Where is McDavid?

[StrangeVision]

With only seven months to go, what ever will we do.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Connor McDavid might be the best hockey player on the planet, but he is far from being marketable.

He is ugly, boring and plays in Edmonton. Nothing marketable about that.

Unfortunately for me as a Pens fan, I gotta say Ovechkin is the most marketable player in the NHL; he is freakishly ugly in a funny way, he has a personality millenials love, he loves the spotlight and plays in the USA. If I were a league marketer, I would also market the hell out of PK Subban. He annoys me, but he is VERY marketable.

That's the error the NHL is doing, trying to market guys like Crosby and McDavid. It will work in Canada as they are the prototypical Canadian player, but in the States? Good luck. To me, the product should be enough, but people love stars, you gotta give them stars... and I say that as a traditionalist who hates "celly" and loud mouths.

 

[North Cole]

Why on earth would the league send their most marketable player to Europe to play one game in a span of two weeks? The Leafs have already played 4 games with their 5th tonight. Not to mention this said game was against the Devils. Not to take anything away from the Devils but dont most leagues kick off their seasons with rivalries and other big matchups? I'm not a Oilers fan, but im definitely a fan of McDavid and to me if you're the smallest fry of the big fries (MLB, NBA, NFL NHL) you need to market your big name players especially during the gap between NHL and NBA kickoffs.

Someone in the marketing/PR department deserves to be fired.

Can you ever imagine a world where this happens in the NBA with Lebron James?

Reading only the thread title...my guess is at home.

Good guess. Hes actually in Boston working for a hotel chain since their workers went on strike.

What a total scab.

 

[North Cole]

Connor McDavid might be the best hockey player on the planet, but he is far from being marketable.

He is ugly, boring and plays in Edmonton. Nothing marketable about that.

Unfortunately for me as a Pens fan, I gotta say Ovechkin is the most marketable player in the NHL; he is freakishly ugly in a funny way, he has a personality millenials love, he loves the spotlight and plays in the USA. If I were a league marketer, I would also market the hell out of PK Subban. He annoys me, but he is VERY marketable.

That's the error the NHL is doing, trying to market guys like Crosby and McDavid. It will work in Canada as they are the prototypical Canadian player, but in the States? Good luck. To me, the product should be enough, but people love stars, you gotta give them stars... and I say that as a traditionalist who hates "celly" and loud mouths.

Huh? Talking about players being "ugly" and boring, but you hate loud mouths? Are you sure you arent one?

 

[Flameshomer]

I for one would love to see marchand plug mcdavid pretty hard tonight. The oilers would be crazy bad if he missed any time this season. Lose for hughes edmonton!

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Huh? Talking about players being "ugly" and boring, but you hate loud mouths? Are you sure you arent one?

Be objective for a sec. Ask yourself what sells. My ugly mug certainly wouldn't sell either. We are talking about marketability, not what I like or who I am.

McDavid is not good looking and he doesn't have a larger than life personality. His talent sells in Canada and that's enough. In the US, people like stars more. Connor McDavid is a star on the ice, but outside of it, he is a dude. Ovechkin (ugly, but in a "OMG, that guy looks so funny kind of way) and Subban (handsome) have larger than life personalities that can sell outside of the ice. I dislike both dudes and they annoy me a great deal, but if I were a marketer for the NHL, I would market the hell out of BOTH!

Crosby is good looking, but he is boring as hell as well... and he is my favourite player and a guy I would call a very positive role model. You can use him to sell the game, but it won't work as well in the US when people tends to like STARS!

Peyton Manning for example. He is not a good looking guy, but he is very funny and personable. Brady is boring, but good looking and has an aura; he is a star. Lebron James, Aaron Judge, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, etc. These guys are marketable, Connor McDavid is not. Well, he IS marketable, but not him, his talents, they help sell the product. You cannot sell Connor McDavid like you could sell Ovechkin or Subban.

That's my point, not analyzing how anyone looks. But, yeah, maybe I am just a loud mouth

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

McDavid could look like a f***ing ogre and say literally nothing other than pre-programmed statements written by a robot and he would still be the most exciting player in the NHL to watch and therefore the most marketable.

 

[BAM]

It’s one game into the season for them lol

You'll be saying that all year

 

[Cup or Bust]

You'll be saying that all year

The Oilers indeed stink, which makes what McDavid does even more amazing.

 

[BAM]

The Oilers indeed stink, which makes what McDavid does even more amazing.

He's the best player in the league for a reason.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Reading only the thread title...my guess is at home.

I think he’s in Boston actually

 

[Tobias Kahun]

He's the best player in the league for a reason.

He’s about the only reason oilers fans show up at this point

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

We’re talking about the game of hockey here. This isn’t a reality TV show and it isn’t “sports entertainment” like the WWE. Jonathan Toews has a personality that is just as marketable as McDavid’s and Patrick Kane has beat up a cab driver and been assaulted of rape, yet the NHL has absolutely no problem shoving either of them down our throats even after they’ve notably declined and their team is completely irrelevant. McDavid, meanwhile, is by far the most exciting player to watch.

 

[BAM]

He’s about the only reason oilers fans show up at this point

Really is a shame a talent like that is stuck on an ass team (no offense)

It would be awesome to see Matthews vs McDavid in the finals if the Oilers can get their shit together.

Not trying to be a "hater" but if the Oilers go the way of the Isles I can see him leaving after his deal is done, he's a generational talent and best player of his generation, not winning any cups will leave a stain on his resume whether it's fair or not. Ovi was scrutinized for years for that same reason and he is arguably the best player of the last generation and a generational talent.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

McDavid could look like a ****ing ogre and say literally nothing other than pre-programmed statements written by a robot and he would still be the most exciting player in the NHL to watch.

True. Doesn't mean he has outside appeal and can bring casuals to the fold, hence the talk about marketability. You can sell "come and see Z play" to hockey/sports fans, not to the casual viewer. Trully marketable athletes draw in the casual viewer. You think Tiger Woods drew people in just because he is dominant? Hell, he is not dominant, but he still draws. He is a star, people care one way or another. He is a good looking guy with a personality. A fiery one that can rub people the wrong way, but he is interesting. Connor McDavid is not... and Sidney Crosby, my favourite athlete in the f***ing world is not either.

McDavid won't bring in casual fans, but he sure will keep them interested once they understand the game.

If you ask me what I would like, I'd say that I'd prefer guys like McDavid be enough to sell the sport as they are the product and, to me, the real appeal. If I put myself in a business person's shoes, I seek star power. McDavid doesn't have that outside of Canada. Unless the game itself already interest you. Mass appeal? Nah.

Wanna sell the game in non-hockey countries or in the USA? Put Ovechkin on a talkshow, put Subban on a gameshow. These guys have star power. It annoys me personally, but it is what it is.

 

[Dustin]

Getting his Superman cape back from the dry cleaners.

 

[CupofOil]

Wishing he was in Toronto

 

[stampedingviking]

Too bad that still doesn't change anything for the Oilers.

Hardly his fault, though.

 

[CupofOil]

True. Doesn't mean he has outside appeal and can bring casuals to the fold, hence the talk about marketability. You can sell "come and see Z play" to hockey/sports fans, not to the casual viewer. Trully marketable athletes draw in the casual viewer. You think Tiger Woods drew people in just because he is dominant? Hell, he is not dominant, but he still draws. He is a star, people care one way or another. He is a good looking guy with a personality. A fiery one that can rub people the wrong way, but he is interesting. Connor McDavid is not... and Sidney Crosby, my favourite athlete in the ****ing world is not either.

McDavid won't bring in casual fans, but he sure will keep them interested once they understand the game.

If you ask me what I would like, I'd say that I'd prefer guys like McDavid be enough to sell the sport as they are the product and, to me, the real appeal. If I put myself in a business person's shoes, I seek star power. McDavid doesn't have that outside of Canada. Unless the game itself already interest you. Mass appeal? Nah.

Wanna sell the game in non-hockey countries or in the USA? Put Ovechkin on a talkshow, put Subban on a gameshow. These guys have star power. It annoys me personally, but it is what it is.

Tiger Woods is good looking? Ok, that's an interesting perspective. I never thought of Woods as particularly good looking but to each their own I suppose.
Tiger Woods is popular because he's one of the most dominant athletes of all time and because he shows a lot of emotion on the course, he just has that type of personality that draws in viewers. It's not because he's some apparent sex symbol.

In any event, the NHL has always been poor at marketing their best players. I can count on my hand how many times McDavid has been on National TV in the U.S.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter how well the top players are marketed, hockey will always be a niche sport in the U.S. and most hockey players have bland personalities

 

[BAM]

Hardly his fault, though.

No it's not his fault at all. You could argue McDavid is underpaid despite what they gave him.

 

[haveandare]

McDavid could look like a ****ing ogre and say literally nothing other than pre-programmed statements written by a robot and he would still be the most exciting player in the NHL to watch and therefore the most marketable.

Exciting to watch isn't the same as marketable. The person you're quoting is 100% correct imo, McDavid isn't a marketable player. If people already watch the game, his skill is fascinating and will keep them interested, but as far as pulling people into the game prior to watching it, he's not marketable at all.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

Reading only the thread title...my guess is at home.

In Newmarket?

 

[Dustin]

Exciting to watch isn't the same as marketable. The person you're quoting is 100% correct imo, McDavid isn't a marketable player. If people already watch the game, his skill is fascinating and will keep them interested, but as far as pulling people into the game prior to watching it, he's not marketable at all.

There is still time for him to develop some marketability skills. I mean Edmonton isn't the best team to market the league though. They are a small Canadian team. I'm sure if the league had it's way it would be on one of the southern teams or California teams.

 

[puckIuck]

its because Edmonton isn't marketable. I'm sure if he were a ranger things would be different

 

[haveandare]

There is still time for him to develop some marketability skills. I mean Edmonton isn't the best team to market the league though. They are a small Canadian team. I'm sure if the league had it's way it would be on one of the southern teams or California teams.

Yeah, it's possible. He's still really, really young in the scheme of things. Most people haven't developed their confidence and social skills fully at his age. I was definitely more awkward in some ways at 21 than I am now.