It’s game day in Winnipeg as the Jets host the Blackhawks in their third meeting of the year. It was also supposed to be the #helmetpardy an unofficial night saluting or honouring the Blackhawks and their fans after the now infamous incident in Chicago.
By now the hockey world in Canada knows the game Pardy is cancelled and that the Jets along with owner Mark Chipman have come out saying they want know part in this kind of event. Why should they, they did not come up with it nor can they benefit from it.
What if they had?
Go back 10 days and the Jets have returned home after the loss and embarrassing actions by three Chicago fans. Instead of working on email promotions for the $40 Flight Deck pre-game buffet with 1 complimentary beverage, the organization capitalized on something in which they themselves were the VICTIMS?
Instead of giving out hockey scares from a Canadian bank, instead of setting up a table with game used sticks, gloves, jerseys and skates for sale where not all of the money, or perhaps any of it goes to the TNSE foundation. Two years ago a game worn Evander Kane jersey was $900 dollars, not autographed and all that money was pure profit. Albeit nickel and dime money but not going to foundation.
This is an organization that knows how to part people from their money as they have the third highest average ticket price and beer price. See this So why not capitalize? What’s preventing some fun?
The obvious answer is some fan retribution and having 15,000 people wearing helmets at a game poses a couple of issues. First what if some one gets a hat trick? What happens when the one idiot does what no one should and launches one at a ice? Finally, what if the many Blackhawks fans who cheer the team in Winnipeg are harassed by the revenge seeking hordes?
Any one of those three reasons alone is enough to lay a perfectly logical and sensible end to this story and promotion. That’s not what was presented to the public yesterday. True North issued this Press Release yesterday. Not a word about the obvious safety, crowd control and harassment. Instead fans that actually felt like they were a part of something, supporting their team and making the experience at Jets games the envy of all other owners were told they were part of a ‘stunt’.
It was a misstep and one of the very few TNSE has made.
Why not make inflatable helmets and sell them? Why not offer paper helmet facsimiles and let the fans make some noise and have some fun? Why not capitalize on this like almost every other aspect of the NHL operation?
Well the explanation is also in the press release:
“The Chicago Blackhawks organization, for whom we hold a great deal of respect, conducted themselves with the highest degree of professionalism in the wake of the unfortunate incident on November 6th. We immediately received apologies from Team President & Governor John McDonough & General Manager Stan Bowman.I sincerely believe we have the best fans in the entire National Hockey League. Their passion for the game is unequaled. However, this is about professionalism and respect for our great game and for the NHL. These are principles we attempt to follow in all aspects of how we play and present the game of hockey. Adam Pardy exemplified these characteristics and I am confident Winnipeg Jets fans will display that same respect and professionalism this Thursday by refraining from participating in this stunt and not wearing helmets to tomorrow’s game.…
Because the Blackhawks took the high road, and did the right thing it sets the standard for how the Jets want to proceed. I’m okay with that and I think most would be if a logical explanation was provided along with that sentiment. Instead many fans are seeing a team tell them how to behave, rightly or wrongly.
If that’s the case I suggest the writer of this press release check their grammar. “…by refraining from participating in this stunt and not wearing helmets to tomorrow’s game.… See the ‘and’ in that sentence links the action of the verb ‘refrain’. If you are to ‘refrain from’ not wearing helmets you are actually supposed to wear them, however I digress.
Wear this all gets sideways is that the issue has split fans. All they wanted was some fun. In today’s Winnipeg Free Press Randy Turner has a quote from Jets fan Marcus Malbasa.
“I don’t think you should be parenting this.… Malbasa said. “It’s just a fun poke in the ribs(to the Blackhawsk). And, hey they’re the Stanley Cup champions. At least if we can’t win we can have some fun.…
It’s one-quarter the way through the third season and Jets fans are already saying the team can’t win. Shouldn’t that be just as much a concern to Chipman as the experience those same ticket buying fans are trying to create? The PR fire will die down and this game will blow over and be done with as will the so-called ‘stunt’. All we be forgotten and forgiven. Just like TNSE has done with the Blackhawks and fan Kevin Mize.
Speaking of Mize there is one part of the TNSE press release first paragraph quote cited above which was deliberately left out. It reads:
"He is extremely remorseful and has made an unnecessary yet very meaningful donation to the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation."
If it was unnecessary to make a donation it was also unnecessary to mention it, and that’s exactly what Chipman should have done. In some fan’s eyes this once again has come down to being all about the money.