Ron Francis is stepping down as Kraken President with the team well out of the playoffs again, and simply not moving the needle for anyone but hardcore fans, IMO. KHN hasn't exactly lit up the meters with its tepid, team-controlled coverage. The Kraken remain a minimally successful expansion team. It is not working, and it's a coaching carousel already.
So what will happen when and if the Sonics come back with a collection of castoffs, finish with the likes of the Wizards, Jazz and Nets, the needle doesn't move and the ticket prices skyrocket. Look at the tanking already going on in the NBA.
Seattle now has a plethora of marginal teams in various leagues and the money pie is getting sliced ever thinner.
I know the return of the team will bring civic pride and fan mayhem. But when they are 12 and 70?
Is the Kraken experience teaching us that mediocrity in our new sports teams is a warning sign after the next money grab, merch grab and media grab?
Interesting validation today from Kraken boss Tod Leiweke:
Key points from #SEAKraken CEO Tod Leiweke:
- "No one is satisfied. We have not delivered on the promise of this team."
- Jason Botterill will lead a "fully independent audit of hockey operations."
- Audit will involve an individual with "fresh eyes". Botterill has identified some candidates.
- "We're going to go back to the model we started with. We're going to have a GM who makes the decisions."
- The team will share an "annual report" with fans. "We're going to set mile markers and our fans are going to know where we are." First report coming this May.
- Admits the team has had trouble attracting players "we've got to do more to make this a hockey city, to keep players, to attract other players."
- The team will get input from "incredibly smart people in and around this organization" including Samantha Holloway and Jerry Bruckheimer."
- They want to build a perennial playoff team, not just a team that sneaks into the playoffs. Mentions Vegas as an example.
- Wouldn't confirm that Lambert will be back, but said he's "coached his ass off this year."
- Is the team rebuilding? "No, but I think you should check with us in two weeks."
Try writing a column when not intoxicated
ReplyDeleteTry identifying yourself if you want to engage in personal attack.
DeleteWhat was the point here? We have a Super Bowl champion team. A baseball team that almost went to the World Series. The hockey team is struggling for sure on the ice. But they do almost everything else really really good. The KHN is far from ROOT, a place I worked at for years. The Mariners controlled the message.
ReplyDeleteBut with the Kraken I hear plenty of criticism from the Forslund and Eddie in the booth and the panel has been very critical this year in their postgame shows. The Sonics will probably be a bad team for years but they will make money for the owners.
Thanks for your comment. The point was that the city went wild for hockey and it is just moving in place. There is NO buzz. If there is, I am missing it. As far as KHN is concerned, it is the pre-game that particularly leaves me wondering how much independence the anchor team has. I confess, I don't watch hockey post-games. Why would I worry about analyzing defeat. Last I checked they are under .500. Four teams are beating them for the wild card. As I said, it is all very tepid, lukewarm, because they are all Kraken employees. Does aybody call for change on the air or truly lament another year of abject frustration after all the original hype? When and if the Sonics come back, the hyperbole will be out of control. But, I don't want them to be another Kraken after five years at the bottom of the West.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the sense that the Kraken have never broken through with the general public and that their fan base is primarily composed of people who were already NHL fans (from growing up the league somewhere else or whatever) and who now follow the Kraken after waiting years for big-time pro hockey.
ReplyDeleteSo far, the Kraken have not enjoyed the kind of success that brings in new, bandwagon fans -- some of whom then stick around after a great season. Until 1995, the Ms were in this boat, as were the Seahawks (who had an initial flurry of fan support in the 70s-80s only to watch that wither so that by the early 1990s the Kingdome was half-full and the games blacked out on local TV per the old NFL rules. Can you imagine?). Winning created a durable fan base for both teams, which rises and falls along with the season but always retains a core of support. Other teams, like the Sounders, Reign and Storm, got out of the gate with pretty solid play, competed for championships, and have always been solid performers.
For me, the Kraken just haven't broken through my hockey apathy and I suspect that's pretty common. Not a game I know, too many management and player changes, and no breakout star or season to hook me in. I'd love to see some data but I'd guess the ratings and fan engagement are low. Reading today's Seattle Times story about Ron Francis, for example, the commenters all seem like real hockey nuts -- with none of the casual-fan kind of comments you see with Seahawks or Mariners news.
As for the Sonics, they will have a tough go, but those of us who remember Lenny, Sikma, Silas, DJ, Gus, Shawn, Gary, Detlef, etc will be ready even though the NBA game is very different today.
Very well said. Thank you for your insight.
ReplyDeleteInteresting the Kraken took this approach. I like it. Act like you are the steward of a common good and be transparent about your strengths and weaknesses. A good step — if you can follow through effectively.
ReplyDeleteImagine a TV station doing the same! It would be a powerful brand builder in a genuine sense — not like a new set and graphics, but substance.
Yes, some straight shooting at exactly the right time. It's hope to not be ho-hum. On your point about TV news, I think a manifesto would be great to see but almost impossible to sustain because of rapidly changing corporate and political pressures, among other variables.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the Sonic NBA team could be a quick contender. It's much easier to build an NBA team than, for instance, an NFL team and management focus will be directly on building a contender.
ReplyDeleteI reckon it will be, and the many dedicated Sonics fans out there will demand nothing less of team management!
DeleteAs for the Kraken, the buzz about them has really fallen off this year. The success of the Mariners and the Seahawks may have had something to do with it, but there is no reason why the Kraken can't be just as successful.
KHN had Leiweke on the pregame show. I was pleasantly surprised, almost shocked, by the line of questioning from the hosts. Mostly hard questions, with a couple of softballs thrown in, that seems out of the norm for a team owned show. I can't ever remember ROOT and the Mariners doing something like that with Stanton or Depoto. But the team needs to win and soon. The NBA is coming and even though I think it will be a bad product it will be embraced by the city. Torrent also have momentum.
ReplyDeleteSo with the boss coming clean, he opens the gates to more truth and transparency, which is totally the correct strategy. And you're right. The Mariners have never gone that route and won't. I remember a stupid Dipoto 54 per cent presser.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised with the slow growth of the Kraken and, perhaps, the Sonics arrival could hinder that by letting the Kraken stay in the shadows.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell, but keeping the Kraken here is far from a given.
I wonder what impact the new professional women's hockey team, the Seattle Torrant, has had on the Kraken. They've been having their inaugural season for the past several months, and its about to wrap up.
DeleteI worry that Vegas will attract free agents more than Seattle. Money, glitz and glamor are strong lures.
ReplyDelete100 degree heat isn't though. Seattle will have an advantage in the weather department!
DeleteVegas is already doing that Wayne, hence why they have gone to the playoffs eight of nine seasons in existence. A lot of guys have their fulltime homes down there now
DeleteNot surprised. Seattle is a tough sell as a destination for men and owners with money to spend. They will have to dig deep to compete. When was the last time Portland made a mega splash signing? Scottie near the end?
ReplyDeleteAnd if the millionaire's tax holds up, John Schneider's worries get more real.
DeleteGood take on the Kraken from Mike Salk of 710 KIRO
Deletehttps://sports.mynorthwest.com/brock-and-salk/salk-where-do-seattle-kraken-go-from-here/1845350