During the last few years of the NHL’s premiere game, the Winter Classic. the formal announcement of the following years event location and forced rivals were usually released on the day of that years game. It was a way of building anticipation for next year and getting fans super amped and hockey hungry for the ‘Super Bowl’ of the NHL. This year’s announcement was a little early as the league announced that the Washington Capitals would host the 2015 Classic. While this is awesome and I really, really, really, really, really want to go, I do have some issues with the Caps playing host to the NHL’s most popular attraction.
The Weather.
Courtesy: Washington Post
Caps owner Ted Leonsis has been trying to get the NHL’s attention since 2008 about bringing the Classic to DC to showcase the nations Capital, and it’s a great idea – if the weather decides it wants to participate in an orderly fashion. The weather in DC last year on January 1, 2013? 45 degrees with a low of 38. If that is the case, then I think the Classic would be in great shape, barring any heavy rain. However, two years ago on January 1, 2012 – 60 degrees. Not the best conditions. The weather in our area, as many of you already know, is about as predictable as a Chubby Checker’s hip at a SunFest concert – you just never know which way it’s gonna go (That was the best I could do with little sleep).
The Traffic.
Depending on where the classic is held… actually it doesn’t matter where it’s held, the traffic is going to be an absolute nightmare, and the Metro will be brutal – moreso than usual during rush hour or after a Caps game. DC boasts the worst drivers in America with Baltimore second and Alexandria and Arlington a close 7 and 10 respectively on Allstate’s most recent list. This will NOT be a fun little trip down to DC. It will be hell.
The Location.
This is the big question burning on every one’s mind. The obvious choice, as it resides in the city limits, is Nationals Park. Nationals owner Mark Lerner is a minority partner in Ted Leonsis’ mini-empire, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, so chances are this will be the location. However, the District has to sign off of the use of the facility because they own it. Nats stadium, although I’ve never been, brings a more intimate setting for sure, however it doesn’t cash in like football stadiums do, which leads us to FedEx Field. The home of the Redskins is in the subpar and sometimes scary burrough of Landover. It doesn’t have any pretty shots of the city and, from what I understand, the place sucks.
The coolest place to have the game would be on the Mall between the Capitol buidling and Washington Monument. WOW. That would be worth the 5 hour traffic jam from Baltimore to see, however, the logistics of such a thing is astronomically hard to fathom. Kind of like trying to figure why Nickelback is so popular.
So, idea number four: RFK Stadium. To have the Caps play at RFK would be a cake topper for Leonsis and the NHL. The history of the stadium and what it has meant to DC fans over the years would make this a truely special occassion and it would sell itself. Unfortunately, RFK, currently the home of DC United, which opened in 1961, is a crumbling pile of concrete that could literally collapse at any moment. Doubtful the NHL would want that kind of publicity.
An idea that is floating around out there, which is very neat, although not likely, is having the Classic not in DC but in Baltimore. M&T Bank would provide an amazing experience for the original fans of the Caps, the Marylanders. If the NHL wants to fill a football stadium, it would probably be better to do it here than at FedEx.
Camden Yards, however, would be my choice. Camden Yards is still the inspiration for many of the new ballparks. It is the perfect place to watch a ballgame and the backdrop, although that stupid Hilton is blocking my favorite building in Bromo, is kinda pretty. The rich history of the Orioles is that of Redskins and it digs deep into sports subconscious of hockey fans that have been around for over 50 years. BUT, there was that whole thing with Angelos denying Washington the right have a professional baseball team for about 20 years or something because it would cut into his revenue, so that’s out.
Since the Caps are no longer a Maryland based team, the Virginians might get a little upset over the hike up to Charm City anyway. So, Nats Stadium it is.
The Opponent.
I really, really, really, really, really don’t want the Penguins. The NHL is still trying to force the Ovi-Crosby rivalry down our throats. You know what? You tried that already. It was fun. But it’s time to move on. That forced-rivalry is stale now thanks to overmarketing and Pierre McGuire.
My first thought is to have the Caps play the Ottawa Senators. The Capital of each country going head-to-head in DC would be perfect, and the NHL would salivate at the over-the-top marketing that some schulb who thinks he’s Peggy from MadMen. But if the NHL wants to continue its overuse of rivals like the NFL is doing, the perfect fit would be the Philadelphia Flyers.
Right up 95 or a train ride away, Philly fans would flock to DC for a chance to see the Flyers take on the Caps at Nats Stadium. The Phillies and Nationals are already pretty heated rivals and I can see the NHL and MLB feeding off that ‘hatred’. It makes sense.
Another rumor I’ve heard is the Montreal Canadiens, which doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
I just really don’t want another Pens-Caps outdoor game. It’s lame.
The NHL Winter Classic is still one of the most popular sporting events in America and it generates a ton of money for the NHL. I love it. Fans love it. It was the perfect idea.
With last years lockout wiping out half the season, the NHL was forced to cancel the Winter Classic that was to showcase the mighty Detroit Red Wings against the Toronto Maple Leafs at ‘The Big House’ in the University of Michigan. Of course, the game was rescheduled to headline this years very popular New Year’s Day game, and, to make up for the lack of revenue and fan fare, the NHL, in all its wisdom and greed, opted to add 5 more outdoor games to the schedule for the 2013-14 season.
While, I’m sure, the braintrusts of the league thought this was a great idea, I do not.
I understand it brings in a lot of revenue. I understand that lower market teams benefit from this even if they don’t host a game because their climate doesn’t allow winter to even come close to infiltrating the environment. I understand you want to market your most valuable assets and get more fans into the game. But enough is enough.
Even though the other 5 games haven’t happened yet, you’ve now made the idea of the outdoor game stale. I don’t want to see two games at Yankees stadium – one is enough. I don’t want to see the Penguins and Blackhawks play outdoors again. The only interesting games are Anaheim-L.A. at Dodger Stadium and the Heritage Classic at BC Place with the Senators and Canucks (by the way, the Heritage Classic is the underappreciated and undermarketed ourdoor game that is played every year in Canada that no one ever hears about).
Don’t ruin your best asset by overdoing it. Although I guess by doing that, the NHL has finally Americanized the game.
So, if the NHL is going to this every year with 5 extra outdoor games, I guess we can assume that Washington will be hosting another game at some point, or even Baltimore – that would be pretty cool actually.
“Fans love attending this event, the demand that we’re hearing and feeling from our teams and markets and venues wanting to host this game is overwhelming,” Bettman said. “So if you’re actually getting an opportunity to attend this game, you don’t think we’re doing too many of them.”
You have a point Gary. If the fans want it, I guess it’s good for growing the product, but my fear is that in two years they won’t have sellout after sellout at the outdoor games. The Winter Classic is supposed to be a special, unique event and now it’s just the first of many outdoor games every season. I’m not saying that the Classic will one day be unpopular, but I can see it becoming a punchline – kinda like the All-Star game.
Whatever the case, the season should be an interesting and exciting one. With the return of a full season, new allignment, new divisional rivals, the outdoor games and the Sochi Olympic break and no All-Star game this might be the best season in a long time.
More to come…
