As the Ryan O’Reilly contract situation veers into the territory of becoming an untenable mess, we’re not only reminded of how this will impact the Colorado Avalanche on the ice, but also how it affects the team’s off-ice popularity.
We all know what O’Reilly brings to the team: as last season’s points leader, he’s was also the team’s hardest worker and most effective two-way player. He quickly became the heart and soul of the team and a fan favorite, so it’s a wonder why he wasn’t named captain while the youngster Gabriel Landeskog was instead given the honor. But his looming contract situation may have had something to do with that and since the Avs don’t take kindly to contract beefs, they may have been sending a message early on by making the young rookie the captain for the long haul instead of O’Reilly.
So O’Reilly’s absence is not only impacting the team (as we saw in its opening night flame out against the Wild), but it’s impacting his bank account, as well as the Avs ability to sell this team to a lock-out jaded public. O’Reilly is well liked by the fans and is just the sort of scrappy white guy they can sell to a mostly apathetic, Broncos-burned and Nuggets-fatigued public. Fans and teammates alike hope he comes back soon while management would like him back at the right price. But there’s something else you may not have considered.
What O’Reilly and the Avs are really missing out on is the potential bonanza of a cross promotion involving the young star and a certain auto parts chain. Have you heard the O’Reilly Auto Parts jingle? You probably know its familiar refrain of “Oh, oh, oh O’Reilly!” It’s hard to forget and/or remove from your brain. But here it is if you don’t know it. You can hear the jingle in the first few seconds:
O’Reilly could be O’Reilly’s spokesman in TV and radio spots and every time scores, the crowd can sing along to the catchy jingle. After the initial frenzy of the goal being scored, and his name is announced over the PA, everyone can sing along to “Oh, oh, oh O’Reilly!” and we’ll all feel great while being reminded of high quality auto parts and car wax. It will be like Pepsi Center’s version of the famous Mile High chant of “IN-COM-PLETE” and can help fill the gaps in any salary O’Reilly thinks he’s owed. How this opportunity has gone unnoticed is beyond me, but then again, why O’Reilly is not back in the Avs fold yet is just as incredible.