Oilers Darkening blue to navy for jerseys next year

[Little Fury]

Just because it hasn't been said:

- The "retro" jersey is exactly as it should be.
- The patch looks great, AND is color-matched to the jersey colors - smooth.
- As an 80s kid who knows future success is unlikely, I love the Cups on the patch. Nostalgia is good when the present sucks.

This team has been constantly looking backwards since katz bought it. Just look at the faces in the executive suite. The only team that's worse is the Habs, but they've got a much longer history to celebrate and they don't keep relics from the past around to play actual roles on the team. It's tiresome and a bit pathetic, like the guy who peaked in high school who still talks about the time he scored four touchdowns in one game.

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

Love the royal blue. It's a classic jersey and should be the full time colour scheme and jersey. Ditch the ugly orange. They are awful.

Should have left off the players numbers on the patch, but think they only noted the retired numbers of players who won a cup.

 

[Supermassive]

This team has been constantly looking backwards since katz bought it. Just look at the faces in the executive suite. The only team that's worse is the Habs, but they've got a much longer history to celebrate and they don't keep relics from the past around to play actual roles on the team. It's tiresome and a bit pathetic, like the guy who peaked in high school who still talks about the time he scored four touchdowns in one game.

Nah. People just have to key on it every time the dynasty is mentioned. They’re preconditioned to lash out because the current team sucks and they can’t abandon hope that it’ll get better, even though management, coaching, scouting, drafting have been subpar for decades, and geographic and economic factors inhibit the team from competing on even terms with American teams.
Polk High. 1966 City Championships. Four touchdowns in one game. Al “Touchdown” Bundy, they called him.

 

[Soundwave]

I've got 2 leading theories, both are really silly but we're talking about the Oilers here.

1) He didn't play for the 80's dynasty so the current Oilers brass just don't care about him.

2) They decided that it was too difficult to make 7 numbers look nice on the patch, so they just omitted the one they figured people were least likely to notice.

The patch is a 40th Anniversary Patch. Not figuratively, literally. As in 1979-2019. As in the Oilers time as an NHL franchise. Al Hamilton played 30 freaking games for the Oilers during that period. He has no business being on that patch, I don't understand what about that is so difficult to understand.

And as an aside the team's problems are not that they once in a while choose to honor the past. It's that they make dumb decisions in the present. We gonna blame the 84 Oilers reunion on Chia trading the Barzal pick for Reinhart? Or signing Lucic? If the Oilers are bad next year that's on them, not because of some freaking patch on the jersey that lists some great players.

 

[oXo Cube]

The patch is a 40th Anniversary Patch. Not figuratively, literally. As in 1979-2019. As in the Oilers time as an NHL franchise. Al Hamilton played 30 freaking games for the Oilers during that period. He has no business being on that patch, I don't understand what about that is so difficult to understand.

And as an aside the team's problems are not that they once in a while choose to honor the past. It's that they make dumb decisions in the present. We gonna blame the 84 Oilers reunion on Chia trading the Barzal pick for Reinhart? Or signing Lucic? If the Oilers are bad next year that's on them, not because of some freaking patch on the jersey that lists some great players.

The patch is about honoring the teams history. Ignoring a player with a retired number is just plain disrespectful. Really not that difficult of a concept.

Your second paragraph is a bunch of rambling nonsense that has nothing to do with anything I wrote.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Your second paragraph is a bunch of rambling nonsense that has nothing to do with anything I wrote.

had to squeeze in the same tired arguments he always has lol

 

[rboomercat90]

The Edmonton Oilers came into existence out of nowhere in 1979 and then ceased to exist in 1991, and only returned to the league in 2016-17. This is canon.

I’ve been a fan of this team since the WHA days. I’m not interested in living in this teams past anymore and I haven’t been for a long time. I’m sick of all this throwback stuff because it’s happened way too much in the past five to ten years. What bothers me the most is that when they do this throwback stuff it’s only for one era. We all know why they’re doing it. Your right about your 79-91 quote and it’s sickening.

 

[Soundwave]

The patch is about honoring the teams history. Ignoring a player with a retired number is just plain disrespectful. Really not that difficult of a concept.

Your second paragraph is a bunch of rambling nonsense that has nothing to do with anything I wrote.

The patch LITERALLY says 40 (ANNIVERSARY) 1979-2019. LITERALLY. It is a patch specifically celebrating that period of the Oilers history (their time as an NHL franchise). Like what part of that is ambiguous?

Al Hamilton did dick all for the Oilers in that period of time, Teddy Purcell played more games for the Oilers during that period.

 

[oXo Cube]

The patch LITERALLY says 40TH ANNIVERSARY 1979-2019. LITERALLY. It is a patch specifically celebrating that period of the Oilers history (their time as an NHL franchise).

Al Hamilton did dick all for the Oilers in that period of time, Teddy Purcell played more games for the Oilers during that period.

Good for Purcell. His number ain't retired though.

If Hamilton had played 0 NHL games for the Oilers this argument might have a case IMO, but that's not reality.

 

[Soundwave]

Good for Purcell. His number ain't retired though.

If Hamilton had played 0 NHL games for the Oilers this argument might have a case IMO, but that's not reality.

Again 1979-2019 ... exactly what part of Oilers history in that period is Al Hamilton part of?

Nothing, nada, zilch. This patch clearly states it is celebrating the NHL era of the Oilers, Al Hamilton has no business being on that patch as such.

Kevin Lowe, Charlie Huddy, Bill Ranford, Ryan Smyth, Doug Weight, Andy Moog, Ales Hemsky, and even Chris Pronger have more of a right being on that patch than Al Hamilton.

Having Al Hamilton on the patch celebrating the Oilers from 1979-2019 makes about as much sense as having Wayne Gretzky on a patch celebrating the Oilers 1990 Cup team.

 

[La Bamba]

Love the royal blue. It's a classic jersey and should be the full time colour scheme and jersey. Ditch the ugly orange. They are awful.

Should have left off the players numbers on the patch, but think they only noted the retired numbers of players who won a cup.

The current orange and blue are probably here for at least 4 seasons IMO. The 07/08 jerseys lasted until the 11/12 season despite the majority of the fanbase disliking it.

 

[Cloned]

Again 1979-2019 ... exactly what part of Oilers history in that period is Al Hamilton part of?

Nothing, nada, zilch. This patch clearly states it is celebrating the NHL era of the Oilers, Al Hamilton has no business being on that patch as such.

Kevin Lowe, Charlie Huddy, Bill Ranford, Ryan Smyth, Doug Weight, Andy Moog, Ales Hemsky, and even Chris Pronger have more of a right being on that patch than Al Hamilton.

Having Al Hamilton on the patch celebrating the Oilers from 1979-2019 makes about as much sense as having Wayne Gretzky on a patch celebrating the Oilers 1990 Cup team.

The Oilers are still tone deaf when it comes to PR. How many people would have complained if Hamilton's number WAS on the jersey? It was an easy decision and they still f***ed it up.

 

[Soundwave]

The Oilers are still tone deaf when it comes to PR. How many people would have complained if Hamilton's number WAS on the jersey? It was an easy decision and they still ****ed it up.

It's a stupid thing to complain about. Al Hamilton has nothing to do with the Oilers as an NHL franchise which is what the patch is commemorating. There are a million other things wrong with this team, this patch is not one of them.

Hamilton has zero business being on that patch, it's not a slight to him, he just was not a part of any of those teams in any way past the most minor involvement possible really.

There are several hundred Oilers that should be on a 1979-2019 Oilers patch ahead of Hamilton. I mean Dustin Penner contributed more to this franchise in that time span, he actually led the Oilers in goals for a season.

 

[Cloned]

It's a stupid thing to complain about. Al Hamilton has nothing to do with the Oilers as an NHL franchise which is what the patch is commemorating. There are a million other things wrong with this team, this patch is not one of them.

Hamilton has zero business being on that patch, it's not a slight to him, he just was not a part of any of those teams in any way past the most minor involvement possible really.

There are several hundred Oilers that should be on a 1979-2019 Oilers patch ahead of Hamilton. I mean Dustin Penner contributed more to this franchise in that time span, he actually led the Oilers in goals for a season.

Maybe, but it was still incredibly easy to avoid this situation and they managed to screw it up.

Would there be any significant negative reaction to putting his number on the jersey?

Would there be any significant positive reaction to NOT putting his number on the jersey?

These are easy PR questions to answer. Unless you're the Oilers; then you answer both questions wrong.

 

[Soundwave]

Maybe, but it was still incredibly easy to avoid this situation and they managed to screw it up.

Would there be any significant negative reaction to putting his number on the jersey?

Would there be any significant positive reaction to NOT putting his number on the jersey?

These are easy PR questions to answer. Except apparently for the Oilers.

It's stupid to put him on there. You might as well put Wayne Gretzky on a 1990 Oilers Cup win patch while you're at it.

The period is 1979-2019, very clearly stated. Al Hamilton has no business being on that patch. Plain and simple. It would be like the Flames honouring players from the Atlanta Flames days pre-1980 on the 40th Anniversary patch they will surely do next year ... that would make no sense.

 

[Cloned]

It's stupid to put him on there. You might as well put Wayne Gretzky on a 1990 Oilers Cup win patch while you're at it.

The period is 1979-2019, very clearly stated. Al Hamilton has no business being on that patch. Plain and simple.

I am not arguing Hamilton's merits of inclusion. I am arguing the lack of PR awareness in the organization. It's not like Hamilton is some sort of controversial or polarizing figure in team history.

 

[Soundwave]

I am not arguing Hamilton's merits of inclusion. I am arguing the lack of PR awareness in the organization. It's not like Hamilton is some sort of controversial or polarizing figure in team history.

Has nothing to do with PR awareness, it's the press that's stupid for making this an issue. I'm sorry that Tom Gazzola is an idiot, but that doesn't mean Al Hamilton not being on the patch is a PR mistake.

Hamilton has no business on that patch. The Flames will have a 40th anniversary 1980-2020 patch next year too mostly likely ... if they chose to put player numbers on it, would it make any damn sense to have players from pre-1980 Atlanta Thrashers days on it? No, that would be plain stupid to do that.

 

[Cloned]

Has nothing to do with PR awareness, it's the press that's stupid for making this an issue. I'm sorry that Tom Gazzola is an idiot, but that doesn't mean Al Hamilton not being on the patch is a PR mistake.

Hamilton has no business on that patch. The Flames will have a 40th anniversary 1980-2020 patch next year too mostly likely ... if they chose to put player numbers on it, would it make any damn sense to have players from pre-1980 Atlanta Thrashers days on it? No, that would be plain stupid to do that.

I won't argue with you about Gazzola as I believe he has a bone to pick with the organization since their split.

However, I'm pretty sure any PR person worth his salt would tell you to expect the worst from the media/public when making any decision. That is clearly a PR mistake because it was easily avoidable and the opposite decision would have had literally no risk of negative backlash.

 

[Soundwave]

I won't argue with you about Gazzola as I believe he has a bone to pick with the organization since their split.

However, I'm pretty sure any PR person worth his salt would tell you to expect the worst from the media/public when making any decision. That is clearly a PR mistake because it was easily avoidable and the opposite decision would have had literally no risk of negative backlash.

Anyone who can't use deductive reasoning to understand a patch that clearly states 40 1979-2019 in bright freaking neon orange outline is specifying a period that is 1979-2019 and then needs to have it explained to them why a player who really was not a part of any of those teams wouldn't be on a patch has bigger problems than Oilers PR I think.

This is a not a PR mistake, this is some people not understanding something even when it's spelt out for them in bright orange neon letters.

 

[oXo Cube]

It's stupid to put him on there. You might as well put Wayne Gretzky on a 1990 Oilers Cup win patch while you're at it.

The period is 1979-2019, very clearly stated. Al Hamilton has no business being on that patch. Plain and simple. It would be like the Flames honouring players from the Atlanta Flames days pre-1980 on the 40th Anniversary patch they will surely do next year ... that would make no sense.

Do the Flames have any players from the Atlanta days who also played for Calgary and have had the honour of the team retiring their number?

They don't, but if they did then not including that player would be pretty silly.

I really, truly, don't get what is so hard to understand about this. Just put 3 on there. Everyone wins and nobody complains.

 

[Cloned]

Anyone who can't use deductive reasoning to understand a patch that clearly states 40 1979-2019 in bright freaking neon orange outline is specifying a period that is 1979-2019 and then needs to have it explained to them why a player who really was not a part of any of those teams wouldn't be on a patch has bigger problems than Oilers PR I think.

This is a not a PR mistake, this is some people not understanding something even when it's spelt out for them in bright orange neon letters.

This is literally the entire job of PR. Try to anticipate what the media/public say and how they will react to any particular decision, and weigh the pros and cons of each decision before making the best possible decision in terms of public relations. You might argue that the media are idiots for making this an issue. I might well agree with you. But that's not the point. The point is that PR is responsible for identifying these potential issues, no matter how idiotic they might seem. That's literally what they're paid to do.

 

[Soundwave]

Do the Flames have any players from the Atlanta days who also played for Calgary and have had the honour of the team retiring their number?

They don't, but if they did then not including that player would be pretty silly.

I really, truly, don't get what is so hard to understand about this. Just put 3 on there. Everyone wins and nobody complains.

No leave him off. The patch clearly freaking states 1979-2019, Hamilton has virtually nothing to the Oilers in that period. He should not be on the patch.

If someone cannot logically understand that even when the patch clearly spells it out for them, then the problem is on them. Plain and simple. It's not the Oilers PR problem that Tom Gazzola is apparently a dumb ass.

 

[oXo Cube]

No leave him off. The patch clearly freaking states 1979-2019, Hamilton is nothing to the Oilers in that period.

If someone cannot logically understand that even when the patch clearly spells it out for them, then the problem is on them. Plain and simple. It's not the Oilers PR problem that Tom Gazzola is apparently a dumb ass.

Actually, it is the Oilers PR problem. That's literally how PR works dude.

Cloned has already attempted to explain this to you multiple times but you aren't listening.

 

[Soundwave]

Actually, it is the Oilers PR problem. That's literally how PR works dude.

Cloned has already attempted to explain this to you multiple times but you aren't listening.

Yes it's the Oiler PR fault that Tom Gazzola has the deductive reasoning of a 1st grader. Everything literally needs to be spelled out, maybe they should also make another patch on the other arm that explains explicitly that the patch is for 1979-2019 and that means the time period outside of that is not being commemorated for people too stupid to understand what "40 1979-2019" could possibly mean.

 

[Cloned]

Yes it's the Oiler PR fault that Tom Gazzola has the deductive reasoning on a 1st grader. Everything literally needs to be spelled out, maybe they should also make another patch on the other arm that explains explicitly that the patch is for 1979-2019 and that means the time period outside of that is not being commemorated for people too stupid to understand.

PR isn't always about straight merit or following technicalities.