NY Islanders Blog Box

Congratulations to the NY Islanders for embracing a new(er) medium!

The NY Islanders are welcoming some of the blogs that follow the team them by issuing press credentials to some of their home games. I first read about this story on the WebInkNow site.

Some NY Islander bloggers will receive treatment like anyone else from the press. They'll receive:

• Game notes
• Access to team practices
• Player and coach interviews

This is a great move for the NY Islanders. It proves they want to push their brand to all of the fans, have confidence in their product, and realize that web 2.0 brings them closer to their customer base.

And when I say "confidence" I don't mean they think they'll win every game. I mean they are confident in how they are performing their job, that they are committed to creating a quality organization and are committed to growing their fan base (their customers).

The NY Islanders Blog Box is entering its second season. The team page links to blogs that discuss the team. Last year, they invited and provided press access for the NHL Draft in Ottawa for some of the bloggers in their blog box.

Its easy for all us to say, "why doesn't my team do this?" We should also ask the question, "why doesn't my employer do this?"

In the sports card and memorabilia world, maybe we should ask for this kind of access from the card companies, grading companies, and memorabilia companies?

The NY Islanders Blog Box is a case study for sports organizations and the corporate world.

Links:
http://www.webinknow.com/2008/08/ny-islanders-bl.html
http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=318161&page=NewsPage&service=page
http://islanders.nhl.com/blogbox/blog_box.htm