avalanchuck
Registered User
Well since speculation that the Colorado Avalanche are not a "1st Class" organization momentarily thread jacked the 3rd ROR Thread I thought we should start a new thread to:
1) vent on what the Avs do wrong,
2) make suggestions on what other NHL clubs do that the Avs should emulate, and
3) new ideas on what the NHL should do to improve their "brand".
1.) The idea that winning cures everything is true to a point. Your fans are willing to overlook the lack of communication while your team is competing for the Cup... but once the winning ways seem gone and mediocrity or worse is setting in... (as Josh McDaniels, former head coach of the Denver Broncos, learned he was here) once the losing starts and you still refuse to talk to the media & to wit the fans we'll start to look for a short piece of rope and a tall tree to help you hang yourself with. IMO this has to be coming from PL and not KSE & "silent" Stan or his son Josh because George Karl is on the radio as well as GM Masai Ujiri.
2.) As a former season ticket holder (from the final seasons at McNichols Sports Arena until a year or so after the end of the Brad May experiment ) I think I can speak to the outdatedness of Pepsi Center I find it hard to believe that it could be as bad as the jump from "Big Mac" to "the Can". Not to say that some things like the jumbotron couldn't be upgraded after 13 years. I can't speak of what other teams do since just watching on national broadcasts (nhl network, nbc, etc.) you don't get an idea of what those teams may be offering their fans. One thing I like that the Avs did this year is the chance to pick your games in their 14-game fan plan, for this lockout shortened season, trying to get fans back. I was interested in the past but didn't like the handful of lower level opponents' games you had to have for the one game you looked forward to seeing. Between that and being laid off/under employed for the last 5 years has kept me from trying the 14-game fan plan.
3.) I know back it the day when the NHL was on FOX that not many hockey purists like the glowing puck tracker that flashed to red when a shot was taken but the NHL has to think outside the box to get the general sports fan to watch. HDTV is great to see whats going on now but I think they need to try some new things. The NFL has games with the camera suspended over the field that hangs down and can track the play... maybe something like that could be tried? IIRC the '02 Olympics had multiple cameras surrounding the ice that basically pivot the view around the arena and follow the play in a replay situation but it was a bit jarring going from the better resolution live TV cameras to the lower res cameras that they were using at the time but it was a cool concept. With everyone using the HiDef GoPRO cameras now you can't tell me they couldn't use those to similar extent and give it a try for special games like the Winter Classic, Allstar & Cup final games? Heck for the summer Olympics NBC has had the camera on tracks that follows the action for all the track & swimming events but I don't think its practical to have something mounted on the boards or glass to do something like that for hockey.
1) vent on what the Avs do wrong,
2) make suggestions on what other NHL clubs do that the Avs should emulate, and
3) new ideas on what the NHL should do to improve their "brand".
1.) The idea that winning cures everything is true to a point. Your fans are willing to overlook the lack of communication while your team is competing for the Cup... but once the winning ways seem gone and mediocrity or worse is setting in... (as Josh McDaniels, former head coach of the Denver Broncos, learned he was here) once the losing starts and you still refuse to talk to the media & to wit the fans we'll start to look for a short piece of rope and a tall tree to help you hang yourself with. IMO this has to be coming from PL and not KSE & "silent" Stan or his son Josh because George Karl is on the radio as well as GM Masai Ujiri.
2.) As a former season ticket holder (from the final seasons at McNichols Sports Arena until a year or so after the end of the Brad May experiment ) I think I can speak to the outdatedness of Pepsi Center I find it hard to believe that it could be as bad as the jump from "Big Mac" to "the Can". Not to say that some things like the jumbotron couldn't be upgraded after 13 years. I can't speak of what other teams do since just watching on national broadcasts (nhl network, nbc, etc.) you don't get an idea of what those teams may be offering their fans. One thing I like that the Avs did this year is the chance to pick your games in their 14-game fan plan, for this lockout shortened season, trying to get fans back. I was interested in the past but didn't like the handful of lower level opponents' games you had to have for the one game you looked forward to seeing. Between that and being laid off/under employed for the last 5 years has kept me from trying the 14-game fan plan.
3.) I know back it the day when the NHL was on FOX that not many hockey purists like the glowing puck tracker that flashed to red when a shot was taken but the NHL has to think outside the box to get the general sports fan to watch. HDTV is great to see whats going on now but I think they need to try some new things. The NFL has games with the camera suspended over the field that hangs down and can track the play... maybe something like that could be tried? IIRC the '02 Olympics had multiple cameras surrounding the ice that basically pivot the view around the arena and follow the play in a replay situation but it was a bit jarring going from the better resolution live TV cameras to the lower res cameras that they were using at the time but it was a cool concept. With everyone using the HiDef GoPRO cameras now you can't tell me they couldn't use those to similar extent and give it a try for special games like the Winter Classic, Allstar & Cup final games? Heck for the summer Olympics NBC has had the camera on tracks that follows the action for all the track & swimming events but I don't think its practical to have something mounted on the boards or glass to do something like that for hockey.