Chill Factor: How a Minor-League Hockey Team Changed a City Forever

Description

The city of Columbus, Ohio, had always struggled to support any professional sports franchise. It's a town where Ohio State University reigns supreme, and everything else is less important. That was until 1991, when the Columbus Chill, a minor-league hockey franchise, arrived. Using Veeckian marketing tactics and on-ice shenanigans, the Chill becam

David Paitson was the President and General Manager of the Columbus Chill from 1991-98 and a career sports business executive. Paitson has worked in public relations and marketing capacities with the Indiana Pacers (NBA), the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), and as President of the Columbus Destroyers (AFL). He currently works as Associate Athletic Director at Sam Houston State University. He and his wife, Lauren, currently reside in Montgomery, Texas. Craig Merz, a lifelong Columbus, Ohio, resident, has witnessed the evolving Columbus sports scene from the stands and the press box, including a quarter century of reporting for the Columbus Dispatch. He has covered the Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL All-Star Game and Entry Drafts, as well the NCAA Frozen Four. Merz currently is a freelance writer for the Associated Press, MLSsoccer.com, Buckeye Sports Bulletin, and Columbus Monthly among others. Bob Hunter has been a sportswriter for the Columbus Dispatch for almost forty years. During that time, he has written about all sports, including hockey and the Columbus Chill. Hunter is the author of eight books, including The History and Fanaticism of Ohio State Football, and has won numerous writing awards. He currently resides in Westerville, Ohio.

"Chill Factor is a fun story of off-the-wall marketing and keen vision turning a college sports town into a major league NHL city." -Joe Pelletier, HockeyBookReviews.com "Chill Factor is a fun story of off-the-wall marketing and keen vision turning a college sports town into a major league NHL city." -Joe Pelletier, HockeyBookReviews.com