Leafs fans take over SBP
MLSE takes over the Market
Leafs clothes take over Roots
And most Sens fans just sit back and take it. Yet when some people stir the pot and try to cause a bit of a ruckus and get Sens fans goin, well some people think it's too much or too "out there"..............................
Just because we live in a political town doesnt mean that we always have to be politically correct or impartial or make the "safe" move. Throw a little emotion and pride around every once and awhile. You'd be surprised how fun it can be!
Roots displays ugly Toronto Maple Leaf clothing in their store in Ottawa. What exactly is 'it' that we are taking?
Spencer Callaghn, who took the original pic, I think said it best.
"If you look at the picture, there is a massive display with a dozen or more Leafs items, a mannequin and everything. I looked through the store and didn’t find a single Sens item (I was there Christmas shopping, this wasn’t a sting).
I simply don’t think it is respectful, or wise, for an iconic Canadian company, that obviously knows the importance of hockey to this country, to so brazenly promote a rival team’s gear without so much as a stitch of Sens gear.
Yes the Leafs and Habs have more history, but after 20 years, and the decades of Sens history before that, it is time we started to be respected."
Just because we live in a political town doesnt mean that we always have to be politically correct or impartial or make the "safe" move. Throw a little emotion and pride around every once and awhile. You'd be surprised how fun it can be!
lol I remember some of the reactions here after last years' All-Star draft. "How dare we boo Joffrey Lupul?!"
I read somewhere that the Leafs merchandise accounted for something like 60% of the total sales league wide.
Roots would be stupid to not carry the best selling NHL merchandise there is.
You guys do know that outside of a couple of hundred thousand people, nobody gives a rat's ass about the Ottawa Senators...don't you?
So what's your point? The fact of the matter is that Roots chose to sell no Senators gear in OTTAWA. You know, the place where those 200,000 or so fans primarily RESIDE.
From a business standpoint, sure peddle all the Leafs crap you want, you're free to. But from another business standpoint, how STUPID is it to not carry any Senators gear whatsoever?
And as others pointed out, I'm glad people spoke up. You'd never see this fly in Montreal with a Leafs display and God forbid some store owner is dumb enough to set up a Yankees display in Boston. Good on people for speaking out. And shame on the rest of you for chastizing them. This is why people think our fanbase sucks. Because we roll over and "assume the position" when it comes to Leafs and Habs fans in our own backyard.
so what's your point? The fact of the matter is that roots chose to sell no senators gear in ottawa. You know, the place where those 200,000 or so fans primarily reside.
From a business standpoint, sure peddle all the leafs crap you want, you're free to. But from another business standpoint, how stupid is it to not carry any senators gear whatsoever?
And as others pointed out, i'm glad people spoke up. You'd never see this fly in montreal with a leafs display and god forbid some store owner is dumb enough to set up a yankees display in boston. Good on people for speaking out. And shame on the rest of you for chastizing them. This is why people think our fanbase sucks. Because we roll over and "assume the position" when it comes to leafs and habs fans in our own backyard.
So what's your point? The fact of the matter is that Roots chose to sell no Senators gear in OTTAWA. You know, the place where those 200,000 or so fans primarily RESIDE.
From a business standpoint, sure peddle all the Leafs crap you want, you're free to. But from another business standpoint, how STUPID is it to not carry any Senators gear whatsoever?
And as others pointed out, I'm glad people spoke up. You'd never see this fly in Montreal with a Leafs display and God forbid some store owner is dumb enough to set up a Yankees display in Boston. Good on people for speaking out. And shame on the rest of you for chastizing them. This is why people think our fanbase sucks. Because we roll over and "assume the position" when it comes to Leafs and Habs fans in our own backyard.
So what's your point? The fact of the matter is that Roots chose to sell no Senators gear in OTTAWA. You know, the place where those 200,000 or so fans primarily RESIDE.
From a business standpoint, sure peddle all the Leafs crap you want, you're free to. But from another business standpoint, how STUPID is it to not carry any Senators gear whatsoever?
And as others pointed out, I'm glad people spoke up. You'd never see this fly in Montreal with a Leafs display and God forbid some store owner is dumb enough to set up a Yankees display in Boston. Good on people for speaking out. And shame on the rest of you for chastizing them. This is why people think our fanbase sucks. Because we roll over and "assume the position" when it comes to Leafs and Habs fans in our own backyard.
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
Could care less. I'm not buying their Leaf merch either way. If anything, I'd ask where their Sens merch was, rather than threatening to avoid giving my business to Roots over affiliation to a pro sports team.
__________________ CanadianHockey________ __ __________Sens, Oilers, and Team Canada
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
I would go to Roots if I was monumentally irresponsible with my money.
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
Do Leaf fans go to Roots to solely buy Leafs gear? No, but they might while they're shopping because it's AVAILABLE. The same could be said as a Sens fan who was shopping there and noticed Sens gear for sale. Did that really need to be explained?
However, imo it's more about representing/respecting the City you live/do business in.
And just to clarify, I'm not mad at Roots for doing it or anything like that (although I would have liked to hear that they had Sens gear as well), I'm just more surprised that some of you can't see why the people made the comments (or even that some are criticizing people for making them). It's not like they were outside picketing the store. They just pointed it out to their twitter/the staff.
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
I buy Sens gear wherever its accessible and (usually) on sale. I've bought from the Sens Store, Zellers, Walmart, Sports Experts, wherever.
Heck, I've bought Sens gear in Phoenix. However, this sports store didn't have a huge Sens display or a huge LA Kings display...it had a Coyotes display. The Sens gear was in the back with the rest of the NHL merchandise. That's the key issue here.
Would Senators fans in Ottawa really go to Roots to buy their Sens gear, or would they go to the store entirely dedicated to Sens gear, namely, The Sens Store?
Roots makes nice stuff. The only company that really makes "vintage" style Sens stuff is Oldtime Hockey. I don't always like their style for hoodies and sweaters.
Roots make a high quality and stylish product. If It was a design I liked i would buy from Roots.
Do Leaf fans go to Roots to solely buy Leafs gear? No, but they might while they're shopping because it's AVAILABLE. The same could be said as a Sens fan who was shopping there and noticed Sens gear for sale. Did that really need to be explained?
However, imo it's more about representing/respecting the City you live/do business in.
And just to clarify, I'm not mad at Roots for doing it or anything like that (although I would have liked to hear that they had Sens gear as well), I'm just more surprised that some of you can't see why the people made the comments (or even that some are criticizing people for making them). It's not like they were outside picketing the store. They just pointed it out to their twitter/the staff.
I understand and even sympathize. Just thought it might be a consideration of the managers at Roots.
Point taken though about Roots having quality merch. Don't much care for it myself but there's no question on that score. That by itself would give them a distinctive angle to market NHL gear from a number of Canadian teams that would distinguish them from something like the Sens Store.
John mentioned the real issue being "who the F is buying NHL merch right now anyway?". Perhaps (perhaps) the good people at Roots have done a quick market analysis and determined that the only team worth manufacturing anything for at present is Toronto.
For other Canadian teams like Ottawa (probably especially Ottawa) it's just another reminder that the Leafs are "Canada's Team" whatever the heck that means. It's right that that should stick in their craw (not gonna lie, it makes me gag a little) but it may be purely a business thing. Sometimes businesses just don't give a **** - not always because they don't care but because they don't know they should be caring.
If this little scenario that I've built in my own head is at all close to the truth, maybe, if you guys complain loud enough, Roots will have to change their business plan.
Im not a retail Guru but could this not have been a mistake? Wrong box got shipped with instructions to dress up a mannequin? Is that possible in the retail world?
As far as I know, Roots doesn't even produce merchandise for any other NHL team but the Leafs. Ottawa's too small a market for them to make such products when sport branded clothing is not a huge part of their business (outside of the Olympics at times). Unlike the Red Sox/Yankees example, there is a huge Leafs fanbase in Ottawa due to the short history of the modern day Sens, and any shop manager with a brain would and should cater to all available markets, which in Ottawa's case includes a lot of tourists visiting the nation's capital. To get upset about one of the country's most iconic teams being marketed in the capital region is ridiculous.
