Free Agent Fan – Part Three

Sorry for the delay in posting part three of my Free Agent Fan series of blogs.

Today lets look at the case that has been made by one of the NHL teams for my services as a fan.

First we will look at the Nashville Predators who responded to my letter via email.

Thank you for your email!

We appreciate you considering the Nashville Predators as your new team of choice. We understand that nothing can replace your hometown team, but if you do decide to attend games here we will definitely welcome you.

The Preds just wrapped up a great season which included a record number of sellouts and our first playoff series win. We also received multiple nominations for next week’s NHL awards ceremony. We hope you can join us next year as we expand on these successes!

Please let us know if you have any questions on our ticket options or arena.

Thank you for your support of the Nashville Predators!

Nashville Predators Fan Relations

So that is their response.  Not bad but not a lot of reasons either.

I like their location being not that far away from Atlanta. I like the fact they made the playoffs. I like that they had nominations for awards.

In my decision process I must involve my son who likes their logo, colors and name. He also likes that they made the playoffs.

I am interested to know what you readers think about the letter above and what Nashville brings to the table.

After I post all of the letters I will make a decision on my new favorite NHL team.

My Georgia Dawgs….what is going on?

I had to take a couple of days to reflect on the pitiful performance of my Dawgs against Boise State from Saturday night. As I sit here and think about what happened I am just disappointed. Now I am not just disappointed in Saturday night but in the overall underacheivement that has happened since the 2008 season.

We walked into that season ranked number one in the country. Went to Arizona State and blew them boys out, came back and Alabama beat the pants off us. That season we lose three games.

Follow up the 2009 season with more talent than most and find ways to lose games left and right ending up playing in Shreveport, LA.

2010 we have a losing season.

So here we are going into the 2011 season with high hopes. An opportunity to show the country we are back in a nationally televised game against the number five ranked team in the country. What do we do? Get blown out.  Sure we were in the game in the first half but that second half was horrible.  The defense couldn’t get pressure and could not cover across the middle.

Our offense can’t move the ball and the line can’t block. To make it worse BSU wasn’t even blitzing. Then we get a spark. We find a way to move the ball down the field by lining up in the I-formation. As soon as they tv guys point that out what do we do? Of course we do what any great offense would do go right back to what was no working, the shotgun.

Don’t get me wrong I am not saying Boise is not a good team because they are. I hope they go far and beat a top tier team in the BCS Championship game, unless it is an SEC team. I like BSU but this is about my Dawgs.

Know we have talent on our team.  I know we have good coaches. I know this season is not lost.  We just lost to the fifth ranked team in the nation. Yes we got embarrassed. Yet lets remember the goal is the SEC East which is very attainable. Start this week by beating South Carolina and the train is back on the track. I have faith in these 2011 Dawgs.

So now the ‘real’ season begins. Lets do this DAWGS!

Free Agent Fan – Part Two (originally from GregTroxell.com)

Recently I did a post about becoming a free agent fan of the NHL due to the recent relocation and sale if the Atlanta Thrashers. To quickly summarize I wrote each NHL team a letter via email stating that I am a fan in need of a team. In the letter I stated what I bring to the table as a fan then asked the question ‘why should I be a fan of your team’.

Today I will update you on a couple of the teams that I have heard from during this process but before I do I will list out how I plan to make my decision.

Some of the criteria I plan to use is as follows: * content of team letter * tradition * community involvement * youth hockey involvement * stability of team * players * intangibles

With that said as of today here are the teams I have heard from: * Pittsburgh Penguins * Toronto Maple Leafs * Nashville Predators * Carolina Hurricanes * San Jose Sharks * Montreal Canadiens

Next step is to evaluate the letters. I will start summarizing them in part three of this blog series. So far the responses are pretty interesting.

Stay tuned as the journey to finding a new NHL team continues…

Free Agent Fan – Part One (originally posted on Greg Troxell.com)

As you know the the Atlanta Thrashers were recently sold and they moved to Winnepeg. Well that left a lot of fans in Atlanta and surroundings without an NHL team to pull for. Prior to the Thrashers coming to town I had some teams I liked but once the Thrashers came to town I had to pull for my home team.

So now my Thrashers are gone. What is a hockey fan to do?

I looked at it just like a player would if a team folded, they would become a free agent and shop their services around. So that is what I have done. I declared myself a free agent fan. My first step was to email all NHL teams and let them know what I bring to the table as a fan of their organization.

Here is what I sent to each team:

I am a former Atlanta Thrashers fan who has now been left without an NHL team to call my own. I am now what I like to call a free agent fan that is in search of a new team. Instead of just picking a team to root for I thought I would reach out to the various NHL teams and ask the question why I should be a fan of your team. First here is a little about me and what I bring to the table as a fan of your team: * I bring with me a love for hockey however I am not an overly rabid fan. I attended a few Thrasher games each year along with several Gladiator (ECHL) games each year. * My seven year old loves hockey and currently plays ice hockey * I support my teams through ticket buys (which will now be difficult), merchandise (t-shirts, jerseys, etc.), and will proudly display your logo on my car. * I am a fan that spreads the word of hockey through conversation on a regular basis. * Overall sports fan * Family man

While that may not be a lot, I am a loyal fan through thick and thin (hey I have been an Atlanta Falcon fan for years and we see how good they have been up until recently) and I will support the team in every way possible. I look forward to hearing from you as to why I should choose the -insert team name- as my new NHL team.

Over the next few days and weeks I will post up the responses I get along with the decision as to what NHL team will be my favorite for the 2011-2012 season and beyond.

Right now I am not sure when I will make the decision but my plan is to narrow it down to three teams and choose from there.

Stay tuned…

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