Habsology Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Who SHOULD be the "face" of the NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Why does there only have to be one face? The NBA has Lebron and Kobe. The NFL has the Mannings and Tom Brady. Men's tennis has Federer and Nadal. I think Crosby and Ovechkin will be the twin faces of the league for the next decade. Malkin is a possibility only if he gets more comfortable with the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsforevernomatterwhat Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 When I think "hockey", I think of Ovechkin pumping his fist into the glass after scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianMike Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I agree I like many faces for the NHL, but you can all guess who I voted for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracie12 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I think Crosby and Ovechkin will be the twin faces of the league for the next decade. Malkin is a possibility only if he gets more comfortable with the media. He will, after his first season in montreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlHabsFan Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Crosby sounds like a 13 year old girl when he screams (like when the caps put one in their own net when they played the pens on NBC in march) and whines too much. Ovie looks and acts more hockeyish, and the way he celebrates every goal like it was game 7 of the finals makes it seem like hes in it for the sport more then the money. And his shyness on tv (like his speech last night) shows he isnt in it for the glitz and glamor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LArider Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Ovechkin or Malkin when he develops more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 He will, after his first season in montreal. Oh snap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utreder Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Lecavalier, if he was with a non-pathetic team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjamessauve Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Alex Ovechkin. Hands down. Crosby whines way too much to be the face of our game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl1010 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Alex Ovechkin. Hands down. Crosby whines way too much to be the face of our game. And I also like Ovechkin's face more cause he smiles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raimu Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I'd say Ovechkin, he has a feeling about him, an aura of excitement that Crosby doesn't have. He's always smiling, with his gap-tooth hockey grin, he always looks like he's having fun. He's exciting to watch and its impossible to hate the guy, even when he scored 4 goals against Montreal to win it for the caps in overtime this season, I couldn't help but feel excited for him, its his energy, I'm telling you, its special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortwinkler Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 One vote for Crosby...I'm glad to see that most are coming around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_133 Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 From a business/marketing stand point, definitely Sidney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_133 Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Why does there only have to be one face? The NBA has Lebron and Kobe. The NFL has the Mannings and Tom Brady. Men's tennis has Federer and Nadal. I think Crosby and Ovechkin will be the twin faces of the league for the next decade. Malkin is a possibility only if he gets more comfortable with the media. I suppose it depends on how you define "Face of the league," when someone says the term "face of X league", I basically picture that person being bigger then the game it's self, and it really depends on how the NHL plans on marketing it's self moving forward. For the most part, the NBA marketing is specifically about the stars, more so then rivalries/teams. The NFL not as much, and to be fair I don't really think of the Mannings or Tom Brady as the face of the NFL, they're the most popular players for sure but I don't think anyone in the NFL is bigger then the game. In fact, I'd say the biggest "X Factor" in the NFL is gambling/fantasy football. Baseball is marketed based on rivalries/history ect. It's probably marketed around it's players the least of any pro league in North America. Tennis is an individual sport, therefore ofcourse individual stars are the main draw/attraction. With Bettman's NBA roots, you'd think he'd be more about marketing stars, but prelockout out that definitely wasn't the approach. I can see it switching gears more now, post lockout, but it's still very tough. Kobe plays in LA, not Pittsburgh. Lebron plays in his hometown, for his hometown team, NBA has been pretty lucky in terms of it's ultra stars being in great markets (Bird vs Magic, Boston vs LA... Jordan in Chiago... Kobe and Shaq in LA). Ovechkin maybe more likable to existing "hardcore" hockey fans, but the impression I've gathered is Sidney is generally more liked by mainstream media and by nontradional hockey fans. I think marketing Crosby as the face of the league is definitely the way to pull in new fans, and therefore the way to go. However, I don't think ignoring the other players is a viable option either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bailey1 Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I'd say Ovechkin, he has a feeling about him, an aura of excitement that Crosby doesn't have. He's always smiling, with his gap-tooth hockey grin, he always looks like he's having fun. He's exciting to watch and its impossible to hate the guy, even when he scored 4 goals against Montreal to win it for the caps in overtime this season, I couldn't help but feel excited for him, its his energy, I'm telling you, its special. 10000000% Agree. I wonder if Markov felt the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late-Apex Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Who SHOULD be the "face" of the NHL? Neither one. Hank Zetterberg is a more complete player and he's not that much older. Plus he's got a total babe for as his special lady friend, they make a great couple. http://www.talk-sports.net/nhl/girlfriend....nrik_Zetterberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenderjetta Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Neither one. Hank Zetterberg is a more complete player and he's not that much older. Plus he's got a total babe for as his special lady friend, they make a great couple. http://www.talk-sports.net/nhl/girlfriend....nrik_Zetterberg I'm a huge fan of Zetterberg but I don't think he'd be that easy to market - he does everything very, very well but offense and goals are much easier to sell than penalty killing. Zetterberg is an offensive weapon but there are at least a half dozen guys in the league who are flashier and score more points. Good local guy to push, but I don't know about being the face of the league. With Bettman's NBA roots, you'd think he'd be more about marketing stars, but prelockout out that definitely wasn't the approach. I can see it switching gears more now, post lockout, but it's still very tough. Kobe plays in LA, not Pittsburgh. Lebron plays in his hometown, for his hometown team, NBA has been pretty lucky in terms of it's ultra stars being in great markets (Bird vs Magic, Boston vs LA... Jordan in Chiago... Kobe and Shaq in LA). Ovechkin maybe more likable to existing "hardcore" hockey fans, but the impression I've gathered is Sidney is generally more liked by mainstream media and by nontradional hockey fans. I think marketing Crosby as the face of the league is definitely the way to pull in new fans, and therefore the way to go. However, I don't think ignoring the other players is a viable option either. I think that's a pretty good assesment. I think they're both pretty marketable, and when Crosby went down to injury I think it was a wake up call for the league to start pushing a couple of top drawer players instead of just Crosby. I think Toews and Kane should be marketed big in the midwest - hockey is making a comeback in Chicago and it's the third largest market in the league. Push those two exciting players and make fans in the central division excited to come see them play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innis_Mor Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 THe # 1 face ideally is the likes of Ovechkin -- his love for the game shines through like no other star, and thus forms a great role model for our youngsters. Crosby is outstanding and committed player, but he gar too "grouchy". Play the game, love the game -- like Ovy!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 The thing I find with Crosby is that while he is very media-savvy and always willing to talk to reporters, he's just a boring, bland interview. He's so used to living in a fishbowl that his answers are always too pat, too polished, too vanilla. I can't remember one thing he's said since his NHL debut that would qualify as memorable. Whereas a guy like Ovechkin, whose command of English is far below Crosby's, is nonetheless a more interesting personality who comes across as genuine and honest, even though he speaks broken English. If Crosby is to be the successful face of the league, he's got to stop spouting cliché in a monotone voice with a deadpan face and start showing some spark, some personality, something on which the league can hang its hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whalerfan Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Brindamour.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_133 Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 The thing I find with Crosby is that while he is very media-savvy and always willing to talk to reporters, he's just a boring, bland interview. He's so used to living in a fishbowl that his answers are always too pat, too polished, too vanilla. I can't remember one thing he's said since his NHL debut that would qualify as memorable. Whereas a guy like Ovechkin, whose command of English is far below Crosby's, is nonetheless a more interesting personality who comes across as genuine and honest, even though he speaks broken English. If Crosby is to be the successful face of the league, he's got to stop spouting cliché in a monotone voice with a deadpan face and start showing some spark, some personality, something on which the league can hang its hat. I understand the point you're making, but Gretzky had a similar, boring, way about him (so does Tiger Woods). I don't know, are any of the Spice Girls single? That could help Sid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I understand the point you're making, but Gretzky had a similar, boring, way about him (so does Tiger Woods). I don't know, are any of the Spice Girls single? That could help Sid. Tiger Woods draws fans because he dominates golf, just like Federer until recently dominated men's tennis. Neither man has a sparkling personality but that's okay because they don't play team sports. Crosby doesn't need to date celebrities, he just needs to get himself a personality. His coach is more memorable than he is, for crying out loud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfrommtl Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 crosby, as much as i hate him... he appeals to the non hockey crowd, in that hes a clean shaven(most of the time) polite kid who is amazing. for some reason people enjoy that. but id rather have ovechkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmash Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I love the way Ovechkin acts. He has a certain Patrick Roy cockiness about him, but he has the skills to back it up. And while he always works hard, it also seems like he's just having a blast on the ice. Crosby can get a bit whiny at times and he just seems a little too into it. This is a good thing in some senses, and for them it is a job afterall, but at the same time it just seems like Crosby treats it like work while Ovechkin does his job but has a lot more fun doing it. I can't really judge how much "fun" they are having, but just from interviews and stuff it seems that way. Also, Ovechkin can hit and put in the highlight real goals. I think all of this is the sort of thing you want to sell in a player. With Gretzky and Lemieux, they were just far and away the best players in the league, so you sold them by default, but nowadays there is a group of about 10 or so top players, so the choice isn't that obvious. I would also consider Datsyuk, who is a very well rounded player, playing well at both ends of the ice in a tougher and more physical conference. I think the NHL has a great crop of young players, I'm not sure who they want as the "face". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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