Blues take out full page apology ad

[dmiles2186]

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/2014/5/5 ... apology-ad

If you can't read it from the picture

Dear Blues fans,

Thank you very much for you tremendous support during the 2013-2014 season. Our players too pride in leaving everything on the ice night after night, not only for each other, but also for each of you. Blues fans played a huge part in helping the team win a club record 52 games, with 28 of those wins taking place on Scottrade Center Ice.

Despite many memorable moments this season, the bottom line is that we fell short of expectations--yours and ours--in the playoffs. Our ownership group, management, team, coaches, and players share in everyone's disappointment that the season has come to such an abrupt end.

The entire Blues organization is committed to improving our playoff performance for next season and beyond--and to bringing St. Louis its first Stanley Cup. We can't thank you enough for the years of passion and dedication you've given the St. Louis Blues. We greatly appreciate your support.

Tom Stillman
Chairman
St. Louis Blues

[kodos]

They don't actually apologize. They just say that they are just as disappointed as we are.

The difference being of course, that they aren't paying us millions of dollars.

[WaukeeBlues]

The fans jersey in the picture on the letter is a cheap asian knock-off. The captain's "C" isn't even close.

[glen a richter]

They might leave everything on the ice, but they left the power play in the (Franking) practice rink.

[Kerfuffle]

Doesn't look like an apology to me and honestly they don't need to apologize for anything - this is sports - sometimes things don't go the way you want. Believe me we understand what waiting and misery is like in Chicago (49 years for a cup, 88 years for the White Sox championship, and the Cubs 106+ years and counting). I read that ad as being very similar to the standard season ticket holder letter we get every year when we don't win it all. The point of the letter is not to apologize but to keep people interested and renew their season tickets or sell more of them.

[flyingnote38]

A few points

first of all this isn't from the players, its from the owner Tom Stillman.

I think it is a nice gesture on his part. It reads less like an apology than a comiseration and renewed promise.

I don't think there is any reason to question his commitment to winning. He is probably the truest 'Blues fan' owner since Purina chairman R. Hal Dean retired In 1983.

But, I doubt he has the financial resources to spend to the cap on a yearly basis. Which is all the more reason why this season's failure is so egregious. The Blues spent to the cap; something I think we all found surprising. I suspect that will be the exception rather than the rule going forward. A first round exit instead of a third round exit probably represents at least $10 Mil in lost revenue -- that's a year's worth of Stastny and Hiller right there. I don't think Stillman will tire of his shiny toy like Laurie did, but I doubt he can endlessly 'Bleed Blue.'

[cprice12]

A few points

first of all this isn't from the players, its from the owner Tom Stillman.

I think it is a nice gesture on his part. It reads less like an apology than a comiseration and renewed promise.

I don't think there is any reason to question his commitment to winning. He is probably the truest 'Blues fan' owner since Purina chairman R. Hal Dean retired In 1983.

But, I doubt he has the financial resources to spend to the cap on a yearly basis. Which is all the more reason why this season's failure is so egregious. The Blues spent to the cap; something I think we all found surprising. I suspect that will be the exception rather than the rule going forward. A first round exit instead of a third round exit probably represents at least $10 Mil in lost revenue -- that's a year's worth of Stastny and Hiller right there. I don't think Stillman will tire of his shiny toy like Laurie did, but I doubt he can endlessly 'Bleed Blue.'

I think it would be foolish to not spend to at least near the cap after doing so last season.
With the pieces we have in place, we are closer than we have ever been...we're very close. A couple bounces in the series and we may have swept Chicago. It just sucks things didn't go our way. Luck was not on our side...again.
Not "going for it" again next year would be a bigger waste of money than turning the dial back and spending less next season would be. It would be like the money spent last year was for nothing.
Expect the Blues, with this core of the team and with Armstrong and Hitchcock in place, to make another serious push next year.
Stillman is in it to win it...and at least for the near future the money looks to be there...which is good to hear.
I actually expect the Blues to try to do something fairly big in the offseason. After the season we had and with the way the playoffs panned out, making a lateral move would make everyone groan a bit. Everyone knows what our weakness has been the past two years in the playoffs. It's time to seriously address it.

[dmiles2186]

Yeah, I realize it wasn't an apology but I couldn't fit 'Blues take out an ad to commiserate and renew promises' into the header.

[ecbm]

It's not an apology, agreed. Don't know why every report on it describes it as such. From Stillman no apology was necessary. He's the one guy I can completely believe was even more disappointed and angry than us at the end of that series.

The only way he spends to the cap consistently is if the Blues win a cup, actually win it, and become a national bandwagon team. I'm guessing he's looking at Colorado's salary and asking Army what the hell happened.

[cprice12]

I'm guessing he's looking at Colorado's salary and asking Army what the hell happened.

Why? Colorado fared no better than us in the playoffs. You could actually say they did worse, since they lost to a lower seed.

[WaukeeBlues]

I'm guessing he's looking at Colorado's salary and asking Army what the hell happened.

Why? Colorado fared no better than us in the playoffs. You could actually say they did worse, since they lost to a lower seed.

They also have a first overall pick in the first year of an entry level contract...

We could probably do that too if we decided to take the dynamite to everything and blow it all up and start over... again.

[ecbm]

Why? Colorado fared no better than us in the playoffs. You could actually say they did worse, since they lost to a lower seed.

Won the division, got better matchup (if you can't judge the Miller trade by his performance post trade (and I agree about that) you can't discount COL getting a better matchup because they choked) for $11M less payroll with a rookie coach. Pretty straightforward. Armstrong doesn't actually have to answer for that but the time for easily-accepted excuses (not mature enough, didn't get the bounces, it was close) is clearly over.