Chicago Wolves Honored for Best Team Introductions
December 5, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
The Chicago Wolves pregame show has been judged as the Best Team Introductions in professional sports by Gameops.com. The Lakewood, Ohio-based company crowned the Wolves as tops in this category as part of its Best Of 2013 awards review.
"We are honored to be named Best Team Introductions in professional sports by the industry experts at Gameops.com," said Mike Gordon, Wolves president of business operations. "Our organization takes great pride in our pregame show. It sets the tone for the entire evening."
Gameops.com founder and editor Jon Cudo asked the nationwide judging panel to determine "which team introduction is the best produced (and) executed, fresh and innovative" while taking into account "creativity, value to fans, execution, quality of presentation, fan interaction and attention to detail."
The Wolves introductions --- which are produced by senior vice president of operations Courtney Mahoney and feature the talents and skills of TV production manager Sarah Draheim, TV producer Stephen Fabro and TV intern Cameron Gibson, as well as nationally renowned special-effects company Strictly FX --- deliver fireworks, pyrotechnics and lasers that mesh perfectly with the team's pregame video, the dramatic reading of the Rudyard Kipling poem "The Law of the Jungle" and the Motley Crue song "Kickstart My Heart."
One Gameops.com panelist noted, "The Wolves created the most dramatic pyro show I've seen for an intro sequence. I like how they opened up the sequence with a focus on "ÃËThe Wolf' and its behavior and characteristics in storytelling fashion, with the Pack being the Wolf's top priority...it fits so well with a fan base supporting a team. Add to that they did a great job of synching their pyro hits with music cues."
The Gameops.com panel concluded, "Their combination of story-telling and execution with a variety of elements made this an impressive show in a crowded field."
Other organizations to receive top honors from Gameops.com during its Best Of 2013 awards review include the NBA's Chicago Bulls (best mascot) and Houston Rockets (best entertainment group) and MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates (best contest/promotion).
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