I believe it when the players and coaches say it, but not so much coming from the NHL. All they really care about is the business of hockey. The problem is, Gary Bettman & Company don’t seem to have a very good business sense. A news report came out today that Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings, are not going to be allowed to run Joe Vision during tonight’s Stanley Cup Finals game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. If you aren’t familiar with Joe Vision, it is much like viewing parties held for other sports teams while their team is playing on the road. For 15 years, Joe Louis Arena has had giant viewing parties at the Joe at different times, especially during the Stanley Cup Finals.

In the case of Joe Vision, there was a nominal entry fee, which was given to charity. Seems like it would be a win-win. The rabid fans get to watch the game at their home stadium, the charity gets some dough, the NHL could turn it into a real feel-good PR campaign or something like that. If we were talking about the NFL, that’s probably what would happen. The NFL is a marketing machine. They don’t miss too many tricks which a big part of why they are far and away the biggest of the four major sports.

In this case, though, we’re talking about the NHL who have proven again and again that they have little marketing savvy (seriously…Versus?). The NHL requested that NBC and CBC not allow teams to run their broadcasts of the game for viewing parties. Some are suggesting that the networks were involved in the decision, but it was really the NHL’s doing.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why this decision was made. The networks have already paid for the rights to broadcast the game so there is no lost revenue. Presumably there would be a small dip in ratings in that market during the game (a sold-out Joe Vision game would shave 1 point off the ratings), but ratings are really the concern of the network, not the NHL.

And not only did the NHL pass up an opportunity to create some good PR, all day long I’ve seen articles and commentary about how pissed people are. Lots of badwill directed at the NHL and NBC.

Great move, NHL. Way to alienate your fan base. Clowns.

Edited to add: The Penguins held viewing parties in Pittsburgh for the first two games of the series. Why didn’t the NHL clamp down on Versus, the way the have with NBC & CBC? Or did Versus just show some spine and let the Penguins use the broadcast over the NHL objections?

The son, whose name I am going to withhold because he is a minor, is a really nice, normal kid. He goes to school at Saginaw Academy of Science & Arts (I didn’t even know such a school existed in the area). He likes art, but it isn’t his only interest. He came to the studio with a few pages of questions about what I do. As somebody who writes profiles professionally, I have to tell you, he came armed with some really bright questions. I was really impressed with his preparation and we talked for a while about my career and stuff like that.

Time passed very quickly while we just sat there and talked. I asked him a little bit about what sort of art he likes and what he likes to do. In our back-and-forth, I got really excited talking about my career. I came to design through a back door, but I feel really lucky to have a career that I genuinely enjoy. I love going to work, I love being in the studio, doing the actual design, etc. I’ve never lost sight of how much I appreciate being able to do something I love and get paid for it, but in talking with this young many it sort of rekindled the fire a little bit. 

I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to spend some time talking with him. I know I got a lot out of it and I hope he feels the same way. After he left I was picking things up before heading home and noticed that he left me a message on the Etch-a-Sketch. He also took the time to write me a thank you note and mail it, but for me the Etch-a-Sketch message was perfect. You’re welcome.

On a completely unrelated note…I thought I’d do a little show and tell with the other objects in the photo above. Along with the Etch-a-Sketch note we have:

• A photo of myself and Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. This photo (taken by Barry Rankin) was taken on an evening when my job was to spend a few hours taking photos of Gordie Howe while he signed autographs. Other than to say hello, we didn’t talk during the autograph session, but Gordie kept hamming it up for me. At the end of the evening, I had the chance to go up and chat with him for a minute. I can’t tell you what a huge thrill that was!

• A Detroit Red Wings puck autographed by Gordie. He had just been signing his name for most things, but because we had “worked together” he surprised me and personalized it. When he handed it to me he said, “Here you go…To Mr. Photo from Mr. Hockey.” 

• A signed print of a photo I took of Ryne Sandberg when he was coaching the Peoria Chiefs. 

• A photo of me from the first time I met the Stanley Cup. My friend Jim Biewer, now with the Detroit Red Wings, took this photo. I had about thirty minutes where it was just me and the Cup. I took lots of photos, but mostly I just read the names in the rings. I wanted to touch it, but I knew better. In any of the three or four times I’ve been around the Cup, I haven’t touched it.

• Tucked between the Etch-a-Sketch and the Red Wings puck, you can see a Great Lakes Loons baseball peeking out. 

Man, do I have a cool job, or what?