Thread: Take 2: Could Frozen Fury XV become a very large Fan protest?

Originally Posted by mitchrock

I'm protesting by not spending any more $$$ on NHL stuff. Which is hard since the Kings won the cup. This past weekend, I bought a Dodgers hat instead of a Kings hat I have been eyeing.

I would like to see the fans not purchase any of the NHL merchandise this year. If the season does start, dont purchase any merchandise, just enjoy the game. We don't need any of the NHL merchandise, just think how much money you would have if you did not buy any of these items. Try it for one year. It may make a difference. Buy the tickets but no merchandise, your kids will not be upset and if you are an adult without kids it is that much easier. Take a stand. Remember a need is different than a want. Do it!!!!

With NBC's big investment in the league sponsorship it looks like they maybe able to put some serious leverage on the owners.

NHL lockout hurts fledgling NBC Sports Network

How about we, fans, address the sponsors?

Originally Posted by MRD

With NBC's big investment in the league sponsorship it looks like they maybe able to put some serious leverage on the owners.

NHL lockout hurts fledgling NBC Sports Network

How about we, fans, address the sponsors?

Would be more effective than protesting in Vegas.

Originally Posted by aaron

See youhavetwoweeks.com to boycott the owners other businesses.

With some NHL owners it is easy to check what businesses they own. With others it's not going to be so easy. For every owner like Anschutz, where it's easy to identify most of what he owns, you'll have someone like Samuelli. Are you going to take apart every electronic item you own or might buy to see if there are Broadcom parts in it? Even then, owners like Anschutz have their hands in so many things that it would be hard to identify everything they own or are involved with. Anschutz is the largest shareholder in Southern Pacific Railroad for an example. You're never going to be able to find out what items might have been shipped on their trains. Anschutz owns part of the Lakers. If you're a Lakers fan, are you going to boycott them too?

Originally Posted by MRD

How about we, fans, address the sponsors?

And tell the sponsors what exactly?

A boycott of sponsors isn't practical because of the sheer number of them. If you're talking about boycotting sponsors at the league level, that means companies like Verizon or Comcast. In some areas, Comcast is your only choice for cable/internet. People aren't going to go without the internet to send a message to the NHL. We installed FiOS during the playoffs and had to sign a 2 year contract to get a rebate deal. I'm not going to cancel my phone, internet, tv provider and pay an early termination fee to send a message to the NHL. Discover's a big sponsor. Not everyone has one of their credit cards but if you do, are you ready to take a potential hit on your credit report by closing your account because they sponsor the NHL?

Then there are sponsors on the team level. For every sponsor it might be easy to boycott like Farmer John, McDonald's (no more McFlurry's for Adgy), Carl's Jr, Pizza Hut, San Manuel, there are some that are going to be impossible or expensive to boycott. I drive a Toyota. They've been huge sponsors of the Kings for years. Am I supposed to get rid of my car? Stop driving it? How am I going to get to work? I'm not cancelling my AAA membership because they provide services I use. If you bank at Wells Fargo are you going to switch banks since they're the "Official Banking Partner" of the Kings? American Express advertises at Staples Center. Going to cancel that credit card as well? If your insurance is through Mercury, are you looking for a new insurance company?

Who is the largest sponsor for the NHL?

Originally Posted by Ice24

Who is the largest sponsor for the NHL?

I think it would be fair to say that with a $2 Billion / 10 year contract, that would be NBC.

If I remember right the NHL gets paid no matter what, but any locked out games get tagged onto the end of the contract.

Originally Posted by Dana

Anschutz owns part of the Lakers. If you're a Lakers fan, are you going to boycott them too?

I've been boycotting the Lakers my whole life. It's really quite easy!

Originally Posted by Dana

And tell the sponsors what exactly?

A boycott of sponsors isn't practical because of the sheer number of them. . . .

I completely agree. I also think that boycotting the sponsors is simply too far removed to have any effect. Even if someone is willing, for example, to close a Wells Fargo account, what exactly are you going to do to convey the reason why you're doing it? If you tell the accout rep at a local branch that you're doing it because WFB is the Kings' "official banking partner," I suspect the only thing that would happen would be that you'd get kind of a funny "huh?" look. Or maybe write to corporate headquarters. You'll get a "thank you for your concern letter" and maybe some sort of incentive offer to re-open the account, but what is WFB to do? Holy s**t!!! Joe Bob Kingsfan just closed his checking account that had an average daily balance of $200 bucks!! Quick! Get Phil Anschutz on the phone and tell him to get that damn lockout settled!!

This sort of stuff reminds me of the gas boycotts: "Hey...let's not buy gas on Tuesday! That'll show those oil company bastards! Of course, we'll have to buy our gas on Monday or Wednesday instead, but I'm sure they'll get the message. . . ."

Unless someone who is a huge hockey fan happens to hold the key to some big time contract that some sponsor really wants, there's no point in focusing on the sponsors.

Originally Posted by darby

Protests don't matter because they don't care about the fans in this case.

It's not like Donald Fehr or Gary Bettman are gonna see a bunch of pictures of the fans and say to themselves, "Wow. I didn't know the fans felt that way. Maybe we should rethink our approach."

Or that video the players apparently put out.

Please boycott all NHL jerseys so they put them on a huge discount! Then I can afford to buy one, or four.