Airline threatens to withdraw NHL sponsorship

[Blue_Tires]

The National Hockey League got a stinging rebuke for its escalating injury toll from an unlikely source this week – one of its corporate sponsors.

In a letter sent to the league’s Canadian teams and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the wake of the Zdeno Chara hit on Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty, Air Canada marketing director Denis Vandal wrote that “from a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality.”

The letter said Air Canada is “very concerned with the state of hockey today” and urged the NHL to start imposing “serious suspensions” to curtail the incidence of “career-threatening and life-endangering head shots,” for the good of the players and the integrity of the game. If it doesn’t, Air Canada (which has its name on the home rink of the Toronto Maple Leafs) said it will withdraw its sponsorship.

NHL president Gary Bettman’s reaction was, in effect, go ahead.

“Air Canada is a great brand, as is the National Hockey League, and if they decide they need to do other things with their sponsorship dollars, that’s their prerogative, just like it’s the prerogative of our clubs that fly on Air Canada to make other arrangements if they don’t think Air Canada is giving them the appropriate level of service,” Bettman said.

Louis Gialloreto, a marketing professor and executive director of the McGill Executive Institute, said corporations are always reassessing their sponsorships, but don’t usually go the extra step of trying to tell the associated party how to run its business.

What makes this case unusual is the tone of the letter - which suggests an emotional response - and the fact it was made public, he said.



Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Airline+threatens+withdraw+sponsorship/4418754/story.html#ixzz1GK0TeEke

[Forkboy]

1. I like Bettman's response.

That's as nice a way to tell someone to fuck off as possible.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Actually, I Thought It Was Punkish

It's not like anybody is standing in line to be the NHL's big corporate sponsor. The NFL or MLB, they ain't.

It might be wise for the commissioner of a league like this to take a major corporation's concerns under advisement. Given the recent events in the NHL and the heigtened awareness about head injuries, it might be wise to listen to a major sponsor rather than a bunch of Canadian troglodytes who refuse to even consider legislating out the rough stuff.
GAC

[Forkboy]

3. Meh...people are totally overreacting, and it's good Bettman isn't falling for it.

This all stems from Chara's hit, which the league rightfully decided wasn't dirty, and a decision that nearly everyone in the game agrees with (some Montreal players will disagree). No punishment was handed out, and yet a Canadian company gets pissed because the hit happened to a Montreal player. If this had happened to some bozo on Tampa Bay Air Canada wouldn't have said boo. Air Canada is being reactionary, and I'm glad the NHL has the integrity not to bow to such pressure.

As for legislating out the rough stuff, there are tons of rules already in place to deal with it, and the league has gotten tougher on offenders. What rule changes do you propose that aren't already in place?

And give me a Canadian troglodyte over some mamby pampy southern hockey fan who thinks that a hip check is dirty any day. ;)

[hughee99]

4. Holy shit, an airline trying to tell someone else how to run their business...

:rofl:

[flvegan]

5. Rough game between the Bruins and the Habs? Nevah!!

Seriously, when I first saw the hit it did look like an excessive show. On second view, slowed down, it was a hit on a guy that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact that it was done by the biggest ape to ever lace up (and as a Bruins fan I say that with a lot of love, Chara) made it look that much worse.

Meh, hockey is a physical game and it's being played by bigger, faster, more talented folks every few seasons. Get used to it.

[Iggo]

6. If Air Canada is really making a serious moral stand here, then I applaud them for it.

Mad ups to Bettman, though. That was choice.

(And he don't get ups from me very often.)