Does anyone know when Sabres jerseys will be on the shelf?

[envirojeff]

I think we've waited long enough!

 

Jeff

[inkman]

Don't worry, it's all part of LQ's masterplan. You see, all these months of lost jersey sales is really just a ploy to increase demand. Before long, every Sabres fan will be teeming with jersey envy and explode upon the commercial scene. Either that or they will just settle for a sweatshirt at this point...

[blugold43]

he better hurry the hell up....if they keep playing like this, they're going to sit on the shelves once they get there.

[LabattBlue]

Don't worry, it's all part of LQ's masterplan. You see, all these months of lost jersey sales is really just a ploy to increase demand. Before long, every Sabres fan will be teeming with jersey envy and explode upon the commercial scene. Either that or they will just settle for a sweatshirt at this point...

Don't bother Quinny with this silly jersey stuff. It is completely under control. Guerilla marketing at its best(or whatever he called it). He is busy finalizing the Bass Pro deal. What a multi-tasker he is. Hail to the savior!!!!!! :worthy: :worthy:

 

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20070116/1053828.asp

 

..."Larry Quinn, the Erie Canal Harbor panel's lead negotiator on the Bass Pro deal, also noted that the hefty weekend ice storm that hit the Midwest also temporarily froze talks about a Buffalo store. Springfield, Mo., where Bass Pro Shops is headquartered, suffered significant weather damage and widespread power outages.

 

"They've been dealing with power outages, trees down and problems like we had here in October. They weren't in a position to be very constructive for the past few days, and we respect that," Quinn said. "

 

 

Talk about excuses...the reason to extend the deadline for a Bass pro deal is because of some downed trees and powerlines? :lol: :lol: This is your managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres. :oops:

 

 

 

Who's in charge of making sure the FAX machine is operational at the trade deadline? :doh: :doh:

[Bmwolf21]

Don't bother Quinny with this silly jersey stuff. It is completely under control. Guerilla marketing at its best(or whatever he called it). He is busy finalizing the Bass Pro deal. What a multi-tasker he is. Hail to the savior!!!!!! :worthy: :worthy:

 

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20070116/1053828.asp

 

..."Larry Quinn, the Erie Canal Harbor panel's lead negotiator on the Bass Pro deal, also noted that the hefty weekend ice storm that hit the Midwest also temporarily froze talks about a Buffalo store. Springfield, Mo., where Bass Pro Shops is headquartered, suffered significant weather damage and widespread power outages.

 

"They've been dealing with power outages, trees down and problems like we had here in October. They weren't in a position to be very constructive for the past few days, and we respect that," Quinn said. "

Talk about excuses...the reason to extend the deadline for a Bass pro deal is because of some downed trees and powerlines? :lol: :lol: This is your managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres. :oops:

Who's in charge of making sure the FAX machine is operational at the trade deadline? :doh: :doh:

:lol:

 

Seriously, why hasn't anyone at the Snooze or any other media outlet started pressing him on the limited availability of the jerseys, both slug and retro? I'd like to hear from the horse's mouth, so to speak, about what exactly the delays are, when they expect to get new ones in, etc.

 

Oh, and thank God that Bass Pro deal isn't done. I thought for sure that the waterfront had been forgotten... <_<

[jad1]

:lol:

 

Seriously, why hasn't anyone at the Snooze or any other media outlet started pressing him on the limited availability of the jerseys, both slug and retro? I'd like to hear from the horse's mouth, so to speak, about what exactly the delays are, when they expect to get new ones in, etc.

 

Oh, and thank God that Bass Pro deal isn't done. I thought for sure that the waterfront had been forgotten... <_<

 

Unless he runs Reebok's production lines, he probably wouldn't be able to give them an answer.

 

As for the weather, I wouldn't discount it as an excuse. The sales offices in the mid-west for the company I work for were also shut down.

[inkman]

Unless he runs Reebok's production lines, he probably wouldn't be able to give them an answer.

How long does it take to make a freaking jersey anyway? Just whip those Taiwanese kids a little harder... :bag:

[Bmwolf21]

Unless he runs Reebok's production lines, he probably wouldn't be able to give them an answer.

 

As for the weather, I wouldn't discount it as an excuse. The sales offices in the mid-west for the company I work for were also shut down.

So you are 100% certain that it is all on Reebok's end, the Sabres and NHL have nothing to do with the shortage?

 

jad, I'm not calling him out or anything, I am just saying someone should ask our team president about something he should know about - why the merchandise isn't available. I'm saying someone needs to ask him WHERE the delays are - such as did the Sabres and/or NHL order enough jerseys; have there been production delays; is the league holding jersey orders until after the all-star break; and what is being done to get more product to the team and the stores.

 

I'm not suggesting someone go in there and rip him for the slug, or stir the pot anymore - I am just saying there are a lot of people who are waiting for jerseys to come in to buy off the rack, and still people who are waiting for their previously-ordered jerseys to come in. NHL.com hasn't had the slug jersey on their website for over a month, and hasn't had a retro/3rd all season. Why is that? When (or are) are they going to be available?

[LabattBlue]

So you are 100% certain that it is all on Reebok's end, the Sabres and NHL have nothing to do with the shortage?

 

jad, I'm not calling him out or anything, I am just saying someone should ask our team president about something he should know about - why the merchandise isn't available. I'm saying someone needs to ask him WHERE the delays are - such as did the Sabres and/or NHL order enough jerseys; have there been production delays; is the league holding jersey orders until after the all-star break; and what is being done to get more product to the team and the stores.

 

I'm not suggesting someone go in there and rip him for the slug, or stir the pot anymore - I am just saying there are a lot of people who are waiting for jerseys to come in to buy off the rack, and still people who are waiting for their previously-ordered jerseys to come in. NHL.com hasn't had the slug jersey on their website for over a month, and hasn't had a retro/3rd all season. Why is that? When (or are) are they going to be available?

Alll fair questions. How come someone like Schoop or the other WGR talking heads who bitch about everything, have nothing to say about this? They had plenty to say when everyone was bitching about the logo. Now they have nothing to say about the jerseys or lack thereof. Friggin' Sabres shills!

 

 

 

As for the weather, I wouldn't discount it as an excuse. The sales offices in the mid-west for the company I work for were also shut down.

You're right. I'm sure the head of Bass Pro doesn't have a cell phone he can use during power outages. :doh: :doh:

[jad1]

You're right. I'm sure the head of Bass Pro doesn't have a cell phone he can use during power outages. :doh: :doh:

 

If you're the head of Bass Pro, and your entire operations has been shut down, there are probably other things to worry about that are more urgent than a movable deadlines. No doubt he has a cell phone, but he's probably using it to track employee safety, billing commitments, payroll commitments, and the like.

[LabattBlue]

If you're the head of Bass Pro, and your entire operations has been shut down, there are probably other things to worry about that are more urgent than a movable deadlines. No doubt he has a cell phone, but he's probably using it to track employee safety, billing commitments, payroll commitments, and the like.

No back-up generator for Bass Pro HQ? :)

[inkman]

Not living in Buffaro, I don't really understand the scope of the Bass Pro thingy. What exactly is this going to do for the city?

[Bmwolf21]

That IS the million-dollar question, ink...

[jad1]

So you are 100% certain that it is all on Reebok's end, the Sabres and NHL have nothing to do with the shortage?

 

jad, I'm not calling him out or anything, I am just saying someone should ask our team president about something he should know about - why the merchandise isn't available. I'm saying someone needs to ask him WHERE the delays are - such as did the Sabres and/or NHL order enough jerseys; have there been production delays; is the league holding jersey orders until after the all-star break; and what is being done to get more product to the team and the stores.

 

I'm not suggesting someone go in there and rip him for the slug, or stir the pot anymore - I am just saying there are a lot of people who are waiting for jerseys to come in to buy off the rack, and still people who are waiting for their previously-ordered jerseys to come in. NHL.com hasn't had the slug jersey on their website for over a month, and hasn't had a retro/3rd all season. Why is that? When (or are) are they going to be available?

 

Yes, I'm 100% sure that it's on Reebok's end. We all know that Reebok is changing the jersey model, using different material and patterns. The new jersey is going to be introduced at the all-star game, so it's fair to assume that they'll be available for sale sooner rather than later.

 

So if the the jerseys are going to be constructed in an entirely different way, why the hell would Reebok use an emergency production run for a jersey that's going to be obsolete in less than a year?

 

My guess is that Reebok is performing limited runs of the current jersey, and will meet any unmet demand with the new jersey model once they're production ready.

 

And once the new jersey is in production, the supply issues will go away, because any unsold inventory can carry over to next season, so normal and even excelerated production runs can be instituted.

 

So how do you want Quinn to address this, aside from telling people to expect delays in receiving their order (which the Sabres and NHL.com is doing)?

[LabattBlue]

Yes, I'm 100% sure that it's on Reebok's end. We all know that Reebok is changing the jersey model, using different material and patterns. The new jersey is going to be introduced at the all-star game, so it's fair to assume that they'll be available for sale sooner rather than later.

 

So if the the jerseys are going to be constructed in an entirely different way, why the hell would Reebok use an emergency production run for a jersey that's going to be obsolete in less than a year?

 

My guess is that Reebok is performing limited runs of the current jersey, and will meet any unmet demand with the new jersey model once they're production ready.

 

And once the new jersey is in production, the supply issues will go away, because any unsold inventory can carry over to next season, so normal and even excelerated production runs can be instituted.

 

So how do you want Quinn to address this, aside from telling people to expect delays in receiving their order (which the Sabres and NHL.com is doing)?

Is everyone positive that the form fitting jerseys that the players will be wearing are the same jersey that will be sold to the public?

 

Not living in Buffaro, I don't really understand the scope of the Bass Pro thingy. What exactly is this going to do for the city?

They are looking for a unique(a store that cannot be found in the suburbs) retail anchor to open up shop in the inner harbor area(between HSBC and the AUD along the Buffalo River). This is to be developed in conjunction with a museum or two, smaller retail stores and some housing.

 

We'll see how it ends up.

[Bmwolf21]

Yes, I'm 100% sure that it's on Reebok's end. We all know that Reebok is changing the jersey model, using different material and patterns. The new jersey is going to be introduced at the all-star game, so it's fair to assume that they'll be available for sale sooner rather than later.

I don't buy it at all. From everything we've read, our jersey design isn't going to change next year, the only thing that is changing is the material, which affects the fit. If the league and Rbk were so concerned with pushing the new post-all star jerseys, why let two of your top teams roll out new uniforms, logos and colors in the old, baggy style 6 months before they, along with the rest of the league, have to change to the Performance Fit?

 

So if the the jerseys are going to be constructed in an entirely different way, why the hell would Reebok use an emergency production run for a jersey that's going to be obsolete in less than a year?

 

My guess is that Reebok is performing limited runs of the current jersey, and will meet any unmet demand with the new jersey model once they're production ready.

 

And once the new jersey is in production, the supply issues will go away, because any unsold inventory can carry over to next season, so normal and even excelerated production runs can be instituted.

We're not talking about an emergency production run in January, we're talking about the fact that jerseys couldn't be found in three of the first four months of the season, and generally weren't available for the holiday shopping rush, which is such a no-brainer that it pains me to think the NHL, Sabres and/or RBK could be so stupid as to limit production (or allow Rbk to limit production) during that time. The all-star unveiling should not have been an issue in October, November and December, when the jersey was the hottest thing going despite being unavailable most of the time. It doesn't take a lot of business sense to realize that they probably lost a ton of sales by not having product available for the busiest shopping season of the year... <_<

 

FWIW, I doubt Reebok would be allowed to just limit production without the OK of the NHL and the individual teams, so if that is the case (limiting production) then the NHL is actually dumber than we thought. You have a hot team, with the hottest new jerseys on the market, leading the NHL in sales for two straight months - makes absolutely perfect sense to limit production. Maybe people want to buy the current, baggy version now, and will want another new one next year. Maybe there are people who want the slug and the 3rd. Maybe there are a lot of big people in WNY who can't or won't try to stuff themselves into a tight-fit jersey next year, so they wanted to get a baggy jersey this year. I can tell you for sure that if I ordered a slug or 3rd jersey now, and Rbk tried filling my order with one of their new "Performance Fit" jerseys, there would be hell to pay.

 

So how do you want Quinn to address this, aside from telling people to expect delays in receiving their order (which the Sabres and NHL.com is doing)?

What would I like Quinn to say? How about ANYTHING? How about telling us if it is production issues, if they got so many orders that Rbk hasn't been able to keep up, if the All-Star announcement has anything to do with it, when they expect to have jerseys available, etc.

 

But again, the whole unveiling of the new uniforms has been a clusterfugg of immense proportions from day 1, so I guess we should have expected this...

[LabattBlue]

What would I like Quinn to say? How about ANYTHING? How about telling us if it is production issues, if they got so many orders that Rbk hasn't been able to keep up, if the All-Star announcement has anything to do with it, when they expect to have jerseys available, etc.

 

But again, the whole unveiling of the new uniforms has been a clusterfugg of immense proportions from day 1, so I guess we should have expected this...

The savior can't come to the phone right now. Since everybody hated the logo at the get go, Quinny is now giving everyone the silent treatment in return. :D

[jad1]

I don't buy it at all. From everything we've read, our jersey design isn't going to change next year, the only thing that is changing is the material, which affects the fit. If the league and Rbk were so concerned with pushing the new post-all star jerseys, why let two of your top teams roll out new uniforms, logos and colors in the old, baggy style 6 months before they, along with the rest of the league, have to change to the Performance Fit?

We're not talking about an emergency production run in January, we're talking about the fact that jerseys couldn't be found in three of the first four months of the season, and generally weren't available for the holiday shopping rush, which is such a no-brainer that it pains me to think the NHL, Sabres and/or RBK could be so stupid as to limit production (or allow Rbk to limit production) during that time. The all-star unveiling should not have been an issue in October, November and December, when the jersey was the hottest thing going despite being unavailable most of the time. It doesn't take a lot of business sense to realize that they probably lost a ton of sales by not having product available for the busiest shopping season of the year... <_<

 

FWIW, I doubt Reebok would be allowed to just limit production without the OK of the NHL and the individual teams, so if that is the case (limiting production) then the NHL is actually dumber than we thought. You have a hot team, with the hottest new jerseys on the market, leading the NHL in sales for two straight months - makes absolutely perfect sense to limit production. Maybe people want to buy the current, baggy version now, and will want another new one next year. Maybe there are people who want the slug and the 3rd. Maybe there are a lot of big people in WNY who can't or won't try to stuff themselves into a tight-fit jersey next year, so they wanted to get a baggy jersey this year. I can tell you for sure that if I ordered a slug or 3rd jersey now, and Rbk tried filling my order with one of their new "Performance Fit" jerseys, there would be hell to pay.

 

What would I like Quinn to say? How about ANYTHING? How about telling us if it is production issues, if they got so many orders that Rbk hasn't been able to keep up, if the All-Star announcement has anything to do with it, when they expect to have jerseys available, etc.

 

But again, the whole unveiling of the new uniforms has been a clusterfugg of immense proportions from day 1, so I guess we should have expected this...

 

Let's put this another way. What if Reebok takes in a 30% profit on a special run of the current jersey, but will take in a 60% profit when it sells the new model jersey?

 

As much as you argue demand, it's not going away. Somebody who wants a Sabres jersey at Xmas time will still want one in February or March. Who's going to say that since I didn't get my jersey for Xmas, now I don't want one?

 

So the demand isn't going anywhere. In fact, it will probably increase as the playoffs draw near.

 

So Reebok can sell a jersey at a 30% profit to a fan in December, or they can wait and sell a new model jersey to that same fan at a 60% profit in March.

 

I don't see this as a conspiracy against the fans, or the result of the league's or a particular person's stupidity. Like all business decisions, it's more likely an issue of dollars and cents.

[Bmwolf21]

And I disagree - I don't think any of these issues are a result of conscious business decisions by anyone - not by LQ, the Sabres, the league or Rbk. I think they are miscalculations, missteps and general mistakes. I think you are giving way too much credit to an entity that had to shut down for a year to correct its own poor business decisions of the past.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this whole thing. You seem to want to absolve the Sabres, the league and Rbk of pretty much any blame for any mistakes they made in this ongoing fiasco. That's fine. While I admit I was pretty pissed at LQ, the league and the Sabres in general for the way this whole thing was handled - from the design of the new logo to the leaks to the lack of product - I've moved past that. I'm done hammering them for the slug - I'll still make fun of it from time to time - but I actually like the jersey design.

 

Now I just want to know why, excuses and BS aside, we can't go onto NHL.com right now and place an order for a jersey - slug or retro. Why, when I am home in Rochester & Niagara Falls, I can't go into a sporting goods store and find an adult jersey anywhere. I'd like to know if or when we'll see some jerseys available somewhere other than in the arena store. Most of all, I want the answer to come from the man who said that if we hated the slug, we could blame him. I don't want the speculations of a blogger, the musings of a message board poster, or the insight of some guy's friend who happens to delivery LQ's lunch.

[jad1]

And I disagree - I don't think any of these issues are a result of conscious business decisions by anyone - not by LQ, the Sabres, the league or Rbk. I think they are miscalculations, missteps and general mistakes. I think you are giving way too much credit to an entity that had to shut down for a year to correct its own poor business decisions of the past.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this whole thing. You seem to want to absolve the Sabres, the league and Rbk of pretty much any blame for any mistakes they made in this ongoing fiasco. That's fine. While I admit I was pretty pissed at LQ, the league and the Sabres in general for the way this whole thing was handled - from the design of the new logo to the leaks to the lack of product - I've moved past that. I'm done hammering them for the slug - I'll still make fun of it from time to time - but I actually like the jersey design.

 

So we'll agree to disagree on this issue. I'll stake my opinion that the reason is based on bottom line decisions (it is no longer cost-effective to mass-produce the old model jerseys).

 

Your opinion is that for some unexplanable reason, Quinn, Reebok and the NHL have purposely agreed not to meet their orders. Or, that even though Reebok has had more than enough time to ramp up production, they're all too stupid or inept to figure out how to increase their production.

 

 

Now I just want to know why, excuses and BS aside, we can't go onto NHL.com right now and place an order for a jersey - slug or retro. Why, when I am home in Rochester & Niagara Falls, I can't go into a sporting goods store and find an adult jersey anywhere. I'd like to know if or when we'll see some jerseys available somewhere other than in the arena store. Most of all, I want the answer to come from the man who said that if we hated the slug, we could blame him. I don't want the speculations of a blogger, the musings of a message board poster, or the insight of some guy's friend who happens to delivery LQ's lunch.

 

If you continue to follow your opinion of the situation, yes, this makes no sense. It's a complete mystery.

 

However, if you consider that Reebok has ceased producing the old jerseys, you could assume that the existing stock of the old jerseys has been sold out, and that once Reebok sets a release date for the new jerseys, they will resume taking orders on NHL.com.

 

So in an effort to limit back-orders, they've stopped taking orders until they've stocked up their inventory with new jerseys. Once they gear up the new production lines, there will be enough inventory to fill the racks at sporting good stores.

[LabattBlue]

So we'll agree to disagree on this issue. I'll stake my opinion that the reason is based on bottom line decisions (it is no longer cost-effective to mass-produce the old model jerseys).

 

Your opinion is that for some unexplanable reason, Quinn, Reebok and the NHL have purposely agreed not to meet their orders. Or, that even though Reebok has had more than enough time to ramp up production, they're all too stupid or inept to figure out how to increase their production.

If you continue to follow your opinion of the situation, yes, this makes no sense. It's a complete mystery.

 

However, if you consider that Reebok has ceased producing the old jerseys, you could assume that the existing stock of the old jerseys has been sold out, and that once Reebok sets a release date for the new jerseys, they will resume taking orders on NHL.com.

 

So in an effort to limit back-orders, they've stopped taking orders until they've stocked up their inventory with new jerseys. Once they gear up the new production lines, there will be enough inventory to fill the racks at sporting good stores.

Explain it away however you want to, but what it comes down to is you have one of the 4 major sporting leagues in the country combined with one of the larget sporting apparal manufacturers in the world and what we end up with is a MAJOR LEAGUE CLUSTERF-U-C-K!! The whole goddam thing is embarrassing no matter how you spin it. :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:

[jad1]

Explain it away however you want to, but what it comes down to is you have one of the 4 major sporting leagues in the country combined with one of the larget sporting apparal manufacturers in the world and what we end up with is a MAJOR LEAGUE CLUSTERF-U-C-K!! The whole goddam thing is embarrassing no matter how you spin it. :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:

 

Again, approach it from a business point of view. The NHL, Sabres, and Reebok increased sales by more than 1,000% for the team over last year.

 

If you were a CEO and one of your sales divisions increased revenue by that much, would you term it a cluster-f***. Probably not.

 

This whole jam up wasn't caused by the Sabres re-design. It was cause by the league-wide redesign of the jerseys. And since Reebok and the NHL are probably expecting a bump in sales with the release of the new jersey, the current issues they are having with the Sabres merchandise is viewed as an acceptable cost risk.

 

Now, no doubt it sucks to be on the consumer end, of this (I was caught up in it too, and sent NHL.com a message indicating my displeasure). But I find it hard to believe that the NHL, Sabres or Reebok are flying blind here.

[Bmwolf21]

Again, approach it from a business point of view. The NHL, Sabres, and Reebok increased sales by more than 1,000% for the team over last year.

If you were a CEO and one of your sales divisions increased revenue by that much, would you term it a cluster-f***. Probably not.

 

This whole jam up wasn't caused by the Sabres re-design. It was cause by the league-wide redesign of the jerseys. And since Reebok and the NHL are probably expecting a bump in sales with the release of the new jersey, the current issues they are having with the Sabres merchandise is viewed as an acceptable cost risk.

 

Now, no doubt it sucks to be on the consumer end, of this (I was caught up in it too, and sent NHL.com a message indicating my displeasure). But I find it hard to believe that the NHL, Sabres or Reebok are flying blind here.

I agree we're going to disagree on this, but the business point you've made makes little sense. From a business sense POV, you have a new item that has increased sales by 1,000% and you can't keep it in stock - so you limit production runs, and/or fail to/refuse to ramp up production when demand exceeds your expectations (and current availability?) Or do you wait until the rest of the league unveils their new jersey designs (essentially prototypes) and hope that the Sabres don't cool off on the ice or in the market, hoping that demand will be as high in three months as it was at the beginning of the season and in the holiday shopping season? That would seem to be the opposite of the old "strike while the iron is hot" philosophy.

 

And the re-design of the rest of the league's jerseys shouldn't affect the production of jerseys currently available for sale. Even if they are producing prototypes for the players to test and to market to the team & league officials, it shouldn't have that much of an impact on the production of current jerseys.

 

I am starting to think for some reason, be it diminished expectations, league mandate or some other reason, the team, league or Rbk capped how many of the new jerseys Rbk would produce.

[thesportsbuff]

i ordered my jersey thanksgiving day from nhl.com and am yet to hear anything about it, other than that they would email me when it's shipped.

[LabattBlue]

i ordered my jersey thanksgiving day from nhl.com and am yet to hear anything about it, other than that they would email me when it's shipped.

Call Quinny and ask him WTF is going on with your jersey. I'm sure he'll get to the bottom of it and give you a straight up answer because that is the kind of guy he is.