- GameOps.com handed out its Best of 2009 Promotion Award to two winners this year: The Cleveland Cavaliers "Lebron's Powder Toss Night" and the Bowling Green Hot Rods' "What Could Have Been Night"
Lebron Powder Toss Night: "Masters of marketing their athletes, Nike partnered with the Cavaliers to help them promote the debut of the LeBron XI shoes for the Christmas Day Game. As LeBron James performed his pregame routine of tossing hand chalk into the air, the sellout crowd threw packets of white confetti aloft with him, creating a blizzard-like effect inside Quicken Loans Arena. The theatrical stunt was to promote James’ new Nike “Chalk” shoe, one of several variations he has worn this season."
What Could Have Been Night: ..."The fledgling Bowling Green Baseball Club held a name-the-team contest to determine what moniker it would employ during its inaugural 2009 campaign. Hot Rods emerged victorious, but "Cave Shrimp" proved to be a surprisingly popular choice (Mammoth Cave, in close proximity to Bowling Green, is home to a sightless albino species known as Kentucky Cave Shrimp). The unexpected popularity of the "Cave Shrimp" name led to "What Could've Been Night." On this evening of alternate reality, the club wondered "What Could've Been" had Cave Shrimp been the team's nickname" - Cameron "Superfan" Hughes, who got his start dancing & throwing t-shirts back at the Civic Centre for the Ottawa Senators, was hired by Pepsi to promote their "Eh! O Canada! Go!" chant at the World Juniors. Puck Daddy has an interview...
- Partnership Activation has a great idea started: The 100 Hottest Promotional Items in Sports
Jan 12, 2010
Promotions round-up #287
Dallas Mavericks host a Baby Race
Hey look, the Dallas Mavericks did a Baby Race promotion earlier this year. One of these days I`ll get around to adding our old Ottawa 67`s Baby Race footage to YouTube...
Jan 11, 2010
Why game entertainment?
I'm doing some prep for my Algonquin College course, starting on Wednesday morning. Here's an article that we'll look at in class. A good read for a general introduction to game entertainment from a business/marketing perspective.
Sports Business Journal - Fun and Games
Between promotions, skits, traveling troupes, video highlights, contests and ear-rattling sound systems blaring everything from hip-hop to country, anyone who attends a sporting event knows the emphasis on entertainment has never been greater.
More on the New Jersey lighting problem the other night
KuklasKorner links to to two articles about last Friday's Devils-Lightning game in New Jersey, after the game was stopped due to a lighting problem.
First, blogger Tom Gulitti complains that the New Jersey organization failed to properly communicate was was happening with fans.
Second, NJ.com has an article about the costs and penalties incurred when a game is delayed or cancelled.
First, blogger Tom Gulitti complains that the New Jersey organization failed to properly communicate was was happening with fans.
Second, NJ.com has an article about the costs and penalties incurred when a game is delayed or cancelled.
Jan 6, 2010
All about the original organ at Maple Leaf Gardens
Had a good chat this morning with a Carleton University grad student who's working on a paper exploring the history of organ music in sports. As far as I know, the Chicago Blackhawks were the first stadium to install an organ. It was the Barton Organ, a massive music machine that intimidated the visiting team, according to legend.
It's hard to find any history about other organs, but I did come across this today -- some info about the first organ at Maple Leaf Gardens, which apparantly still exists inside the Casa Loma in Toronto. Here's a bit of the story:
It's hard to find any history about other organs, but I did come across this today -- some info about the first organ at Maple Leaf Gardens, which apparantly still exists inside the Casa Loma in Toronto. Here's a bit of the story:
In 1956, the fatal news was announced that Shea's Hippodrome would be shuttered and the property demolished to make way for the new civic center. Almost too late the organ was purchased by the Maple Leaf Gardens from the wrecking company for $2,000. The roof of the theatre had already been removed! A month was allowed for removal of the instrument.Credit for the purchase of the organ by the Maple Leaf Gardens management goes to two persons. Dr. Bruce Tovee, ATOS member, and personal physician to Gardens president, Major Conn Smythe, talked the major into buying it. The major, with a feeling of tradition and history, was convinced that the organ would serve a useful purpose in providing background music at hockey games, church rallies etc. The console, pipes, new bandstand and an executive clubhouse all fitted into a neat structure at the sound end of the Gardens under a huge new portrait of Queen Elizabeth.
During re-installation, the organ was considerably enlarged. A new 5-manual console was built, and two of the manuals were obtained from the right pit console of the New York Paramount. The action was completely re-leathered, and new relays installed. Three additional ranks were purchased from the Strand Theatre in Brooklyn, and California theatre organ enthusiast, Dick Simonton contributed an English Post Horn. A new blower was installed, and a high-pressure fanfare Trumpet was planned for but never installed. The piano was not included in the new specifications, either, but most of the toy counter and percussions were. Retained also were the Brass Trumpet. Brass Saxophone and a solo Tibia Clausa on 25inch wind pressure. The action was changed from pneumatic to partial electric operation.
About a year was required to properly install the organ. Doug Morris designed the new addition to the building. Sound engineer was Bob Wood. Much of the organ installation was handled by Ed Gress from Boston and Stewart Duncan, a local expert. Total cost of the project was approximately $100,000.
The first program on the newly installed instrument was on December 20, 1958, when Don "Knuckles" Gordon played seasonal music for Young Canada Night, between periods of a hockey game which was broadcast coast-to-coast on the CBC. Horace Lapp became organist shortly after.
The organ's tenure in Maple Leaf Gardens was a short one, indeed. In 1963 the Gardens were remodeled to add 1800 seats, the Wurlitzer becoming superfluous. What followed was a memorable battle among elements of organ lovers to keep the organ intact and in the area until a place could be found for its third installation.
When the smoke of battle had cleared, the Toronto Theatre Organ Society, with help from affluent members, purchased the organ for $3850. The instrument was removed from the Gardens in 1964, and stored in the imperial Theatre. The Imperial's manager, Bert Brown, was an ATOS member, so this helped the situation immeasurably. The organ languished for six years until the society found a home for it.
Early in 1970, the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto offered the Wurlitzer a home in Casa Loma, thereby replacing the organ which had been sold in the 1924 auction. In June 1970, the organ' s components were moved from the Imperial to the Casa Loma and housed in what was the indoor swimming pool. Installation was begun immediately by members of the Toronto Theatre Organ Society.
Dec 25, 2009
Hip Hop Santa
One of our little Christmas traditions at Scotiabank Place is to play this vid at the games leading up to Christmas.
Nov 22, 2009
Predators use Jib Jab to create a Halloween video
Brian Gainor points us towards a fun scoreboard video the Nashville Predators created using Jib Jab: "The Nashville Predators recently celebrated their Halloween matchup against the Dallas Stars by featuring a creative JibJab vignette on the jumbotron during the game. The clip centered around a Monster Mash thematic with the faces of Predator players incorporated into the mix."
Nov 11, 2009
Johnny Bower reads "In Flanders Fields"
The Toronto Maple Leafs put on a nice pre-game show on November 10, the eve of Remembrance Day in Canada. The high point was Johnny Bower reading "In Flanders Fields". Here's the vid from Leafs TV On Demand:
..and here's more from the Leafs pre-game ceremony.
We did a special ceremony in Ottawa too, featuring Ted Hibberd, one of the members of the 1948 RCAF Flyers team that won a gold medal at the 1948 Olympics. He got a standing ovation from the crowd and was clearly moved by the crowd response. Here's the vid from Sens TV:
..and here's more from the Leafs pre-game ceremony.
We did a special ceremony in Ottawa too, featuring Ted Hibberd, one of the members of the 1948 RCAF Flyers team that won a gold medal at the 1948 Olympics. He got a standing ovation from the crowd and was clearly moved by the crowd response. Here's the vid from Sens TV:
Oct 31, 2009
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