Colin226 Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 I'm not saying I'm the one to come up with the creative ideas but even having the "generals" (yuck) going out during the game and getting behind the scenes access to the fans and tweeting that or even getting up in the stands WITH the fans and getting them involved in some creative way could and probably would not only excite the current fan base but help build an even stronger one... We already do this, so even by your standards we are improving the fan base.. Any more ideas on how to improve the project? You seem to point out a lot of things which have already been said, and seem to be more hung up on names than the actual goals of the project.. I too am critical of the project because if it succeeds it has the potential to be tremendous for the fan base and game day experience, but the only way to make it better is to come up with new ways of engaging fans.. Taking people from "I know what hockey is" to "I watch a Devils game every now and then" to "I f***ing love this team!!".. It's still very early to tell where this will go.. It is impossible for you, or anyone else, to see where this will end up fwiw, the Devils Army theme will be here for a few years at least.. management seems to be very supportive of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnderDogX Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) We already do this, so even by your standards we are improving the fan base.. Any more ideas on how to improve the project? You seem to point out a lot of things which have already been said, and seem to be more hung up on names than the actual goals of the project.. I too am critical of the project because if it succeeds it has the potential to be tremendous for the fan base and game day experience, but the only way to make it better is to come up with new ways of engaging fans.. Taking people from "I know what hockey is" to "I watch a Devils game every now and then" to "I f***ing love this team!!".. It's still very early to tell where this will go.. It is impossible for you, or anyone else, to see where this will end up fwiw, the Devils Army theme will be here for a few years at least.. management seems to be very supportive of it As I said in my original post, I'm not saying I have the answers, and it doesn't seem like a bad idea totally and does have potential but my problem (which may be just that, mine) is that it stems from a bad concept...or at the very least an uncreative one but I've had that thought about the Devils since before they rolled out their "rock your red" with an uninspired dafont.com design... The one thing they've gotten really right is "Jersey's Team" and they should've rolled with that in some grander way....my opinion though, as always... besides the design or creative idea's behind the entire concept I would just say that I consider myself a fairly active Devils fan...I check out when the players have signings, I get my news feeds on my phones, tweets when they are worth it, i check out blogs....my kids watch the games with my wife and I and when I do have expendable cash i buy tickets...even gone to a Trenton game (which I plan to do a lot more often) and I just don't see how the "Devils Army" or any of the "Generals" have affected me or my info-gathering, game-watching ways as of yet...bring it to ME, don't make me look for it... Edited March 6, 2011 by UnderDogX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj241 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 The one thing they've gotten really right is "Jersey's Team" and they should've rolled with that in some grander way....my opinion though, as always... besides the design or creative idea's behind the entire concept I would just say that I consider myself a fairly active Devils fan...I check out when the players have signings, I get my news feeds on my phones, tweets when they are worth it, i check out blogs....my kids watch the games with my wife and I and when I do have expendable cash i buy tickets...even gone to a Trenton game (which I plan to do a lot more often) and I just don't see how the "Devils Army" or any of the "Generals" have affected me or my info-gathering, game-watching ways as of yet...bring it to ME, don't make me look for it... Until the Nets move out of the arena and out of Jersey, they can't go with the "Jersey's Team" theme right now. But if you'll notice, they do have pictures of the State around the concourse with "Jersey's Team" on it. I bolded the last line of your paragraph because I find it to be the main point of this whole. The Generals need to be bringing stuff to you and not make you look for it..but how can we do that? What are your suggestions on this? What can WE do to make that happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevil26 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Until the Nets move out of the arena and out of Jersey, they can't go with the "Jersey's Team" theme right now. But if you'll notice, they do have pictures of the State around the concourse with "Jersey's Team" on it. I bolded the last line of your paragraph because I find it to be the main point of this whole. The Generals need to be bringing stuff to you and not make you look for it..but how can we do that? What are your suggestions on this? What can WE do to make that happen? Well Jaime I'm sure you know the main mediums like Twitter, Facebook, message boards and so on. The one thing I would suggest is to see if you can get a hold of the Devils' mailing list of season ticket holders, casual fans, and anyone they have... try to mail out either a calendar of events to people's mailboxes or a weekly report in people's e-mail addresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I bolded the last line of your paragraph because I find it to be the main point of this whole. The Generals need to be bringing stuff to you and not make you look for it..but how can we do that? What are your suggestions on this? What can WE do to make that happen? Is there any way there could be something like a one-stop link center? Just a page that links to any and all Devils-related stuff around the web, updated real-time, with TG and Rich Chere blog posts; Ledger, Record, NY Post, etc. articles; NHL.com features; Puck Daddy stories; SI.com columns; Burnside/LeBrun stuff from ESPN; Coach's Corner videos where Don Cherry says something about a Devils player ... anything out there that's Devils-related. Is that something the Generals could do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevil26 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Is there any way there could be something like a one-stop link center? Just a page that links to any and all Devils-related stuff around the web, updated real-time, with TG and Rich Chere blog posts; Ledger, Record, NY Post, etc. articles; NHL.com features; Puck Daddy stories; SI.com columns; Burnside/LeBrun stuff from ESPN; Coach's Corner videos where Don Cherry says something about a Devils player ... anything out there that's Devils-related. Is that something the Generals could do? That's also a great idea. Making an official website for the Devils Generals with feeds from TG and Chere's blogs along with ticket promotions and team news and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 That's also a great idea. Making an official website for the Devils Generals with feeds from TG and Chere's blogs along with ticket promotions and team news and such. And depending on how good a job it does of staying up-to-the-minute, it could become a hot spot for Trade Deadline Day or UFA Day web traffic, allowing the Devils to sell banner ads and make a couple bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnderDogX Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) Dig has a good idea....but the bolding of the last line and the successive post about it is exactly why this is a half baked concept. Its like saying I have a website idea that can make money and bring people together but then go out and ask people what that website should be or how I can build it. All I'm really saying is, is that the whole idea is irrelevant to me at the moment...I could live without it, I know hardly anything about it, and there isn't anything that is enticing me to find out about it...and to me thats fine...but is it to the generals or the devils and their marketing campaign? As i finished typing this I laughed when I realized the next tab I had open was the "Devils Supporter Section"...the best way i could sum up how I feel about this Mission control thing is saying take a cue from them. They have an interesting idea, a good concept...made a plan and a point of attack by getting the Devils to actually help implement that idea. Then they make it easy (facebook and the boards here) to find out info about it now that I'm interested (and have given me reason to go get that info...in relation to the Devils Army, I have no idea if there is a facebook page or a dedicated spot on the board for it, and don't really care yet)...but most importantly of all...they have something I want, something I can use! Cheaper tickets so I can take my whole family to more games throughout the season...granted it doesn't take a whole lot to sell me on that idea but thats because its a good idea from the get go, which emphasizes the fact that when you start with a bad one its harder to get support for it... Edited March 8, 2011 by UnderDogX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj241 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) Dig has a good idea....but the bolding of the last line and the successive post about it is exactly why this is a half baked concept. Its like saying I have a website idea that can make money and bring people together but then go out and ask people what that website should be or how I can build it. All I'm really saying is, is that the whole idea is irrelevant to me at the moment...I could live without it, I know hardly anything about it, and there isn't anything that is enticing me to find out about it...and to me thats fine...but is it to the generals or the devils and their marketing campaign? The main concept of this is to be the go between of the fans and the organization. So we can't make this program successful without ideas from the fans. Most of the people that are on twitter, facebook and any of the forums are going to be your "fanatics"..they're connected, but we want reach beyond those fans. We posted links to cheaper tix during the All-Star game and we've had other ones as well. Edited March 8, 2011 by cj241 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangers suck69 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) Until the Nets move out of the arena and out of Jersey, they can't go with the "Jersey's Team" theme right now. But if you'll notice, they do have pictures of the State around the concourse with "Jersey's Team" on it. I bolded the last line of your paragraph because I find it to be the main point of this whole. The Generals need to be bringing stuff to you and not make you look for it..but how can we do that? What are your suggestions on this? What can WE do to make that happen? The Nets have already given the state of New Jersey at least if not one, but two giant middle fingers towards us. They removed their NJ logo, took new jersey off their jerseys, and on the YES network New Jersey is barely mentioned. They have been waiting to move to Brooklyn since 04, whereas the devils have an NJ as their logo and call themselves jersey's team Edited March 8, 2011 by rangers suck69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 The main concept of this is to be the go between of the fans and the organization. So we can't make this program successful without ideas from the fans. Most of the people that are on twitter, facebook and any of the forums are going to be your "fanatics"..they're connected, but we want reach beyond those fans. We posted links to cheaper tix during the All-Star game and we've had other ones as well. Aside from being a go-between, I feel our goal is to increase the passion of the fan base.. We want to be a nicer version of Philly (or like a Montreal/Minnesota type fan base if you don't like referencing a rival).. Their fans are all very very passionate about the team and the atmosphere there can only be found in a handful of Devils games each season.. We want it to be every game, like they have.. So can anyone tell me what made them a die hard Devils fan? For instance, I used to only check the standings once every couple of weeks or so.. I'd read an article on the team if it was on the front page of the Ledger.. I'd go to maybe 2 games a season and wouldn't even really watch the playoffs unless they were in the 2nd round.. I literally couldn't tell the difference between Clarkson and Rolston (I used to think it was called the Rolston wrap-around).. But 2 years ago I decided to wait in the $10 ticket line for every home game during my winter break, and it was awesome seeing a bunch of games.. I felt like a real STH and it was cool.. Loved seeing the passionate fans like CJ going nuts.. So after winter break I signed up for season tickets, and 3 seasons later (and a few thousand in merchandise) and here I am, a passionate Devil fan who knows a lot about hockey and is an ambassador for the team.. So cheap cheap tix and passionate fans got me to go from casual fan to super fan in 3-4 months.. So I'm guessing since you (general you to all who are reading) are posting on this website, you are more than a casual fan.. What occured to make that happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korean Kid 23 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 The main concept of this is to be the go between of the fans and the organization. So we can't make this program successful without ideas from the fans. Most of the people that are on twitter, facebook and any of the forums are going to be your "fanatics"..they're connected, but we want reach beyond those fans. We posted links to cheaper tix during the All-Star game and we've had other ones as well. Wait so ultimately you're here to relay fan suggestions to the organization? Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj241 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Jay Grossman (Kovalchuk, Volchenkov, Salmela & Hedberg's agent) will be doing a Q&A with one of the Generals, if you would like to ask a question, send an email to speakingofthedevils@gmail.com or if you're on twitter, you can send it to @DevilsGenerals with the hashtag #DGQA Can't guarantee all questions will be asked/answered, but he'll try his best. Edited March 9, 2011 by cj241 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Pig Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) So can anyone tell me what made them a die hard Devils fan? That is an excellent question, and honestly I don't have an answer. I've been a casual hockey fan since sometime in the mid-to-late '80s, but I only started watching regularly after my wife got interested during the Hurricanes' run to the cup in '06. (We're both originally from NC, and our families got her interested.) Following that, we began to religiously watch the Rangers, Devils, and, whenever they were televised here in NJ, the 'Canes. Over the course of about a season and a half, we gradually focused in on the Devils as "our" team. And since then we have purchased progressively larger ticket packages each season, and will be full season ticket holders beginning next season. But I honestly can't give you a reason why we picked the Devils. Clearly the Rangers get more coverage in the press, so it would seem that we were not swayed by the media. And, much as it pains me to say it, we both still believe that Rangers fans are more enthusiastic at MSG than Devils fans at the Rock (or at the Meadowlands before), so I suppose I must assume that the fan experience was not the deciding factor, either. I'm just not sure what determined our Devils loyalty. On the other hand, I can tell you some of the things that made the fan experience of the Rangers (and the 'Canes) better, IMO, and it's very simple: The intermission entertainment at MSG and RBC Center is head and shoulders above what's offered at the Rock. We get Mites on Ice in the first intermission (every time), and Super Score-O during the second (every time), and that's pretty much it. At MSG and RBC, they change it up at every game; human bowling (RBC), human puck races (MSG), musical chairs (RBC), etc. Let me make it clear: I go to games because I love the game itself, and I'd keep going if there were no intermission entertainment at all. But it makes the experience more fun and more complete if there's something a little more interesting than the Acela black, white, and red train race video going on. I know this post is running long, but one more thought: If the overall notion is to foster relations between the team (or the organization) and the fans, it might be nice if the Devils would come up with something similar to the way the Rangers salute their fans at the end of their games and give the jerseys to kids at the end of the season. I've read several times that the Devils don't want to "copy" anything the Rangers do, and I couldn't agree more. But surely there are other things that could be done along those lines. IMO, that's how you connect with the fans. And finally I want to take this opportunity to say that I, too, hate the "Army" terminology. I'm as thankful for and as proud of our troops as the next guy, but I'm not a soldier, never have been, and won't ever be. I'm just a hockey fan, and I don't like being saddled with these military terms. Edited March 9, 2011 by Brick Pig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 So can anyone tell me what made them a die hard Devils fan? hooked as a kid in the early 90's. i am not a front runner, but the cup runs did a lot of the work. i would argue that a large fan base for the devils is DIRECTLY related to those cup runs and the enthusiasm and attention they brought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilinLA Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 My ties to the team started when some family members became involved with the organization through working for Lou. Then later, guys I went to school with in college made it into the AHL River rats, and some later became NHL Devils. 1995 was just pure sports-drama, in almost epic movie-making quality! Icing on the cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 haha seems like winning championships is the best way to get people more interested in the team.. I'll have to suggest it to management haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 haha seems like winning championships is the best way to get people more interested in the team.. I'll have to suggest it to management haha in an area as saturated as this one with so many choices for a fan in every sport, winning is by FAR the best marketing you can offer. i mean, seton hall is still riding fans because of 1989 and they didn't even win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 in an area as saturated as this one with so many choices for a fan in every sport, winning is by FAR the best marketing you can offer. i mean, seton hall is still riding fans because of 1989 and they didn't even win. Yeah and I mean you look at Pittsburgh and how winning brought them for awful attendance to STH waiting list.. But for them, they had a large enough market that was only dis-interested because they were bad.. For us, we have trouble selling out when we are winning.. Would be scary to see what attendance would be like after 3 straight seasons of poor play.. On the flip side, I'd like to see how things are after we win a Cup in our new building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChilltownDevs2673 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I became a fan in 1995 when I was 9 and saw the Stanely Cup at Gary's Sweetshop in Jersey City around the corner from where I went to elementry school. The owner Gary new one of the Devils and they had it there and people were taking pictures with it. I didn't get to touch it I was too short but I saw it and it was amazing. From that point on I followed the Devils and loved and supported them. I was never into hockey because hockey wasnt big here in JC at the time I grew up on basketball and baseball. However I still followed the team and got into hockey hardcore late in HS and into college and fell in love with the Devils more and more over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogonjdevil Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I became I fan...well...because of the Rangers, tbh. After they won in '94, everyone in school suddenly turned into a Rangers fan. I always tended to go against the grain...for no other reason than at the time I just enjoyed being a jerk and annoying people. So...after the lockout I declared myself a Devils fan. There were like a small handful of Devils fans in my high school and I was friends with most of them. I started following casually once the lockout ended...then more seriously as the playoffs started. And by the end of the year, I was hooked. I sadly, can't afford to go to games...almost at all. I'm going to my first game in 4 years this Sat. But I watch them on TV religiously and follow them here in the off season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Diablo Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Lots of stories here http://njdevs.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21390 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Lots of stories here http://njdevs.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21390 Perfect.. Thanks El D!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyrsuck26 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 During the 2005-2006 season, my dad got tickets in the 1st row (yes, right up against the glass) through work... been hooked ever since Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I became a fan in first grade when I went to my first hockey game, Devils and Blackhawks in either the 92-93 or 93-94 season, it was a 2-2 tie. I went with my dad, I think my uncle got us the tickets. At that point I was still too young to understand the concept of regular season and playoffs and championships so I just kind of liked to watch hockey on TV and collect hockey cards but didn't really follow the standings or anything much. Probably once I got to about 4th grade or so I started to follow the playoffs, and once I got to about 6th or 7th grade I paid closer attention to the standings. For much of this time it was hard for me to watch the games because we didn't get FSNY or Sports Channel or whatever it was then. I had to put the channel on and just listen to the play by play but couldn't really see much through the distorted lines and whatever moving across my screen. As I got to 8th or 9th grade I started listening to games on the radio instead, and the summer after the Devils won the Cup in 2003, just after my sophomore year finished, I discovered NJDevs.com and made me a more engulfed fan. I was able to keep track of the roster much better than before and just knew more overall about the Devils once I joined this site. The next year my family finally ordered FSNY and I was able to watch the games on TV once again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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