More Bitter Than Sweet

This is one of the big signs found at the Hershey chocolate and candy factory found in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I have nothing against Hershey whatsoever, and I happen to think they do a great job in being confectioners when it comes to their products. I'm sure there are some who feel differently, but that's neither here nor there when it comes to this article because this one is more about the hockey team that calls the city of Hershey home. Specifically, it's about their new jerseys.

Some of you may be aware that the hockey team known as the Hershey Bears was originally called the "B'ars" when they played as an amateur team. That name was a reference to Milton S. Hershey's chocolate bar who brought the team to Hershey in order to entertain factory workers during their non-work hours. The amateur B'ars would eventually become the Bears when they entered the American Hockey League in 1938. The name change happened, in part, due to "sports writers who said the B'ars was not an imposing nickname".

Name history aside, the Hershey Bears have never let go of their confectionary beginnings as they still wear brown as one of their primary colours to represent Hershey's chocolate. I'm never one to tell a team to abandon its history because that history has so many stories woven into it, but sometimes there are misses when trying to add new chapters to that history.

The Bears' new alternate jersey is one of those misses.

There's are reasons why Philadelphia isn't "Cheesesteak City", why Montreal isn't "Poutineville", and why Buffalo isn't "Wingburgh". While all of those cities are known for the respective foods I've attached to them, those cities are so much more than just those foods.

Hershey, though, is kind of like DisneyWorld where everything in the commercial center is themed around the chocolatier's business right down to the Hershey Kiss-shaped street lamps. The Bears are owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, but the Giant Center where they play is owned by Derry Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority. Unsurprisingly, the arena is managed by the Hershey Entertainment Group.

What I'm saying is that I get the reasons for the "Chocolatetown" jersey. What I don't get is why the Bears are forced to wear that stupid name across their chests on this new alternate jersey.

Like the NBA's City Edition jerseys that used city nicknames on their jerseys, the AHL allowing Hershey to be "Chocolatetown" is worse than when the NHL allowed the Senators to be the "Sens" or the Lightning to be the "Bolts" on multiple different occasions. I still hate the fact that the Hurricanes were the "Canes" for a short time. Logos and team names are all part of a team's identity and branding. Using nicknames and non-traditional names lessens the brand.

"But Teebz," I hear you saying, "what about 'Habs' and 'Leafs' and 'Wings'? Those are all nicknames."

They are, but they've never been worn as a primary name or logo on a jersey. It's why the Penguins don't wear "Pens" and the Avalanche don't wear "Avs". Yes, those names are used in conversation and in informal situations, but they are professional hockey clubs who use their professional names on their uniforms and in professional settings. There are no exceptions because that's their branding.

If you don't know anything about Hershey, Pennsylvania, the "Chocolatetown" name makes no sense. While the Hershey company is certainly part of their legacy and history, the Bears have as many ties to Hershey chocolate today as the Pittsburgh Penguins do to Boston. That is to say that the only tie they share are both are owned by groups from those respective cities, and the Penguins have never referred to their home as "Steel City" in a professional setting.

Again, a segment of readers might be saying, "Teebz, this is a weird hill to die on," and you wouldn't be wrong. I get that I feel strongly about this and that others may not agree with this stance, but the Hershey Bears have more than enough hockey history to be something more than a marketing tool for the largest employer in Hershey. The Bears will argue that this was never the intention and they're just having a little fun with their civic name, but Hershey's Chocolatetown is the amusement park owned by Hershey. It's not even a fun name for the city of Hershey nor has it been used in the past to reference Hershey, Pennsylvania. It simply makes no sense.

Beyond my strong dislike of the name, the collegiate aesthetics of the script name across the front of the jersey just doesn't work. I know this style of jersey was used in the past by the Bears, but the length of the "Chocolatetown" name plus the generic script font just makes this feel like a big miss. I do like the fantastic shoulder patch they'll be wearing on this jersey, but I can't get past how much I dislike "Chocolatetown" for me to like or appreciate this jersey.

While the chocolate may be sweet, the Chocolatetown jersey is not. It may just be me who is bitter, but this jersey, in my view, is missing key ingredients to make it palatable.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!