Abel to Yzerman
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Corporate Leadership?
by IwoCPO on 11/13/06 at 08:20 PM ET
Comments (6)
Yeah, I got spun up when I saw it too. The NHL has created, seemingly out of the blue, a leadership award and named it after Mark Messier who, according to their public release, “many believe to be the greatest captain in hockey history.”
I’m not one of the many. And neither are you, if you’re reading this here. But, whether he is or isn’t may not be the question. The more interesting issue could very well be just where the heck this award came from. According to the release, one leadership award will be given monthly and another yearly.
Keep that “yearly” item in mind.
What wasn’t provided in the public release on NHL.com was the fact that this award is corporately sponsored by COLD-fX™. In case you’re not aware, it’s “the official immune enhancer of the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association.” That little bit of info was made available in the media advisory the league sent out to papers and broadcast outlets, along with the fact that Messier is the celebrity spokesman for the COLD-fX / NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, Presented by 2K Sports.
Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this. I guess the fact that the corporate info was kept out of the public release bothers me. I guess the fact that the league invents an award simply for the purposes of revenue bothers me too.
Considering the money angle, the sponsorship, it shouldn’t surprise us to see Mess involved. He’s definitely never shied from the spotlight, particularly if it gave him a chance to deflect that light with those stylish blue shades.
But here’s the thing. Leadership in hockey is a sacred ideal. No other sport places as much prominence on that singular player responsible for keeping a team together. No other pro athletes wear the “c”...except for Jason Varitek, and I never really understood the meaning of that in Boston. Loaning the ideal of leadership to “"the official immune enhancer of the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association” rubs me a little wrong.
I guess in the end, and despite my initial reaction that Steve Yzerman should have been the hands-down choice to represent this award, I’m pretty happy he isn’t.
The COLD-fX™/Steve Yzerman Award for Leadership? No thanks.
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Comments
Credibilitywise, it kinda puts hockey right up there with pro-wrestling and Nascar.
Posted by Gramps from HockeyTown on 11/14/06 at 11:16 AM ET
Did I read that the award would be picked by Messier himself? Is that right?
Posted by Defenseman on 11/14/06 at 12:49 PM ET
I had exactly the same thoughts RE: Yzerman and this award. Especially in light of the recent article that stated Yzerman has the highest “Q score” of any NHL player. I even thought that—being the class act that he is—perhaps Stevie Y turned them down.
Learning the truth just makes me laugh. Will the NHL ever stop bungling its PR efforts?
Posted by yzermanzetterberg from Saginaw on 11/14/06 at 03:39 PM ET
yzermanzetterberg: You, my friend, are a genius...and not just because you agree with me. I mean, that has a lot to do with it...but more because it’s proven that Saginaw is home to more geniuses than any city in Michigan.
Arthur Hill, class of ‘87
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 11/14/06 at 03:46 PM ET
Saginaw, eh?
There are some smart cookies in Midland, too. 
Posted by Baroque on 11/14/06 at 10:20 PM ET
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I guess corporate sponsorship has invaded everything, but the “official immune enhancer” as opposed to just calling it a cold med made me laugh out loud.
Coming up with an award solely for the corporate dollars instead of renaming an existing award is pretty seedy, though.
Posted by Baroque on 11/13/06 at 11:12 PM ET