've seen it first hand. Yotes are just really bad at outreach to the Latino community.

In their defense, the Coyotes aren't good at "outreach" to anyone. Not sure how that would help much, though. Everyone knows the team is here. The opportunity to attend a game exists to everyone in the Valley and they still sit in the cellar in attendance figures. Sadly, hockey is simply a hard sell in the desert.

 

[He Lied to Mario]

This thread is about to get very political very quickly.

The reasons I like hockey, soccer and fight sports have very little to do with being white. The reasons I kinda like basketball have very little to do with me being white. The reasons I don't like football, baseball and NASCAR have very little to do with me being white.

The Cardinals can "appeal" to me however they'd like ... short of just giving me a free ticket, I'm not going to the game. And even then, I'm probably just giving the ticket to someone else.

What does it mean to "show appreciation?" What did the Latin community do to warrant appreciation from the hockey community? What's the value of that appreciation to the Latin community? Why does any of this involve the Coyotes?

If you want to grow a sport with a segment of the population in which it isn't popular, that takes a wide-reaching generational effort. The entire NHL should probably look into this, although the league is going to need your help explaining this effort to MTL, WPG, CAL and every other team that doesn't stand to gain very much from the money they pour into it.

We need Latin kids playing the sport, which could be tricky because the rinks are all in Peoria, Scottsdale and Chandler, not West Phoenix, and every hour of ice time given to a 6-year-old Latino kid is an hour not sold to a 28-year-old Anglo. Not sure what the solution here is. I do know that a one-night effort where we play "Himno Nacional Mexicano" and have a mariachi band and serve Tecate beer is not it. It's just racist.

I think the Coyotes need to focus "outreach" efforts on the very real market of "Red Wings fans who live here" and "Canadians who visit 4 months a year" instead of throwing money down a dark hole on a vague, potential market of the population that is overwhelmingly dispassionate about the sport of hockey everywhere in North America.

One thing the Coyotes could do is what the hated Red Wings do. There is a Detroit Red Wings Foundation that recently has been doing school assemblies and then leaving behind a set of floor hockey nets and sticks for the school where they go to. Not specific to Latinos, but some of the schools chosen could be in those areas. Also they could run commercials on Spanish TV? and/or radio stations in Phoenix and have that station run a special ticket promotion with the team. Have the team do a booth at Cinco de Mayo where kids can shoot the puck similar to ones that are set up outside an arena.

 

[Xander Sanders]

Living in Mexico I got hooked on Hockey. Very first game I saw on TV back then as a kid was when Kolanos got the penalty shot on Patrick Roy. I started following the team then because they had the name 'Coyotes.' This is how you also spell Coyotes in spanish so I liked that they had a "Spanish" sounding name.


With that nonsense being said.. Lol.

I would NOT be for a Latino Heritage Night, don't need it.

Saludos!

 

[Mr Pukhead]

They should start with a good Spanish speaking announcer on the radio that folks could listen to along with the telecast. Explain the game, go off when a goal is scored ala soccer and see where that leads.

There is an untapped market there and this team needs to be tapping.