OT - Petition to Honor Gordie Howe by Renaming Little Caesar's Arena
Incredibly saddened at the passing of Gordie Howe. What more fitting tribute to his legacy in the community than naming Little Caesar's Arena after him.
Though I tend to deride online petitions, I have started one in hopes of starting a discussion that might honor his passing and as my own small way of saying goodbye.
think he will get the arena, but I could see him getting "the rink" in the same way that Coach K has "the floor" in Cameron.
And I am confident Ilitch will provide a fitting tribute to Gordie. Still... I can always hope. Imagine taking your youngsters to the GHA for a game... "who was Gordie Howe?" I'd rather have that conversation than, "can we stop for a hot and ready on the way home?"
I am being completely honest I would rather have that conversation while eating a Hot N Ready.
thing that bothers me about them is the inconsistency from store to store. There are some Little Ceasars that have Hot N Readys that I would pay $10 for, and other stores give you an undercooked, flat, saucy mess. The deep dish is more consistent.
The time also really matters. I used to work at a Little Caesars back in the day. If it wasn't busy because it was a slow day or it was getting late and too many Hot N Readys had been made for the rush, they'd just sit in the warmer for a long time and look pretty nasty.
yeah which is more important, a $125 million deal for naming rights, or a petition about a dead guy?
Why? Do you feel better now?
no I don't, and I feel bad about my comment. But signing online petetions is today's water cooler activism, and this isn't even something worth petitioning about
Pathetic IncrediblyBLUE.
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Coming through!
I don't think you need to feel bad about your original comment. I actually feel the same way about 99.9% of the online petitions out there.
This is less about effectuating actual change, and more about saying goodbye in a way that helps me feel less small in the face of something that sucks all the way around. I frankly could care less who signs the thing. There is little chance of the petition going anywhere, and even less than anything will be done as a result of it.
When confronted with death, some laugh it up, some get angry, some drink, some ignore it altogether. I never knew Gordie, didn't see him play live, won't be going to his funeral, and can't express my condolences to his family. Yet, for all of that, I can still be thankful for his laying a foundation for hockey in Detroit that I enjoyed as a child and can pass along to my own kids. In my mind, that's worth naming a building after. Of course there may be other, more appropriate ways of honoring him. Certainly there are better financial ways of going about it.
And yet... the feeling remains.
Have I taken petitioners away from other, more pressing issues? Please. By all means, point the futuility of actual change. I get it.
And yet...
I just don't get why you think this will matter...you are essentially telling someone else what to do with their stuff. Why would he listen?...No matter what you propose for a name? Howe is in the rafters as well as a future bridge...I don't think anymore is needed
You equate "mattering" with likelihood of success. I don't.
Why does saying thank you matter?
Why do we have heroes?
Why do we extol the virtuous?
Why do we remember good men and women?
Why do we honor the dead?
I don't expect anyone to listen. The petition actually asks that they consider renaming the arena. I know it is telling someone what to do with stuff that isn't mine. What I am suggesting is that there may be a purpose served here that isn't strictly financial that I don't have the ability to follow through on for the precise reason you point out--I don't own his stuff.
As to the recurring theme of the bridge - that thing has been in the developmental, planning, and litigation stages for how long now? There is enough outside nonsense associated with that bridge that I still wonder now (over 15 years after the idea was formally started) if/when it'll actually come to fruition. Have they broke ground yet? Whatever. This is more directly tied to and controlled by the Wings. What others want to do to honor him is fine by me.
to consider Mr Hockey just "a dead guy".
Secondly, $125M naming rights deal? You are aware that the Illitchs named the arena after their own company? Not really a bidding war at this point... BTW, I hate the name of the arena.
Would it be weird to call it Little Ceasar's Howe Arena? Sponsorship could change in the future too but still be Howe arena. Little ceasars would get good press for allowing that too
Someone paid a lot of money to name the rink...and I'm deeply saddened as well. But whatever Little Caesar's paid is money that taxpayers in Detroit didn't.
I have to downvote the petition. Keep the sponsor. But absolutely name the ice after Howe...just like UF is doing with Spurrier.
Gordie Howe Rink at Little Caesar's Arena...kinda cheesy, isn't it?
get an incredible tax break by naming it Little Caesar's arena?
I thought I read that somewhere.
The second bridge to Canada that Matty Maroun was trying desperately to block?
As an aside, has Matty Maroun ever done anything generous for the City of Detroit or Michigan generally? Is he basically Mr. Burns?
Monty Burns does not deserve to be compared to Matty Maroun. Matty Maroun is basically the anti-Ilitch - a profiteer who will have to hire pallbearers.
For all of that, I like the bridge being named after Gordie more than the arena. It helps foster discussion of who Gordie Howe was and what he stood for with a wide audience, and it likely won't be torn down in ten years because it does not support holographic viewing in the hypobaric aromatherapy suites.
He hasn't done anything in Windsor besides buy a lot of properties and board them up. He even purchased a whole neighborhood that is now completely vacant and fenced in.
Thats a couple of blocks like this.
The only purpose to call it that is money, which is fine. This is a business and I get how it works. I don't like it, but still get it.
This is why capitalism needs to die, comrades.
Have fun in Venezuela, North Korea, or Cuba
He is simply transferring the money from one hand to the other.
It was an idiotic made mos likely by Chris Illitch who thus far hasn't shown a fraction ofthe busines acumen that his father had.
Wouldn't it be weird to have the Wings play at Domino's Arena, for instance.
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Bingo!
20 years of that, even if Chris or Marian decide to sell the sports teams down the road.
It was an idiotic made mos likely by Chris Illitch who thus far hasn't shown a fraction ofthe busines acumen that his father had.
Actually, Chris has shown far better business acumen than his dad (LC has become a $5 billion company under his watch). Mike might be great at being a sports fan and trying to win at all cost, but that's not very smart for the wallet. The Tigers have lost money more often than not and he still hasn't been able to win a World Series. It's like flishing money down the toilet if you don't end up winning a championship.
rights. They must be worth something, just like other forms of advertising. If Ilitch didn't think he was getting value from naming it Little Caesar's he'd sell the the rights to someone else and pocket the money.
How about a huge bronze statue of him out front or in the lobby?
i'm pretty sure all the statues from the Joe will be brought to the new arena. The concourse at the new place is supposed to be three time larger than the Joe so there should e plenty of room. I actually hope they make statues from all the retired numbers,
I approve this message.
I am all for this, but it will never happen simply due to the money involved. I hate the fact that the new arena has a corporate name, but that's the era in which we live now. As long as Michigan Stadium never gets a sponsor, I will be happy. I really liked how my two favorite sports teams (Wolverines and Red Wings) both had no corporate name attached to their venues; now I am down to one, but the remaining one is the most important to me.
we barely escaped Dominos Pizza Stadium.
I know there is really no "good" corporate name for an arena. And even though the hot n ready has done good things for Detroit and our sports as well. Its just like a little extra salt in the wound that the arena now carries the name of the lowest quality pizza you can get.
Im just waiting to see the Palace turn into the 5 Doillar Foot Long Arena or CiCi's Ultimate Basketball Buffet.
I know you really liked him. But, this seems weird. The owners just announced a new name. They did not bid it out and used their own company name for legacy reasons.
Why would they name it after Gordie Howe? Just because he passed away today? That seems a little reactionary.
It is easy to start a petition. Yes, it is absolutely a reaction to the news of Gordie's passing. I know Howe was revered while he was still around, but generally, people don't go about naming things after people while they are still with us. Statues, floors or rinks, bridges... all of these things are local and subdued while remaining appropriately respectful.
When someone passes, there is something that changes is those remaining that makes you want to consider their lives as a whole and make an appropriate gesture to honor those contributions. It is precisely because he has passed that this kind of honorarium would be appropriate.
Maybe the rink? Maybe a statue outside the new arena?
Its just that they very recently picked a new name, so naming rights seems unlikely.
I always thought that the naming of things inside larger venues was a way to appease the part of us that wants to honor the history of the team that doesn't necessarily translate into revenue. I get it, it just seems silly to name everything because you don't want to take the financial hit, or leave the financial opportunity untapped.
Well, money has an effect on the product. In sports with weak salary caps and/or weak revenue sharing, getting more money for a team MAY mean better players and/or coaches.
I would rather see the Wings have top dollar coaches from the minors to the majors, as well as luxury planes, etc. that attract top level talent (if salary is equal) then see an arena with a great non-corporate name. Its just how the world works. Now, if they could make it work without selling the naming rights, ala Lambeau Field, etc. then all the better.
So, you've chosen the name "PeterKlima," but you can't understand why anybody would be in favor of naming an NHL arena in Detroit after Gordie Howe.
Given your commenting history, it's not surprising.
Not sure how attacking the author helps your point, nor confusing Ilitch holdings (the owner) with the people of Detroit.
I never said I "can't understand why anybody would be in favor of naming an NHL arena in Detroit after Gordie Howe." In fact, I told OP that I did understand.
I questioned why the Illitch family would do it in light of the circumstances.
You just pretended I made a ridiculous point and then cited my "commenting history" as your reason for being a jerk.
I don't get personl too often, but you are acting like a tool, buddy. Go get started on the weekend now and leave the keyboard.
I don't know how to say this without sounding flippant, but here goes.
Gordie Howe already has a (future) bridge named after him; If Mr. Ilitch decides to name the arena after a person rather than a corporation, I would strongly prefer he name it after Joe Louis rather than Gordie Howe.