Subway. Sub what? Sub why?

Remember how frumpy and unattractive reality star Kate Gosselin was when she first started appearing on television?


Well, eventually she got a stylist. And it did wonders for her. I'm thinking it's about time the Los Angeles Kings got a stylist. Sure they've had the makeover wonders of Dean Lombardi for the past few years... and he's taken the Los Angeles Kings from being frumpy and unattractive to being one of the most sought after young starlets in all of the NHL. But just when you think the Los Angeles Kings have it all together and full understand their "brand"... they go and do something like this:


Subway has come on as the corporate sponsor for the made-up "Freeway Face-Off" crosstown rivalry between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. It's bad enough that they have been trying to brand this divisional matchup for 2 years... but now... they've made it even more confusing for fans. You can't take the subway from Los Angeles to Anaheim. You can barely take the subway anywhere in Los Angeles that you need to go. You have to take the Freeway. That's just how it is here. If this were the Yankees-Mets crosstown rivalry and Subway stepped into being a corporate sponsor... then you have genius synergy marketing. I feel like Toyota missed out big time on sponsoring this one. Or even the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority could have stepped up. The "Metro Freeway Face-Off! Brought to you by the 405! Come check out our new lanes!"

A before and after of the "Freeway Face-Off" logo:

Old.

New.

As Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy, the VP of Design and Acquisitions for The Royal Half, commented to me this morning... "that design is god awful and the Subway logo is bigger than the team logos." You would also think that maybe Subway would have a presence at Staples Center in order to sponsor this rivalry... but sadly there is no way to get a delicious Italian BMT sub anywhere in the arena during the game. In fact the closest Subway to Staples is 4 blocks away. Unless you are talking about the Metro Blue Link Subway stop, which is only 2 blocks away... see I'm confused! All this talk about playing the Ducks just makes me realize how inefficient our public transportation is in Los Angeles! Maybe the Kings should have gone with "The Budweiser Lounge's Fish Taco Freeway Face-Off."

Just like most of Hollywood... the Kings have turned from a fresh-faced young teen star...


Into a raging force that is getting a ton of attention...


Tonight, against the Anaheim Ducks in the first "Subway™ Freeway Face-Off" of the NHL season, the Kings will look to shake loose from their annoying cousin from Orange County. This season, since the Ducks have struggled from the start, the Kings need to win these games to further distance itself from the always dangerous Ducks team. I almost feel like the Ducks just started out this season poorly so they could make it interesting. And then, after the Olympic Break, all of their amazing players will say "okay, now let's do this for real" and they will shoot up past everyone in the Pacific.

I may not be happy with the Kings decisions in terms of corporate partners... but I've definitely approved of their Hollywood makeover so far. I just hope they don't end up as annoying as this guy: