Did you know that you have a better chance of getting cancer than you do being audited by the IRS (1 in 2 vs 1 in 175)?
You have a better chance of getting cancer than being in a plane crash, so, why are you afraid of flying?
Fuck you cancer!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
August 9, 1988
No one ever dreamed this day would happen. Not only did it happen, however, it changed the NHL forever.
August 9, 1988...Wayne Gretzky, traded. Who thought this was possible?
Whether it changed the NHL for the better, that's a debate for another day. One thing it did do was prove that any player, in any sport, no matter how great, can always be traded (or in the case of futbol, sold).
I came across this video on YouTube and for those of us in Los Angeles, here we are, 23 years later, and Fritz is still doing the weather, Fred is still doing sports. LOL Kelly and John...long gone!
August 9, 1988...Wayne Gretzky, traded. Who thought this was possible?
Whether it changed the NHL for the better, that's a debate for another day. One thing it did do was prove that any player, in any sport, no matter how great, can always be traded (or in the case of futbol, sold).
I came across this video on YouTube and for those of us in Los Angeles, here we are, 23 years later, and Fritz is still doing the weather, Fred is still doing sports. LOL Kelly and John...long gone!
Little did I know that many years later, I'd get to meet Wayne, who ended up being every bit the great person I knew he would be. I'd get to meet his family, I'd watch over his son (oh what a mess!), I'd get to do business with his company.
P.S. The anniversary date just happens to fall on an old friend's birthday, Brett Hull...
P.S. The anniversary date just happens to fall on an old friend's birthday, Brett Hull...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
July 31, 1981
Do you remember where you were 30 years ago today?
1981 signified the true beginning of 80s music. Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Foreigner's "4", and what may go down in history as the greatest album of the 80s, Journey's ESC4P3.
Yeah, I typed that correctly; E5C4P3, not Escape.
I remember when this album came out for many reasons. To start, my best friend growing up got my brother and I involved in a job from home. He had a job working for a recording studio in Century City and they would send home cassette tapes (remember those?) for us to splice leader tape in at the start of the reel, then seal the case back up. I can't recall how much we were paid, but, it wasn't much. We had fun doing it though, and in April, we received an advance copy of Journey's "Escape" album on tape. The cassette had either a white or orange label, and all of the info was typed. I remember putting the cassette in the player for the first time and hearing "Don't Stop Believin'" for the first time. I played that cassette until it wore out!
Come the end of July and albums, even today, are ALWAYS released on a Tuesday, and July 31st was that day. We ran down to Music Plus after school and there it was. This didn't have a white or orange label on it. This was the real magilla! I mean, look at the album cover!
And then, the scarab, breaking out of what? The atmosphere; Earth? Not a space ship, but a scarab, something that Journey used for years
Well, Journey's E5C4P3 proved to be something different. The first single off of the album was released on July 11, 1981. "Who's Crying Now", which went to #4, showcased Steve Perry's soaring vocals and was an interesting choice to be selected the lead single for the album.
The next single was the second song on the album, "Stone In Love", followed up by the third song on the album, "Don't Stop Believin'". On October 20, 1981, little did anyone know that the song that would get as high as #9 on the charts back in 1981, would later become one of the top selling singles of all time! More on that later...
Then, it happened. On January 10, 1982, the fourth single off the album, "Open Arms", shot to #2 on the Billboard Top 40 chart. Suddenly, Journey became a household name. Despite the song only making it to #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart, "Open Arms" became a staple at many weddings and high school dances.
Journey started their E5C4P3 Tour in Japan in late July 1981, just as the album was being released, and, coinciding with MTV going on the air at 1201am on August 1, 1981! They concluded the tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 2, 1982.
E5C4P3 was in the Top 20 when Journey went to Houston on September 5th when MTV decided to broadcast the concert live to its viewers. One week later, Journey found themselves opening for the Rolling Stones at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, the same date that E5C4P3 hit #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart!
Capitalizing on their success, the band recorded radio commercials for Budweiser and sold rights to their likenesses and music for use in two video games: the Journey arcade game by Bally/Midway and Journey Escape by Data Age for the Atari 2600.
Fast forward 30 years later to 2011...Journey as we knew it is no more, however, what has happened is that "Don't Stop Believin'" has become one of the top selling singles of all time!
Despite Journey's hiatus from 1987 to 1996, "Don't Stop Believin'" has helped Journey's music catalog to sell incredibly, to the point that many music insiders say that former lead singer Steve Perry is making so much money off of royalties that he can continue to live in obscurity without thinking twice about needing to "make a living."
It all started in 1998 when a string acoustic version of the song was used during the Robbie's wedding in the film "The Wedding Singer". From there, the song was used in numerous other movies and television shows, but, none more famous than in 2007 when the song gained press coverage for its use in the final scene of HBO's The Sopranos from the series finale "Made in America". Steve Perry was initially hesitant in allowing the song to be used in The Sopranos but later agreed.
Sales soared after this and "Don't Stop Believin'" is heard in sports stadiums across the U.S., pushing music sales of albums E5C4P3 and Journey's Greatest Hits (#100 on this months Billboard Top 200). As of today, E5C4P3 has been certified by RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) as Platinum 9 times
This past Friday, SoundScan (Nielsen) gave the band an award on NBCs "Today" show that proclaimed "Don't Stop Believin'" as the #1 selling Classic Rock single of all time.
On its 30th Anniversary, Journey's E5C4P3 is still in Billboard's Top 200 chart, this week at #172, and, arguably, the greatest album to come from the 1980s!
1981 signified the true beginning of 80s music. Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Foreigner's "4", and what may go down in history as the greatest album of the 80s, Journey's ESC4P3.
Yeah, I typed that correctly; E5C4P3, not Escape.
I remember when this album came out for many reasons. To start, my best friend growing up got my brother and I involved in a job from home. He had a job working for a recording studio in Century City and they would send home cassette tapes (remember those?) for us to splice leader tape in at the start of the reel, then seal the case back up. I can't recall how much we were paid, but, it wasn't much. We had fun doing it though, and in April, we received an advance copy of Journey's "Escape" album on tape. The cassette had either a white or orange label, and all of the info was typed. I remember putting the cassette in the player for the first time and hearing "Don't Stop Believin'" for the first time. I played that cassette until it wore out!
Come the end of July and albums, even today, are ALWAYS released on a Tuesday, and July 31st was that day. We ran down to Music Plus after school and there it was. This didn't have a white or orange label on it. This was the real magilla! I mean, look at the album cover!
I remember people asking "what's that say?" when looking at how JOURNEY was written "sideways." Friends were thinking that was something in Russian before they finally looked above to see JOURNEY was written twice! And then the album title...E5C4P3. Was this a cruel joke or was this album just something different?
And then, the scarab, breaking out of what? The atmosphere; Earth? Not a space ship, but a scarab, something that Journey used for years
Well, Journey's E5C4P3 proved to be something different. The first single off of the album was released on July 11, 1981. "Who's Crying Now", which went to #4, showcased Steve Perry's soaring vocals and was an interesting choice to be selected the lead single for the album.
The next single was the second song on the album, "Stone In Love", followed up by the third song on the album, "Don't Stop Believin'". On October 20, 1981, little did anyone know that the song that would get as high as #9 on the charts back in 1981, would later become one of the top selling singles of all time! More on that later...
Then, it happened. On January 10, 1982, the fourth single off the album, "Open Arms", shot to #2 on the Billboard Top 40 chart. Suddenly, Journey became a household name. Despite the song only making it to #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart, "Open Arms" became a staple at many weddings and high school dances.
Year  | Single | Chart | Peak | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Don't Stop Believin' | Mainstream Rock | 8 | ||
| 1981 | Don't Stop Believin' | The Billboard Hot 100 | 9 | ||
| 1981 | Stone In Love | Mainstream Rock | 13 | ||
| 1981 | Who's Crying Now | Mainstream Rock | 4 | ||
| 1981 | Who's Crying Now | The Billboard Hot 100 | 4 | ||
| 1982 | Open Arms | Adult Contemporary | 7 | ||
| 1982 | Open Arms | Mainstream Rock | 35 | ||
| 1982 | Open Arms | The Billboard Hot 100 | 2 | ||
| 1982 | Still They Ride | Adult Contemporary | 37 | ||
| 1982 | Still They Ride | Mainstream Rock | 47 | ||
| 1982 | Still They Ride | The Billboard Hot 100 | 19 |
Journey started their E5C4P3 Tour in Japan in late July 1981, just as the album was being released, and, coinciding with MTV going on the air at 1201am on August 1, 1981! They concluded the tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 2, 1982.
E5C4P3 was in the Top 20 when Journey went to Houston on September 5th when MTV decided to broadcast the concert live to its viewers. One week later, Journey found themselves opening for the Rolling Stones at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, the same date that E5C4P3 hit #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart!
Capitalizing on their success, the band recorded radio commercials for Budweiser and sold rights to their likenesses and music for use in two video games: the Journey arcade game by Bally/Midway and Journey Escape by Data Age for the Atari 2600.
Fast forward 30 years later to 2011...Journey as we knew it is no more, however, what has happened is that "Don't Stop Believin'" has become one of the top selling singles of all time!
Despite Journey's hiatus from 1987 to 1996, "Don't Stop Believin'" has helped Journey's music catalog to sell incredibly, to the point that many music insiders say that former lead singer Steve Perry is making so much money off of royalties that he can continue to live in obscurity without thinking twice about needing to "make a living."
It all started in 1998 when a string acoustic version of the song was used during the Robbie's wedding in the film "The Wedding Singer". From there, the song was used in numerous other movies and television shows, but, none more famous than in 2007 when the song gained press coverage for its use in the final scene of HBO's The Sopranos from the series finale "Made in America". Steve Perry was initially hesitant in allowing the song to be used in The Sopranos but later agreed.
Sales soared after this and "Don't Stop Believin'" is heard in sports stadiums across the U.S., pushing music sales of albums E5C4P3 and Journey's Greatest Hits (#100 on this months Billboard Top 200). As of today, E5C4P3 has been certified by RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) as Platinum 9 times
This past Friday, SoundScan (Nielsen) gave the band an award on NBCs "Today" show that proclaimed "Don't Stop Believin'" as the #1 selling Classic Rock single of all time.
On its 30th Anniversary, Journey's E5C4P3 is still in Billboard's Top 200 chart, this week at #172, and, arguably, the greatest album to come from the 1980s!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Brownie
One year ago, the world lost a great man.
Mike Brown never complained about his cancer. He opened every conversation asking "how are you?" and never once telling you about his cancer or the hurt it was causing him. Truth be told, if you didn't know he had cancer, you'd never know.
I met Mike back in 2003 through hockey. Mike and his wife Jeanette had a small get together at their house before an event I was working in Phoenix. My boss and I were invited and over the course of that evening, I felt that I could not meet two nicer people.
After that weekend, I kept in touch with Mike and when I started my own business, he included me in as a vendor and working with Mike was a dream. It was always nice to catch up.
I delivered product to Mike's event in 2010 without a problem and 6 weeks after the event, I thought it was weird that Mike hadn't sent a check. I called and emailed without a response, and finally, one day, Mike calls to tell me he was "on vacation" and that he was sorry for the check being late. Sure enough, 2 days later, I had a check, but deep down, I knew what being on vacation meant.
A few months went by and I was on Twitter the night of July 16, 2010, when I read a post from @Panger40 (Darren Pang) that in short, said that Mike had passed away. Not sure what was worse; knowing that Mike had passed or reading it on Twitter.
Regardless of that, one thing I did know, is that quite possibly the nicest person I'd ever met in my life was no longer with us.
A few nights later in Scottsdale, a celebration in honor of Mike's life was held. You see, Mike planned this party. Mike didn't want people to mourn his death, although, many of us, in our own way, do. Mike wanted people to tell stories, Jimmy Buffet and The Rolling Stones playing, some beer and alcohol being consumed. Most of all, Mike wanted the people that surrounded all aspects of his life to come together and have a good time in his memory.
And what happened? Mike pretty much got his wish. Despite not wanting people to shed tears, they are natural. But boy, some stories were told, music played, beer consumed! And you know that Mike was looking down, laughing at the stories of him arguing at the first tee about what his golf handicap was and the opposition trying to call bullshit on it, only to have Mike fire back with "look, I have stage IV cancer, there is no stage V", and he'd not only get his way, but then go on to rule the golf course. We laughed, cried, and enjoyed life that night, almost a perfect night of what Mike wanted.
Mike never made cancer a pity party. However, he did encourage everyone to live their life to the fullest and to live each day without regrets.
One year later, I miss him, but, I'll never forget him. And although I haven't been able to change certain aspects of my life to be able to fully embrace living every day without regret, that day is coming sooner than later, and I'll be able to thank this wonderful man for that.
Mike Brown never complained about his cancer. He opened every conversation asking "how are you?" and never once telling you about his cancer or the hurt it was causing him. Truth be told, if you didn't know he had cancer, you'd never know.
I met Mike back in 2003 through hockey. Mike and his wife Jeanette had a small get together at their house before an event I was working in Phoenix. My boss and I were invited and over the course of that evening, I felt that I could not meet two nicer people.
After that weekend, I kept in touch with Mike and when I started my own business, he included me in as a vendor and working with Mike was a dream. It was always nice to catch up.
I delivered product to Mike's event in 2010 without a problem and 6 weeks after the event, I thought it was weird that Mike hadn't sent a check. I called and emailed without a response, and finally, one day, Mike calls to tell me he was "on vacation" and that he was sorry for the check being late. Sure enough, 2 days later, I had a check, but deep down, I knew what being on vacation meant.
A few months went by and I was on Twitter the night of July 16, 2010, when I read a post from @Panger40 (Darren Pang) that in short, said that Mike had passed away. Not sure what was worse; knowing that Mike had passed or reading it on Twitter.
Regardless of that, one thing I did know, is that quite possibly the nicest person I'd ever met in my life was no longer with us.
A few nights later in Scottsdale, a celebration in honor of Mike's life was held. You see, Mike planned this party. Mike didn't want people to mourn his death, although, many of us, in our own way, do. Mike wanted people to tell stories, Jimmy Buffet and The Rolling Stones playing, some beer and alcohol being consumed. Most of all, Mike wanted the people that surrounded all aspects of his life to come together and have a good time in his memory.
And what happened? Mike pretty much got his wish. Despite not wanting people to shed tears, they are natural. But boy, some stories were told, music played, beer consumed! And you know that Mike was looking down, laughing at the stories of him arguing at the first tee about what his golf handicap was and the opposition trying to call bullshit on it, only to have Mike fire back with "look, I have stage IV cancer, there is no stage V", and he'd not only get his way, but then go on to rule the golf course. We laughed, cried, and enjoyed life that night, almost a perfect night of what Mike wanted.
Mike never made cancer a pity party. However, he did encourage everyone to live their life to the fullest and to live each day without regrets.
One year later, I miss him, but, I'll never forget him. And although I haven't been able to change certain aspects of my life to be able to fully embrace living every day without regret, that day is coming sooner than later, and I'll be able to thank this wonderful man for that.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Teams
Why do we continue to support our favorite team, despite all of the personnel changes, good or bad, yet, when a band changes a member, many leave their support?
No right or wrong answer I guess, but, when it comes to bands, people take this shit seriously! I've just always wondered why these similar situations are treated so differently?
No right or wrong answer I guess, but, when it comes to bands, people take this shit seriously! I've just always wondered why these similar situations are treated so differently?
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Hypocrites
Hockey is an elitest sport. Of all the sports, hockey has made its way out of the middle class.
In order to play hockey, one must go to the store and buy every piece of equipment from head to toe. Even if you're just playing roller hockey, in order to be "safe", you still need a helmet, stick, gloves, shin guards, elbow pads, and skates. It's not like baseball/softball, basketball, football, or soccer, for example. Those sports, you go to the store and you buy:
baseball = bat, ball, glove
basketball = ball
football = ball
soccer = ball
So why is it that when large hockey stores decide to manufacture and bring in their own branded hockey product from Asia, in order to bring down the price of hockey equipment down, they are chastised?
What these stores are trying to do is provide privately branded products to the masses at lower, affordable prices. Part of that is the hope that doing this will allow more parents to afford hockey equipment, which will bring more and more kids to the sport.
I hear people complain that hockey equipment is so expensive and yet, they complain that these stores are creating their own products. Manufacturers such as Bauer make great products. There's no denying that. However, they make product in order to make money as a for-profit business. They mark it up for profit in selling them to retailers, who buy and mark it up for profit in selling to the consumer.
Say a product costs $100 to make. Company X, who employs people like many other companies, takes that cost and will want to make a 40-50 profit margin. What is profit margin? Well, the best way to explain it is that many companies, manufacturing or retail, do their calculations based on markups. This is not the same thing as margin. This is often a source of confusion - but only because percentages are difficult until you understand them.
With margins, a 50% margin means that half the selling price is profit. In markups, that is a 100% markup (you have added 100% of the cost price to make the selling price). With margins, a 100% margin is only possible if the cost price is zero.
To understand why margins are higher, imagine an item that costs $50. If you sell it with a margin of 50% - that means fifty percent of the selling price should be profit. If you sell it at $100, half the selling price is profit - margin 50%.
If you sell the same item (cost $50) with a markup of fifty percent, you add fifty percent of the cost price. Fifty percent of the cost price is $25. This makes the total selling price $75.
A fifty percent margin is higher than a fifty percent markup.
So, back to our example. It costs Company X $100 to make a product and they want a 40-50 profit margin. So, $100 at a 40 margin becomes $166.67, and 50 margin becomes $200. They most likely set a price to their retailers at $200 and they will create a discount program based on total volume purchases, that will bring the price of this product down to $170 (15% discount).
Dealers then mark up the product for their standard retail profit margin, which is most times at 40, for a sale price of approximately $333.50. Here, everyone makes money. The manufacturer makes their cut and the retailer makes his.
These larger retailers that bring in their own product, they source a similar product, with, in many cases, similar performance characteristics. What they don't have is a name brand and distribution beyond their own location(s). What they do have is a price $133 less instead of the name branded Company X product, that in many cases, can be bought at the same store and is usually located on the wall next to the private branded item.
Some of these larger stores offer an unreal guarantee! "Try it for 30 days, and if you're not completely satisfied with the performance of this product, return it to us and we will fully credit the original purchase price (excluding shipping), no questions asked!"
So why not try it? Why chastise it? Why complain that prices are so high when one doesn't want to give these products a try? Why be a hypocrite and complain that hockey equipment prices are so expensive?
Will these items work for everyone? Maybe not, however, it might be something to look into, and, at the same time, just might bring more people into the greatest sport in the world!
In order to play hockey, one must go to the store and buy every piece of equipment from head to toe. Even if you're just playing roller hockey, in order to be "safe", you still need a helmet, stick, gloves, shin guards, elbow pads, and skates. It's not like baseball/softball, basketball, football, or soccer, for example. Those sports, you go to the store and you buy:
baseball = bat, ball, glove
basketball = ball
football = ball
soccer = ball
So why is it that when large hockey stores decide to manufacture and bring in their own branded hockey product from Asia, in order to bring down the price of hockey equipment down, they are chastised?
What these stores are trying to do is provide privately branded products to the masses at lower, affordable prices. Part of that is the hope that doing this will allow more parents to afford hockey equipment, which will bring more and more kids to the sport.
I hear people complain that hockey equipment is so expensive and yet, they complain that these stores are creating their own products. Manufacturers such as Bauer make great products. There's no denying that. However, they make product in order to make money as a for-profit business. They mark it up for profit in selling them to retailers, who buy and mark it up for profit in selling to the consumer.
Say a product costs $100 to make. Company X, who employs people like many other companies, takes that cost and will want to make a 40-50 profit margin. What is profit margin? Well, the best way to explain it is that many companies, manufacturing or retail, do their calculations based on markups. This is not the same thing as margin. This is often a source of confusion - but only because percentages are difficult until you understand them.
- Margin
The percentage margin is the percentage of the final selling price that is profit.
Markup
A markup is what percentage of the cost price do you add on to get the selling price.
With margins, a 50% margin means that half the selling price is profit. In markups, that is a 100% markup (you have added 100% of the cost price to make the selling price). With margins, a 100% margin is only possible if the cost price is zero.
To understand why margins are higher, imagine an item that costs $50. If you sell it with a margin of 50% - that means fifty percent of the selling price should be profit. If you sell it at $100, half the selling price is profit - margin 50%.
If you sell the same item (cost $50) with a markup of fifty percent, you add fifty percent of the cost price. Fifty percent of the cost price is $25. This makes the total selling price $75.
A fifty percent margin is higher than a fifty percent markup.
So, back to our example. It costs Company X $100 to make a product and they want a 40-50 profit margin. So, $100 at a 40 margin becomes $166.67, and 50 margin becomes $200. They most likely set a price to their retailers at $200 and they will create a discount program based on total volume purchases, that will bring the price of this product down to $170 (15% discount).
Dealers then mark up the product for their standard retail profit margin, which is most times at 40, for a sale price of approximately $333.50. Here, everyone makes money. The manufacturer makes their cut and the retailer makes his.
These larger retailers that bring in their own product, they source a similar product, with, in many cases, similar performance characteristics. What they don't have is a name brand and distribution beyond their own location(s). What they do have is a price $133 less instead of the name branded Company X product, that in many cases, can be bought at the same store and is usually located on the wall next to the private branded item.
Some of these larger stores offer an unreal guarantee! "Try it for 30 days, and if you're not completely satisfied with the performance of this product, return it to us and we will fully credit the original purchase price (excluding shipping), no questions asked!"
So why not try it? Why chastise it? Why complain that prices are so high when one doesn't want to give these products a try? Why be a hypocrite and complain that hockey equipment prices are so expensive?
Will these items work for everyone? Maybe not, however, it might be something to look into, and, at the same time, just might bring more people into the greatest sport in the world!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Father's Day
Father's Day is a special day for me. Since I'm not yet a father, I celebrate the day, not only for the man I call "Dad", but, for my mom as well.
You see, many many many years ago in a land not so far away (approximately 39 years ago and 82 miles), my mom decided she'd had enough and left my dad. My "natural" dad is what I call him, sperm donor is what my darling wife has named him.
My mom eventually met this great guy, started dating, and when I was four, they married.
Truth be told, I have a really hard time calling him my step-father or step-dad. Why? Well, he's never treated me any different than my two brothers; yes, brothers, not step-brothers. He praised us all the same when we were deserving and he kicked our asses all the same when we were deserving.
When I was seven, my dad legally adopted me. I took his surname and am really glad I did for a number of reasons. First, because he was my dad. He provided for me, he took care of all us kids, he took care of my mom, he raised me. Second, my previous surname was a royal pain in the ass to write (too long for a then seven year old). Last, the name was constantly mispronounced and misspelled. However, I didn't know the best part of changing names until many years later.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized how great of a person my dad is, and how my mom, being so brave back in 1972 to leave someone so abusive, was.
Having this great man come into our lives is the greatest gift my mom ever gave me, or for that matter, us.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Have a great day and don't let mom tell you what to do! It's your day!
Happy Father's Day, Mom! Don't tell dad what to do or eat today and thanks for giving me such a great dad!
You see, many many many years ago in a land not so far away (approximately 39 years ago and 82 miles), my mom decided she'd had enough and left my dad. My "natural" dad is what I call him, sperm donor is what my darling wife has named him.
My mom eventually met this great guy, started dating, and when I was four, they married.
Truth be told, I have a really hard time calling him my step-father or step-dad. Why? Well, he's never treated me any different than my two brothers; yes, brothers, not step-brothers. He praised us all the same when we were deserving and he kicked our asses all the same when we were deserving.
When I was seven, my dad legally adopted me. I took his surname and am really glad I did for a number of reasons. First, because he was my dad. He provided for me, he took care of all us kids, he took care of my mom, he raised me. Second, my previous surname was a royal pain in the ass to write (too long for a then seven year old). Last, the name was constantly mispronounced and misspelled. However, I didn't know the best part of changing names until many years later.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized how great of a person my dad is, and how my mom, being so brave back in 1972 to leave someone so abusive, was.
Having this great man come into our lives is the greatest gift my mom ever gave me, or for that matter, us.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Have a great day and don't let mom tell you what to do! It's your day!
Happy Father's Day, Mom! Don't tell dad what to do or eat today and thanks for giving me such a great dad!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Common Courtesy
When the fuck did people lose this? Maybe they never had it... Did they miss those days at school when it was taught? Are their parents such assholes that they never taught their children to be decent human beings? And what does it say that here you are, an adult, and you have your head screwed on backwards?
I'm the first to admit...I come off rough. I say things in a tone that make people say to themselves "what an asshole." And that's fine, there's many people in front of you, so, take a number. But one thing I do know is that I practice common courtesy.
If I am at Costco and say you're are looking at a suitcase, I'm not going to step in front of you, remove the suitcase from the rack, and put it in my cart to have a closer look at it. You'd probably want to punch me in the head if I did something like that, or, at the very least, tell me off. Right?
One thing I can tell you is to this day, my parents would kick my ass if I didn't show common courtesy to someone else.
So I'm left wondering...where did our common courtesy go?
I'm the first to admit...I come off rough. I say things in a tone that make people say to themselves "what an asshole." And that's fine, there's many people in front of you, so, take a number. But one thing I do know is that I practice common courtesy.
If I am at Costco and say you're are looking at a suitcase, I'm not going to step in front of you, remove the suitcase from the rack, and put it in my cart to have a closer look at it. You'd probably want to punch me in the head if I did something like that, or, at the very least, tell me off. Right?
One thing I can tell you is to this day, my parents would kick my ass if I didn't show common courtesy to someone else.
So I'm left wondering...where did our common courtesy go?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Confused...
So, all of these people have come out to say that they have seen or know for a fact that Lance Armstrong has taken performance enhancing drugs or masking agents. Interesting stuff to say the least.
Despite all the upgrades in technology to be able to catch somebody using these drugs, there's just one thing I can't seem to get past. After so many years and 500+ controlled drug tests, how could Lance Armstrong, not one time, have tested positive to a test? Could he really have bribed and paid off that many different people along the way? Is it so far fetched to believe that he DID bribe and pay off people?
On the other side of the coin, what does it say that Armstrong hasn't come forth and sued Floyd Landis, Frankie Andreu, and now Tyler Hamilton for both libel and slander?
And what does it say about the U.S. Government, spending millions and millions of tax payer dollars and for what, trying to indict Armstrong for something that allegedly took place in other countries? I mean, they did such a great job with Barry Bonds, why not continue to roll the dice...
Despite all the upgrades in technology to be able to catch somebody using these drugs, there's just one thing I can't seem to get past. After so many years and 500+ controlled drug tests, how could Lance Armstrong, not one time, have tested positive to a test? Could he really have bribed and paid off that many different people along the way? Is it so far fetched to believe that he DID bribe and pay off people?
On the other side of the coin, what does it say that Armstrong hasn't come forth and sued Floyd Landis, Frankie Andreu, and now Tyler Hamilton for both libel and slander?
And what does it say about the U.S. Government, spending millions and millions of tax payer dollars and for what, trying to indict Armstrong for something that allegedly took place in other countries? I mean, they did such a great job with Barry Bonds, why not continue to roll the dice...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Derek Boogaard
I think back to when I was in high school. Nobody knew what the Internet was, or at least, nobody outside of Al Gore. LOL
Today we have a different life then we had 24 years ago. 24 years ago, my parents told me how different things were 24 years before. Today, computers, cell phones, a relentless 24 hour news cycle that brings us breaking news, along with facebook and twitter, are all the norm.
And that's how many found out about Derek Boogaard, aka Booogeyman; twitter. Derek was an NHLer, played for the Minnesota Wild and more recently the New York Rangers. Last night at 8pm local time, I came back to my office to finish up two jobs, and while running one job, I decided to check Twitter on my phone. The first tweet, from hockeyfights..."RIP Derek Boogaard."
I thought to myself "could this be right?" and I ran into the office and got online, only to find out that unfortunately, it was true.
Back in the day when I was a pro hockey rep selling equipment to hockey teams and their players, my biggest fear was that we develop friendships outside the rink with quite a few players and what happens when the "pro athlete" that we know passes away? Suddenly, the story gets personal and cuts deep.
That player, Derek Boogaard, he was never my client, but, he was my buddy Ron's client, Ron's friend.
The story is the death of a good person who happened to be a professional athlete. The story is of a son...a brother...a friend. The hockey world takes these things personally, especially to a guy known more for his fighting on the ice than his soft, gentle, funny side off the ice.
RIP Derek Boogaard...
Today we have a different life then we had 24 years ago. 24 years ago, my parents told me how different things were 24 years before. Today, computers, cell phones, a relentless 24 hour news cycle that brings us breaking news, along with facebook and twitter, are all the norm.
And that's how many found out about Derek Boogaard, aka Booogeyman; twitter. Derek was an NHLer, played for the Minnesota Wild and more recently the New York Rangers. Last night at 8pm local time, I came back to my office to finish up two jobs, and while running one job, I decided to check Twitter on my phone. The first tweet, from hockeyfights..."RIP Derek Boogaard."
I thought to myself "could this be right?" and I ran into the office and got online, only to find out that unfortunately, it was true.
Back in the day when I was a pro hockey rep selling equipment to hockey teams and their players, my biggest fear was that we develop friendships outside the rink with quite a few players and what happens when the "pro athlete" that we know passes away? Suddenly, the story gets personal and cuts deep.
That player, Derek Boogaard, he was never my client, but, he was my buddy Ron's client, Ron's friend.
The story is the death of a good person who happened to be a professional athlete. The story is of a son...a brother...a friend. The hockey world takes these things personally, especially to a guy known more for his fighting on the ice than his soft, gentle, funny side off the ice.
RIP Derek Boogaard...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Mrs.
The one thing I don't like about our relationship is when she hurts. It kills me. It cuts me deep to see her cry.
Today was a rough one, but I know that there's only one way to go and that's up!
I love you!
Today was a rough one, but I know that there's only one way to go and that's up!
I love you!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
April 26th
19 years ago today, I stood as Best Man for my friend Mike Wayne.
The bride, Christine, was stunning! Her cousin, Marianne, the Maid of Honor, beautiful.
The ceremony went smooth; Mazel tov!
The reception, just like any other, except I still know that I could've DJ'd better.
Today, I wished my friends a Happy Anniversary, however, today was so much more than the 19th anniversary of their wedding.
You see, on June 13/2010, Mike and Christine heard words that nobody wants to hear. Doctors told them that their 13 year old son, Jacob, had non-Hodgkins T-Cell Lymphoma. Not only the fact that he was diagnosed, but, he was rushed to CHOC (Childrens Hospital Orange County) and was immediately put into a medically induced coma and chemotherapy was started. Their son was literally fighting for his life.
It was many days later, after many prayers, that we found out that the doctors decision to put Jacob into a medically induced coma and to start chemo saved Jacob's life! Friends and family descended upon CHOC to give their support. Marianne drove out on minutes notice to be by Christine's side.
I don't know what to say about Jacob other than he is a pretty resilient young man. His doctor's brought him out of his medically induced coma, he was told what was going on (tough for anybody let alone a 13 year old), and he decided that he was going to beat this disease.
Jacob was eventually released from the hospital to what can be described as "house arrest." He really couldn't go anywhere but home. Jacob wasn't in a position to be out and about with his friends, or out to dinner with his family. The only place he was permitted to go was in the car for a trip to and from CHOC for his infusion treatments.
In the meantime, "The J-Team" was founded to raise money for LLS, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and more specifically, their Light the Night Walk. As a team, we raised $28,077.71 in only 10 weeks!
On September 19/2010, Jacob got the green light from his doctors to walk in support of LLS and Light the Night. What an incredible day that was; thousands and thousands of people at Angels Stadium, walking in support of LLS and a want to fight this horrific disease!
Jacob wasn't permitted to return to school for the first half of the school year. He was home schooled and as 2011 came, March 21st was the date Jacob was given as the OK to return back to school. He went back to school and I can only imagine that he was welcomed like a rock star!
10 days later, Jacob was honored by the Association of California School Administrators with their Every Student Succeeding Award, which is given to students who show academic success through adversity.
And if that wasn't enough, on April 6th, Jacob spoke before the LLS Board of Directors, presenting his story to them, culminating with LLS asking him to be their 2011 Honored Hero!
Here's where you get the "but wait, there's more!" While at the meeting, it was announced by the Angels that they had selected Jacob to throw out the first pitch at an Angels game. The date he was given to throw out that first pitch? April 26th...his mom and dad's 19th Anniversary.
Tonight, we went to Angels Stadium...over 100 strong. Whether we love baseball or we despise it, we went to raise money for LLS; $1000 total raised in one evening! We went to see this young man, against all odds, throw out the first pitch before a Major League Baseball game! We went to show support to our friends and let them know we will be there for them. All on April 26th.
Happy Anniversary Mike and Christine!
The bride, Christine, was stunning! Her cousin, Marianne, the Maid of Honor, beautiful.
The ceremony went smooth; Mazel tov!
The reception, just like any other, except I still know that I could've DJ'd better.
Today, I wished my friends a Happy Anniversary, however, today was so much more than the 19th anniversary of their wedding.
You see, on June 13/2010, Mike and Christine heard words that nobody wants to hear. Doctors told them that their 13 year old son, Jacob, had non-Hodgkins T-Cell Lymphoma. Not only the fact that he was diagnosed, but, he was rushed to CHOC (Childrens Hospital Orange County) and was immediately put into a medically induced coma and chemotherapy was started. Their son was literally fighting for his life.
It was many days later, after many prayers, that we found out that the doctors decision to put Jacob into a medically induced coma and to start chemo saved Jacob's life! Friends and family descended upon CHOC to give their support. Marianne drove out on minutes notice to be by Christine's side.
I don't know what to say about Jacob other than he is a pretty resilient young man. His doctor's brought him out of his medically induced coma, he was told what was going on (tough for anybody let alone a 13 year old), and he decided that he was going to beat this disease.
Jacob was eventually released from the hospital to what can be described as "house arrest." He really couldn't go anywhere but home. Jacob wasn't in a position to be out and about with his friends, or out to dinner with his family. The only place he was permitted to go was in the car for a trip to and from CHOC for his infusion treatments.
In the meantime, "The J-Team" was founded to raise money for LLS, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and more specifically, their Light the Night Walk. As a team, we raised $28,077.71 in only 10 weeks!
On September 19/2010, Jacob got the green light from his doctors to walk in support of LLS and Light the Night. What an incredible day that was; thousands and thousands of people at Angels Stadium, walking in support of LLS and a want to fight this horrific disease!
Jacob wasn't permitted to return to school for the first half of the school year. He was home schooled and as 2011 came, March 21st was the date Jacob was given as the OK to return back to school. He went back to school and I can only imagine that he was welcomed like a rock star!
10 days later, Jacob was honored by the Association of California School Administrators with their Every Student Succeeding Award, which is given to students who show academic success through adversity.
And if that wasn't enough, on April 6th, Jacob spoke before the LLS Board of Directors, presenting his story to them, culminating with LLS asking him to be their 2011 Honored Hero!
Here's where you get the "but wait, there's more!" While at the meeting, it was announced by the Angels that they had selected Jacob to throw out the first pitch at an Angels game. The date he was given to throw out that first pitch? April 26th...his mom and dad's 19th Anniversary.
Tonight, we went to Angels Stadium...over 100 strong. Whether we love baseball or we despise it, we went to raise money for LLS; $1000 total raised in one evening! We went to see this young man, against all odds, throw out the first pitch before a Major League Baseball game! We went to show support to our friends and let them know we will be there for them. All on April 26th.
Happy Anniversary Mike and Christine!
Ducks + Kings season's both end in Game 6
I don't think anyone is surprised with the way the Ducks/Preds series outcome. Nashville had the Ducks number at 3-1 in their 4 regular season games, and 4 vs. 5 match-ups are always a toss up.
You can't argue with how the big line played for the Ducks. Corey Perry with 8pts in 6 games, Ryan Getzlaf with 6pts in 6 games, and Bobby Ryan with 4 in 4, including his undressing of David Legwand in Game 5.
The second line was one of the best offensive lines in hockey, with Teemu Selanne leading the way with 7 points. His line with Saku Koivu (7pts) and Jason Blake (6pts) were great at one end of the ice, however, it seemed like they, along with defenseman Lubo Visnovsky were always on the ice when goals were scored against the Ducks.
On defense, Cam Fowler showed why he belonged in Anaheim all season. They need to drop some of the dead weight on defense and get some guys back there that that can play defense. They have a solid top 4 in Visnovsky, Fowler, Beauchemin, and Lydman. Sbisa is going to need to come into his own in 11-12. At $2+ mil next season, he becomes a larger target if he can't help shore up the defensive end. Andy Sutton no way, no how belongs in the Western Conference, and, at $2.125, he isn't a candidate for a buyout as he was a 35+ contract (WTF was Bob Murray thinking?). After that, the Ducks have a huge drop off and an even larger question in net.
Jonas Hiller hasn't been the same since signing his big deal early in the season (you'd probably have vertigo as well!). Ray Emery and Dan Ellis stood in for Hiller in relief down the stretch. Ray Emery's comeback was incredible and certainly has earned some interest with NHL teams as he will be a UFA on July 1. Do the Ducks try and keep him? Seems to me that the Ducks need to figure out what is going on with Hiller and whether his $4.5 million is worth keeping. The Ducks were 15-5-1 down the stretch to make the playoffs with the Ellis/Emery tandem. Hiller played in only 3 games after the All Star Game, going 1-0 (SO win btw) with 2 no decisions (he was pulled after 11 minutes in both games).
There is roughly $10 million open in Anaheim's budget for 11-12 and won't find out until July 1 whether Selanne wants to return, and have Todd Marchant (UFA) and Dan Sexton (RFA) out there to re-sign if they wish. Marchant had his worst season ever, and at 38, you have to wonder how much is left in the tank.
As far as the Kings are concerned, they showed inconsistency in their first round series against San Jose, despite taking 3 games to OT. One of those games, Game 3, was a complete meltdown that I've come to term "The Fuck Up on Figueroa." Is a 4-0 lead the worst lead in hockey? I always thought a 2 goal lead was the worst.
The Kings had a great opportunity to win Games 1 and 6, especially with a 5 minute power play late in regulation of game 6. If I am a Sharks fan, I'm worried. 3 games go to OT with the Kings missing Anze Kopitar, and, having a 75% Justin Williams? The only flash I feel SJ showed was in their Game 3 comeback and their domination in Game 4. The Sharks are lucky to have moved on.
19 regular season games and 6 playoff games showed us exactly how lazy Dustin Penner is. He went 2g+4a, EVEN, and 2pim since he arrived in LA from EDM. His playoff line was 1g+1a, -3, 4pim. Maybe if he wasn't 6ft4 and almost 250lbs, he wouldn't stand out as such a lazy fuck! Do the Kings suck it up and play him at a $4.25 million cap hit, or, are they better off with a $1.417 million buyout for each of the next two seasons? Remember, you have Brayden Schenn most likely coming up next year at $3.14 mil. Add in the buyout, and Schenn essentially costs you $4.557 mil. Sounds better to me than $7.39 mil for both.
Kings have $48 million on the books for next season and still don't have Drew Doughty signed (RFA). The have Michal Handzus (can't see LA bringing him back at $4 mil), Poni (not coming back at @ $3.2), Brad Richardson (RFA + due for a small raise), Oscar Moller (RFA; I still think this guy is a career AHLer), Wayne Simmonds (RFA + due for a raise of some sort; maybe a longer term deal at less $), Trevor Lewis (RFA who came into his own in the playoffs), and Alec Martinez (has certainly earned a spot with the big club) out there as free agents.
Keep in mind the Kings have Kopitar coming back, so, the top end of the team will look a little different than what we saw in the 1st round against SJ.
You can't argue with how the big line played for the Ducks. Corey Perry with 8pts in 6 games, Ryan Getzlaf with 6pts in 6 games, and Bobby Ryan with 4 in 4, including his undressing of David Legwand in Game 5.
The second line was one of the best offensive lines in hockey, with Teemu Selanne leading the way with 7 points. His line with Saku Koivu (7pts) and Jason Blake (6pts) were great at one end of the ice, however, it seemed like they, along with defenseman Lubo Visnovsky were always on the ice when goals were scored against the Ducks.
On defense, Cam Fowler showed why he belonged in Anaheim all season. They need to drop some of the dead weight on defense and get some guys back there that that can play defense. They have a solid top 4 in Visnovsky, Fowler, Beauchemin, and Lydman. Sbisa is going to need to come into his own in 11-12. At $2+ mil next season, he becomes a larger target if he can't help shore up the defensive end. Andy Sutton no way, no how belongs in the Western Conference, and, at $2.125, he isn't a candidate for a buyout as he was a 35+ contract (WTF was Bob Murray thinking?). After that, the Ducks have a huge drop off and an even larger question in net.
Jonas Hiller hasn't been the same since signing his big deal early in the season (you'd probably have vertigo as well!). Ray Emery and Dan Ellis stood in for Hiller in relief down the stretch. Ray Emery's comeback was incredible and certainly has earned some interest with NHL teams as he will be a UFA on July 1. Do the Ducks try and keep him? Seems to me that the Ducks need to figure out what is going on with Hiller and whether his $4.5 million is worth keeping. The Ducks were 15-5-1 down the stretch to make the playoffs with the Ellis/Emery tandem. Hiller played in only 3 games after the All Star Game, going 1-0 (SO win btw) with 2 no decisions (he was pulled after 11 minutes in both games).
There is roughly $10 million open in Anaheim's budget for 11-12 and won't find out until July 1 whether Selanne wants to return, and have Todd Marchant (UFA) and Dan Sexton (RFA) out there to re-sign if they wish. Marchant had his worst season ever, and at 38, you have to wonder how much is left in the tank.
As far as the Kings are concerned, they showed inconsistency in their first round series against San Jose, despite taking 3 games to OT. One of those games, Game 3, was a complete meltdown that I've come to term "The Fuck Up on Figueroa." Is a 4-0 lead the worst lead in hockey? I always thought a 2 goal lead was the worst.
The Kings had a great opportunity to win Games 1 and 6, especially with a 5 minute power play late in regulation of game 6. If I am a Sharks fan, I'm worried. 3 games go to OT with the Kings missing Anze Kopitar, and, having a 75% Justin Williams? The only flash I feel SJ showed was in their Game 3 comeback and their domination in Game 4. The Sharks are lucky to have moved on.
19 regular season games and 6 playoff games showed us exactly how lazy Dustin Penner is. He went 2g+4a, EVEN, and 2pim since he arrived in LA from EDM. His playoff line was 1g+1a, -3, 4pim. Maybe if he wasn't 6ft4 and almost 250lbs, he wouldn't stand out as such a lazy fuck! Do the Kings suck it up and play him at a $4.25 million cap hit, or, are they better off with a $1.417 million buyout for each of the next two seasons? Remember, you have Brayden Schenn most likely coming up next year at $3.14 mil. Add in the buyout, and Schenn essentially costs you $4.557 mil. Sounds better to me than $7.39 mil for both.
Kings have $48 million on the books for next season and still don't have Drew Doughty signed (RFA). The have Michal Handzus (can't see LA bringing him back at $4 mil), Poni (not coming back at @ $3.2), Brad Richardson (RFA + due for a small raise), Oscar Moller (RFA; I still think this guy is a career AHLer), Wayne Simmonds (RFA + due for a raise of some sort; maybe a longer term deal at less $), Trevor Lewis (RFA who came into his own in the playoffs), and Alec Martinez (has certainly earned a spot with the big club) out there as free agents.
Keep in mind the Kings have Kopitar coming back, so, the top end of the team will look a little different than what we saw in the 1st round against SJ.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
One-piece stick Manufacturers Warranty
Having sold many sticks and shafts while a pro/retail sales rep at TPS, it blew my mind to know that consumers could call up customer service because their stick had broken during use to get an Return Authorization. They would then send their broken stick back to us and within a couple of days, a new stick would be in return.
Our "warranty" policy at TPS back in 2002 was the same as what all the majors (Bauer, CCM, Easton, Reebok, Warrior) are using today. Each basically states they will replace any stick in which "the product broke during normal use as a result of manufacturers defect."
Reading many Internet bulletin boards, you can find thread after thread and post after post about sticks breaking. Consumers are returning these broken sticks and getting a replacement in return. What is this "warranty against manufacturers defect" saying to consumers if nearly 70+% of sticks broken within the first 30 days of ownership get replaced? Are the manufacturers, by virtue of these high replacement quantities, telling consumers that they are selling defective product from the outset? Furthermore, how pissed off are you if you are part of the 30% whose stick broke and you didn't get a replacement stick?
Yes, I understand that revisions are made to the sticks that create running changes in production, however, by taking broken sticks back that AREN'T broken due to a manufacturers defect and replacing them out of "good faith", the manufacturers are essentially saying "our sticks are defective from the time they leave our hands and to make up for that, we're going to send you a replacement IF it breaks within the 30 day warranty period." If the manufacturers don't enforce their own warranty policies, are these manufacturers putting themselves in a position to have to defend selling a defective product to begin with? The bigger question is how can it be that Bauer, CCM/Reebok, Easton, and Warrior ALL have what would be considered a high amount of "manufacturers defects" with their sticks?
The majority of broken stick returns comes from the higher end, "high-performance" sticks. These sticks are your top of the line sticks, higher priced to give the user the best performance, similar in many ways to a Ferrari if you will. The mid-line sticks seem to be the more durable sticks, not performing quite as high as the higher end, but, has very nice durability and a fair amount of performance, similar in many ways to a Honda Accord if you will.
When we think of a Ferrari, we think fast car. We don't think of a Ferrari as a car that will have great gas mileage or outstanding durability. An Accord on the other hand is a car that we think of being a work horse. It is going to comfortably get us to and from work, shopping around town, without a problem and with great gas mileage.
Going back to hockey sticks...Bauer TotalONE/X60, CCM CL U+, Easton Stealth RS/S19/EQ50, Reebok 11k, Warrior Widow/Diablo...these are the Ferrari's, made to be the high performance sticks in the marketplace. These are the sticks the pro's use. They aren't using a TRUE mid end, lower performing stick like the Bauer One80, Easton EQ40/S15, Warrior Dolomite, etc. The oddity and not previously mentioned stick in this mix is Easton's ST, which by virtue of price at $169USD, has fallen more into the mid end price range, and, is known to be a durable yet performing stick on many of the hockey bulletin boards.
So where does this leave us? Well, I don't believe that the hockey companies should warranty their sticks. Why? Well, as stated, "buyer beware." You buy a Warrior Widow KNOWING it is a high-performance stick. The person buying this stick is typically a "gear whore", the guy who is on his iPhone at school or work, cruising modsquadhockey.com or any other hockey bulletin board on the low down, and, is at home watching every NHL game on NHL Center Ice trying to see what every player is using, and, if Tomas Holmstrom is really using a Warrior Widow stick or if it is just a Dolomite painted as a Widow. You buy it knowing and seeing almost daily, that this stick and/or other high-performance sticks like it BREAK! I see it every night in my 30 minutes of viewing on the NHL Network.
On the other hand, we have Oliver Klosov, who enjoys playing hockey 2-3 times a week, buys an Easton ST, and uses it 6-8 months, 2-3 times a week without a problem. Sure, he isn't thrilled when his stick finally breaks, but, he got 6 months or so of usage out of it at $169, instead of MAYBE 60 days out of two high-end sticks (1 purchase + 1 replacement). I'd certainly take a stick that outlasts another by 4-5 months! Hockey is an expensive sport to play; why make it more expensive?
If the manufacturers choose to not offer a warranty, I'd expect them to keep the price of the sticks the same as they are now. Speaking for myself, I see no problem with this as it accomplishes several things for the manufacturers:
1) The market price has been set and lowering the pricing isn't an option.
2) The mid end segment, which is each companies largest in every category from skates to protective, would grow, and thus, so would their margins and profits.
3) The high end segment would get smaller in terms of production quantity. However, it would allow manufacturers to raise the price in order to make better margins on such technology driven products.
Would this solve the ills of the hockey industry? NO. However, it would get the manufacturers back on the right foot and treating hockey as a business, not running their companies with their hearts and passion that fills hockey fans and players.
Our "warranty" policy at TPS back in 2002 was the same as what all the majors (Bauer, CCM, Easton, Reebok, Warrior) are using today. Each basically states they will replace any stick in which "the product broke during normal use as a result of manufacturers defect."
Reading many Internet bulletin boards, you can find thread after thread and post after post about sticks breaking. Consumers are returning these broken sticks and getting a replacement in return. What is this "warranty against manufacturers defect" saying to consumers if nearly 70+% of sticks broken within the first 30 days of ownership get replaced? Are the manufacturers, by virtue of these high replacement quantities, telling consumers that they are selling defective product from the outset? Furthermore, how pissed off are you if you are part of the 30% whose stick broke and you didn't get a replacement stick?
Yes, I understand that revisions are made to the sticks that create running changes in production, however, by taking broken sticks back that AREN'T broken due to a manufacturers defect and replacing them out of "good faith", the manufacturers are essentially saying "our sticks are defective from the time they leave our hands and to make up for that, we're going to send you a replacement IF it breaks within the 30 day warranty period." If the manufacturers don't enforce their own warranty policies, are these manufacturers putting themselves in a position to have to defend selling a defective product to begin with? The bigger question is how can it be that Bauer, CCM/Reebok, Easton, and Warrior ALL have what would be considered a high amount of "manufacturers defects" with their sticks?
The majority of broken stick returns comes from the higher end, "high-performance" sticks. These sticks are your top of the line sticks, higher priced to give the user the best performance, similar in many ways to a Ferrari if you will. The mid-line sticks seem to be the more durable sticks, not performing quite as high as the higher end, but, has very nice durability and a fair amount of performance, similar in many ways to a Honda Accord if you will.
When we think of a Ferrari, we think fast car. We don't think of a Ferrari as a car that will have great gas mileage or outstanding durability. An Accord on the other hand is a car that we think of being a work horse. It is going to comfortably get us to and from work, shopping around town, without a problem and with great gas mileage.
Going back to hockey sticks...Bauer TotalONE/X60, CCM CL U+, Easton Stealth RS/S19/EQ50, Reebok 11k, Warrior Widow/Diablo...these are the Ferrari's, made to be the high performance sticks in the marketplace. These are the sticks the pro's use. They aren't using a TRUE mid end, lower performing stick like the Bauer One80, Easton EQ40/S15, Warrior Dolomite, etc. The oddity and not previously mentioned stick in this mix is Easton's ST, which by virtue of price at $169USD, has fallen more into the mid end price range, and, is known to be a durable yet performing stick on many of the hockey bulletin boards.
So where does this leave us? Well, I don't believe that the hockey companies should warranty their sticks. Why? Well, as stated, "buyer beware." You buy a Warrior Widow KNOWING it is a high-performance stick. The person buying this stick is typically a "gear whore", the guy who is on his iPhone at school or work, cruising modsquadhockey.com or any other hockey bulletin board on the low down, and, is at home watching every NHL game on NHL Center Ice trying to see what every player is using, and, if Tomas Holmstrom is really using a Warrior Widow stick or if it is just a Dolomite painted as a Widow. You buy it knowing and seeing almost daily, that this stick and/or other high-performance sticks like it BREAK! I see it every night in my 30 minutes of viewing on the NHL Network.
On the other hand, we have Oliver Klosov, who enjoys playing hockey 2-3 times a week, buys an Easton ST, and uses it 6-8 months, 2-3 times a week without a problem. Sure, he isn't thrilled when his stick finally breaks, but, he got 6 months or so of usage out of it at $169, instead of MAYBE 60 days out of two high-end sticks (1 purchase + 1 replacement). I'd certainly take a stick that outlasts another by 4-5 months! Hockey is an expensive sport to play; why make it more expensive?
If the manufacturers choose to not offer a warranty, I'd expect them to keep the price of the sticks the same as they are now. Speaking for myself, I see no problem with this as it accomplishes several things for the manufacturers:
1) The market price has been set and lowering the pricing isn't an option.
2) The mid end segment, which is each companies largest in every category from skates to protective, would grow, and thus, so would their margins and profits.
3) The high end segment would get smaller in terms of production quantity. However, it would allow manufacturers to raise the price in order to make better margins on such technology driven products.
Would this solve the ills of the hockey industry? NO. However, it would get the manufacturers back on the right foot and treating hockey as a business, not running their companies with their hearts and passion that fills hockey fans and players.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Annabel Findley
Most people enter a business and don't think twice about who the receptionist is. Annabel Findley was different.
When you went to Honda Center to see the Ducks or another NHL team on business the way I have for years, you had to get buzzed in by Annabel.
In 2007, a complete overhaul of the club's offices and lobby area took place at Honda Center. Instead of being buzzed in, you'd see security upstairs and then you'd take the elevator downstairs. Upon stepping out of the elevator and into the Ducks beautiful lobby, there she was; "Hi M, you here to see Doug?" Annabel knew you were there on business but she ALWAYS knew who you were and greeted you each time, even if you had been there 3 or 4 times that day.
Today I woke to a story in the OC Register that Annabel had passed away in her sleep a week ago. I didn't really "know" Annabel, but, never came across anyone, let alone a receptionist, who knew just about everyone by name when they came out of that elevator. She was always so nice to me with the way she had greeted me for years!
I hadn't been to see the Ducks or any opponent at Honda Center since I visited the Kings on February 23rd. Despite me visiting Honda less and less the past few years, this visit was no different than in the past. Took the elevator downstairs, stepped out, and greeted "Hi M, you here to see Chris (Kincaid) or Doug?"
I told her I was going to see Chris as I had business with the Kings that afternoon.
On my way out, I thanked her and unfortunately, that would be the last time I would see her.
I've had a hard time today having read of her passing. There are so many bad people out there in the world and they live on and cause problems, yet this sweet lady is no longer with us.
I know my next visit to Honda Center will be difficult knowing Annabel won't be there to greet me, and that I won't be able to say hello back and tell her who I'm there to see. However, I'll always remember her, her sweet voice, and her unmistakable smile.
When you went to Honda Center to see the Ducks or another NHL team on business the way I have for years, you had to get buzzed in by Annabel.
In 2007, a complete overhaul of the club's offices and lobby area took place at Honda Center. Instead of being buzzed in, you'd see security upstairs and then you'd take the elevator downstairs. Upon stepping out of the elevator and into the Ducks beautiful lobby, there she was; "Hi M, you here to see Doug?" Annabel knew you were there on business but she ALWAYS knew who you were and greeted you each time, even if you had been there 3 or 4 times that day.
Today I woke to a story in the OC Register that Annabel had passed away in her sleep a week ago. I didn't really "know" Annabel, but, never came across anyone, let alone a receptionist, who knew just about everyone by name when they came out of that elevator. She was always so nice to me with the way she had greeted me for years!
I hadn't been to see the Ducks or any opponent at Honda Center since I visited the Kings on February 23rd. Despite me visiting Honda less and less the past few years, this visit was no different than in the past. Took the elevator downstairs, stepped out, and greeted "Hi M, you here to see Chris (Kincaid) or Doug?"
I told her I was going to see Chris as I had business with the Kings that afternoon.
On my way out, I thanked her and unfortunately, that would be the last time I would see her.
I've had a hard time today having read of her passing. There are so many bad people out there in the world and they live on and cause problems, yet this sweet lady is no longer with us.
I know my next visit to Honda Center will be difficult knowing Annabel won't be there to greet me, and that I won't be able to say hello back and tell her who I'm there to see. However, I'll always remember her, her sweet voice, and her unmistakable smile.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
1st blog
I've thought about starting my own blog for quite some time and just have never gotten around to it.
While reading my favorite hockey bulletin board (modsquadhockey.com) earlier today, I finally decided I would pull the trigger.
Why? Well, over the years, I've learned that people take what I write and the information I provide and add that to their memory, then, re-post the information as if it was theirs.
Does anyone give a shit that the information acquired came from someone else and they've failed to provide credit to that person? NO. Today, we live in a society where "it's all about me" is the norm, so, people think it is acceptable.
Why do I care? Well, I guess because I was the one who lived it, and for someone to take that away from me, well, I just wanted to put it out there and be able to share it from the point of view of that; I LIVED IT! The good, the bad, the ugly...100%, it happened!
So, you've come this far and probably still saying to yourself... "who the fuck is this guy?" Well...
I've been in the hockey business since December 1990. I have seen all sides of the business. I've worked as a rink manager, shop salesman, store manager, hockey league owner/manager, hockey camp/school coordinator, hockey coach, Corporate Manufacturers Retail/Pro Sales Rep, Corporate Manufacturers Sales Manager, Product Designer, Product Manager, Regional Research & Development Coordinator, Independent Manufacturers Rep/Owner of Rep Agency, and finally, business owner.
I've had the opportunity of meeting the greatest athletes in all of sport, professional hockey players. I've worked for a hockey manufacturer wearing many different hats. Unfortunately, I found out how antiquated the industry is, and how it isn't run with business sense, but straight from the heart.
While I'd like to think I know quite a bit about this business, I don't profess to know it all . If I don't know, I find the people that do so that I can educate myself; no guessing here. Unfortunately, it's a small business that is getting smaller by the day.
I'm not going to talk about what I am doing these days because that isn't what my blog is about, and, I want to be able to speak my mind freely, mainly about hockey equipment, but also about sports, business, everyday things happening in our world.
I hope you'll tune in, follow along, laugh, cry, whatever floats your boat.
M
While reading my favorite hockey bulletin board (modsquadhockey.com) earlier today, I finally decided I would pull the trigger.
Why? Well, over the years, I've learned that people take what I write and the information I provide and add that to their memory, then, re-post the information as if it was theirs.
Does anyone give a shit that the information acquired came from someone else and they've failed to provide credit to that person? NO. Today, we live in a society where "it's all about me" is the norm, so, people think it is acceptable.
Why do I care? Well, I guess because I was the one who lived it, and for someone to take that away from me, well, I just wanted to put it out there and be able to share it from the point of view of that; I LIVED IT! The good, the bad, the ugly...100%, it happened!
So, you've come this far and probably still saying to yourself... "who the fuck is this guy?" Well...
I've been in the hockey business since December 1990. I have seen all sides of the business. I've worked as a rink manager, shop salesman, store manager, hockey league owner/manager, hockey camp/school coordinator, hockey coach, Corporate Manufacturers Retail/Pro Sales Rep, Corporate Manufacturers Sales Manager, Product Designer, Product Manager, Regional Research & Development Coordinator, Independent Manufacturers Rep/Owner of Rep Agency, and finally, business owner.
I've had the opportunity of meeting the greatest athletes in all of sport, professional hockey players. I've worked for a hockey manufacturer wearing many different hats. Unfortunately, I found out how antiquated the industry is, and how it isn't run with business sense, but straight from the heart.
While I'd like to think I know quite a bit about this business, I don't profess to know it all . If I don't know, I find the people that do so that I can educate myself; no guessing here. Unfortunately, it's a small business that is getting smaller by the day.
I'm not going to talk about what I am doing these days because that isn't what my blog is about, and, I want to be able to speak my mind freely, mainly about hockey equipment, but also about sports, business, everyday things happening in our world.
I hope you'll tune in, follow along, laugh, cry, whatever floats your boat.
M
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