Rogers comments on the state of the Jays

[GeorgiaPeach]

Speaking purely from my own first-hand experience, the buzz regarding the Jays was HUGE this past winter, people I know who never gave two f***s about the sport were suddenly trying to jump on the bandwagon so fast it made my head spin. It was the "in" team in the GTA again.

 

Now? the same dynamic is working in the opposite direction; everyone's dumping on them, how disappointing they've been........they're NOT going to be an easy sell next year. Ah well. Winning will solve that problem right quick.

 

However I don't really see us finishing higher then 4th next year. I think the Yanks or O's might fall off a little, most likely the Yanks, but that's it. Yay.

 

What a great group of solid and great fans populate the GTA.

[Howard Roark]

Wind is dying out? Verizon just offered 700 million to buy them. Tons of people are flocking to them, hard to beat a 30 dollar unlimited everything plan with no cancellation penalties.

 

 

Apparently Wind has horrid reception and 'net, from what I've been reading online. Doing research right now between looking at this place...........

 

Mobilicity gets much better consumer ratings, and no complaints about reception/no internet unlike Wind. At this point i'm willing to pay more per month and have less choice of handset, Wind's consumer scores are THAT bad.

[Howard Roark]

What a great group of solid and great fans populate the GTA.

 

Yes. Excellent.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Hockey season is out in full force this year. There's not going to be enough the Jays can do to create buzz then. Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey and even Josh Johnson carry a lot of star power. Those are names known to casuals, well Dickey was after his Cy Young award at least. Outside of Cano and maybe McCann there's not a lot of names known to casuals. I don't think signing Garza would create much off-season buzz and ticket sales. The easiest route to creating buzz for them would actually be signing Halladay imo.

 

So the focus isn't winning?

[FireAlexAnthopoulos]

Attendance isn't even that great this year. It hasn't been as abysmal as it used to be, but now it's just average, and the seats aren't even close to being filled. It's going to plummet next year though unless AA admits defeat and rebuilds. Also, TV ratings are down from last year - can't imagine those bouncing back until the front office pulls their heads out of their asses and does what needs to be done.

 

There's an old adage in sports: "if you can't sell wins, sell hope." Well, the Jays can't really sell wins this offseason, and this current roster and farm system is hopeless, so unless AA blows up the team, they'll learn this lesson the hard way next year.

[Howard Roark]

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/mobilicity-vs-wind-mobile-great-debate-1144793/

 

Huh. Maybe I jumped the gun, see the Wind vs Mobilicity debate here...........

[FireAlexAnthopoulos]

So the focus isn't winning?

 

Hell no. Organizations that want to win don't do the kind of franchise-crippling, farm-depleting panic trades that AA made last offseason. Instead, they patiently build through the farm and only add impact pieces from trades or free agency when they have developed a core to build around at the MLB level.

 

The Jays' focus is selling tickets and merchandise to dumbass casuals who think "dingers" are everything and JPA is a good player. And when you run your franchise completely based on optics and casual fans' opinions, teams and seasons like these are the end result.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Yes. Excellent.

 

With them scurrying away they can go back to following the Leafs and leave me room to relax and not be pestered or annoyed with their idiotic behaviour at games.

[Howard Roark]

Hell no. Organizations that want to win don't do the kind of franchise-crippling, farm-depleting panic trades that AA made last offseason. Instead, they patiently build through the farm and only add impact pieces from trades or free agency when they have developed a core to build around at the MLB level.

 

The Jays' focus is selling tickets and merchandise to dumbass casuals who think "dingers" are everything and JPA is a good player. And when you run your franchise completely based on optics and casual fans' opinions, teams and seasons like these are the end result.

 

Amen, brother. Preach.

 

This franchise deserves this season. Motherf***ers, you abort a sound plan to go all Derpy McDerpusson, this is what you deserve.

[Howard Roark]

With them scurrying away they can go back to following the Leafs and leave me room to relax and not be pestered or annoyed with their idiotic behaviour at games.

 

-rofl-

 

You crack me up with that s***. Just quietly enjoy your sense of contextual superiority, in situations like that that's the only way to win. No sense getting angry and shaking your fist at all the Philistines.

[BlueJayWay]

They burned the casuals this year, I don't see them being so easy to fool for a second straight year, unless the team is in first place in late July. THEN they might start coming back. But it's going to be back to 20k a night for the first few months until they show something.

I agree. Hype and buzz won't do it anymore.

 

Actually, I'm surprised it worked so well as it did. I really thought the Jays would have to be winning (like, in playoff contention in August/Sept) for everyone to jump on the bandwagon again. Instead the added wildcard a couple years ago and the off season moves last year were enough.

 

Now, that's all going away. The team will have to win for them to start coming back, imo.

[Dick_Pole]

Wind is dying out? Verizon just offered 700 million to buy them. Tons of people are flocking to them, hard to beat a 30 dollar unlimited everything plan with no cancellation penalties.

 

That will be the problem for Wind customers. Verizon isn't going to buy Wind to "help their customers". They are going to buy Wind for the infrastructure and spectrum then bring their US version of Rogers or Telus plans except with great US roaming rates. They are here to make profit, not to run crappy little $30 cell phone plans lol.

 

In the meantime what we speculate inside my company will happen is that Verizon buys them out, they close up all of Wind's stores, load no more new people (even existing clients can't go into a store to get a new phone because the stores are all closed to be rebranded) for one year until they can complete their LTE network in Canada in 2015. Once that happens the Wind brand is now a new Verizon brand and they will give the middle finger to the existing Wind customers either in the form of a new expensive Verizon plan or some grandfathered piece of s*** plan that is a slightly kinder version of saying "please f*** off as soon as possible". And if Verizon ends up buying Public/Mobilicity then there goes any semblance of choice for people.

[Boxcar]

Apparently Wind has horrid reception and 'net, from what I've been reading online. Doing research right now between looking at this place...........

 

Mobilicity gets much better consumer ratings, and no complaints about reception/no internet unlike Wind. At this point i'm willing to pay more per month and have less choice of handset, Wind's consumer scores are THAT bad.

 

Whatever floats your boat, I guess. I commute to Burlington from Mississauga everyday for school, haven't had any experiences with poor reception or internet speeds. Switching to Wind and losing a 65 dollar per month bill to pay 30, with 65 bucks to get a new phone and have more stuff than I had before is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

[Dick_Pole]

So the focus isn't winning?

 

If by winning you mean maxing out short term profits to pump up the stock price and cash in stock options, yes the focus is winning. Of course that version of winning revolves around creating the most amount of buzz possible, which may or may not be tied to winning on the field.

 

Hell, all the Jays have to do to have consistent sell outs is have an Alomar, Carter, Winfield, Molitor etc bobblehead day every night. With 81 home games and probably about 200 players that have played for the team that are noteworthy enough for people to remember, that ought to set them up for a good 2.5 years! All they have to do is raise ticket prices by 2 bucks and find someone to make the bobbleheads for $2 each.

[Boxcar]

-rofl-

 

You crack me up with that s***. Just quietly enjoy your sense of contextual superiority, in situations like that that's the only way to win. No sense getting angry and shaking your fist at all the Philistines.

 

Yeah, it's best to kinda just laugh at him and move on. He doesn't really add discussion and just tries to make people react. Pretty sorry example of a human being.

[Boxcar]

That will be the problem for Wind customers. Verizon isn't going to buy Wind to "help their customers". They are going to buy Wind for the infrastructure and spectrum then bring their US version of Rogers or Telus plans except with great US roaming rates. They are here to make profit, not to run crappy little $30 cell phone plans lol.

 

In the meantime what we speculate inside my company will happen is that Verizon buys them out, they close up all of Wind's stores, load no more new people (even existing clients can't go into a store to get a new phone because the stores are all closed to be rebranded) for one year until they can complete their LTE network in Canada in 2015. Once that happens the Wind brand is now a new Verizon brand and they will give the middle finger to the existing Wind customers either in the form of a new expensive Verizon plan or some grandfathered piece of s*** plan that is a slightly kinder version of saying "please f*** off as soon as possible". And if Verizon ends up buying Public/Mobilicity then there goes any semblance of choice for people.

 

Oh, I am not so naive. I'm just saying that Wind isn't failing, Verizon buying them out doesn't indicate that anything is wrong with the company. Hope the sale doesn't happen, though.

[Howard Roark]

Whatever floats your boat, I guess. I commute to Burlington from Mississauga everyday for school, haven't had any experiences with poor reception or internet speeds. Switching to Wind and losing a 65 dollar per month bill to pay 30, with 65 bucks to get a new phone and have more stuff than I had before is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

 

Actually, see the link I posted. Looks like Wind so far is the better choice after all........research is continuing..........

 

I care about this s*** too much.

[admin]

Offseason plan:

 

- Trade way too much for package of Rickie Weeks, John Axford, and Yovani Gallardo / Kyle Lohse.

- Photoshop terrible Sportsnet Magazine cover

- Put more red maple leafs on Jerseys

- Get a T Hip song for all advertisements

 

Not sure about you, but I can't wait to be the new Jays hat. Finally people will know we're a Canadian team.

[Buster]

Completely off-topic, but I work for one of those competitors in corporate finance and get a close up look at the industry. Ya ok the Big 3 make pretty good money but it's not THAT good compared to the banks ripping us off or the telecom companies down south.

 

Buying the spectrum costs billions. Building the network costs billions. Remember that Canada is a pretty freaking big country just to serve some 30M people or so with wireless services. Everybody wants their $500 Smartphone for free and if you add up the commission to the dealer each client signed up puts the company $700 in the hole. Then there's morons that rack up like $20K bills roaming in Europe or wherever that expect their bill to be significantly reduced. Yes the companies give clients credit back, but then they still have to pay the roaming costs to foreign company where the charges took place. I can promise you that on average the Big 3 do not make one penny on every client signed up at least for the first year.

 

The reason why these small time companies keep getting bought up is because they don't want to survive or can't. Most MVNOs exist strictly for the purpose of signing up clients under some sort of marketing niche then selling them to the Big 3 for big cash. That was their business plan from day one. Not to compete with the big guys and bring long term competition to Canada. And these new entrants like Wind and Mobilicity are dying out because there's truly no money to be made in the country doing what they do. Simple as that.

 

You don't want to get ripped off on your phone bill? Get a cheap plan, don't ask for the latest and greatest Samsung/Apple piece of crap for free and don't use the thing so damn much!

 

Fine. Then de-regulate foreign ownership rules. Entirely. Scrap them. Sounds like Rogers/Telus/Bell have such a good understanding of the nuances of Canada as a market that they would be perfectly safe.

 

OR....

 

your argument is full of s*** and group think and propaganda.

[Buster]

Hell no. Organizations that want to win don't do the kind of franchise-crippling, farm-depleting panic trades that AA made last offseason. Instead, they patiently build through the farm and only add impact pieces from trades or free agency when they have developed a core to build around at the MLB level.

 

The Jays' focus is selling tickets and merchandise to dumbass casuals who think "dingers" are everything and JPA is a good player. And when you run your franchise completely based on optics and casual fans' opinions, teams and seasons like these are the end result.

 

"Good" sports fans get excited by observing prospects as they develop - both as players and as assets. The process of being a really good GM/asset manager is not something that interests the fans of Toronto. It does in some towns (Detroit Red Wings). No offense to Toronto sports fans (ok, maybe some offense), but Toronto as a city has NOT developed this mentality as a sports city. Hell, even the two World Series teams were slap-together jobs not unlike how AA has put this team together.

[Howard Roark]

Not sure about you, but I can't wait to be the new Jays hat. Finally people will know we're a Canadian team.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]285[/ATTACH]

 

Change that to a larger, wrap-around maple leaf and you're in business.

 

We also need maple leafs on the pant legs, perhaps running up the sides instead of stripes?

 

People need to know that Toronto is in Canada, and that Canada exists. Canada exists damnit, give us more attention America! Canada! We're a thing!!!!!111!!

[GeorgiaPeach]

"Good" sports fans get excited by observing prospects as they develop - both as players and as assets. The process of being a really good GM/asset manager is not something that interests the fans of Toronto. It does in some towns (Detroit Red Wings). No offense to Toronto sports fans (ok, maybe some offense), but Toronto as a city has NOT developed this mentality as a sports city. Hell, even the two World Series teams were slap-together jobs not unlike how AA has put this team together.

 

They would beg to differ with you.

[Boxcar]

Not sure about you, but I can't wait to be the new Jays hat. Finally people will know we're a Canadian team.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]285[/ATTACH]

 

Wow, I laughed pretty hard.

[FireAlexAnthopoulos]

Change that to a larger, wrap-around maple leaf and you're in business.

 

We also need maple leafs on the pant legs, perhaps running up the sides instead of stripes?

 

People need to know that Toronto is in Canada, and that Canada exists. Canada exists damnit, give us more attention America! Canada! We're a thing!!!!!111!!

Introducing the new Blue Jays alternate uniform for next season:

 

http://i.imgur.com/7yNB9wo.jpg

[Dr Negative]

"Good" sports fans get excited by observing prospects as they develop - both as players and as assets. The process of being a really good GM/asset manager is not something that interests the fans of Toronto. It does in some towns (Detroit Red Wings). No offense to Toronto sports fans (ok, maybe some offense), but Toronto as a city has NOT developed this mentality as a sports city. Hell, even the two World Series teams were slap-together jobs not unlike how AA has put this team together.

 

The Leafs don't commit to a rebuild because they could sell out with a roster of circus clowns and the other teams don't commit to rebuilds because they don't want 1/8 full stadiums.

[Buster]

The Leafs don't commit to a rebuild because they could sell out with a roster of circus clowns and the other teams don't commit to rebuilds because they don't want 1/8 full stadiums.

 

exactly my point

[John_Havok]

Actually, see the link I posted. Looks like Wind so far is the better choice after all........research is continuing..........

 

I care about this s*** too much.

 

Tbh, I don't think people care enough about stuff like this. Internet and wireless is the future of pretty much everything, and Canadians get raped front and back on both for substandard services when you compare to other countries. Lack of competition is a bitch.

[Dick_Pole]

Fine. Then de-regulate foreign ownership rules. Entirely. Scrap them. Sounds like Rogers/Telus/Bell have such a good understanding of the nuances of Canada as a market that they would be perfectly safe.

 

OR....

 

your argument is full of s*** and group think and propaganda.

 

Fine. Let Verizon in. Let everyone in. I promise you, the reason why some foreign investor would be interested in coming to Canada would NOT be to lower rates. It would be to get the higher revenue. Verizon has 100M subscribers. Best case scenario they get maybe 5M more from Canada. That's 5% more to their sub base. Do you think they care about that? Or do you think they'd prefer to squeeze every last penny through high margin? The only way in which Verizon would have an interest in providing Canadians some benefit is they can offer superior US roaming rates because of their strong network south of the border. That's a true economies of scale type of win for both the company and the consumer. But that's it. My bet, as someone with experience in this industry, is strongly to the idea that they'll "rip people off" as much as the other carriers in every other aspect. Same with absolutely anyone else coming in.

 

A $30 rate plan is just not feasible in Canada. Rogers and Telus ARPU (average revenue per user per month) is about $60. Bell's is $55. These companies only make around 45% margin so their costs are $30 per user as well and they've been doing this for years so they are pretty efficient at it. Someone who offers a $30 plan is not making money unless they offer no subsidy on the phone whatsoever and even then the margin is not great. Wind may not be going bankrupt like the others but that doesn't mean they are doing well from an income statement perspective. They just have deeper financial pockets to support them with losses/razor thin margins. The value in Wind lies with increasing their subscriber base then selling that and their infrastructure to someone else. That was the speculation on their business plan from day one. With Verizon, even the sub base is pretty worthless to them. They just want the infrastructure.

 

I can't believe people don't understand this concept....it's the same for every other facet of society - food, clothing and gas are all way cheaper in the States. But when it comes to cell phone plans - yes let's demonize the companies for "ripping us off". It's the same as everything else. We don't have the economies of scale, we don't have the buying power for the inputs to production/services and it costs a lot per client to serve a sparse population over a big land mass. All of these costs are going to be passed on to the consumer, whether it's cell phone plans or something else. And if it doesn't matter if it's the big 3 or some other guy.

[Dick_Pole]

And of course, I can't forget the politics of this...everything from higher taxes to legislation, like what some people pointed out on cell phone plans. Don't like it? Move south of the border where you will save a few bucks a year on your cell phone, gas, food, clothing and insurance, but you'll have to roll the dice trying to understand Obamacare so just hope you don't get sick.