Patrick LaForge Appreciation Thread

[ThePhoenixx]

I found it shocking too and did not know that Laforge had made those disparaging comments about Weight. I find it sad, and I think closer to what Millions is suggesting in his tweets than an individual would commonly do that and especially in view of Weight being deserving of respect and doing everything this org asked of him for years and rising above even that. Weight was a joy, as a person, as a player, and a person with a good disposition, kindness, that people can learn from.

One of the things I picked up in the article is the suggestion that fans booed Weight a lot at Rexall in subsequent games. I think given circumstance that is very poor form as well if it happened.

But again the org models this nature of critical behavior directed at past employees and I fear the fanbase follows in step and partly due to that.

From Pocklington questioning Gretzky's tears onward this has been some kind of irregular, caustic, and negative org.

I could write 100 comments on how this org has done this with the departing.

The Past organization!

We now have new management!

 

[Replacement*]

The Past organization!

We now have new management!

heh, you are reminding.

just read it all in past tense and hopefully it is.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

heh, you are reminding.

just read it all in past tense and hopefully it is.

I'm temporarily the Oiler boards resident therapist. I will help you all heal!

 

[oilerfan18]

Replacement - are you actually saying you agree with a move made by the Oilers organization in getting rid of LaForge?

I echo the thoughts of Replacement. I am a season ticket holder and the way Laforge treated the fans was downright shameful. He consistently insulted our intelligence by mocking fans willingness to pay any price for beer/tickets/parking/etc. My wife and I went to many focus groups and ticket holder luncheons and were furious with Laforge everytime we came out of one of those meetings. He may have done some good things for the oilers but I am extremely excited he is out. An arrogant shameless man that insults his customers should be ashamed of himself. Good riddance. On to better things for this new era!

 

[Ogopogo*]

PM if possible. I'm quite interested. I found him to be vulgar as well. But I don't want to mention further in thread.

I don't have specific examples of things he said that I can document but, I was at one event where I walked away shaking my head at something that came out of his mouth from stage. I have heard similar stories from others. Very strange that someone is such a public position would not hold that stuff back and save it for talking with "the boys".

 

[tsnTpoint]

How did this guy get an appreciation thread?

 

[rboomercat90]

I echo the thoughts of Replacement. I am a season ticket holder and the way Laforge treated the fans was downright shameful. He consistently insulted our intelligence by mocking fans willingness to pay any price for beer/tickets/parking/etc. My wife and I went to many focus groups and ticket holder luncheons and were furious with Laforge everytime we came out of one of those meetings. He may have done some good things for the oilers but I am extremely excited he is out. An arrogant shameless man that insults his customers should be ashamed of himself. Good riddance. On to better things for this new era!

How did he mock fans willingness to pay any price? Not arguing with you, I'm just unsure of what you mean.

 

[Replacement*]

How did he mock fans willingness to pay any price? Not arguing with you, I'm just unsure of what you mean.

An org raising prices of tickets and everything in lieu of an ever worsening product and alluding to supply and demand necessitating increased ticket prices while the fluid ticket market (resales) actually suggests much lower price point transactions has been disingenuous to the fanbase.

Laforge was touting this as an in demand product when people were virtually giving tickets away and couldn't give tickets away. Some demand.

In one of the most crazed hockey markets on Earth with a large amount of deep pockets around they weren't even selling all the very limited number of luxury suites. Those used to be automatic.

Next, and a disconnected thought but in a recent poll of hockey fans only 2% of the fanbase attending games attended every game played this season. That would have to rank as an alltime low and reflects that even ardent fans can't stomach too much of this product.

 

[rboomercat90]

An org raising prices of tickets and everything in lieu of an ever worsening product and alluding to supply and demand necessitating increased ticket prices while the fluid ticket market (resales) actually suggests much lower price point transactions has been disingenuous to the fanbase.

Laforge was touting this as an in demand product when people were virtually giving tickets away and couldn't give tickets away. Some demand.

In one of the most crazed hockey markets on Earth with a large amount of deep pockets around they weren't even selling all the very limited number of luxury suites. Those used to be automatic.

Next, and a disconnected thought but in a recent poll of hockey fans only 2% of the fanbase attending games attended every game played this season. That would have to rank as an alltime low and reflects that even ardent fans can't stomach too much of this product.

Is all that on Laforge though or is it on ownership?

I'm not going to try to defend him because I didn't like him either but for different reasons. I never met the guy or even saw him speak in person so I can't comment much on his character like others have.

What I didn't like though were some of the flippant comments that came across like he thought the fans were idiots and would just believe anything they were told. The obvious ones were the bad weather affecting attendance quotes that he trotted out in two different seasons that I can remember. The other one that really pissed me off and started to turn me against Katz was when all the Hamilton and then Quebec City stuff came out and Laforge said something to the effect of "we're not planning on moving the team...at this time." I felt he could have easily left it at "we're not planning on moving this team" but he felt he needed to add the "...at this time" just to create a little uneasiness with the fans. We know how the arena negotiations went so there's no need to rehash it but that was where it turned for me. I assumed this attitude came from further above him but after reading what other people are saying in this thread, maybe it was just him.