The NHL embracing sports gambling was a major mistake

[Slats432]

Which conveniently leaves out the fact that psychologists, economists and marketers have learned how to nudge people towards making choices to the benefit of the advertisers (or other outcomes).

They can put their hand on the scale of some of our decisions at times.

The real world is not a black and white place all the time where everything is simple common sense and pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps.. there are a lot of grey areas.

This is true. The one problem is that a large sector of society just blames all their problems on everyone/everything else.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I am fine with going to Vegas and having a good time. Not this gambling promotion on tv for average joes…

 

[Curufinwe]

Because a judge awarded an old lady a bunch because she spilled hot coffee on herself. If the judge says, you have to be careful because coffee is hot, and it isn't the restaurant's responsibility to warn you not to be stupid.

You were taken in by corporate propaganda.

"Know the Facts:" Resources for Consumers

www.caoc.org

The coffee was not just “hot,” but dangerously hot. McDonald’s corporate policy was to serve it at a temperature that could cause serious burns in seconds. Mrs. Liebeck’s injuries were far from frivolous. She was wearing sweatpants that absorbed the coffee and kept it against her skin. She suffered third-degree burns (the most serious kind) and required skin grafts on her inner thighs and elsewhere.

 

[BraveCanadian]

This is true. The one problem is that a large sector of society just blames all their problems on everyone/everything else.

Another large sector of society believes in the just world fallacy and that they are rugged individualists in charge of their own destinys too, if we're going to go with sweeping generalizations.

The truth in both cases is much more towards the middle.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Putting hot coffee between your knees because your Ford Probe doesn't have cup holders is not a good look. And if the testimony I read is correct, the largest complaint was that McDonald's coffee was hotter than most. None of which would predicate "Coffee is hot" warning, rather just serving coffee at the same temps as other establishments.

You could read up on the facts of the case but if you want to go on judging in ignorance, you do you.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Major mistake? It's been disgusting and even as someone that doesn't enjoy gambling at all, it just ruins games. If I had a gambling problem, I'd feel angry over how they've pushed this. I still can't believe they went down this path.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

if they got rid of all the gambling ads and everything they were doing, would it effect the cap rising?

wayy too many ads for it though

Major mistake? It's been disgusting and even as someone that doesn't enjoy gambling at all, it just ruins games. If I had a gambling problem, I'd feel angry over how they've pushed this. I still can't believe they went down this path.

what do u mean it ruins games? I dont really gamble on sports anymore but I personally found it made things more entertaining.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If you get social engineered and farmed by big companies that's on you , are we just all idiots now? Nobody has their hands in your pocket.

Do people who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol go around blaming big tobacco companies and Molson for their refusal to quit if they have a problem.

Clearly there's a demand for it , nobody wants to blame the consumers

 

[Slats432]

You could read up on the facts of the case but if you want to go on judging in ignorance, you do you.

I did, which is where I cited the information. Liebeck v. McDonald’s

The problem was their coffee was hotter than other restaurants. My problem is she decided to put hot coffee between her legs. So point out the incorrect statement.

Putting a warning label on coffee being hot would solve neither of these issues. Too hot coffee or putting it where it shouldn't be.

 

[Golden_Jet]

what do u mean it ruins games? I dont really gamble on sports anymore but I personally found it made things more entertaining.

It’s been described ad nauseum how it ruins games, just scroll back.

 

[NVious]

If you get social engineered and farmed by big companies that's on you , are we just all idiots now? Nobody has their hands in your pocket.

Do people who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol go around blaming big tobacco companies and Molson for their refusal to quit if they have a problem.

Clearly there's a demand for it , nobody wants to blame the consumers

I agree to some extent, but advertising of any vices in such excess is obviously going to be harmful. Plus it's not like it benefits the game in any way, what exactly has all this extra money done the NHL has been earning done for the average fan at home? Has it lowered prices of tickets, jerseys, food at the arenas? Ofc not, it has just made billionaire owners slightly more billionaireish.

Even though some people will say alcohol and fast food always had ads, it was never THIS much to the point where while watching the game you'd have flashing ads telling you to eat/drink and the announcers encouraging you to eat/drink.

How far off are we from adult websites advertising and why stop there, why not just advertise hard drugs, it's the consumers fault for consuming it.

Ultimately, the average person is indeed as stupid as your post suggests and not only that, but any vice can hook extremely smart/capable people as well. And the real cost of any addiction isn't the addict but everyone around them who has to suffer from it. Should the league be creating thousands if not tens of thousands of extra addicts so their owners can get SLIGHTLY richer? If so, again why stop there, let's advertise adult websites and hard drugs, lots and lots of money there as well.

And again what is it all for? If there was some tangible benefit, ok we talk reward:cost ratio, but there is ZERO reward for basically everyone. Just Billionaire Owner Bob can now say his networth is 3.45 billion and not just a paltry pathetic 3.43 billion from the extra advertising money.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

It’s been described ad nauseum how it ruins games, just scroll back.

oh ok. umm there's 8 pages. on this page right? but what does ad nauseum really mean? like Im a leafs fan I dont get to go to live games often. I was never really bothered by ads on like the boards. not really a fan on them on the players though. and when they come on tv commercials I usually just ignore it while im doing something else like playing on my phone or getting food/drinks.

I just not sure how it impacts the game its self. but not 100% sure if thats what they really meant

 

[Ceremony]

It doesn’t really matter that A person can turn off their TV and find something else to do. That’s just an anecdote about one guy who has vices other than gambling.

The issue is that these companies are systematically influencing entire demographics, at a level where individual choice is not a relevant factor. If that weren’t true, the ads would not exist.

The way these sales campaigns are being rolled out does not resemble traditional advertising, like running a time-limited commercial or putting a logo in a visible location. These gambling campaigns are closer to social engineering, such that the audience passively becomes acclimated to a wagering mentality without having an active choice in the matter. It’s a different beast and it does not resemble the ads you remember from high school.

Also, even for those of us who are more resistant to gambling in general, it’s just an obnoxious takeover of the gameday product. It’s degrading the experience of being an NHL fan, as virtually everyone in this thread is quite openly attesting.

Who would the NHL get to be a floating head giving out live odds during TV timeouts?

I do agree that talking about it as if it's relevant or is comparable to (or a replacement for) any sort of actual analysis is a detriment to the product, but NHL games are the only North American broadcast media I see so I don't know how it compares to anything else. Over the past few years I've reached the point where I tune out sports punditry/commentary almost automatically, so them talking about something else isn't that outrageous to me.

What I will say is that there's probably a fascinating study to be carried out on how quickly and how saturated this sort of thing has become since America started legalising it.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Major mistake? It's been disgusting and even as someone that doesn't enjoy gambling at all, it just ruins games. If I had a gambling problem, I'd feel angry over how they've pushed this. I still can't believe they went down this path.

Strongly agree with this. I tend not to do stuff like this, but really hope whoever made this decision has people in their immediate family who have addiction issues just so they understand the level of pain that can inflicted by this.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I agree to some extent, but advertising of any vices in such excess is obviously going to be harmful. Plus it's not like it benefits the game in any way, what exactly has all this extra money done the NHL has been earning done for the average fan at home? Has it lowered prices of tickets, jerseys, food at the arenas? Ofc not, it has just made billionaire owners slightly more billionaireish.

Even though some people will say alcohol and fast food always had ads, it was never THIS much to the point where while watching the game you'd have flashing ads telling you to eat/drink and the announcers encouraging you to eat/drink.

How far off are we from adult websites advertising and why stop there, why not just advertise hard drugs, it's the consumers fault for consuming it.

Ultimately, the average person is indeed as stupid as your post suggests and not only that, but any vice can hook extremely smart/capable people as well. And the real cost of any addiction isn't the addict but everyone around them who has to suffer from it. Should the league be creating thousands if not tens of thousands of extra addicts so their owners can get SLIGHTLY richer? If so, again why stop there, let's advertise adult websites and hard drugs, lots and lots of money there as well.

And again what is it all for? If there was some tangible benefit, ok we talk reward:cost ratio, but there is ZERO reward for basically everyone. Just Billionaire Owner Bob can now say his networth is 3.45 billion and not just a paltry pathetic 3.43 billion from the extra advertising money.

Yes that's what its all for. Rich get richer , kinda how the world works. They are simply farming free money regardless of morals. Not saying its right just saying it is what it is. I'm against it but I don't gamble in the first place so how can we defeat it when people throw tons of money at them

 

[Mike C]

Personal responsibility means making a choice.

I can choose whether or not to go to the store and buy beer.

I cannot choose whether the broadcast is actively drawing my attention to the progress of a gambling line, and making a big seratonin-inducing deal if it hits.

If they want to saturate the broadcasts, all well and good but in the middle of the play is over the top. So are those stupid coaches interviews on the bench while the action on the ice is in progress. Fill the dead time however they want but let the game breathe and leave well enough alone

 

[Golden_Jet]

oh ok. umm there's 8 pages. on this page right? but what does ad nauseum really mean? like Im a leafs fan I dont get to go to live games often. I was never really bothered by ads on like the boards. not really a fan on them on the players though. and when they come on tv commercials I usually just ignore it while im doing something else like playing on my phone or getting food/drinks.

I just not sure how it impacts the game its self. but not 100% sure if thats what they really meant

One example, and there are numerous ones.
The broadcast team telling us the live bettings odds, during an offside whistle.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

One example, and there are numerous ones.
The broadcast team telling us the live bettings odds, during an offside whistle.

ok understandable

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I did, which is where I cited the information. Liebeck v. McDonald’s

The problem was their coffee was hotter than other restaurants. My problem is she decided to put hot coffee between her legs. So point out the incorrect statement.

Putting a warning label on coffee being hot would solve neither of these issues. Too hot coffee or putting it where it shouldn't be.


View attachment 898834

The incorrect statement is that the problem was their coffee was hotter than other restaurants. That is a mischaracterization of the case.

Their coffee was 190 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that causes 3rd degree burns in 3 to 7 seconds. This is a product that people are meant to put in their mouths and digest. It has nothing to do with what temperature McDonald's served it at relative to other restaurants. It's that McDonald's served coffee at an unsafe temperature.

If you know someone is handing you a paper cup with liquid that could give you 3rd degree burns in seconds, you're probably not going to hold it between your legs.

 

[Mike C]

oh ok. umm there's 8 pages. on this page right? but what does ad nauseum really mean? like Im a leafs fan I dont get to go to live games often. I was never really bothered by ads on like the boards. not really a fan on them on the players though. and when they come on tv commercials I usually just ignore it while im doing something else like playing on my phone or getting food/drinks.

I just not sure how it impacts the game its self. but not 100% sure if thats what they really meant

When the motion ad with a black car ran across the boards the first couple of times, I swear I thought a mouse was scampering across my TV cabinet

Soon it will be as bad as baseball. This pitch is brought to you by this, this foul ball is brought to you by that, this popup is brought to you by the other thing

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

 

[JPT]

Because a judge awarded an old lady a bunch because she spilled hot coffee on herself. If the judge says, you have to be careful because coffee is hot, and it isn't the restaurant's responsibility to warn you not to be stupid.


And if enough people don't like it, it will change.

 After it was shown that McDonald's was well-aware their coffee being served at scalding temperatures had been causing injuries. Oh and the judge didn't award anything, the jury did. They awarded her punitive damages equal to what McDonald's made over two days in coffee sales. The judge  reduced the award.

All of this happened after the woman had to undergo surgeries to repair third (and I think fourth) degree burns in her groin area, and her family simply asked McDonald's to help with the medical bills. McDonald's responded with an offer of a few hundred dollars instead, so the family sued.

The story you are repeating is not only false, it was specifically propagandized in that way to get public support for tort reform laws which further weakened the only real way Americans can seek damages when a negligent corporation causes injury. You're quite literally spreading political propaganda meant to put more money into the pockets of wealthy executives and shareholders.

Fun fact: the car was parked. Her grandson was driving, and he pulled into a parking spot so she could add her cream and sugar. She wasn't recklessly driving with a hot coffee between her legs. They were trying to be responsible.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

The story you are repeating is not only false, it was specifically propagandized in that way to get public support for tort reform laws which further weakened the only real way Americans can seek damages when a negligent corporation causes injury. You're quite literally spreading political propaganda meant to put more money into the pockets of wealthy executives and shareholders.

That's the scary part. The McDonald's case and ensuing propaganda is a perfect example of getting people outraged about something thru misrepresentation so they'll make an emotional decision based on what they feel is a core belief (like "personal responsibility") instead of one based on facts, without even realizing they've been manipulated.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Putting hot coffee between your knees because your Ford Probe doesn't have cup holders is not a good look. And if the testimony I read is correct, the largest complaint was that McDonald's coffee was hotter than most. None of which would predicate "Coffee is hot" warning, rather just serving coffee at the same temps as other establishments.

There's "hot"

Then there's "so hot had she been a man it would have melted her dick off."

 

[njdevils1982]

 After it was shown that McDonald's was well-aware their coffee being served at scalding temperatures had been causing injuries. Oh and the judge didn't award anything, the jury did. They awarded her punitive damages equal to what McDonald's made over two days in coffee sales. The judge  reduced the award.

All of this happened after the woman had to undergo surgeries to repair third (and I think fourth) degree burns in her groin area, and her family simply asked McDonald's to help with the medical bills. McDonald's responded with an offer of a few hundred dollars instead, so the family sued.

The story you are repeating is not only false, it was specifically propagandized in that way to get public support for tort reform laws which further weakened the only real way Americans can seek damages when a negligent corporation causes injury. You're quite literally spreading political propaganda meant to put more money into the pockets of wealthy executives and shareholders.

Fun fact: the car was parked. Her grandson was driving, and he pulled into a parking spot so she could add her cream and sugar. She wasn't recklessly driving with a hot coffee between her legs. They were trying to be responsible.

if a person cant grasp the concept that the coffee they ordered is hot they need mental help.

 

[JPT]

if a person cant grasp the concept that the coffee they ordered is hot they need mental help.

You must not have read what I wrote. The coffee was hot enough to cause hundreds of injuries. McDonald's knew this and continued to serve it at that temperature, fearing that they could see a reduction in sales if people's coffee cooled off before they finished their commute. This isn't about the coffee being hot. It's about a corporation knowingly putting its customers into harm's way for profit. It's that kind of action that makes punitive damages necessary in American tort law.

I know it's really easy and probably makes you feel good to think you would never be dumb enough to burn yourself with 190F coffee carrying no warning of the dangerously high termperature, but consider that so far you haven't even grasped the facts of this case before offering your opinion.