Devmcdonnell's Blog
Happy Holidays!!
If you read my last post, I broke down who I felt is really to blame for this most recent NHL lockout. However, you (yes you) are also partially responsible for the situation we are currently in.
It’s no secret that the group that suffers the most in this work stoppage is us…the fans. The sheer helplessness of being unable to influence the outcome one way or another makes it particularly frustrating, as we are reduced to watching and waiting from the sidelines for a resolution to emerge. The NHL and NHLPA may be in different worlds right now, but the one thing they have in common is their complete disregard for the people that created the money pie that both sides are viciously fighting over. As a business man, my philosophy has always been that in any business, your biggest asset is your customer. Without your customer, you have nothing. It is because of this that management should always put their customers’ needs in the forefront of any business strategy and make sure that they are happy because if they aren’t, they will bring their money elsewhere. This is especially true in an industry with many substitute products to chose from. For example, there are many different brands of shampoo that are available to buy and customers can easily switch brands if they are not satisfied with their current one. In the case of the hockey world, substitute products to the NHL are few and far between. Unless you live in a select area with minor league hockey or you have access to watching international hockey, we all pretty much have one choice…NHL hockey. Being the most competitive league in the world, we all tune in to watch the best players on the ice night in and night out. Just as with any sport in their given industry, the NHL is pretty much as close to a monopoly as you can get. Knowing this, the NHL (and the NHLPA for that matter) has had no problem locking out the game in order to renegotiate a bigger piece of that money pie, completely disregarding their customers, placing them in the background to make room for their personal needs and/or wants.
Locked Out!
This is something that traditionally, I would never stand for. Just recently, I had a dispute with Verizon Wireless where they sold me a defective phone. Realizing this a little more than 3 weeks after my purchase I decided to return it for a new one. Verizon refused to give me a new one and instead, sent me a certified pre- owned which came with the same software issues I experienced with the first phone. Verizon refused to go the extra mile to make sure that I was a satisfied customer. Two years and four replacement phones later, they lost a customer for life. I will now be moving on to a different service provider.
The lesson here is (as I stated earlier) ALWAYS take care of your customers…they are your biggest assets and if not treated right, could very well turn into your biggest liability. The NHL is not taking care of its customers right now and the longer the lock out looms, the more and more people will be looking elsewhere for hockey.
Throughout all the drama of the lockout, there have been people who have decided that maybe we aren’t so helpless after all. These people have taken matters into their own hands and have begun launching guerrilla campaigns with a call to action, or in this case…inaction. “Let’s get em’ where it hurts!” they say, “Cancel your season tickets, remove the NHL network from your cable bills, and don’t buy a stitch of merchandise. Let’s show the NHL and the NHLPA that we have a voice and that we won’t be taken for granted.” And this is exactly what the NHL and NHLPA have done…taken us for granted.
Here are links to just two videos attempting to rally the fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRYvUUV20TU&feature=g-crec-u
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doI2qYNSTfo
Which finally brings me to my point. Why is it that we (the fans) need to own up to the fact that we are partially responsible for this work stoppage? I am the prime example. This disregard on the part of the NHL and NHLPA angers me and with any other company, I would refrain from ever providing them with my business again (as you see in my example with Verizon Wireless). However when it comes to NHL hockey, no matter how angry I am, I know that I’ll be tuning into the NHL network once play resumes. I am in such withdrawal from my lack of hockey that I will be watching as much as I can once the players are back on the ice. I cannot wait to watch the New York Rangers suit up again with their new additions (Rick Nash!) to the roster as they journey to the cup. Will I be purchasing seats at MSG, or buying Rangers gear? Probably not, I will draw the line there, but I know that I will be watching and I will be playing fantasy hockey, immersing myself as much as I can in the NHL experience. This speaks to my passion for the game, and I’m sure you can all relate. With the conclusion of the 05’ lockout, you all came crawling back the following season and where has that led us? To another lockout! As long as we continue to fill their wallets, we have no right to complain when these lockouts occur. The only way the NHL and NHLPA will ever learn their lesson is if the NHL fan base drops off dramatically and they are forced to rebuild from scraps, ultimately disenfranchising and humbling both parties. This however would never actually happen as the unfortunate reality is that I will ALWAYS be watching hockey, as long as there is hockey to watch. Unless we all commit to removing ourselves from the fan base of our favorite teams (which I know I won’t), both you and I are to blame for this lock out.
If you read my last post, I broke down who I felt is really to blame for this most recent NHL lockout. However, you (yes you) are also partially responsible for the situation we are currently in.
It’s no secret that the group that suffers the most in this work stoppage is us…the fans. The sheer helplessness of being unable to influence the outcome one way or another makes it particularly frustrating, as we are reduced to watching and waiting from the sidelines for a resolution to emerge. The NHL and NHLPA may be in different worlds right now, but the one thing they have in common is their complete disregard for the people that created the money pie that both sides are viciously fighting over. As a business man, my philosophy has always been that in any business, your biggest asset is your customer. Without your customer, you have nothing. It is because of this that management should always put their customers’ needs in the forefront of any business strategy and make sure that they are happy because if they aren’t, they will bring their money elsewhere. This is especially true in an industry with many substitute products to chose from. For example, there are many different brands of shampoo that are available to buy and customers can easily switch brands if they are not satisfied with their current one. In the case of the hockey world, substitute products to the NHL are few and far between. Unless you live in a select area with minor league hockey or you have access to watching international hockey, we all pretty much have one choice…NHL hockey. Being the most competitive league in the world, we all tune in to watch the best players on the ice night in and night out. Just as with any sport in their given industry, the NHL is pretty much as close to a monopoly as you can get. Knowing this, the NHL (and the NHLPA for that matter) has had no problem locking out the game in order to renegotiate a bigger piece of that money pie, completely disregarding their customers, placing them in the background to make room for their personal needs and/or wants.
Locked Out!
This is something that traditionally, I would never stand for. Just recently, I had a dispute with Verizon Wireless where they sold me a defective phone. Realizing this a little more than 3 weeks after my purchase I decided to return it for a new one. Verizon refused to give me a new one and instead, sent me a certified pre- owned which came with the same software issues I experienced with the first phone. Verizon refused to go the extra mile to make sure that I was a satisfied customer. Two years and four replacement phones later, they lost a customer for life. I will now be moving on to a different service provider.
The lesson here is (as I stated earlier) ALWAYS take care of your customers…they are your biggest assets and if not treated right, could very well turn into your biggest liability. The NHL is not taking care of its customers right now and the longer the lock out looms, the more and more people will be looking elsewhere for hockey.
Here are links to just two videos attempting to rally the fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRYvUUV20TU&feature=g-crec-u
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doI2qYNSTfo
Which finally brings me to my point. Why is it that we (the fans) need to own up to the fact that we are partially responsible for this work stoppage? I am the prime example. This disregard on the part of the NHL and NHLPA angers me and with any other company, I would refrain from ever providing them with my business again (as you see in my example with Verizon Wireless). However when it comes to NHL hockey, no matter how angry I am, I know that I’ll be tuning into the NHL network once play resumes. I am in such withdrawal from my lack of hockey that I will be watching as much as I can once the players are back on the ice. I cannot wait to watch the New York Rangers suit up again with their new additions (Rick Nash!) to the roster as they journey to the cup. Will I be purchasing seats at MSG, or buying Rangers gear? Probably not, I will draw the line there, but I know that I will be watching and I will be playing fantasy hockey, immersing myself as much as I can in the NHL experience. This speaks to my passion for the game, and I’m sure you can all relate. With the conclusion of the 05’ lockout, you all came crawling back the following season and where has that led us? To another lockout! As long as we continue to fill their wallets, we have no right to complain when these lockouts occur. The only way the NHL and NHLPA will ever learn their lesson is if the NHL fan base drops off dramatically and they are forced to rebuild from scraps, ultimately disenfranchising and humbling both parties. This however would never actually happen as the unfortunate reality is that I will ALWAYS be watching hockey, as long as there is hockey to watch. Unless we all commit to removing ourselves from the fan base of our favorite teams (which I know I won’t), both you and I are to blame for this lock out.
Yes...you.
# 1
PackerBacker123 @ Dec 22
Ok.... I just got blamed for the lockout of a sport I don't even watch. Go Packers?
# 2
don28 @ Dec 25
I agree. It will be hard for me, considering that I have played hockey for almost 20 years and it is my favorite sport, just ahead of football. But the NHL has taken advantage of us fans over and over, and that's why I refuse to attend any games assuming there is a season starting soon.
The only thing the league will understand is words that are spoken with our wallets. Once they start missing the money, maybe they will realize how much work they have to do to get back in our good graces. The NFL is not perfect, but they usually figure out what is in its best interests at the 11th hour. The NHL can't even seem to do that.
The only thing the league will understand is words that are spoken with our wallets. Once they start missing the money, maybe they will realize how much work they have to do to get back in our good graces. The NFL is not perfect, but they usually figure out what is in its best interests at the 11th hour. The NHL can't even seem to do that.
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