Category: Sports brands

Jets flying home to Winnipeg?

winnipeg jets logoIt’s true – the Winnipeg Jets are being wished back into existence, remarkably after being exported to Arizona as a potential “cash cow” (or, er, coyote).

So much for that idea. How much was the Phoenix Coyotes’ bankruptcy price, $140 million? And according to The Toronto Star, the club is now a further $20 million in the hole after this season. We give you Gary Bettman ladies and gentlemen – a man with a dream.

Incredibly, the idea that Canuck teams are too small time to make good money, is now being shunned by pundits because Canadian locales are surely better off than struggling post-GFC American cities, as Randy Turner explained in The National Post this week.

And there’s the moral of the story. How can anyone, in any pro sport, seriously contemplate relocating a popular team again for the sake of a few bucks? It’s nuts. It doesn’t matter which way you slice it – fancy new TV deal, the promise of more bobble head sales, or potentially robust attendance figures – loyal fans always deserve to keep their team, and in the end, will stand by them.

When the chips are down, do the ambitious movers and shakers of business really believe fans in the desert, on the beach or cruising the bayou will really be enamored with hockey – on ice? These people have football, basketball and baseball. They prefer ice in their lemonade to ice in their arenas. It’s just common sense.

Hey, nobody’s disrespecting the fans that do support the Phoenix Coyotes, or the Nashville Predators for that matter. In fact, we tip our inflatable hockey hats to you. But the way in which the Winnipeg-Phoenix saga has played out needs to be a lesson for all: tradition and passion count for more than the bottom line (at least in Any Town, North America). As long as us – the fans – are happy, who cares about the league’s desire for expanding markets?

Following a sports team isn’t a game for us, as it is for many owners. It’s an emotional relationship, in which nobody wants their heart broken – especially not for a few dudes wanting a better lining in their pockets.

Hopefully the potential re-relocation of the Jets reinforces this message. And while we’re at it, maybe there’ll be some recognition that you don’t mess with a classic sports brand. The Jets logo, after all,  was – and maybe is – one of the best to ever grace a rink.

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NHL’s playoff commercials rock


Here’s just one of the NHL’s 2010 playoff ads, this one featuring Wayne Gretzky. These promos are simply another reason why we love the hockey.

Puma’s getting clever


Next time you slip on a t-shirt for the gym or your runners for a jog, consider the logo you’re wearing. Was there a good reason you chose that brand, or was it just something you found under the Christmas tree one year? Well Puma might gives us all a reason to reconsider our sportswear soon, as the company aims to go carbon neutral. According to AsianOne Business, Puma wants to be the first sports apparel company to become eco-friendly. How? For starters they’re ditching the old cardboard shoe boxes for a new bag/box in one that is said to use 65% less cardboard than the standard box. Check out the video above.

Andy Roddick challenges you to smell better

Andy Roddick Lacoste Challenge

Andy Roddick hit the market with a new after shave this month – Lacoste Challenge.  It’s fairly inexpensive at around $50 and comes in a clever racket handle bottle. That’s what we’ve always liked about Lacoste: they never over do it. It’s just simple, sleek design all the way. Stamp the little crocodile in the corner and Bob’s your uncle.