Guest Post: From Expansion Franchise To Credible Franchise

One of my favorite things about running SinBin.vegas is the incredible passion that turns into Guest Posts from you guys who read the site every day. It’s been far too long since our last one, which was a doozy by the way, so what better time than now to hear from another member of the ever growing SinBin.vegas army (We still need a good name for this).

This one is from Robert Price (aka Slack).

As a Red Wings fan growing up in Michigan, I can remember watching them play the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in their inaugural season on TV and their arena public address announcing “Offsides”. I can also remember laughing about it out loud with my friends before LOL even existed.

Fast forward 22 years or so and we are about to embark on our first NHL season here in Las Vegas where I have called home since 2000. I am older, wiser and became a bit more jaded with every lockout, strike, work stoppage or whatever you want to call it, but there is one thing for certain. I want the Vegas Golden Knights to succeed.

For those of you who already know, hockey is the greatest sport in the world, for those that don’t but want to, you are about to find out. Toughest athletes that give back to the community, best live action games, crazy playoffs and, of course, the ultimate trophy. I’m trading in my red and white to watch this franchise grow with my son who now has a team to call his own, and it’s going to be a great ride.

Getting back to my original point. Credibility. It is earned, not given. Traditionalists and a few neighbors in the country to the north are watching. And when I say “watching”, I mean that are looking for a laugh and/or clamoring for a reason to move the Knights to Moose Jaw so they can have eight teams instead of seven that won’t win a Cup. (I’m sorry, was that out loud? I jest) My point is this. A lot of things go into making this a successful franchise for the long haul, some of which we as fans control and some we can’t, but we do have a voice. I feel the sooner these things happen, the sooner the critics will be quiet. Without further ado, here are six factors in making the Vegas Golden Knights one for the ages.

Number One: On Ice Success

Early to judge since we don’t have a player, but it appears we have a great owner who has assembled a well rounded staff. The expansion draft will be fun (youth, speed and no Dustin Brown please) but it’s all about the entry drafts which are a combination of hard work and L.U.C.K., no matter what people say. A lot has been written about how favorable these expansion rules are but it is going to take time. Patience is a must. Support this team like a new born baby.

Number Two: Franchise Public Relations

I wish I could say something good here, but to this point I can’t. The naming ceremony was well supported and I’ll give the team a one time pass on the technical glitch. The logos and colors are cool and I have moved on and support the name 100%. That said, something is missing. A small web site (Ken: Watch it buddy) called SinBin.vegas, you may of heard of it, has done 100 times more to promote this franchise than the franchise has. I don’t get it. Less than 10 months till puck drop, this group better find its game, and quick. (On a side note, stick tap to all the hard work by SinBin.vegas, it is appreciated) (Ken: Thanks! You are now forgiven for calling us small. We are HUGE! Bigly!)

Number Three: Fan Knowledge

It’s homework time. If you plan on going to games but don’t know why we are pulling the goalie on a delayed penalty, its up to you to learn it. If you plan on going to games and understand nuances of “the code” about fighting, it is up to you to teach it. Hockey has the best idiosyncrasies of any sport. Learn and teach them. That said, the conversation for either should be shared between two people and not two rows of people. Nobody else wants to hear it.

Number Four: Arena Experience

Will we have a killer pregame show/video/player introduction? What will our goal horn and song be? This is Vegas, I expect a lot, I expect it to be original and I expect it not to be cheesy. While I liked some of the stuff the Wranglers did, this is no longer amateur hour. They should make it fun for all involved but respect the traditions of the game. Also, real Golden Knights fans will show up on time and stay the whole game whenever it is possible.

Number Five: The Local Media

It’s kind of sad how much this reflects on a franchise, but unfortunately it does. I could write for days about this but I’ll only speak briefly on each. Local TV News: It’s inevitable, but don’t embarrass yourself. Learn name pronunciations before you go live. If you are going to take the lazy approach, then don’t cover the team, everybody will be better off. Local Newspapers: Both newspapers are weak but I give the R.J. some credit for making an effort with the Steve Carp stories. However, both columnists (E.G. and R.K.) leave a lot to be desired to put it nicely. Local Sports Radio: They just don’t get it. And by that I mean they don’t understand hockey so they choose not to talk about it. That’s fine with me. Hockey is not the biggest sport, it is the best sport. As fans, we need to hold all the local media accountable. Enjoy the laugh of their ignorance but then write letters to station managers and editors when they do wrong. Don’t let this lot of minor leaguers embarrass our franchise and what we are trying to build.

Number Six: Traditions

Ever look at another franchise that does something cool and wonder how it got started? Whether its a cheer, a song, an octopus or 18,000 people yelling “Potvin Sucks” on cue, these things have to start somewhere. I’m calling on you, SinBin readers and staff to come up with something before the season starts. Something cool, something original, something to build our credibility that just might turn into a tradition. This is the “brainstorming” part of the show, there are no wrong answers. As an example, “Stand and cheer wildly the entire time the Knights are shorthanded”. If there are enough good suggestions, turn it into a poll. Ken will figure how to get the word out to the non-readers later. Ha!

-Robert Price

I’m still suggesting Viva VGK and/or Viva Vegas to be our Go (Blank) Go/Let’s Go (Blank). But this is a democracy, unlike the naming the the team, so that’s why we have a comment section, that I actually do read. So use it.

If you are interested in contributing a guest post to SinBin.vegas, please email us at ken@sinbin.vegas.