Panthers president Yormark sparks bizarre Twitter dispute with local beat writer

by Donny Rivette on Mar 1, 2011 12:16 AM EST in Florida Panthers News & Analysis

We were laying off of this early but it developed so rapidly - becoming a "story" of its own - that we had to mention it.

Late Monday night - following an action-packed, forward-thinking NHL Trade Deadline by his own club - Florida Panthers President/COO Michael Yormark lobbed a thinly-veiled Twitter bomb at the doorstep of George Richards, longtime Miami Herald pucks guru, host of On Frozen Pond, and all-around MSM best-friend to the South Florida hockey community.

A bit of background, via recent Yormark tweets:

At heat game now. Panthers game experience is so much better. More kids. More families. More excitement. More passion. More energy. 9:04 PM Feb 27th via OpenBea

At the gym. Going to carolina with the team tonight. Bringing some special guests with me from saveology.com. Should be a busy day.

Great moves by dale today. We have so much flexibility moving forward. He can finally bring in his kind of players. Its a new day here! about 9 hours ago via OpenBeak

Leaving with team to carolina now. Grt day for cats Sitting next to reid shapiro of saveology.com, who was just put on dales advisory board

(Nice touch placing a big-ticket sponsor on "Dale's" - presumably Tallon, duh - advisory board. Feeling so much more secure about the hockey ops blueprint now that advertisers are involved in the decision-making process. G'night!)

You get the picture. Then came this daisy cutter:

love george richard's tweets. He just doesn't get it He probably spends too much time in the adt club and not enough time doing his homework about 2 hours ago via OpenBeak

For reference, the ADT Club is an all-inclusive ticket; food/beer/wine are part of the deal. As a credentialed member of the media, tickets to any area aren't an issue. Of course, Richards provided the appropriate - and richly deserved - snark:

OnFrozenPond Bad weather headed to Raleigh...need to find one of those ADT Clubs I've heard so much about - about one hour ago

Exactly what is being implied here by the president and chief operating officer of a National Hockey League franchise? A club with only two regular beat writers (there's that annoying no-playoffs-in-ten-years thing!). A team which carries a diminished yet ferociously-dedicated fanbase into yet another "rebuild", albeit one we can actually sign our names to with confidence. One step forward, two big leaps back.

Richards has forever gone the extra mile for Panthers fans in what's been a limited market, providing video clips and real-time mailbags and a dozen other selfless offerings which a lesser journalist would never expend energy on.

If this is a personal rift between the two then it should be handled as such; not on a social media network. Helluva price to pay for whichever party winds up in the "wrong", at least publicly.

GR has taken the very highest of roads in responding to this mess, but man...what a tale he could tell. Yormark's meetings with members of the local media are underground legend down these here parts.

Can't imagine Tallon, Bill Torrey, or managing partner Cliff Viner are too thrilled after a tremendously positive day. Or perhaps they are; their rep just spoke for the entire organization.

UPDATE, 3/1: Richards, Yormark, and Randy Moller have all confirmed this is much ado about nothing. Passing it along.

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Comments

There was this exchange, which I thought was telling:

@sunsentinello:
@onfrozenpond i’ve known that kid since he was a pup. great guy. think yormark was just taking a stab at humor?

@OnFrozenPond:
@sunsentinello yes on the humor part…but he had to throw in the sponsor

Don’t think GR is taking this too seriously.

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 12:24 AM EST reply actions

He’s not. But it illustrates a far larger – dare I say cancerous – issue within the organization.

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus. Hit me up at Twitter and our Facebook FanPage

by Donny Rivette on Mar 1, 2011 12:44 AM EST up reply actions

Oh, you’ll get no argument from me on that point.

I do wonder if there will be fallout from this, and if so, what it might be.

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 12:45 AM EST up reply actions

From GR on Twitter, just now:

@OnFrozenPond:
First, thanks to all my friends out there — new and old. But this is no big deal, not even a blip (cont.)

@YormarkPanthers does not owe me apology for comment. He was just having fun – and naming a sponsor a same time

We’ve done this dance before…just not on Twitter

I found the whole thing funny, hence why I retweeted original message…sure it got him some followers

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 12:27 AM EST reply actions

If that is indeed the case it should NEVER have played out in this fashion. Again…Yormark has placed the entire franchise in PR hell with such a stunt.

The guy is a master salesman who has kept the organization afloat during these lean years but shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a microphone or camera. The entire hockey community is now allied against MY’s words and it will take a bundle of goodwill to win them back.

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus. Hit me up at Twitter and our Facebook FanPage

by Donny Rivette on Mar 1, 2011 12:51 AM EST up reply actions

The guy is a master salesman who has kept the organization afloat during these lean years but shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a microphone or camera.

You’ll get absolutely no argument from me on this point, either.

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 12:57 AM EST up reply actions

I’d beg to differ from what I’ve been told on his experience and efforts when he was in Tampa he’s not. I can’t say more unfortunately.

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Mar 1, 2011 6:21 AM EST up reply actions

Whomever said “used car salesman” perhaps said it best…

"We don't need the designated goon. Those fights aren't even fun to watch." -Mike Milbury

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus.

by John Beatty on Mar 1, 2011 8:27 AM EST up reply actions

That would be the appropriate definition of Mr. Yormark. He’s 100% a hard worker but other aspects are lacking.

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Mar 1, 2011 8:55 AM EST up reply actions

Good for him for taking the high road. Don’t know that I would’ve done it. No idea what the relationship is between GR and the Prez, or if there is one, but either way, it was either a bad attempt to fit a bad joke in 140 characters, or just a cheap, unnecessary, unprofessional shot at half of the organization’s beat writers, who like them or not, are probably the most direct line to the fans that the team has.

by kSelvig on Mar 1, 2011 12:41 AM EST reply actions

There is a long, sordid, sorry history between he and members of the media – as well as former employees of the Panthers’ staff.

This is not in any way a personal attack on the man; simply expressing my own opinions and observations on the professional end; at times like this I am thoroughly embarrassed to – completely unofficially – represent a small segment of Panthers fandom.

This is so minor league.

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus. Hit me up at Twitter and our Facebook FanPage

by Donny Rivette on Mar 1, 2011 1:00 AM EST up reply actions

I thought his potshots at the Heat, and earlier ones aimed at the NBA and NFL in general, were just as classless as his tweet about Richards, if not more so. But, yeah, that’s Yormark – never, ever been known for his class.

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 1:15 AM EST up reply actions

“classless and unprofessional”, I meant to say. Wish we could edit our posts here sometimes. :)

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 1:17 AM EST up reply actions

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Mar 1, 2011 6:22 AM EST up reply actions

Wait...

Yormark unprofessional and classless? Damaging the organization? The same man who put the team logo on urinal cakes in the BankAtlantic Center? Surely you just.

by badger737 on Mar 1, 2011 8:06 AM EST reply actions

*jest….it’s way too early this morning.

by badger737 on Mar 1, 2011 8:06 AM EST up reply actions

Michael Yormark – the man who puts TWIT in Twitter.

by OldDave on Mar 1, 2011 8:10 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

+1

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 10:14 AM EST up reply actions

Ugh...

Sitting next to reid shapiro of saveology.com, who was just put on dales advisory board

I hope this isn’t true. A hockey organization (or any quality sports organization) can not be run or advised by people whose sole interest in the team is getting their business name plastered on every dasher or urinal in the arena.

Please Mr. Torrey, make sure that this doesn’t happen!

by Ryan Meier on Mar 1, 2011 8:20 AM EST reply actions

If Dale is actually taking advice from a board of non-hockey people, this team is screwed. I think Tallon has the good sense to smile and listen politely, then do whatever he thinks is right regardless what some “advisory board” says.

by jimmyh71 on Mar 1, 2011 8:51 AM EST up reply actions

agreed.

by maple on Mar 1, 2011 10:13 AM EST up reply actions

This part gets to me. I’m sure Tallon can handle the situation. But placing advertisers on an “advisory board” is inane. That’s not business, that’s idiocy. Pure Yormark.

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Mar 1, 2011 8:57 AM EST up reply actions

What worries me is that Yormark is more endeared to the folks who own the team than true hockey people are like Bill Torrey, Dale Tallon, etc.

by Ryan Meier on Mar 1, 2011 9:17 AM EST up reply actions

At heat game now. Panthers game experience is so much better. More kids. More families. More excitement. More passion. More energy. 9:04 PM Feb 27th via OpenBea

Next Yormark will rename the BAC the CCC – Chuck E. Cheese Center. It’s beginning to feel like I am attending a Party City party @ Chuck E. Cheese’s instead of a kids attending and adult hockey game. To old for diapers maybe i will wear “depends” just to feel like I belong there.

by trapazoid on Mar 1, 2011 10:08 AM EST reply actions

Ugh, I know. I hate those Sunday games, full of screaming children. I had one climbing all over me last year when the Isles were in town.

And no, I’m not against children being at the games. I see plenty of children at the games who are well behaved. But those awful “kids day” games are when the people who bring their children to two games a year show up with their poorly behaved brats in tow. The regulars are great. People who bring their children to games often tend to teach them how the game works and how to behave.

In short, taunting the refs is good, throwing food off the upper deck is bad.

"We don't need the designated goon. Those fights aren't even fun to watch." -Mike Milbury

Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus.

by John Beatty on Mar 1, 2011 10:23 AM EST up reply actions

Dont forget the Jet Blue Jerseys!

CFS93

by chesterbardo on Mar 1, 2011 10:28 AM EST via mobile reply actions

With the “Happy Cat” logo!

Florida Panthers. Good Hockey, Great Advertising!

by coasterg on Mar 1, 2011 10:30 AM EST up reply actions

I started taking my 9 y.o. son when Koslov was playing for the team

But, he was attending NHL hockey games not kid parties. I have yet to have had a bad experience with the kids that attend our games. That being said, Yormark is trying to turn this into an experience that it was not intended to be – This is an adult event, kids and families welcome. Not, this is a kids game adults welcome. I still say that the opening kids oriented video does nothing to inspire me as a fan as it did in previous years. Not to mention it probably cost Yormark nothing to produce as it appears to shot entirely on a home video camera. Oh wait I get it now. PDB, little kids, Jr. Hockey, younger team, future SSO’s, more food (candy) sales, and absolutely no criticism from the kids. That’s it! Got it now.

by trapazoid on Mar 1, 2011 10:57 AM EST reply actions 1 recs