Proposed Pay-Before-You-Pump Law is unnecessary

I am against instituting a pay-before-you-pump law. While I typically pay at the pump with a credit card because it is convenient, I think making it mandatory to pay for gas before you pump will bring Halifax one more step to becoming a "big" city, where gas station attendants sit in locked booths behind bullet-proof glass, and we lose a bit more of our humanity in Halifax.

There were apparently 720 gasoline thefts that were reported to HRM police in 2008. While I am sure there were more than 720 instances where people drove away without paying for their gas since probably not all thefts were reported to police, this seems like a minuscule number, versus the number of transactions at gas stations in HRM last year.

According to the Chronicle Herald online, there are 420 gas stations in Nova Scotia. Let's say half of those are in HRM. That means for 210 or so gas stations in HRM, there are an average of 3 drive-offs every year (720 drive-offs divided by 210 or so gas stations). In a Newfoundland government report, the annual average sales volume for Canadian gas stations is 2,200,000 litres. This is a figure from the 1990's but let's just say it's about the same, since low-volume stations have been closing over the past decade. Let's say the average drive-off is a 50 litre fill-up. For a gas station to lose 150 litres of gas per year on an average annual sales volume of 2,200,000 litres is inconsequential.

Even if we use the numbers that were quoted in a recent allnovascotia.com article about Wayne Pace losing $100/week from his two gas stations, that is $50/week per station. Or, about the 50 litre average drive-off figure that I used earlier. Based on the average 2,200,000 litres a year figure, this $50 loss results in about 50 litres out of over 42,000 litres sold every week. That is 0.0012% of sales volume. Granted, the 50 litres that were stolen represent about twenty times that amount in terms of sales the station has to make to pay for the stolen gas, at a 5% profit margin. That still makes this a 2.4% profit problem, which has been solved with provincial gas price regulation, which has been proven to increase gas prices about 2 cents per litre, or about 2.4% of today's $0.85/litre price.

All businesses have losses due to theft from retail customers, whether it is shoplifting, non-payment after receiving the good or service, or stopping payment on a cheque that was written in advance of receiving the good. If someone wants to steal from you, they will find a way. Punishing the literal 99.9% of gas customers who pay for their gas seems heavy-handed to reduce a problem that is common to all businesses, regardless of their industry.

If rural gas stations have less of a problem with gas theft, then the pressure for them to upgrade their pumps to take credit card payment is less than it would be for urban stations, who reportedly have a bigger gas theft problem. This reduces the argument for the legislation, since the station owners who cannot afford the pump upgrade are apparently not as significant victims of this crime.

In my opinion, there is already plenty of legislation for gas stations. Adding another law to control consumer behaviour is unnecessary. If gas stations provide the pay-at-the-pump option as a convenience to their customer and it also reduces their loss due to theft, then it is a win-win. If the station owner chooses to not provide that service, then they reap the results of that business decision.

This is not even mentioning the legislation that gasoline is sold by volume, based on 15 degrees Celsius. Check out my post on that issue from last February.

Ben & Jerry's new flavor

Apparently Ben & Jerry's has invented a new ice cream flavour in honour of the new American president, it's called "Yes Pecan", a play on words of Obama's slogan "Yes We Can".

According to Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's Countdown -- one of my favourite shows on TV -- they are not considering a new flavour named after George W. Bush's tenure in the White House. I would say W.'s presidency, but let's be real: he wasn't in charge, Cheney, Rove and Rumsfeld ran the show.

Here are Countdown's fictitious and hilarious Dubya-inspired ice cream flavours:

Abu Grape
Nut 'N' Accomplished
Iraqi Road
Wire Tap-ioca
Im-Peach Cobbler
Im-Peach Mint
Housing Crunch
Credit Crunch
Chunky Monkey-In-Chief (now a bit uncomfortable, given the recent New York Post cartoon and Countdown's response to the ensuing scandal)
W.M.D.-Licious
Heckuva Job Brownie
Grape Depression
I Broke the Law and Am Responsible For the Deaths of Thousands, WITH NUTS!

Thanks for a great show, Keith!

Rainmen lost a Heartbreaker to Vermont, 100-98

Strick was doing a passable impression of Rob Sanders, getting under the net and drawing fouls. Unfortunately, he was only 25% from the line.

Crook and Jeanty both had double-doubles, but Eric did not have a good night for free throws.

That is the story of the game: decent performances but not enough, especially from the line. Since Vermont was giving us lots of chances for charity points, maybe we should have sent AJ, Tony and Brian (who shot 14-18, including AJ's 5-5 from the line vs. Strick and Crook who were 3-18) to the hoop more to draw fouls. Just an amateur's opinion.

I am not sure why AJ only got 14 minutes, other than we are full of 4's and kinda 5's, so coach has to make a decision about who gets the minutes. Certainly, AJ was the best player on the Groove (which goes back to my thoughts about the best player on a poor team), but he should have a place here in Halifax. AJ was scoring 31 points a game while playing and average 37 minutes in Augusta, 10 more points average than Randy Gill, with the same playing time. AJ has talent, we need to fit him into the system.

Hammack must feel like the third person on a date, since Jimmy, Tony and Zach have been filling up the backcourt since Coach Berry's arrival. Once again, lots of talent at the 1 and 2, too many guys to fill the spots.

I wish our team was more balanced (so much for Lewis as a GM). I think the old way of recruiting for the Rainmen was, "He's good, let's sign him," with not a lot of thought about the existing make-up of the team. Look at the official website (which needs updating BTW. No mention of Berry and Sanders is still on the team): We are stacked with power forwards and what we really need are a centre who will mix it up and push his way around and a second shooter behind Silverhorn.

Either we need to work with the guys who are already on the roster at those positions (Tyronne and Glen) or we need to get replacements. At this point in the season, it is probably too late, but we need to address team balance next season.

Rainmen Ticket Prices

Interesting article in the March 2 issue of Canadian Business: “All Seats Must Go”. The subtitle is “Slashing ticket prices in the short term may attract more fans, but not in the long run.” The article by Andy Holloway is about the NHL, but I think it is relevant for all pro sports teams, especially in today’s economic climate. A lengthy excerpt:

“The NHL, unlike North America’s other three big sports leagues, doesn’t have a lucrative television deal. It’s still a ticket-driven business, with roughly 55% of revenue coming from getting paying bums in seats, so the temptation will be to cut prices if people stop going to the games. But while lowering prices midway through the season — or offering special deals, such as free concessions, parking or merchandise — might attract some, it could also adversely affect the team’s existing relationship with season ticket-holders or fans who bought tickets in advance. ‘You have to keep the integrity of season tickets’, says Doug MacLean, a former NHL general manager and currently an analyst on Sportsnet’s ‘Hockeycentral Tonight’.”

“Someone who has plunked down $25,000 for a pair of season tickets isn’t going to be happy when he starts to realize his seat neighbour is paying far less. The security of having tickets to the big games in advance only goes so far. Not only that, the number of annual paying customers is a key metric for improving other revenue streams. ‘The value of the ticket is very important in selling your franchise to corporate sponsors and radio and television,’ says MacLean.”

“Then again, if the number of empty seats continues to grow, concession sales suffer and corporate sponsors may start wondering why they’re spending any money at the arena at all.”

These are all points that have been brought up over the past season. Ticket price integrity is important to season ticket-holders. While the Rainmen front office has been responsive to some ideas, such as including season ticket-holders in BOGO, this article may give them some food for thought.

Goodbye Rob, Hello AJ!

The Rainmen defeated the Detroit Panthers last night, 100-89. If not for us losing one of the best players in the PBL and Detroit snagging one of the other best players in the league, this would have been a 20-30 point win, not an 11-point win. As for Randy Gill (ex of the Montreal Sasquatch), this was one time where the fans actually got into his head and he started blowing it, as did his teammates. I use that term loosely, because they were yelling at each other in almost every huddle at the bench. Gill does not seem to be a happy person, maybe his sunshine-y spirit is catching and the team will spiral even further down from here. I suspect Gill will regret signing with that team. If he becomes available, please please please DO NOT SIGN GILL!

Another player who was the whole team, ex-Augusta Groove forward AJ Milien is another Patriots-inspired signing. He took us to school in the pre-season, so when he became available, we signed him. Well done, Andre!

I just hope we don’t end up with an embarrassment of riches. We are almost at that point anyway. What I mean is we have so many talented players that not all of them get the minutes they deserve and they would get the minutes if they were on a weaker team. The result can be player frustration as well as losing their edge. Coach Berry has more to teach these guys than just X’s-and-O’s.

The best Rainmen players are probably used to being the best guy on the floor with any previous team they were on, now they are part of an ensemble cast, and egos may take a bit of a beating. Unless the players take on the New England Patriot mindset that it’s all about winning a championship but not necessarily being the guy with the most minutes, then we may see some defections to other teams where they can be the star, with the hope of being discovered.

IMO, a player has a better chance of being discovered by playing on a good team than being the standout on a poor team. It’s easy to be the best player on a crap team. Who do you have more respect for: Randy Moss or Chad Ocho Cinco? Randy is on a great team (Patriots) and plays well for them. Chad is on a perennial stinker of a team (Bengals) and doesn’t play well, despite his talent, because his teammates aren’t up to the task of matching his play. Sorry for the football references, but I follow the NFL more than I do the NBA.

Thoughts on the Rainmen's Schedule and Venue

Some other fans have brought up a couple ideas for the Rainmen, namely more games (3 a week) and a change of venue (Halifax Forum or Dartmouth Sportsplex). While I like the idea of more games in the same time frame, 3 games a week is too many for me as a fan. I have a life to live and a family to raise (not to mention the activities my kids are in), so there is no way I could commit to going 3 times a week, every week. Besides the time commitment, the cost of my 4 season ticket seats 3 times a week would get very expensive and I can’t see anyone buying season tickets for that intense a schedule, for this level of basketball. Not meaning the level of play is not worth the ticket price, but for our family, $300+ per week would add up pretty quick. I think you would have a lot more fan turnover, which increases the chances of fans not returning. That is why most sports franchises give discounts plus a lot of perks to their season ticket holders, because they are guaranteed sales.

Last season’s schedule was great: 18 home games over a few months gives fans a chance to schedule the Rainmen into their lives. 10 games, with breaks of a few weeks in between home stands, is too short. Just think how successful the Rainmen business could have been if we would have another 8 home games this year, with average attendance up like 50% from last season?

As for Metro Centre vs. another venue, we have already talked about this in Section 22/23. The Metro Centre has got to be the place. We are doing well attendance-wise and this will only increase, with a solid coach and more player talent than last season. If the Rainmen could handle the venue costs through the hardest part of establishing the team’s identity, it would be a mistake to now go to a smaller venue.

The Forum and Sportsplex are a big step down, as venues go, not just in size but in appearance, amenities, and overall feel. If we want the Rainmen to fail, send them to either of these places. A lot of people in Halifax will not go to Dartmouth — don’t get me started on that issue — and the Forum is so decrepit that a lot of people wouldn’t go there either, especially at current ticket prices. I know the team would save money, but at what cost? If we had started in the Forum and moved up to the Metro Centre this year, that would be one thing, but I honestly cannot see the long-term benefits of moving to a smaller location, especially if the D-League is a real goal for the Rainmen. For a city of 400,000, we should be able to put 4,000+ people in the stands every game. That is the difference between us and most other PBL teams: we have the population base to be very successful, once the public learns about the Rainmen. With Coach Berry and this year’s crop of players, we have the capability to really grow.

Rainmen Ticket Prices

Last Sunday's game features $5 tickets for children, resulting in an attendance of 4,012 -- the largest since our team's inaugural game. I think it is smart to have cheap seats for kids, say age 12 and under, because it gets them in the building. Once they are inside, they spend way more than the difference in the seat price in concessions and maybe even Rainmen gear. Plus, as cigarette advertisers know, get consumers’ loyalty while they are young and you have a better chance of keeping their loyalty for years.

One other thing, season ticket holders should not be paying 24% more than someone walking in off the street. I hope the front office looks into that for the coming season. I don’t mind paying as much as a single ticket buyer if there are benefits, but this is one area that the organization is a bit behind the curve. The meet & greet with the players before the season was a good start, but there needs to be more attention paid to this.

The Rainmen should offer cheaper season tickets and more meaningful benefits to faithful fans. The benefits don’t have to cost a lot.

A few ideas:
- Include season ticket holders in the 2-for-1 nights, or give them a free ticket near their season seats for one game to invite a friend and maybe get that new person to buy season tickets next year. I brought 2 friends last year who ended up buying 3 seats this year. It works.

- 1 free piece of Rainmen gear, either T-shirt or hat, or half-price hoodie, for every season ticket seat as well as discounts on additional purchases of Rainmen gear. This is probably the best way to increase the Rainmen’s visibility, especially among kids who would wear them to school, not to mention making the stands look Rainmen blue. Watch US college or major league sports and the stands that are full of fans wearing their team’s colours make a difference. It’s all about the fan’s sense of belonging to the team and building their loyalty, not to mention the psychological power it would have on the visiting teams.

- More season-ticket-holder-only events. These don’t have to be expensive, and if there was a cost to attend, keep it under $10/person and provide value for that money. Better options would be the “Season Ticket Holder Experience” events that don’t cost anything, like an afternoon with the Rainmen where kids would have some court time with the players. How cool would that be?

- A free program! I bought programs every game last year, despite having virtually no new information in each issue. This year, I can’t even find someone who sells them. I think a free program for season ticket holders is a cheap way to keep them informed during the games.

- Your seats guaranteed, available to buy for playoffs. This goes without saying.

- Ticket exchange privileges: if you can’t make a game, you can switch tickets for extras to a game you can attend.

- A ticket donation program to get unused tickets into the hands of deserving children and charities and give the season ticket holder a tax deduction. I have not used all of my tickets and it is a shame that the seats go unused.

- Discounts on purchases from team sponsors. This is a win-win situation, increasing visibility for companies as sponsors of the Rainmen and helping their corporate citizen image.

- How about free face painting for season ticket holders before the games? Let’s get creative here!

- A sit-in session with new Coach Les Berry, in a Chalk Talk event? I know a lot of people who post on here would love to get an “insider” appreciation for Coach Berry’s strategies.

- Honorary Ball Kid. Have a lottery to choose season ticket holding children to be able to rebound balls for the Rainmen during pre-game warmups.

Most of these are essentially free or very low cost to the team and would add significantly to the “Season Ticket Holder Experience.”

It's The New Rainmen, Baby!

Last night's game was the most rewarding I have seen as a Rainmen fan. Halifax finally beat their nemesis, the Vermont Frost Heaves, 108-97. After a slow start under new coach Les Berry, the Rainmen pulled ahead in the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. There were are few mis-steps in the very early minutes, evidence of minimal practice time under Berry, who came in mid-week to replace outgoing coach Rick Lewis. The increased load of plays and different coaching style took a bit for the Rainmen to get used to, but once they did, Berry's leadership -- and the players' talent -- showed through.

As I said last night, this is The New Rainmen! Maybe PR should latch onto that, to wipe away the stain of the past little while.

If Berry takes a technical every game, I wouldn't mind, just don't get tossed.

Berry seemed to bring an assistant coach with him. I hope the Rainmen keep a place for Shannon Hansen, he is a super nice guy and he was very diplomatic when we were chatting after the game. He has said in an interview that he wants to be in Hali for a while, I hope he has a place at the New Rainmen table.

There is a new lineup that seems to be taking place, with almost no time for Lewis favourite Glenn Dandridge, Kevin Hammack or fan favourite John Strickland. Berry has favourites, and they appear to be David Bailey, Rob Sanders, Tony Bennett, and Brian Silverhorn. In my opinion, these guys deserve the increased time they got last night. Veterans like Eric Crookshank and Jimmy Twyman also played well, but their roles are being changed to fit into the new coach's system. I hope they recognize that team comes first, I am sure they will, since they have stuck with the Rainmen since last season.

Berry was losing his mind at the showoff plays that seem to be minor league ball's trademark: length-of-court Hail Mary passes for a break, no-look cross-court passes, and other flashy stuff that is great when it works and deflating when it doesn't. Unfortunately, the Rainmen's adrenaline seemed to be running a bit high and a few of their showy plays did not go well. I think Berry probably had a stern talk with them post-game. There is no need to give up possessions on stray no-look passes, especially against Vermont, who are no slouches.

Remember, gents, we are not the Globetrotters; more importantly, our opponents are not the Washington Generals who are paid to lose every time. While I enjoy huge dunks and no-looks as much as the next fan (which is obvious, since apparently, I am sitting close to the webcast microphone!), I would much rather see a W with good play and some showy stuff than an L with too much flash.

A note to congratulate the Heaves on having the most dedicated fans ever. It was good to see them, and impressive that they drove 19 hours straight from Buffalo, New York to watch their team. They logged a total of 41 hours of driving time to watch 96 minutes of basketball. That is commitment.

The BBC (Bailey's Brew Crew) will be meeting at the Elephant & Castle before Friday's game and after Sunday's game for some team spirit time. The E & C will have food and drink specials on for both those times, so it will be an affordable chance to get together with other fans and maybe even some players after Sunday's game. Wear your Rainmen gear!

Plus, the incomparable Dunc13 will be in Hali for these games, so fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the show from Section 23!

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

Some pretty incredible news in the past couple days. Andre Levingston has fired coach Rick Lewis and is on the hunt for a coach who will prepare the team "to contend for a championship". Shannon Hanson, the Rainmen Assistant Coach since Day 1, is the interim head coach. After one and a half seasons as the Assistant Coach, I think Shannon deserves a chance. His patience at being Lewis’ subordinate for that long should be repaid. Best of luck Shannon, I look forward to seeing what you can do!

Andre made it plain that he wants a coach who will lead the Rainmen to a championship. Way to go, Andre!

Metro newspaper asks whether Eric Crookshank will be brought back into the active roster, now that Rick Lewis is gone. Eric should be brought back immediately. If, as Chad Lucas says, we need to finish 7-2 for a realistic chance at the playoffs, then why wouldn’t we plug EC in right away?

In other news, Rodney Mayes was let go from the team. I think the writing was on the wall for Mayes when he was given the #20 jersey. I feel bad for him that the notice about his release was tacked on the end of the story about Lewis being fired.

So will Andre take over as GM? Coach and GM are two different jobs and Lewis had both of them. If Andre can find a talented individual, could that guy wear both hats? Given the shortness of the season, he probably could.

One last thing: Part of me feels like this is an Obama Taking Office moment. Just as the TV pundits (Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, etc.) are scrambling for content after Bush left, with a new coach, what will this blog be like with no one to complain about?

A Letter to Andre Levingston, Rainmen team owner

Dear Andre,

It pains me to have to write this letter to you. After reading about Cordell Jeanty's benching in the newspaper today, I have to wonder: How can the Rainmen front office continue to stick their heads in the sand? Andre, you are a successful businessman, aren't you? How can you not see that Lewis is messing up so much that this team, as a business, may not last long enough to make it to next season?

With only a handful of home games left, what the Rainmen need is a total transformation from a team with talent that can't win the tough games into a talented team that has a chance to win it all. The real answer is THE COACH HAS TO GO.

Andre, other professional sports teams fire their coaches all the time. When the talent on the field exceeds the talent on the sideline but the team still falters, it is obvious what part of the equation has to change.

Andre, do what is best for the business. Emotions are not part of it, look how negative emotions hurt the business with Lewis punishing talented players for daring to question his authority. The players are punished but it is the team, the fans, and ultimately your bottom line that will suffer.

As a player and coach myself, I used to give Lewis the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes players have to be reminded who is the coach and who is the player. However, in his parting comments to the newspaper, SirVal merely expressed what all of us fans have been saying for a long time now, in conversations with each other and on Section 23, Chris Parson's blog (which is the main source of news and opinion about the Rainmen). Lewis is the obstacle to the Rainmen's success. With all of the recent negative press about the Rainmen, people who are just learning about the Rainmen are getting a lot of reasons to decide against buying tickets, let alone buying any merchandise.

I personally had two friends buy season tickets this year, based on my bringing them to a couple games last year with my season tickets (which I renewed). One of these friends, a regular commenter on the Section 23 blog, has seriously wondered aloud to me about getting a refund. If he is thinking like that -- and he is a basketball fan, an athlete, and a coach -- imagine what a casual observer must think about the Rainmen and whether to even attend a single game or not. This all adds up to losses for the Rainmen and I am not just talking about the score at the end of each game.

How about next year? With Crookshank and Jeanty -- two talented and experienced players -- being benched over coaching disputes with Lewis, if the coach is still with the team next year, how many new recruits will you get?

Halifax has the potential to be the most successful team in the league. We have the population, the venue, and the talent on the court. What we don't have is the coach to bring success to the team. It would deeply sadden me as well as a lot of other fans in Halifax to see the Rainmen fail because of Rick Lewis.

Andre, if it has to be about the dollars and cents, then so be it. Lewis must go.

Thank you for bringing the Rainmen to Halifax. I sincerely hope you make the necessary decision to further the team's success and its future in Halifax.

Best regards,

Phil Kempton

Rainmen Fall in Manchester and to Third in Division

Metro newspaper has a story about the game in which, once again, Lewis blames the recent losses to Vermont and Manchester on the players having “lapses”.

Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition of lapse, with my comments thrown in for free:
1 a: a slight error typically due to forgetfulness or inattention (Lewis' inattention during games is what is making them lose)
b: a temporary deviation or fall especially from a higher to a lower state (like from first in our division to third in two games?)
2: a becoming less : decline (we have certainly seen a decline since EC was benched)
3 a (1): the termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within some limit of time (Lewis has neglected to properly use the talent he has been given, time to terminate his rights and privileges as coach)
(2): termination of coverage for nonpayment of premiums b: interruption , discontinuance (benching two of your best players and giving the team to a mid-season replacement is a good was to INSURE that your players resent and mistrust you as a coach)
4: an abandonment of religious faith (there are definitely some fans who have lost their faith in the Rainmen, and some players too, so I hear)
5: a passage of time ; also : interval (everyone outside the Rainmen front office agree that Lewis' time has passed. Time for some new blood in coach and GM!)

Benching 2 of your strongest players and not really coaching during the games are the real reasons the Rainmen lose these types of matches.

At this point, I am waiting for players to start leaving of their own free will. We will see how attendance is for the rest of the home games. My guess is that semi-interested fans will give up on the Rainmen, if they read these news stories at all.

Hey Lewis, when you have a problem with everyone around you, it is probably not the others who are the problem.

Rainmen drop a winnable game to Vermont, 122-110

Given Vermont inconsistency this year and despite our inconsistency (!), we could have beaten Vermont. From what I gather the officiating was so bad that the webcast announcers were commenting on it, the fact remains that Coach Rick Lewis cannot get the job done. Vermont's coach Will Voigt proved again that he is the superior coach, which isn't too hard. Rick Lewis has decided that the saviour of the team is a guy who flew in on Thursday. He is already Lewis' go-to guy in the crunch, despite having virtually no practice time with the Rainmen. With decent PGs like Hammack and Ramey already on the team, why do we have a new guy who is like Patrice O’Neal from our first season: hogging the ball and taking too many shots himself when all we need is a few more seconds to develop the play? Of course, that strategy only works when we have more than one play.

I gave Lewis the benefit of the doubt last year as a rookie coach with a first-year team, but with the talent on this year’s squad, his shortcomings as a coach are even more embarrassing, not to mention his miscues as a GM, tripling up on a certain position (PG) and leaving others (a true centre) woefully inadequate.

It’s almost like he is not yet finished reading the Basketball Coaching For Dummies book. I think he stopped at the page on PT where it says to make the players run up and down the court and to practice their verts. He needs to skip to the end of the book where it says how to win against teams that are as good as yours or better in order to actually make the playoffs. And eat humble pie and re-instate Eric Crookshank.