A Meeting With Stu Siegel

The Geography of a Recession is a very short presentation which will scare you. It should. Thanks Paul for this one. Keeps the economic "recovery" in perspective.

I received for the umpteenth time the "Dear Dr Laura" letter. The contents is true, though the origins of the actual letter are unknown. I removed the name of the alleged author because he claims to not have penned it. Please note that Dr Laura is not qualified to speak on most of the topics which she speaks on, especially theological ones such as raised in this letter. See Snopes for details. On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:


Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End of debate. Its in the Bible - end of argument!


I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how best to follow them.


1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?


2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?


3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.


4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?


5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2. Clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?


6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?


7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wriggle room here?


8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?


9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?


10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)


I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.


Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Anyhow, that's just out there to put things in perspective. Just because it says so in the Bible, doesn't necessarily make it so. Just like if it says so on the Internet also doesn't make it true. In fact, you can probably bet good money the Bible's more trustworthy than the Internet.

Courtesy of Wil Wheaton we have Timmy O'Riley by L. Hadron and the Colliders. Making music was never this awesome! Using only the Bliptronic 5000, Guitar Shirt, Drumkit Shirt, Stylophone, and Otamatone Electronic Instrument, L. Hadron covers Baba O'Riley by The Who. All real geeks will click that link. The name of that band is awesomely double-plus geeky.

Our wonderful TSA has issued a great memo to staff. If you fall down due to heart failure or some other medical ailment, and the TSA agent comes to your aide as a good Samaritan, they will be fired. I am not making this up. The memo also points out that the TSA will not provide first-aid training to its officers, that any officers with such skills wanting to help passengers in distress must get themselves “excused from security duties by their supervisor or manager”, and that Good Samaritan activity is “working outside of your job description” where “you are not covered for medical or time loss through the Occupational Workers’ Compensation Program”. (Italicized bit from the Economist's Gulliver column which is linked above.) I understand security is first, but that's just a bit much for me to stomach. Read it all, shake your head, and wonder what our government has come to.

My stupid HOA of which I was formerly president served me with three violation notices today. They're hiding from my return phone call which wasn't very nice. First, they claim my house is not painted in the correct colour. It's the same colour as the day I moved in 15 years ago. I also have proof they're insane on this. I have the original colour book they provided. This is the second time in five years I've been served with this same notice. The second notice was for cleaning my roof. Um, my roof? The new one I put on less than two years ago? That roof? They're smoking crack, and it's not even good crack. The third one, they are complaining about the back patio. I'm sure their complaint would be legitimate if you could see it from the street. But a back patio isn't visible from the street. Oh, wait, I don't even have a back patio. I think that's a problem. Anyone want to tell me how to humiliate these fucktards? They have failed to return two phone calls and left me on hold for 14 minutes. One lady whom I asked to take a message said "company policy doesn't allow us to do so" -- WTF?

Lastly (first lastly), my friend Josh -- yeah, I still have friends -- found an interesting tidbit about one Danish curler, Madeleine Dupont. She’s posing for a calendar and it’s for charity. And she's one hot curler. I like curling and I've been watching a lot lately. I did the same last Olympics too. I can't tell you why I find it appealing but I do. And I've never actually seen Ms Dupont on TV, so she's got nothing to do with it before you raise that unseemly -- but plausible -- accusation. Speaking of curling, still without Madeleine Dupont, Suzie-Q found this AP video link. You can read Josh's original comments on his blog.

Lastly, (second and final lastly), I had my big meeting with Stu Siegel the new Managing Partner of the Panthers today. This won't interest most of you except for the hockey folks, so if you're not interested in the NHL, you can go now.

I had written Mr Siegel after a "last straw" moment and requested a meeting. I pitched myself and told him why he should give me time. I told him that I'm a charter season ticket holder, worked for the ECHL Matadors for a year, wrote a weekly column on the Panthers for nearly three full seasons for LCS: Guide to Hockey, and that I ran this message board. I ended the request with, "That is why you should listen to me." I then waited for a reply.

I received one Monday and he agreed to meet me Wednesday. That's today for those of you keeping track. I went to this meeting prepared. I had a 19 page, perfect bound, full colour presentation. I wanted to leave him facts. I came in with three copies of the book. One for Siegel, one for his partner Mr Vimer, and one for Yormark who I was assuming would crash the meeting. I left Siegel two copies: one for him and one for Vimer. I still have no use for Yormark. Almost every ticket holder I speak to thinks he's a cancer that infects the organization and I don't think Siegel realizes it or accepts it either. I explained it nicely verbally, and not as nicely in the packet.

The packet contains a seven page letter detailing what is wrong with the organization broken down into a few distinct categories. With most points, because I named names and made claims of inappropriate performance, I included facts. There were links to online websites where evidence was provided. I also included printouts from team message boards and local media. If you're going to make a case that something is happening, it's best to prove it. I am not going to go into specific details, because I don't feel that would be appropriate. But I will give you the general gist of what happened.

It all started 11 Feb 2010 when I went to the game with some people from ITW, number 148 on the Fortune 500 list. They made some comments about the arena that I've heard before. But because these were not only business associates, they were very loyal, long-term Blackhawks fans they were especially telling. It was the last straw and when I contacted Mr Siegel.

This is from the packet and doesn't cover what actually happened in the meeting:

First, I pointed out the downward trend started with the departure of Jeff Cogen. While many people didn't like Mr Cogen (I liked him), he did get the job done. I first went into detail about how the organization disrespects our hockey traditions. A common complaint is that people can't tell there's a hockey team there when you're walking around. While I made a few suggestions, this wasn't the point of my meeting. If they want suggestions, I'll give them suggestions. I volunteered. And I will help.

I went into how the organization conveys a "don't care" attitude. It starts with the typos and grammar errors that litter the scoreboard, advertising, and food menus. Then it's the people who don't return phone calls: sadly that's most everyone there.

Then I went into how the organization disrespects the fans. I explained clearly that perception is reality. That means since the fans feel that way, it's true. Even if they don't feel that way. In the packet I pilloried Mr Yormark on this one point:

[Yormark is the] most universally derided among fans for his attitude. I am using a personal experience on this because it just so happens that this promise was seen by just about every fan in the building. On both the Official Panthers board and my own message board I mentioned I was having a meeting with him< .... we had the meeting earlier this year, and I thought it was productive. I won’t say we agreed on everything but I thought he and I at least came to an understanding. I blogged about it here so you can see my thoughts. At the end, he said he’d read my suggestions on the plane and follow up with me in a week. It would be very hard for me to prove he said it, except he blogged it .... That was 19 May 2009. It’s been nearly a year and I’ve not heard back. Where’s the accountability in that

I went on about how they fail to communicate even when they do things right. For example, if someone asks you to do something, let them know it's been done. Otherwise how will anyone know you took care of their email/call/etc. I went on about how scheduling these meetings and giving people one day's notice is inconsiderate of their schedule.

I used Mindy's situation as an example of how they disrepect their own fans. You can find Mindy's post over on the message boards. Better you hear her words than mine. She's a class act, a great fan, and that she would be treated that way is horrible. (The team apologized after I gave her links to make complaints but it should have never happened.)

I brought up the legendary and infamous Body Slamming Alice article because it's important that the team knows that some people think they're better than everyone. No fan should drop and F bomb in front of a child. The fact a team executive did it, and then fired the employee who told them to stop it is inexcusable. If this is the public face of the team, why would anyone want part of that organization? I mentioned more examples of failure to communicate with other people. It's important that I not pick on any one person.

People think I have a grudge against Mr Yormark. I categorically deny that. I think he does a great job at selling advertising, sponsorships, and all that. I just happen to dislike him because I do not think in an organization that relies on the fan base for their financial gain they should have a Machiavellian liar in charge. And that's who's in charge.

One comment as proof they don't get it: Urinal Pucks with team logos. Epic fail. 

My final point was that hockey should be left to hockey people. "Hockey and management must be separated by an iron wall. Cohen, Yormark, and everyone else (yourselves included I’m afraid) need to stay out of the way." I don't think they get that because Yormark has his fingers in that too. I can promise you Yormark simply doesn't know enough about hockey do the job. He's a smart guy, but you need a smart hockey guy doing that. Yormark's not a hockey guy.

Okay, that was the packet summary. Now on to my meeting. I introduced myself again, quickly reminded him why I was there and promised not to to discuss the hockey side. (I did later mention that if they did trade Tomas Vokun they had to buy me a new jersey....)

Stu is a hockey fan. I want to make that clear. He asked where I sat, and I explained why we sat there. I also explained why we're relocating for the upcoming season and that we gave him back his 'free' tickets in exchange for that relocation. We talked about Mindy a bit. We talked about Chad -- I said nice things about him except his inability to return phone calls. We talked about Brad -- again, I said nice things about him too, again except for his failure to return phone calls. With Brad, especially it's frustrating because he did the work. We just didn't know he did it. You think after messages from three people he might have had that little light go on and say "maybe I will call" -- what do I know. Again, no beef with Brad or Chad.

We discussed Murphy. I told him that was the sort of fan he needed in the building. A nice guy, a loyal fan, a home, and a Pollyana when it comes to the Panthers. That's all good things for a home-town sports fan. Murph's my friend and I am not criticizing him in any way. I pointed out that even Murph is frustrated and that if they're losing the hard-core die-hard fans, things are going really wrong.

I pointed out that the problem is not the on-ice product. We have had several coaches, two GMs, and a whole slew of players. The team is being infected from things not related to hockey. The fans are part of it, or the lack of fans more accurately. I tried to convey to him repeatedly that the reason there are no fans in the building is because they don't feel welcome, it doesn't feel like home to a team. I'm not sure he realizes how true this is. How am I so sure? Last year they gave away tickets for free to anyone who had a local driver's license. FREE. Nobody came. That means no ticket revenue, no concession revenue, no eyes seeing sponsor ads, and no life in the building.

This building (the store out front excluded) if you walk around it's hard to tell this is a hockey arena. In fact, you'd probably never guess. When you go to a concert you don't know there's a hockey team there. And you should. I've been to many arenas, and ours is better than Tampa's because they have the worst hockey arena I've ever been to. But I've been to Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, New York, among others and those building you can tell a hockey team plays there even when one isn't. Hell, I've been to minor league building over the years that are better including Estero and Orlando.

I suggested he survey fans using Surveymonkey or some other site. I am confident if he asks the right questions, he'll see how right I am and how wrong they are. He said he welcomes suggestions and I do hope the fans who feel the management has ruined this building with their de-pantherization, with their "screw you" attitude, write him and share their views. The more people who express this, the better.

We took a little walk, looked at Mindy's suite then at the ice which was mid-conversion for a concert this weekend. I thanked him for his time, urged him to read the packet carefully, and then, if he had follow ups or needed help, to contact me.

Mr Siegel is very hard to read. I'm usually good at it, but I'm not sure what he was thinking or feeling. Did I like him? He seemed okay. It's hard to know most people in 35 minutes. I certainly don't have a bad impression. I didn't get that "icky" vibe that I get with others. I think he's sincere in his desire to fix what's wrong. I don't believe we necessarily agree on "what's wrong." I can tell you he does care. He's like Jeff Cogen that way. He cares about the team and he's not faking -- that's the reason I spent my valuable time with him, because when it comes down to it, I care too.

I am tired and it's your fault

Well, probably not, but now you're paying attention.

First, for the Lost fans out there, I present to you, by way of Sue, Barenaked Hurley which is hysterical. All but one of the video links are removed for DMCA violations but the lyrics are still posted. And the audio for the current entry works fine. It's funny. If you don't watch Lost, don't go as it will mean nothing to you.

Randy presents music from a Tesla Coil. No, really. That's to the YouTube video. This is only for the true geeks but it's absolutely fantastic. A Tesla coil is a resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla in the late 1800's. It's used to produce high voltage, high current, high frequency alternating current electricity. A Tesla Coil is something that will, invariably, appear on Lost before the end of the series. I'm sure with all their geeky uses of Faraday and such, Tesla is due :)

V, as those of you watching know, showed four episodes and is now on break until March 2010. If you liked Anna (Morena Baccarin), and want to see more, click here (over 18 only). And while we're on this topic, AOL which is generally useless, provides these twelve things you didn't know about sex. Yeah, you probably knew some of them, but it's still educational.

The real Michael Yormark (not to be confused with FMY) saw me at last night's game, looked right at me, and then high-tailed it out of there without acknowledging me. Do I care? No. Am I amused? Heartily so. Sadly, he's good at his job which is whoring out selling advertising space. John's parents who were at the first game, without any prompting, asked why, with all the advertising, they had to pay to get into the game. It doesn't get any better than that. (Last night's luggage tag give-away was awesome, and if you got one and don't want it, send it my way.)

Today was errand day, with trips to the post office, dry cleaner, Publix, and the mall. The mall? The day after Black Friday? Yeah, the mall. And that's how I felt. But I had a plan. I figured I'd get there around 1030, park right near the store I needed (Lindt), go in, buy my stuff, and get out. And hopefully not be killed in the process. I got there at 1044am and there was tons of parking. Everywhere. So I parked by Bass Pro Shops (because it's more convenient for me) and walked through the entire mall, which was eerily silent and empty. Lots of huge sales, but except for one rugby shirt I didn't buy anything. You can't beat $20 for a rugby shirt.

End Of NIFS and the Flight Home

The purple bit is excerpted from our corporate Facebook page (full note here): We've always had warehouse cats, for over 30 years in fact. We're on train tracks - now abandoned -- and if you're on train tracks, you have a mouse problem. After trying two legged professionals, we found the four legged professionals worked better, are cheaper, cuter, more entertaining, and make the warehouse a better place. (And they, just like the two legged kind, are tax deductible as a business expense.)

Over the years we've had a collection of various cats -- always between two and three. Most die of old age, although one (Telico) was shot to death by some kids with a BB gun. Smokey came to us about 8 to 10 years ago. No idea from where the ball of fluff (and was he fluffy) came from. He was just there. Very friendly. He was in great shape when I left for the fastener show. While I was gone, unbeknownst to me, Emily (the official Keeper Of The Cats) noticed he was not feeling his usual very, very friendly self and took him to the vet. The vet called this morning -- that's when I found out Smokey went to the vet -- and asked permission to do a small exploratory incision to see what the source of the problem was as they couldn't figure it out. A few hours later, they called and said there were several tumours including in the liver. They said they could stitch him up and send him back to the warehouse, but he probably wouldn't last a week. Smokey isn't coming home. RIP Smokey.

I didn't get to say goodbye and I'm sad. Smokey loved me to death and would follow me anywhere I went in the warehouse. He'd head butt me for attention. And drool like Niagara Falls when you pet him. I'd pick him up and carry him with me sometimes. Visitors were fascinated by him because he always went on warehouse tours with guests. I'll miss you, you ball of grey fur with white tufts.

On the plane ride back from Las Vegas they showed a movie called Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell and it really sucked. I mention this because today BBC News released an article that named him the 'most overpaid film star' and I couldn't agree more. He still personally owes me a refund for Talladega Nights.

Wednesday morning I woke up and had a meeting before I packed and headed for the airport to fly home from Lost Wages Las Vegas. I arrived at the airport just about two hours before my flight and checked in without any incident. I went through security where TSA gave me a lecture and big hassle. Why? I took the company laptop out and put it in the bin as one must do. I've done it many times. I also put my belt in the bin with the laptop -- something I've also done many times. Apparently that's against the rules and I shouldn't do that. It's a belt. Assholes.

I take the train to the gates and notice there is a non-stop Miami flight still at the gate. I was certain the last non-stop was at 805am and it was 11am. (My connection was via DFW at left at 1245pm). So I went over to see if I could get on, but they said 'no' because I had checked luggage. This flight was the 8am flight that was having a mechanical issue. I used my Priority Pass card and used the Continental President's Club and took advantage of their free WiFi and their free cheese. Yummy. I went to the gate and boarded and left without incident. The plane was full of fastener people who left the show early like I did, skipping the last day.

When my DFW flight left at 1250pm, that 8am flight was still on the ground. Glad I wasn't on it. Arrived in DFW nearly 20 minutes early at terminal D gate 24 and was told my flight to MIA was in terminal A. I took the train to terminal A (10 minutes) and went to the gate to find that there was a gate change. Where? To D30 of course. Back on the train, and I go into the Admiral's Club where I find there is no free WiFi. Bastards. I pay $6 for an hour.

The plane is due to board at 655 so I get to the gate at 645 -- after a brief stop at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company for a chocolate Valencia truffle -- just in time to board. Instead, they announce a 30 minute delay. Then a 25 minute delay. Then another 20 minute delay. And so on and so forth. We finally board at almost 9pm. Yeah, two hours late. I have friends in Dallas who I could have called to come out and visit but they didn't just tell us the plane was two hours late coming in (which it was) and instead just strung us along. That pissed me off royally. We arrive in Miami at 1213am. My luggage shows up around 1248am because the baggage people in Miami suck. I find my car, pay for parking, swing by the post office to collect mail, and then come home to find my AC circuit breaker had tripped. It was 84 in my house. I fixed that. I decide to unpack and shower because the baggage area was 500 degrees and I was soaked with sweat. I can't fall asleep due to the heat in my house so I watched my DVR episode of House and finally go to bed at 248am but sleep like crap. Today, I am the walking dead.

I offered Mom the use of 25,000 US Air miles because they're expiring very soon but I can't get her a good flight on the days she wants to travel. If she can't use -- we're still trying -- them and any of my friends want a free ticket, I'll gladly book you a flight. I hate for them to go to waste.

Now, it's time to pay bills after I catch up on reading Fake Michael Yormark. He's been busy while I've been gone. Karen reports feeling better still. (And thanks to everyone who offered to help her....)

Out Damned Cough

This cough sucks. Dry and hacky and it won't go away. I hatesssssss it. It's not as bad when I'm lying down in bed. Opposite of normal.

Shout out to Tara. It's okay: you can eat a PayDay bar if it makes you happy.

This from Dave Higgins. It's a subway map. But this one takes 250 of the best movies of all time and plants them on a (fake) subway map. The amount of work and effort that has gone into this is mind boggling. The main page is here and underneath are the links to download the image so you can spend hours looking at it. You can read the second page, mais il est en Français. However for those who don't speak French, he clearly states he took films as rated at IMDB and some of the films he doesn't feel are worthy of inclusion.

I've been toying with a Blu-Ray drive for my Mac since they came out. But they started at $1200 for an external 1x speed, so it never materialized. They started falling in price, and now this one is out for $400 and it claims to be 12x. Anyone know anything about this?

Another hockey night approaches this week, and along those lines, someone posted an amusing link on the Panthers Message Boards to this blog, entitled Fake Michael Yormark. It's clear someone has a lot of free time. There's a blog, a matching Twitter account, and even a full live.com profile. There's content, which if you look at it, is utterly hysterical. That assumes you know who Yormark is. He's the guy I'm not a big fan of because (a) he's a liar* and (b) he sold the team's soul. I've commented my opinions on various hockey message boards about him. Some people seem to like him but most people I speak to seem to get the "used car salesman" feeling from him. I am enjoying the mockery, though I think it's far too gentle. I gave it a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon and a mention on Facebook as well. If you're as amused as I am, feel free to share it.

Yeah, it's a short news day today. I'll be back in a few days with more, I suppose.

Did I mention how much I hate this cough?

I finished listening to the Pogues albums I got: The Best of The Pogues, The Very Best of the Pogues, and the Rest of the Best. This is now one of my very favourite bands. I want to see them in concert. Their albums are very good so far and am in love with them. Thanks John. My favourite song of theirs is The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. I have a Rod Stewart version. Not very good in comparison.

I also listened to Dengue Fever, an obscure band that John was playing at his BBQ that I really liked. Having now heard all of them, some is really good and some average. But I like them. Then I listened to Kiss Alive IV which was pretty damned good -- my first Kiss album.

Lastly, did I mention how much I really hate this cough?

* Specifically, I met with him (which was blogged) and he said he'd answer me within a week. In his own blog he mentioned me and said he'd be getting back to me within, two weeks. It's been about a year. That makes him a liar. 

A Meeting with Michael Yormark

I had the long awaited and thrice postponed meeting with Michael Yormark, COO at the Panthers. I had all sorts of expectations about who he was and how he might act based on my previous interactions with him, what I've read, and what I've heard about him.

This morning I got a call at the office asking if I could make the meeting at 5pm instead of 530pm due to his 'stop' being moved back a half hour. Although horribly inconvenient, I agreed because I wasn't letting this go any longer than necessary. I bailed work at 4pm and drove like a bat out of Hell, arriving at The Billboard (aka BAC) at 441pm. I walked in, took the elevator to the suite level where the regular offices are. There was no receptionist, just a yellow paper telling you to dial your party. I was about to dial Yormark's office when an intern came out of the offices and called up for me. They told me to have a seat and someone would be right with me. (Their system isn't great because a complete list of all extension is right next to the phone. Numbers such as the coach, GM, owners, and so forth. Somebody's going to steal that and do damage with it one day. I should mention that to them, I suppose.)

Meanwhile, I met a few people while waiting. Everyone was very friendly and they offered me refreshments and so forth. I remember my first time -- when we first moved into the building and H. Wayne was running the show -- when they had people running the elevators, they had seats in them so you could sit, and handing you candy while you rode to your stop. The economy's got everyone. This isn't a complaint at all. Just an observation on how things have changed.

I ran into Kathy D and we had a nice chat and she got me to rejoin the Booster Club. $15 if you join before 6-15-09. Tell her I sent you.

About 10 after five, Yormark's assistant came down and got me -- very nice and friendly lady. Yormark's offices are on the next level where all the executive offices are. I've been there before when I used to visit Cogen and company from time to time. They asked me to wait just a moment, and directed me to sit in the waiting area. I had a nice view right into Stanley's office -- which like all offices has his real name on the cubicle door. I won't share that information, but am sorry I didn't get to meet him. At about 520, I heard "put him in the office" in a familiar voice, and I was ushered into Yormark's conference room. I've not been in this room before, but it's next door to Jacques Martin's office. A few moments later, again refreshments were offered, he came in and said hello. No handshake. I notice these things.

He's very energetic and very intense, almost hyper. I'll give him that and it's a good thing not a bad thing. He makes eye contact and he definitely believes in what he's saying. That is, like it or not, a good sign. He started off saying he didn't usually meet with fans and gave me a disclaimer about all sorts of stuff before we started: how he hated rude people, reminding me that the ads aren't going away, and so on. That's a bit off-putting if you want to know the truth, but hey I can accept it. Again, I'm not meeting with him to be his friend or his enemy but to tell him things have gone horribly wrong somewhere. A thought a lot of people share. As you all know, I talk to fans in all categories in the arena: Lower Bowl, Upper Bowl, Club, Suite, and ADT areas. I'm a hockey fan and I will socialize with all hockey fans because it's a great way to talk to people.

I did let him know he does have some great people in his organization who care, and that I realize they do have to turn a profit to keep going. I gave him a 30 second "meet Eric" speech and started right in. All the fans I talked to telll me the one thing that really crossed the line -- according to every single person I talked to was those effing urinal cakes. Everyone was mad, none more than myself and the legendary Murph.

Yormark refuses to accept that it was a mistake. His answer is that it's not our logo but a sponsor's mark. He said there are logos on everything and why is it different than a doormat or trash can. I'll skip the rest of this except to say he and I will never, ever see eye to eye on this. I told him he owes the entire fan base an apology. Don't hold your breath. Why am I telling you this? Because if you know me, you know I want to present the whole picture. I didn't have much hope for the meeting after this point, because this sort of intransigence doesn't bode well. He's like me: stubborn. But I'll admit I'm wrong. Not sure if he will, and he is unequivocally wrong. Perception is reality on this.

I am happy to report once we got past that things were much easier. I was expecting it to go downhill from there and it didn't. I came very prepared. I knew I didn't have much time and I wanted to be ready. I came in with forty (40) bullet points. They were divided into two groups. The first group were REVENUE items and the second group were ARENA items.

The revenue items are things he can do to generate advertising dollars while making the arena more like a hockey arena. I put a lot of thought into this and came up with a nice list of ideas. As someone who runs a multi-million dollar business concern, I know a lot about what will and won't work in a large scale business. Our company has actually done -- and still does -- business with SSE to a limited extent, so I have a bit of insight as to what they will and won't be receptive to. My goal was to show him how he could fix some of the stuff that fans hate yet still maintain or increase ad revenue. I also showed him some flaws in his system that were letting already-earned revenue escape and he totally agreed with it and will fix that: I think I got brownie points there. He shared with me a few things they're doing for next season, but I will keep those secret as a courtesy. I do not wish to steal his thunder.

The ARENA items are things that need to be fixed in the building. These are things that are just not acceptable that have been happening for months or years. Stuff that it appears, nobody cares about. These were not in the scope of his job or this meeting, but I figured since I had the opportunity to hand him a list, I'd get these things in too. I asked he deliver them to the right people. He said he would. I made sure it was easy and gave him three complete copies of the list.

All told, my letter to him was six full pages, single spaced with 0.5" margins on all sides. Everything was organized and explained in terms anyone could understand. Say what you want, but Yormark is a very smart guy: look where he is and how he got there. I wanted to make sure he understood that I was bringing something of value that cost him zero. I hope he got my point that perception is reality. By that I mean, it doesn't matter if he thinks he's doing something good, if the fan base doesn't agree, he's wrong: even if he's right. I'm really not sure he got that part.

He's off to New York tomorrow. He promised he would read my entire list in detail on the flight (he did glance it over while we talked), he would review it, discuss it was his staff, and then follow up with me. I'm hopeful he does follow up with me, but I am also sceptical. I'm writing this knowing full well he's going to read my words. I closed with a reminder that I really do want to help, and I will help him for free if he'll let me.

After I said that, he asked me to commit to something: He asked if I would post the following on both the official and my boards. So I'm going to do it. It's done. (He gave me the idea of what he wanted, but the words are mine.) Mr Yormark really does want ideas from the fans on how to improve things. But he wants constructive ideas that are well thought out. So, if you have ideas you think are good, you can e-mail them to him. I'll also take it upon myself to tell you that if you send them to me instead, I'll collect them and make sure they're delivered. (If you send them to me, I'll also point out any flaws in your ideas or tell you if it was already on my list.) Please feel free to share this post's URL with all current and previous season-ticket holders.

He ended up giving me a little over a half hour including an interruption by a famous person. I was greatly amused by Yormark's exasperated reaction at the person who has obviously called many times before. He declined the call because he was talking to me. That was sort of cool. (Stroke ego here).

Why am I not posting the 40 points here? Because I told him quite clearly I'm not in this to get credit for the ideas or glory or anything. I just want this stuff fixed and corrected. He can have all the credit for all I care. My sole goal is to make The Billboard back into a hockey arena again.

GO PANTHERS!