Do Not Underestimate the Power of the Fans! | Reflecting on the John Scott/NHL Controversy
This season’s NHL All-Star Game brought about many firsts, for not only the league and players but also for the fans. Should a league be allowed to influence who is allowed or not allowed to play in their respective “All-Star” game? One thing we know for sure, is that this season’s NHL All-Star Game will certainly be remembered. The John Scott controversy with the NHL leading up to the game set the stage for a very exciting All-Star weekend in Nashville, TN.
As the plot thickened, the opinions of so many began flooding the media and internet. John Scott’s own perspective on the matter was shared two days prior to the game, via
The Players Tribune. No matter what point of views or side you favor, there is one very valuable lesson that we can all takeaway from this controversy; Whether you are a casual or avid fan who deeply engages with a specific team or sport, your opinions really
DO MATTER.
The “should we let him play, should we not let him play” (NHL) versus John Scott’s own perspective proves that the voice of the fan has the ability to be heard loud and clear.
This entire controversy and the extreme amount of John Scott coverage is actually a product of the fan’s reaction. It is because of the “Fan Vote” that John Scott got selected as a captain in the NHL All-Star Game. The most incredible part of it all, is that John Scott went from possible ineligibility to being the All-Star Game MVP, where he put on quite a show and scored two goals!
Let’s take a look at some NHL content regarding John Scott:
The NHL via FACEBOOK
and thousands upon thousands of fans responded:
Now let’s not forget about Twitter!
Fans will always express their opinion when it comes to topics that they feel strongly about. A team relocation, player trade, even an executive shift within an organization can cause contention with fans. What we should takeaway from John Scott and the NHL, is that the voice of the fan can be very powerful. The voice of the fan’s can ultimately have an affect on athletes, teams, and games. Professional athletes, teams and other influential organizations within the sports industry cannot ignore or underestimate the power of the fan opinion.