Here is a paradox - one NHL owner fought tooth and nail over putting ads on the boards and his team was the last to do so.
On this I agreed with him however I have my doubts it had anything much to do with "tradition" or keeping the canvas clean. Junking the place up as it did, has and continues to do unabated. In Dollar Bills case likely much more to do with costs, fear of influence that corporate sponsors would expect in catering to their requirements & demands... profit & taxes. Combined just not worth it. The "tradition" angle providing for a good cover story.
Very strange Man who for whatever reasons when it came to the Black Hawks seemed to deliberately keep his boot on their throats, TV dealeo, losing millions when in every other aspect of his business dealings, very astute... Then theres his Father. When Zamboni's started taking ice surfacing by storm in the early 50's, his Dad had issues with those things.. Chicago the last NHL Club to get one as he felt people rather than heading out of their seats & spending money on concessions during intermissions would instead sit there entranced, watching the Zamboni go round & round & round & round....
Regardless of era, be it Zamboni's or wall~wall, floor to rafters advertising, wheres the respect for your customers, fans, audiences intelligence quotients, IQ's? Hypnotized by a frickin tractor going 5-10mph? Being told when to clap, when to boo? Paying in some cases $600 or more for 2 seats to a Regular Season Game & these guys arent making enough that they have to paper the joint? Not good.... "Oh, but costs, ever escalating. Must keep ticket prices down... why, do you know how much the cost of airplane fuels increased in just the last 2 years?... Clubs taking in the teeth.".... Be it increased sponsorships or Lockouts, trot out the same old same old.
