First Time Since May Ashford University Week 3 In

have two case need to read and each case need to answer four questions. 2 pages max

case1:

The Most Valuable Team in Hockey
The average professional hockey team is worth about $240 million. The sport’s popularity has
been growing. Sponsorships and merchandise sales have also increased. Yet some teams – such
as the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Phoenix Coyotes – are in very poor financial shape.
Other teams are being sold or shopped around for much less than $200 million- for example, the
St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, and Buffalo Sabres.
In contrast, Toronto’s team is the league’s most valuable at $521 million, with an operating
income of more than $81.8 million. In April 2013 the Leafs made it to the playoffs for the first
time since May 4, 2004. Although they have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967, a Leafs ticket
is coveted and games are sold out.
How can an underperforming product be the most valuable? Relatively good teams like the St.
Louis Blues and Nashville Predators are worth $157 million and $163 million, respectively, and
they are both losing money.
One consolation for Maple Leafs fans is that at least the team is not the Edmonton Oilers. The
Oilers won the draft lottery three years in a row – that is, they were the worst team in 2009-10,
2010-11, and the second worst team in 2011-12. In recent years, losing has become as much a
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tradition as winning was for the Oilers during their dynasty years in the 1980’s. However, like
the Maple Leafs, the Oilers are profitable and more valuable (at $212 million) than many other
teams in the NHL.
While strong teams are wondering what they can do to make money selling hockey in markets
like St. Louis and Nashville, weak teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers
are able to sell out their arenas while putting a relatively poor product on the ice. Consumers
seem to be getting something from being hockey fans that is uncorrelated with a winning team.
From the perspective of the NHL, it is important that the league can survive and thrive across all
30 teams. General Managers are left to wonder what the true value of hockey is for fans.
Questions
1. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, what value do the Maple Leafs provide to
their fans?
2. What type of involvement best describes Leafs fans? Describe.
3. Name two discrete emotions and explain their relevance to the Maple Leafs.
4. Does nostalgia affect how fans feel about underperforming products, such as the Toronto
Maple Leafs or Edmonton Oilers?