Sharks to get Ice Team in 2014-2015

[HydroF]

Well if you to go to twitter now, even with the announcement, and the outfits, people are up in arms. Apparently saying they'll have men is a conspiracy to make it seem like they'll have men, but the fact that men's auditions won't even be announced until mid-july is "proof" of this cover-up, and all we're really getting is skanky ice-girls.

(Thus, if people are up in arms after viewing this Ice Team audition site, they are going to definitely be up in arms if the ice women start dancing)

oh, apparently we have a different idea of up in arms. When I hear up in arms, I'm thinking actual protests outside the rink, well supported petitions, measurably effective boycotts. I don't think twitter complaints, which exist for every issue ever.

Of course people are complaining on the internet. Its the internet, there are complaints for everything. How many of those people are actually fans, and how many people are actually by your standard "up in arms" about it when compared to the total number of fans? Until I see a measurable decrease in sales / viewership, or actual protests or well supported petitions, I'm sticking with my prediction that pretty much nobody will be up in arms. Rightfully so.

 

[Barrie22]

I've done Ice Girls and Ice Team and it's just a few people. Hardly a trend unless my Twitter is broken.

your twitter is broken lol.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Looks like its covered here, but I came to post that they are doing men and women. Compared to what I've seen elsewhere, especially Dallas (where they are not only on the ice, but dance, in very skimpy outfits, straight out of a scene from "BASEketball"), this is very conservative (and again, co-ed).

I am outraged. This is so demeaning. How can the Sharks do this to a huge part of their fan base

 

[Juxtaposer]

I am outraged. This is so demeaning. How can the Sharks do this to a huge part of their fan base

Do you really not see the problem here?

 

[ADifferentTim]

I live in Dallas and the Ice Girls here are a skank-show. They have people on ice cleaning, but it's obvious people are meant to stare and then they also have most of the ice girls on the mezzanine who dance during some of the TV timeouts (spotlight comes down on them). Their outfits (The ones dancing) are very skimpy/revealing and they make no bones about flaunting the ice girls for a titillating side show.

I'm not even a Stars fan, but I'm under the impression the Stars' Ice Crew is taking pages off the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

I'll ask this question for emphasis: seriously, do a lot of you guys and gals think the Sharks Ice Team would be like the Gold Rush Cheerleaders of the San Francisco 49ers?

 

[LeeIFBB]

Ice Girls vs John Scott gladiator battles - your new intermission entertainment?

 

[Levie]

Do you really not see the problem here?

I do. The Sharks are seriously skimping on the guys' outfits but the girls' outfits look like they cost way more.

That's not fair. I would have tried out to be a Shark Ice Person if I got to wear a slim fit replica jersey.

 

[OffSydes]

Boo them every time they are on the ice.

 

[Bizz]

Fear the Fin still manages to get their panties in a wad even after seeing the rather conservative approach to this the Sharks are making.

 

[Leidi J]

Fear the Fin still manages to get their panties in a wad even after seeing the rather conservative approach to this the Sharks are making.

It's not just them. Brodie tweeted about it and every single response was negative.

 

[WantonAbandon]

L-

Washing intimates and "jiggle test" are headline grabbers, but the overall premise of keeping up a certain appearance doesn't bother me.

Or being sold at a fundraiser? Well of course, nothing bothers you except for the blatantly distasteful. Good point.

 

[Levie]

Or being sold at a fundraiser? Well of course, nothing bothers you except for the blatantly distasteful. Good point.

Douglas Murray was sold to a pack of female fans and no on seemed to complain about that.

It's a fundraiser.

 

[WantonAbandon]

Douglas Murray was sold to a pack of female fans and no on seemed to complain about that.

It's a fundraiser.

Douglas Murray is paid millions of dollars to play hockey. The ice girls are paid... well hopefully they are paid... to be something nice to look at. As far as I know, Murray didn't have to do a jiggle test to keep his job and wasn't told to groom his private parts.

Anyway you're purposely refusing to see the entire picture.

Look I wouldn't pretend to be surprised if some find this as an obnoxious negative.

 

[CrazedZooChimp]

It's not just them. Brodie tweeted about it and every single response was negative.

Athough to be fair a lot of the comments in reply to Brodie were from the same three people.

This is definitely much more, uhh, tame? conservative? not skanky? than I thought it would be. Really it just seems like combing the tank patrol with the ice crew, and giving them more of a community outreach role outside of the games.

Now bring back Joe Ike and fire Danny Miller.

 

[magic school bus]

Douglas Murray is paid millions of dollars to play hockey. The ice girls are paid... well hopefully they are paid... to be something nice to look at. As far as I know, Murray didn't have to do a jiggle test to keep his job and wasn't told to groom his private parts.

Anyway you're purposely refusing to see the entire picture.

Look I wouldn't pretend to be surprised if some find this as an obnoxious negative.

If it's anything like the Buffalo Bills or other NFL team's setups, the girls don't get paid at all for those appearances.

 

[ADifferentTim]

How about the fact the local females in San Jose, compounded with its purported reputation as "Man Jose", feel and treat female Sharks Ice Team members like "competition"? It's just basic psychology.

 

[hohosaregood]

I want Ice Sumos to scoop snow after this year.

 

[Grave]

The fact that anyone in here would even support this is disgusting.

 

[SC2008]

Or being sold at a fundraiser? Well of course, nothing bothers you except for the blatantly distasteful. Good point.

Douglas Murray is paid millions of dollars to play hockey. The ice girls are paid... well hopefully they are paid... to be something nice to look at. As far as I know, Murray didn't have to do a jiggle test to keep his job and wasn't told to groom his private parts.

Anyway you're purposely refusing to see the entire picture.

Look I wouldn't pretend to be surprised if some find this as an obnoxious negative.

Hahaha, 3 friends and myself have been sold at a fundraiser when I was in high school (Interact Club). All in good fun. You're reaching.

Can't see how beauty is distasteful. I'd rather spend my life appreciating it.

Pretty sure if Murray jiggled too much, he wouldn't be able to keep in the nhl, thus out of a job. Everyone has a different role in the organization, thus different requirements.

I'd rather have those requirements up front so I can make a clear decision.

 

[Bizz]

The fact that anyone in here would even support this is disgusting.

You know what's even more disgusting? Complaining about it.

 

[SC2008]

The fact that anyone in here would even support this is disgusting.

Care to elaborate? If the organization and girls agree I don't see the need to interfere with their happiness.

If its clear what responsibilities they have, are compensated for it, and have fair working conditions I don't feel comfortable taking away a job from someone just because...

Only see three ways where the cost/benefit is not worth having them:

1.) Litigation (Money)
2.) Boycott (Money)
3.) Bad PR (Marketing)

 

[TimAllen]

Care to elaborate? If the organization and girls agree I don't see the need to interfere with their happiness.

If its clear what responsibilities they have, are compensated for it, and have fair working conditions I don't feel comfortable taking away a job from someone just because...

Only see three ways where the cost/benefit is not worth having them:

1.) Litigation (Money)
2.) Boycott (Money)
3.) Bad PR (Marketing)

What about the women that work on the ice right now that don't want to wear those outfits? Because this is taking away their job.

 

[Bizz]

Because nothing screams job security like scraping ice for a living.

 

[oyster]

The amount of people disregarding concerns because they come from "a minority" are staggering. Think about that for a second.

If you're in favor of the ice girls because you're a guy and want to see some nice looking girls, that's fine, just be real about it. But don't get cranky when the other side says it makes them uncomfortable. As a guy I get why people want this, but I can't stand that no one can understand why others would be offended by this.

 

[SC2008]

What about the women that work on the ice right now that don't want to wear those outfits? Because this is taking away their job.

Your right, it is taking away the jobs of others. To be downsized sucks, I've been there.

Sharks have a crappy TV contract. They're looking up & down the org for ways to save money by consolidating positions while "improving" entertainment/branding value. An ice team presents this opportunity.

And to be blunt, it is about the women. The men are riding along to keep things PC.

You want to give these women as much exposure as possible. Its social media & click bait. Ice Girl Power Rankings shows up on at least half a dozen sites.

Unlike other sports you can't have these girls do dance routines on the ice during breaks. It causes divots, leading to injury or at best making an uneven sheet of ice worse. So having them do something functional while waving to fans, looking good, spinning, creates awareness (value) during part of a game that was largely ignored--Youtube "Flyers ice girls know how skate."

Professional sports is no longer just about sports. When I travel overseas the #1 hat I see is a New York Yankees cap. Number one college apparel is USC--where neither they or anyone in their family went to that school. (Yes, you can consider these guys "pros", ask Reggie Bush)

Its naive to think it should just "be about the hockey". The Sharks have fallen behind the curve. While the hockey side of operations is running smooth, the larger business side has been a bust. How do you have average over 97% attendance, with reasonable player contracts, make the playoffs every year and still come out with a huge loss?

We can point to our TV contract, but the bigger question is why didn't the Sharks have the leverage to ask for more?

As popular as the Sharks are, outside of the Southbay its hard to find large support. SF, Oakland--they should be dominating these markets. I imagine Comcast knows the viewing numbers in these major cities and used it against them. Many other factors, but that's one example where lack of outreach can hurt at the negotiating table.

Though the Ice Team is a small piece of the bigger puzzle they do help cast a wider net to help create new fans.