“In the fall of 2017, when we celebrate the 100th birthday of the NHL, we will do so as a League of 31 teams,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome Bill Foley and the city of Las Vegas to the League and are truly excited that an NHL franchise will be the first major professional sports team in this vibrant, growing, global destination city.”

“Foley paid the $500 million expansion fee to bring NHL hockey to Las Vegas, and the announcement is the culmination of two years of hard work that included a successful season-ticket drive to prove local interest.”

With that report, I begin my open letter to current NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and new Las Vegas hockey club owner Bill Foley…

Dear Gary and Bill:

You don’t know me, but maybe you should.

I realize why you jumped into the Las Vegas market and I’m proud.

I remember fifteen years ago when your old partner, Fox Television was struggling with their primetime lineup. Their top rated show was The Simpsons and it was ranked 39th for the four major networks. Along came the pitch for American Idol. All of the networks were pitched — ABC, NBC, CBS. They all said “no.” Fox said “we need a hit” “we need something different. Fox said “yes.” And did they ever get a hit (* – see ratings at the bottom). I know you are trying to do what the other three big sports have shunned over the years: bring a major sport to Sin City.

I am not so sure, however, if Las Vegas is the jackpot you are seeking. But here’s what’s happening to your sport right now…

…the Stanley Cup Final, with arguably the best player in your league in Sidney Crosby? Nobody watched.

You’re losing ground, big-time, to soccer, which is now on five networks. Interest has never been higher with networks bidding left and right for the rights to games. Soccer video sales through the roof. Soccer buzz off the charts. Soccer media coverage at an all-time high. In all aspects, it’s blown past hockey. The truth is, as painful as someone who has grown up around the rink, nobody wants hockey.

Even the UFC is getting bigger (or already is) than hockey. They create stars with every event (Connor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Meisha Tate, Nate Diaz). People pay $50 to $90 per event on pay-per-view to watch their monthly fight cards. As many people that paying to watch the UFC are watching the NHL payoff games for free. ESPN and FOX are already preparing bids to televise the UFC when the contracts come up in 2018. UFC has also blown past hockey in terms of relevance.

What’s the solution? Las Vegas, of course.

Vegas is where you go to spice things up. It’s where you go to spice up your marriage, your relationships, your bachelor parties, your conventions…and your hockey.

You needed to make some noise and it makes you willing to roll the dice. You needed to get their first. You have a state-of-the-art facility in the T-Mobile Arena. Major League Soccer has explored putting a team there. The NFL has been talking about the Raiders to Vegas for months. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has publicly advocated regulating professional sports betting. Even Major League Baseball, who remains scarred by gambling scandals has talked about Vegas in the last week. You simply said, hmmmmmm, Quebec City or Las Vegas? No brainer, let’s beat them all to the punch. Las Vegas it is.

I know you are pleased with a few things. Gary, that $500 million expansion fee will please your 30 other owners. And Billy, you have to be thrilled about the 14,000 fans that have placed deposits on season tickets and the prospects of working with MGM Resorts (who built T-Mobile Arena) on providing comp tickets to fill the place up each night. But these are short-term solutions.

Guys, please give The Media Guy a call. I sketched out five-year plan for the growth of hockey in the desert. I learned from the great Jack Kent Cooke about what NOT to do for hockey in the Sunbelt states and since garnered a couple of CLIOs and Emmys, along with nine or so Telly Awards.

Not to brag, but I can help.

You need more than just a hockey guy to navigate through the expansion draft. You need another perspective. This is where I come in. Let me share this with you.

The future Las Vegas Ice Crew?

As a freebie, I am throwing some ideas, courtesy of the Idea Man in Training, my son Josh. While he aspires to be the first Academy Award winner that becomes an FBI agent, he has a unique insight into the souls of youthful America.

Here is some of his vision to connect with the fans:

• The goal horn. They could be super original and not have a horn, and instead have a man scream “Jackpot” and have the sound of coins falling out of the slot machine.
• The logo could be very simple — an “LV” crossing a pile of chips and cards. (I don’t feel like it should be too complex as the best logos in the NHL are simple but powerful…the Kings, Blackhawks, Penguins.) I also don’t feel they should hammer home the fact they’re a hockey team like the Sharks do by shoehorning a stick into the logo.
• The Ice crew should dress like the showdancers Las Vegas has.
• National Anthem. Since Vegas has a lot of famous singers, they could work out a deal with them and have a rotating cycle of the performers there singing the national anthem.
• The mascot should be an animal or a being not in the NHL already. It should stand out in a sense, but also embody the wild hectic nature of Las Vegas. Maybe a sphinx or a Flamingo because they’re showy colorful and bright similar to Las Vegas.
• The puck shouldn’t be like any normal puck. It should literally just look like poker chip.
• Get the Blue Man Group to perform pre-game, turn the plaza outside T-Mobile into an outdoor club before, during, and after the game. Go the whole nine yards with a DJ and free-flowing alcohol.

Maybe you like these ideas, maybe you don’t. I will reveal the points addressed in my five-year plan when we meet; most you probably already realize, but do not know how to overcome them. After all, being an investment tycoon is different than reaching the hockey fan and the fan-at-large simultaneously. Hockey is not diverse in an ever-increasing diverse world. The product is not good on television, when sports these days is all about TV. Nobody bets the sport in an increasingly betting-centric country. And, it’s very expensive and few play it. Yes, there’s work to do!

Let’s roll up our sleeves one afternoon and dig into the plan.

You won’t regret it.

And, please, even if you won’t call, don’t let the fans name your team in some silly contest. You’ll wind up with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim or something like that. No one wants that.

I look forward to your call.

Warm regards,
MICHAEL

Michael Lloyd, The Media Guy

Mr. Bettman…Call me!

The post An Open Letter to the NHL appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

I mean tickets to the Golden Game? Super Bowl 50? In San Francisco? Club Level? Running elbows with the bourgeois of the world like Beyoncé, Pres. Obama, The Mannings, and Katy Perry? I mean who wouldn’t want that?

But then “$3K PER TICKET” smacked me on the brain like an errant elbow from your girlfriend who’s tossing and turning in bed after a 10-tequila-shot bender at 4a in Vegas or Monte Carlo.

Three thousand dollars? And six thousand dollars for two? Face Value? Who would pay $6,000 for Super Bowl tickets and feel good about themselves while drinking $15 beers in their plush club level seats while behemoths slam into each other while involving concussion protocols that can only truly be determined after death? I mean $1 a day helps a whole family eat three squares in Southern Sudan right?

C’mon NFL, really? Are you donating a part of this to some kind of charity? Sheesh! So right there I made my Stub Hub commitment to scalp these suckers and help out the world. Final result ended with an $8,000 donation to a local food bank.

Will I regret it? No way. It’s not like it’s a Kings-Capitals Stanley Cup Final ticket, right?

Okay, so where am I?

I’m at home waiting for my chili to finish cooking so I can have my Hebrew Nationals (a package of seven cost me $3.99, while a single hot dog at Levi’s Stadium would have run me $8.00; I think I made a good choice to sell my tickets and watch at home, don’t you think?).

Based on one of the best Super Bowl commercials (there weren’t many), I should have stuck with Heinz condiments. Heinz’s clever blend of America’s love of a dog commercial and blended it with a time-honored brand and a dash of quirk. The Heinz’s Wiener Stampede jumped from the field and into our hearts. It also proved that if you had a big hit in the 70s, then you can make money in 2016 (ala Harry Nilsson’s “Without You”).:

I think I may have stumbled on my true calling: Athlete fixer. Last year, I reached out to Seattle Seahawks’ running back Marshawn Lynch to be his media coach. Before that, I detailed how to eliminate your stage fright. This year it’s Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton who needs a little Media Guy help. His post-game presser was a personal disaster. For a guy who makes $10 mil annually in endorsements, he sure needs a lessen in humility. His three-minute talk to the media included nine answers that were three words or less. Someone should have taken him aside before walking into that room. Where was his Jerry Maguire? Where was the Panthers’ PR person to protect their most valuable player asset? C’mon Panthers! You’re better than that!

So Cam, as I told Marshawn, next time you ready yourself to Superman into a press conference after a humbling defeat, give the Media Guy a ring…or just email me.

(BEST) AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER
Anheuser-Busch

After Helen Mirren’s commercial scorned us not to drink and drive, but then winds up drinking a beer and says, “This is suppose to be fun,” Peyton Manning slipped in the most effective commercial of them all. With everyone hanging on his post-game interview, pondering if he will announce his retirement, he instead listed his top priorities right now, saying he was going to drink a lot of Budweiser.


Holy ad messaging contradiction!

(RUNNER UP) AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER
Baldwin Bowl

(WORST) AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER
Mountain Dew’s puppymonkeybaby

Creepy and disappointing! When that ridiculous thing hit the screen with its bad Godzilla-like stop motion CGI and started licking the guy’s face somehow inspiring him to drink the new Mountain Dew drink, I wanted to punch the television. But what do I know?

The abomination of a commercial was trending on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all day. The ad garnered Mountain Dew almost 70,000 mentions** Good, bad or ugly, viewers wouldn’t stop talking about this nightmare.

Dude on Twitter said it best:

*- According to Market Watch
**- According to Amobee Brand Intelligence

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Super Bowl 50 officially kicked off with Media Day Super Bowl Opening Night and there’s a lot going on in Northern California. I mean this could be Peyton Manning’s last rodeo, players are wearing wrestling masks and the game will be on in Hungary! The SAP Center, which is usually home to the chokers known as the San Jose Sharks, is now home to the “Golden Game’s” opening night.

Needless to say, I did not get an exclusive with Peyton Manning.

I really want to know how anyone gets any good stories from this day without insider access. There are literally thousands reporters hunting both teams asking the same old questions and getting the same old answers. Some of the goof balls reporters are dressed as super heroes, clowns, and brides turning the already insane day into a mockery of media reporting.

As I look around the arena, I am immediately reminded and how America is a sucker for everything football. Upwards of 7,000 fans paid $30 just for the privilege of sitting in the stands and watch the players say as little as possible in their quest to get back to their hotel for room service as soon as possible.

Speaking of insider access, Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines, certainly has it. She’s covering the festivities for Inside Edition. Gossipers inside the madness whispered that a bitter Miss Colombia was denied a press credential…well, that’s what Steve Harvey told me.

I’m still a little bitter myself that the Super Bowl package at the Fairmont hotel seems to be sold out. The five-star hotel has a $1 million party package which includes a four night stay for six in their 6,000-square-foot penthouse and 22 tickets to the game. I was really counting on this package.


Back to Pia, she was up front, sash and all, dancing with the players:

Last year’s Super Bowl XLIX between the the Patriots and the Seahawks was watched by almost 155 million viewers. For those of you scoring at home, that the most-watched show in the history of American television. This is why ads on the telecast cost a whopping $5 million for a thirty second spot. It seems that every single spot will star a dog, a donkey, or Alec Baldwin touting Amazon’s ripoff of Siri featuring the voice of “Alexa.” Early buzz has the Honda Sheep as the media darling. In the spot, sheep sing Queen’s “Somebody To Love.”

Ah, Sheep…the perfect metaphor for the mass of naive consumers susceptible to dreamy television commercials. But seriously, Keith Quesenberry of Messiah College and Michael Coolsen of Shippensburg University came out with a new study of Super Bowl ads, The researchers said that William Shakespeare holds the key to a great ad. Time.com they concluded that the most successful, well-liked ads are presented as mini-movies in a five-act story structure such as that favored by legendary playwright William Shakespeare. Why you ask? Well, the study found many of the best ads follow “Gustav’s Pyramid,” the five-part story structure — exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement — adopted by 19th Century German novelist Gustav Freytag.

Jose Mendin’s Korean Fried Chicken Wings (below)

Sirius XM satellite radio will offer up eight languages of the game on Sunday, including a Hungarian broadcast. Somewhere in Budapest, a woman preparing her goulash (in lieu of chicken wings) is wondering aloud how she’s going to make it to the 12:30a kickoff time.

Speaking of which, how did chicken wings become the official snack of America’s most-watched event? The National Chicken Council estimates that 1.3 billion wings will be eaten by Americans on Super Bowl Sunday. That’s 39 million more than last year! The NCC also notes that that Charlotte residents spend over $1,400 on wings per $1 million spent in local grocery stores. That’s almost three times more than the $480 devoted to wings in Denver. Apparently, the wing is king. I’ve provided a brilliant Korean wings recipe below. Why? Because every great American party needs some culture.

Lady Gaga is performing the national anthem. Considering her performance at the Oscars let’s us know she will do just fine. The betting over/under is 2 minutes 20 seconds for Lady Gaga’s pregame national anthem on Sunday. What prevents Gaga from telling all her family and friends to bet big on the “under” and then coming in at 1:57? Hey, I’m just asking!

The Q Factor. Sports and entertainment research company, Repucom, which measures the metrics on almost 4,000 celebs and athletes and celebrities reports that Panthers QB Cam Newton now has a better “influential score” — the ability to change people’s perceptions — than President Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton. Now you know who to write-in this November.

Helen Mirren’s anti-drunk driving Super Bowl ad for Anheuser-Busch/Budweiser smacks of hypocrisy:

Bud shouldn’t get to preach against drunk driving any more than Smith & Wesson gets to preach about gun violence.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman wears a wrestling mask on Media Day Super Bowl Opening Night. Photo: Jerry Lai, USA TODAY Sports

AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER


The Evolution of Barbie

“We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty.” These are just a few words from Mattel’s senior vice president after the toymaker announced a new line of inclusive, diverse Barbies. The new spot won’t appear on the Super Bowl telecast, but it deserves a spot here on the Media Guy Struggles:

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“I’m here so I won’t get fined…”

With a $500,000 fine looming, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch made a bizarre appearance at Super Bowl Media Day. The famously tight-lipped running back gave a big eff you to reporters and the NFL who forced him in front of a microphone for the leaque minimum five minutes by responding to 25 straight questions with the same answer: “I’m here so I won’t get fined.”

All of this begs the question: Why not hire a media trainer?

Last year I detailed how to eliminate your stage fright. But for some, reading a column and taking a bit of advice isn’t enough. I mean, even kings need special exercises ala Colin Firth in his Academy Award winning turn in the “The King’s Speech” …

“I’m a thistle-sifter. I have a sieve of sifted thistles and a sieve of unsifted thistles. Because I’m a thistle-sifter.”

Whether giving an interview to CNN, speaking to an audience of 1 to 1,000 or facing a camera, getting the proper training enables the comport you need to help you avoid the mistakes that everyone makes.

In my early media days I was given a guide to conquering the media. I still have it an it’s been invaluable for decades as both a speaker and a trainer. I call it the Holy Grail of Media…perhaps that’s a stretch…

• Don’t be afraid of the interview.
• Keep in mind that the great majority of reporters are cordial people who are not out to harm you. They just want to get a story that will satisfy their editors and go home to their family.
• Reporters hate when someone misleads or lies to them. Reporters don’t like it when their stories have to be corrected through no fault of their own and because of inaccurate information provided to them.
• Don’t “wing it.”  Come prepared with notes  regarding the topic. 
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, tell the reporter that you’ll get back with an answer. 
• An interview is not a legal hearing. It’s okay to tell a reporter that some information is proprietary.
• Just because a reporter puts away a notebook or turns off a tape recorder doesn’t mean the interview is over and you can say anything without it being used. 
• If a reporter makes a statement that you do not agree with, say so. Remaining quiet may give the impression that you agree. 
• Don’t answer if you are not sure of a reporter’s question. Always ask for a clarification.
• Never say anything negative about an individual or company.
• Don’t stray from the subject of the interview to comment on the day’s news. That might open up a new line of questioning.
• If a print reporter signals that the interview is over but the client wants to provide additional information, it’s okay to ask the reporter for a few more minutes.
• Reporters like facts and figures. Instead of just voicing an opinion, back it up with facts and figures.
• Prior to departing, let the reporter know how you can be contacted if additional information is needed.
• And most important, never lie to a reporter.

The post Fined appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Andrew Luck, the prince who replaced the king, takes center stage this weekend after staging one of the NFL’s greatest playoff history. Before taking on the New England Patriots, he took a few minutes to hang with the Media Guy.

MEDIA GUY: What do you think about this Patriots defense and what can you take from last year’s game and your experience, or is that all by the boards at this point?


ANDREW LUCK: I think obviously the game has no bearing on this year, but I do think there is merit in going back and watching it and seeing certain things. I think it’s a great way to re-familiarize yourself with what Coach [Bill] Belichick does, but we put way more stock in the film from this year and what they’ve done. It’s a phenomenal defense – they get after the quarterback and have studs all around. 

MG: What are some of the things that stand out from last year’s game? 


AL: Yeah, you know I thought it was one tough, tough defense. I don’t want to dwell too much on last year. They do a great job of forcing turnovers, getting to the quarterback. We know it’s going to be a dogfight. 


MG: Schemes don’t necessarily change too much with teams from year to year. Do you think that you are more mentally prepared to handle the scheme of the Patriots this year than you were last year? 


AL: Yeah, I think so. I think I’ve improved. I am nowhere near perfect, but I think I’ve improved. They do such a great job of disguising and making everything look the same and then lo and behold it was different and, shoot, you did something stupid. So, I do feel like I’m better equipped to handle this. 


MG: I know it’s not really about you versus Tom Brady this weekend, but as a young quarterback in his second season, is it tough not to use the accomplishments and the arc of Brady’s career as something to strive towards? 


AL: He has definitely set the standard for success at the quarterback position. The way he handles himself, watching from afar, the competitive nature and basically all the right things he does. Yeah, I guess he is a barometer and he is the standard. 


MG: Have you sat down with Deion Branch yet and picked his brain? 


AL: It’s been a quick morning. I definitely will pick his brain. He is going to be a great addition to our team, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down. We’ve been rolling in and out of meetings. 


MG: Have you worked out with him at all? 


AL: I haven’t yet. 


MG: Speed and athleticism is great, but can you talk about the growth of T.Y. Hilton as a wide receiver versus an athlete? 


AL: Yeah, I mean phenomenal. I think everyone knows he’s a great athlete. It’s awesome to see him do so well this year because he’s worked at his craft so hard through the offseason through last year and this year. He’s always in Reggie [Wayne]’s ear about how to get open, what tricks of the trade to use. So, he’s a special football player, he works every day to get better and deserves all the success he gets. 


MG:  I think you’re 14-2 in games decided by seven points of loss, and the vast majority of those games have been fourth quarter comebacks. What would you attribute the success to in those close contests? 


AL: I think of it as more of a team statistic. Ever since I’ve been a part of this team guys have played hard for 60 minutes. I know in most of those games the defense has made an unbelievable stop or forced a turnover or the special teams makes a huge play or [kicker Adam Vinatieri] Vinny kicks a huge field goal to win it or you get a big momentum changing special teams play and offensively we manage to put some decent drives together. I think Coach [Chuck] Pagano and the attitude he sets is to play hard for 60 minutes and overtime if necessary, and we all buy into that. 


MG:  I know you enjoyed the victory last weekend, but how quickly did the conversation turn to, ‘Hey, we can’t keep falling behind like this in games?’ 


AL: We understand we can’t survive our mistakes forever, especially against a good, quality playoff football team. So, we’ll work at limiting those mistakes and then hopefully giving ourselves a fighting chance. 


MG: One of the things that you and Tom Brady have done this year is to adjust to a lot of different personnel around you. What’s been the most challenging aspect of that for you, and how have you been able to overcome it? 


AL: I think it is a challenge in different phases, but it is a great opportunity for everybody to come in, and guys have made the most of their opportunity, whether it’s wide outs or linemen or whoever it may be. I understand that it’s sort of the climate of the NFL and injuries are a terrible thing, but they do happen. We’ve been very fortunate, I think, to have great guys step up into those roles, whether it’s been for the whole season, or for a game, or for a quarter or whatever it may be. Everybody prepares like a starter and the next man up theme is a bit unfortunate, but it is real and it is part of the locker room. 


MG: How about for you personally – has it helped knowing that you can adjust to all these changing parts? 


AL: I haven’t really thought about it like that. I figure it’s part of being a professional – making sure you do your job no matter the circumstances surrounding it. [Quarterbacks Coach] Clyde Christianson and [Offensive Coordinator] Pep Hamilton have done a great job of making sure we all go out there feeling comfortable and no one is going out there feeling out of their element or unable to handle the load that’s given to them. So, I think a lot of credit [goes] to Pep for making it all work.” 


MG: Does it help that your offense is fluid? Bill Belichick said that it’s really a game plan type of offense based on what he’s seen, in that it can change from game to game. 


AL: Yeah I think it does. I think Pep has really done great job of giving us our best shot each week based on personnel and everything else. We go in feeling like we have a fighting chance to win each game if we can limit our mistakes. So, it’s been good. 


MG: You’ve had a league low number of penalties and you only had 14 turnovers this year. Is it a point of emphasis going against a team like New England that sort of craves winning those turnover battles? 


AL: Yeah, you know it’s an emphasis every week, and that’s something Coach Pagano has talked about from day one. Along with running the football and stopping the run, it’s turnover margin that he preaches day-in and day-out. We took that to heart this year and managed to do a decent job. Obviously we weren’t great at it last week, but we know we can’t do that when we play the Patriots. 


MG: Do you come back to that a little more after last week’s outing? 


AL: Oh yeah, you know you’re definitely aware of it, absolutely. They do such a great job. I think they’re plus-nine throughout the season. They do a great job, from what I understand, if you turn the ball over offensively they do a great job of getting points like that, obviously with a great quarterback. We definitely have to come back to it. 


MG: How much of the success that you’ve had in the no-huddle is attributable to the fact that you know the guys around you a little bit better? How much is timing and how much is just a schematic thing? 


AL: That’s a good question. I don’t know if I could put a percentage on everything, but it’s worked at certain times, at big times. Also the other tempos of offense have worked for us, so I think it’s great to have all those options. 


MG: I know you didn’t want to throw the interceptions last week, but I know on two of them you came right back and led the team to a touchdown. Could you speak to your ability to even the score so to speak? 


AL: I think you’ve got to have a short memory. When you playing with guys who trust you and you trust them it’s a lot easier to go on the field and right your wrong or atone for your sins, if you will. So, I think like any competitor you want to go out there and rectify it. I’m glad we could. 


MG: The Patriots defense took another hit this week when they lost another starter. What do you see form this defense that you’re preparing for? 


AL: They’re going to be tough. It’s going to be physical. They do a great job of disrupting timing and rhythm. They’re relentless and they’re well coached. They’re rarely out of position, so we know we’re going to have our hands full. 

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