Sponsors are everywhere in the sports world. Almost everything in sports is sponsored from games and plays to timeouts and last five’s. Just about everything is for sell from arena naming rights to superimposing ads behind goaltenders but franchises and individual players have never succumbed to the almighty ad dollar. Everywhere around the world athletes don’t necessarily wear uniforms… they wear billboards. Golfers and NASCAR drivers look like Sunday morning papers coupon sections.
The North American Big 4 pro sports have all resisted the big money grab until now. The NBA is floating the idea of advertising on player’s uniforms, the NHL can’t be far behind. As bare as the boards look in old videos with no ads on them that’s the way team sweaters will look twenty years from now, it’s only a matter of time.
Arenas are already named after sponsors so maybe the NHL will not let players be sponsored but entire franchises would be sponsored. It’s easy to see Nike or Coke sponsoring any and every franchise but what about brand or company that feels a franchise represents their image or values. The Chicago Blackhawks sponsored by Champion Spark Plugs or Hell’s Angels Philly Flyers. Tylenol PM could sponsor the New Jersey Devils because they both put you to sleep.
The Oilers should be sponsored by the Canadian lottery.
Non-profit organizations could also be in the mix. The ad council could sponsor Heimlich maneuver awareness with the St Louis Blues who always choke or The Maple Leafs teach about deadly mold because who knows more about basements than the Toronto maple Leafs.
Individual players would no doubt want to get a piece of the action. The Bread Man Artemi Panarin already has a built in sponsor and in a way so does Jaromir Jagr albeit for Viagra. Alex Ovechin and Geno Malkin can be vodka spokesmen.
Players with senses of humor could turn a negative image into a bag of cash. Sidney Crosby for Mondavi wines and Claude Giroux for Johnson & Johnson baby wipes. Phil Kessel as the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Milan Lucic for Hawaiian punch. Keith Yandle could be sponsored by Nerf. Nothing is softer than Christian Erhoff which makes him the perfect pitchman for Charmin.
Technology is such that networks will be able to put ads on players in classic games. Wayne Gretzky wearing a Crown Royal patch is as perfect as Mario Lemieux wearing a Remy Martin Louie the Thirteenth logo. Not just the legends either, how about the enforcers Dave Semenko could be sponsored by Pinkerton Guards. Mart McSorley would be sponsored by Raid because nobody is better at getting rid of pests.
Before you write this column off as fun pre-playoff nonsense remember Gary Bettman said sponsorship is not what we’re looking at right night so it will definitely happen.
Let the bidding war between Stubbs and KC Masterpiece for BBQ Bruce Boudreau begin.
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