Sorry, Chris Ilitch, but you definitely do not “get it.”
By this point, Detroit Red Wings fans don’t need any more proof of the team owner’s aloof, tone-deaf posture. But Ilitch was happy to provide it anyway with the misguided, say-nothing message he posted on – and I can’t believe I’m typing this – his LinkedIn profile.
It’s one of the oddest ways for a team owner to deliver a message since Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert ripped LeBron James for leaving in 2010 by writing a letter to fans in Comic Sans – a font usually reserved for comic-strip speech bubbles and “hang in there” kitten posters.
Ilitch clearly wanted to do some damage control after the nightmarish summer the Wings had that has bled into the start of a nightmarish season filled
with empty seats, booing of their former captain who wants to leave, and “sell the team” chants directed at Ilitch.
I give Ilitch credit at least for responding in some way after the Wings lost their first two games at home.
But the place to deliver that response was at a press conference with reporters. Of course, that would be his first since the Steve Yzerman hiring in April 2019.
Ilitch also could have used the Wings’ team website to post his message to fans. Or he could have released a statement through the media.
Instead, he chose LinkedIn, which I’m guessing he only turned to because he lost his passwords for Friendster, Yik Yak and Vine.
Ilitch kicked off his four-paragraph, 166-word missive by thanking fans and touting the Wings’ historical success, which feels very much like ancient history at this point, and attributed that success to “dedication and resilience.”
The whole thing should have come with a trigger warning, especially after he dropped a doozy, which was only missing the Comic Sans font.
“At the same time, I recognize fan frustrations,” he wrote. “I get it and certainly feel the same. Like our city, the Red Wings have experienced incredible triumphs and faced difficult challenges but have always met them with grit and determination.
“As the franchise begins its 101st season, I remain focused on building the championship-level organization that our Red Wings family and fans deserve.”
Ilitch got rightly cooked in the comments, which ranged from sarcastic to seething fury.
“Unless you are paying for season tickets out of your own wallet (no company write off) with absolutely no control over the product on the ice, just waiting for the powers that be to do the right thing, you cannot say you understand our frustration and it is offensive,” wrote a human resources vice president.
My best guess as to why he posted this on LinkedIn was so he could see comments from real [well, real-ish] people, as opposed to X or Instagram, which lets users easily hide their identity.
Someone should have reminded Ilitch he didn’t have to reinvent the wheel and he could have just copied another Detroit team owner’s approach.
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In 2022, when things were going sideways for coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes in their second season, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp held a short, informal press conference.
She took questions, said she believed in the process of building through the draft and was encouraged by the offense. She also said she wanted to speak with reporters because “really talking to you is talking to fans.”
It was a home run and it should have served as an example for Ilitch. Frankly, when the nepo-baby owner of a team that hasn’t won a title in nearly 70 years is outdoing another nepo-baby owner, that second nepo-baby owner should be embarrassed and reconsider his entire approach.
But I’m not here just to scold Ilitch. I’m willing to offer some free advice and a path forward:
If the Wings are struggling and fans aren’t showing up by the quarter point of the season in mid-November, Ilitch should hold a press conference. He should have ample time between now and then to come up with a plan and some talking points. Address the general manager situation. Explain why you removed Yzerman. Speak about the Dylan Larkin situation.
Chris, I get it. You want to sell tickets and stop being a laughingstock. If done well, these types of press conferences can accomplish both of those desires. It’s the right thing to do.
So, on behalf of all my fellow Detroit sportswriters, I look forward to your press conference invitation. Just make sure you don’t send it out in Comic Sans.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chris Ilitch proves he doesn’t get it with tone-deaf message to Wings fans
