Michigan loses to OSU
Michigan lost. 42-39. I missed the second half because I was working the Whalers’ game. The Whalers lost. It’s safe to say it hasn’t been an amazing day.
Rose Bowl? Rematch in Glendale? Who knows.
There will be a memorial service for Bo Schembechler at Michigan Stadium on Tuesday at 1pm open to the public. Just bummed that we couldn’t win for Bo.
Bo Schembechler dies
The biggest game in the history of college football is supposedly being played tomorrow afternoon- my college (University of Michigan) versus the evil Ohio State University. On the eve of this game, former UM head coach Bo Schembechlar collapses at a taping for a show and passes away. He will be sorely missed and it’s so sad that he will be missing tomorrow’s game. I went to a bone marrow drive in September for a former UM quarterback Tom Slade, who also passed away this week, and Bo Schembechler and his wife sat down next to me. RIP Bo.
Update: I will be updating this post with links to articles, columns, etc. about his death. I will also be posting brief quotes/stories about the legendary football coach. You might not hear much hockey talk this weekend as the game tomorrow is going to be HUGE. Go Blue!
- Funny story about Bo:
Lions executive vice president and COO Tom Lewand, who worked for Bo beginning with the end of the 1987 season:
“The first team meeting I was ever in with Bo he was an intimidating figure. I was just out of high school and was a freshman at Michigan in my first team meeting and he goes up to the grease board to write up some team rules and he opens the marker and starts to write on the grease board and it’s red ink. He looks at the marker and puts the cap on and throws it across the room as it whizzes by my head - ‘We will have no red markers! Blue markers, only blue markers!’ I got all the red and green markers out just in case.”
- Column by Wojnowski of The Detroit News
Schembechler lived the fullest life imaginable and lived it to the end, even as he knew the end was nearing. He passed away Friday morning as he was preparing to talk about Michigan football on his weekly TV show at Channel 7. He left us barely half a day after addressing the Wolverines before Thursday’s practice, canceling a doctor’s appointment to be there. Speaking to the players, he had hammered home his favorite themes of teamwork and pride before sending them to their collision against No. 1 Ohio State today at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
- Column by Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press
I likely will fail at this assignment, because I cannot focus on what posterity should know about this man. You start with facts about Bo Schembechler but you quickly drift to anecdotes. It can’t be helped. Bo made memories even better than he made history.
Fox 2 News
No posts today because Fox 2 News is coming to Ann Arbor to do a story on the Wolverines-Buckeyes Challenge for Life that my organization, UM Students for Organ Donation, is competing with our OSU counterparts.
If you live in Michigan and haven’t already helped us out, please visit http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/goblue/ to register and help us try to catch up to OSU’s number of registrants.
The story should be airing during tonight’s news so if you live in the Detroit area, feel free to tune in!
11/15 Notes
The Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks last night, 3-2. For the always entertaining game recap, check out Abel to Yzerman. This win was the Wings ninth straight victory making it the sixth time in franchise history that the Wings have won nine games in a row.
A friend of mine also happened to talk to Jason Williams on the phone a few days ago and said she could definitely tell he had had a concussion so maybe the team is doing the right thing by holding off his play until after Thanksgiving.
Notes on the NHL
- Alexander Ovechkin has fired his agent, Don Meehan.
- The NHL has made an agreement with YouTube to display clips from games, which sounds great to me. I just can’t get over that the league started working on this over the summer and actually thought of something that would reach out to a younger potential fanbase.
- Much “debate” has been going on in regards to the new Messier Leadership Award. Actually, it’s not really a debate because all the bloggers who have said something about it agree- a leadership award should not be named in honor of Messier.
- In today’s issue of Sports Business Daily, Ted Leonsis (owner of the Washington Capitals) talks about the blogosphere and what he forsees in the future in regards to advertising.
Leonsis said the blogosphere is another area that will offer additional revenue in the future. The Capitals have built a blogging community, and Leonsis said, “I can see us selling advertising and search fields and building tools and syndicating that out across our blogosphere. They’ll all have ad units in the same place and when we sell an advertiser we’ll bring that across the network. All of a sudden you’re starting to see this specialist, vertical, almost IPTV-like network blooming and I just want to be at the forefront.†Like other champions of the Internet, Leonsis expects more advertising spending to move online. Currently, people spend 18-22% of their day consuming media online, he said, while advertisers are only spending 6% of budgets online. “There’s this disconnect,†Leonsis said. “If we get 22% of ad dollars, that’s another $40(B).â€
Pleasantly Surprised
I must say that the Detroit Red Wings organization pleasantly surprised me today. See, I’m the public relations co-chair for UM Students for Organ Donation and we’re having a Skate Night in a couple weeks at Yost Ice Arena. Anyways, we wanted to raffle off gift certificates, tickets, etc to help fundraise. I sent out a bunch of letters to local sports teams and stores hoping to obtain a free signed puck, photo, etc so that we could raffle it off.
The Detroit Red Wings were actually the second organization I heard back from (the U of M ticket office was the first) and they sent UMSOD a signed Henrik Zetterberg puck to raffle off! I really didn’t think they would send something to our small organization when they’re are supposedly selective, but I am very appreciative that they did! 
Doomsberry talks about the schedule
Doomsberry left a comment today to this post in regards to the disparities of the NHL schedule. I asked him if he’d mind if his comment became a post and so here you go, in his own words…
This is actually a very good topic and one that fans will continue to debate. The Wings have always been at a disadvantage from a travel standpoint. The rest of the Western Conference teams have benefited from the Wings popularity through a boost in attendance when the Wings are in town and many of the teams need that boost.
Another part of your post is, in my humble (and usually doomed) opinion, very revealing of the NHL under the leadership of Bettman. Obviously the league has an interest in increasing TV viewership and thereby increasing revenues, in particular for those franchises that are in non-traditional hockey markets. The most important way the league can do this is by increasing fan awareness of individual players. I believe, in a very subtle way, the league has moved away from promoting traditional rivalries (the Original 6 teams in particular) and are now promoting individual players. Advertisers look for those players that the fans identify with, and that have very high Q scores. Individuals, not teams, are what the advertisers look for. This has been successful in the NBA and we all know where Bettman came from. It is Shaq vs Kobe, not Miami vs LA. Free agency in all sports has reduced team loyalty and increased the level in which fans identify with individual players. I believe it is revealing that your post mentions neither the Penquins nor the Capitals, but rather Crosby’s team and Ovechkin’s team (and that is not a criticism, just an observation). If the league promotes those two players as individuals, and those players move to another team, the league has lost nothing in terms of it’s identity with the fans, and I believe that is the direction the NHL is going.
What does all this have to do with the scheduling? The scheduling, in the new NHL, will have everything to do with divorcing the NHL from it’s past, increasing advertising revenues, and promoting individual stars around the league. Unfortunately, it will have little to do with traditional rivalries, the Original 6 teams, or the inconvenience created by having a team in the Eastern time zone suffer through numerous road trips through multiple time zones. It will have even less to do with hardcore hockey fans and everything to do with the incessant desire to bring in new “fans†(at the expense of those hardcore, loyal fans). A home and home series on back to back nights between the Wings and the Leafs does nothing for the league because those teams sell out anyway and have good TV ratings no matter who they are playing (not to mention there might be bloodshed the second night and the league does not want any of that!). The league would prefer we play Nashville and Columbus extra times to help fill their arena and promote the sport in their area. Compare our old rivalry with Toronto, which stood the test of time over decades, with the rivalry we had with Colorado that lasted a mere 8 years or so. The Wings/Avs rivalry started to fizzle as soon as certain individual players left and has now been reduced to basically another Western Conference game.
In my opinion, the league will eventually regret destroying the traditional rivalries and ignoring the history and lore of the sport of the hockey while pursuing efforts to prop up franchises that are the creation of overexpansion, greed and ego. The fact that they feel the need to “sell†the game in those markets tells you all you need to know.
Behind the Blog: Gloveside
Today’s Behind the Blog features the new blog, Gloveside, which covers the Detroit Red Wings as well as other hockey teams near Kalamazoo. Johnny and Brennan are the brains behind the operation and so there will be two answers for each of the ten questions.
Their logo:
Q.1 – Gloveside has started only just recently. Why did you decide to create this blog and why call it Gloveside?
Johnny: It was Brennan’s idea to start the blog; I think the catalyst was the longer than expected off-season for the Wings. We had both been frequent readers of blogs, and I (at least) had started to comment more and more. Then I began to start checking sources, which was fun for some reason. Brennan suggested starting the blog; we decided the beginning of training camp was a good time to launch.
We wanted the blog (which focuses mainly on the Wings) to be centered on hockey here in Michigan. We’re from Kalamazoo, and there is a lot of hockey in our general area. Michigan’s lower peninsula resembles a mitten (as anyone knows when asking for directions), so we thought Gloveside was fitting and we could tie it in with hockey in our logo (ala Brennan).
Brennan: I’ve been an avid reader of weblogs for many years. I’ve tried writing personal blogs a few times, but never really found myself that interesting. Last season, I started devouring as many hockey blogs as I could get my little mouse on, in addition to all the personal blogs I read, and realized that if I wrote about hockey, I’d almost always have something to write about.
We were looking for a name that reflected us being in Michigan, we thought about names w/Mitten in the title, but eventually it morphed into Gloveside, like Michiganside, but a sorta punny hockey theme.
Q.2 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next year?
Johnny: I’d like to become better at researching, get some street cred, maybe some real creds! I’d also like to cover more of the local hockey: K-Wings, Griffons, WMU Hockey, and even the “beer” leagues, which I play on Friday nights.
Brennan: Hopefully we can get some more folks to come visit, maybe interact a bit w/our comment system, have a chuckle or two. Maybe hold up to our commitment to cover local hockey a bit more.
Q.3 – When and why did you become a Detroit Red Wings fan?
Johnny: When I was in high school I dated this girl, and if I wanted to hang out with her at her house, (her dad DID NOT TRUST BOYS) I had to hang out in the living room with her and the family. This was ‘86-’87 and more often than not her dad was watching the Red Wings. He started to warm to me and pointed out on the fuzzy screen the “kid” that was going to turn this team around, how he could score at will. I started listening less to him and watching the game more. Yzerman quickly became the first athlete that I would follow and he never flinched under my scrutiny. He just got better (as you all know) and I was sold.
Brennan: I’m a recent hockey convert. I’ve never been much of a sports fan, but I swear that’s because I wasn’t exposed to much hockey growing up. I became a hockey fan and a Wings fan at the same time. I mean, I’m from Michigan, who else am I gonna root for, the Thrashers?
Q.4 – The Wings had a rocky start, but are in the middle of an 8 game winning streak. Where in the league standings do you see the Red Wings finishing this season? Why?
Johnny: This season more than any before could drive a betting man nuts. I’d really like to hold off on that comment until they complete this Western Canada road trip. Saying that, I think they’ll be 2nd or 3rd in the western conference. It’s going to be really tight with the Ducks, Wild, Stars, and Sharks. The Wings have been all defense on this streak. If and when the offense starts firing on all cylinders they could take the top seed.
Brennan: I’d love to see them finish up near the top, not on it. Considering the trouble they’ve had in the playoffs when they’ve won the Presidents Trophy, I wouldn’t mind seeing them sitting a slot or two down from the top of the West.
Q.5 – Do you like the current NHL schedule or do you think it should be changed? If so, what schedule would you suggest?
Johnny: I would love to see the Wings in the East. I’m a working guy and suffer through the next day when they play out west. I really think they should see each team once. That doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Brennan: I’d love to see every team at least once. That being said, I don’t think the league can really do much in the way of schedule changing until we find out where the Penguins land. Kansas City is pushing hard for a team, as well has Southern Ontario. If a move is on the horizon, or expansion is a possibility — we need to wait. I’d really love anything that allows more than handful of original six games for the Wings.
Q.6 – What are your thoughts on the Red Wings relations with their fans? Do you agree with George’s article on the issue or do you have a differing opinion? If so, what is it?
Johnny: I have never even been to the JLA!! Because I work in construction and in the winter months I have to be prudent with my cash. Going to game on the other side of the state, paying what you have to for nose bleeders and driving all the way back hasn’t been possible. I also hate to see the lower corporate seats sitting empty.
Brennan: I don’t live in Detroit, so signings & what have you don’t affect me much, but I haven’t had trouble getting tickets the past few seasons. I think the franchise is run like a business, and like all businesses the bottom line is king. The way you make money is by doing as little as you can to get as much as you can. I’d love to see the Wings more involved in their community, and to make their organization more fan-friendly, but until they stop selling out tickets and making a killing on merchandise, I don’t think we can expect much of a change.
Q.7 – After a year of play, do you think the lockout hurt or helped the NHL?
Johnny: I enjoy the faster play, the parity is good…I just don’t know about supporting teams in places where no one cares about the sport.
Brennan: I think the lockout has at least as much to do with the state of the NHL as the change in rule enforcement. The year off seemed to give the league time to do their marketing and planning w/out having to keep up with current news and scandal. Maybe a few fans walked away, but I think in the long run the repackaging, and changes in marketing the lockout allowed will bring more and more fans into the fold.
Q.8 – Which team has surprised you with their start to this season? Disappointed you?
Johnny: The one two punch in Pittsburgh isn’t so much surprising as it is breathtaking. I’m afraid the term “you got Philadelphiaed!” is going to become quite the slam. All dark clouds converge over the Flyers…It’s surreal.
Brennan: The Penguins have come out strong, and incredibly fun to watch. A young, fast team could really go far with the new enforcement guidelines. The Flames, on the other hand, have just fallen apart. While I’ll never forgive them for escorting the Wings out in the second round, Kipper & Co. have found a place in my heart.
Q.9 – If you had to pick two teams to be in the Stanley Cup finals right now, which two teams would they be?
Johnny: Buffalo and…er…ahem….Detroit.
Brennan: I’m hoping the Sabres represent the Eastern Conference, I think they deserve it. If by some horrible awful twist of fate, the Wings don’t wind up in the rink for the West, then I’d love to see the Wild in there.
Q.10 - Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
Johnny: I love A2Y and was lost for a while without it. I also love the antics at Covered in Oil.
Brennan: I love Abel to Yzerman, and I’m overjoyed at its return. I think Sidearm Delivery, as well as Orland Kurtenblog and Covered in Oil are way up towards the top of my list these days. There’s also this fantastic girl that writes a great wings blog… I can’t remember the name, but she’s got a slightly morbid fascination with ligaments and cartilage…
Any additional comments?
Johnny: Thanks for the interview, Christy, and thanks to any one else out there who reads Gloveside, were hoping to bring a little more humor there.
Disparities in the NHL schedule
I’m currently writing a paper for my argumentative writing class on why the NHL schedule should be changed. Anyways, I discovered the following…
- The Detroit Red Wings will play 78% of their away games in a different time zone than Detroit.
- Since an Eastern Conference team will play 10 games in the Western Conference, at most 12% of their away games will be in a different time zone if these games don’t include Columbus and Detroit.
- The Buffalo Sabres, who aren’t even centrally located, are within 90 minutes from 10 of the 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference.
- New Jersey can travel to away games by bus 39% of the time.
- In October 2006, Crosby and Ovechkin had the number one and number three top selling jerseys in the NHL. It’s a shame for fans when ten Western Conference teams won’t play Crosby’s team or Ovechkin’s team every year with the current schedule.
And yes, I realize it’s not the most original topic but there’s plenty of opinions. And I got an A on my paper talking about partial visors in the NHL, which was also a widely discussed issue.
Forbes analyzes NHL teams
Forbes.com recently issued a report regarding how the NHL is doing financially since the lockout. This pretty much sums it up:
The average hockey team is now worth $180 million and makes an operating profit (in the sense of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $4.2 million. During the 2003-2004 season, the last before the lockout, the average hockey team was worth $163 million and lost $3.2 million.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are worth the most at $332 million making them the most profitable team in the NHL, even though they didn’t make the playoffs last year. Pretty impressive if you ask me. The New York Rangers came in second with a value of $302 million, which should probably increase over the next few years if they continue making the playoffs. Last season was their first playoff appearance since 1997.
Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Red Wings in 1982 for $8 million. Today, his hockey team is worth $258 million. According to the Forbes evaluation, the Wings early playoff exit cost Ilitch at least $5 million in profits. Major corporate sponsors for the Wings include Molson Coors, Motor City Casino, Miller Brewing, MBNA, and Detroit Medical Center.
A few interesting tidbits from the Detroit section…
1) The average Red Wings game ticket is $51, which is $6 more than the New York Rangers’ average ticket but $19 less on average than the Toronto Maple Leafs’ tickets. The Dallas Stars worth $10 million less than the Wings has the average ticket price at $60. And here I am complaining about ticket prices at the Joe.
2) I thought that it was interesting that the Detroit revenue has fallen from the 2003-2004 season, which the Wings made $97 million, to the $89 million revenue from last season. In 2001-2002, the Wings not only won the Cup but made $114 million in revenue and were valued at $268 million.
Forbes.com also put together a slideshow featuring “The Ultimate Hockey Franchise” which combines the best of a variety of teams. Mike Ilitch was named the best owner.
Our criteria for a good owner: consistently wins, puts a good team on the ice and doesn’t fleece the fans. The Detroit Red Wings’ Ilitch has overseen a team that has made the playoffs 15 straight years, netting three Stanley Cup titles. And despite a rabid fan base, the average ticket price at Joe Louis Arena is just $43, the 18th highest in the league, according to Team Marketing Report.
Not surprisingly, the Washington Caps were given the title of best website. Their owner, Ted Leonsis, certainly has interacted the most with hockey bloggers.
Wings 3, Predators 0
I got home from surgery in time to watch the second half of the game, which the Wings won 3-0 over the Nashville Predators. Robert Lang, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Dan Cleary (empty net) scored for Detroit. I’m not going to comment on the game, but Niklas Kronwall didn’t play in the third period and that has me worried. Since Yzerman retired, Kronwall has become my Wings knee injury inspiration and I just hope he’s not hurt again.
Anyways, my surgery went well. He removed two screws and a washer and filed down some bone. The surgery took a little longer than expected because they removed the screws and filed the bone and closed me up. An x-ray to make sure they got everything showed the washer was still there so they had to open me back up and remove it. I’m sore, but feeling fine. I’m going to sleep in and just take it easy.
UM football faces off against Indiana tomorrow at 3:30pm. Go Blue!
Update:
Game Recaps from…
- Detroit Free Press
- The Detroit News
- Booth Newspapers
- Tennessean (article #2)
- Macomb Daily
- NHL.com
- Windsor Star