Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Golden State Warriors have been making their fans feel mighty warm and fuzzy, as, ahead of tomorrow’s home matchup versus the Los Angeles Lakers, the ballers have registered a combined 305 regular season and playoff victories and have brought two National Basketball Association titles to the Bay Area. In short, they have become a major shaper of contemporary competition and, with all due respect to the Western Conference-leading Houston Rockets, will be the club that motivates the opposition the most come the postseason.
However, no matter how successful any team proves, it is bound to catch heat for some reason, be it confounding draft picks, questionable contracts or ill-advised trades. In the case of the Warriors, the defending NBA champions, they are dealing with the recall of Jewish Heritage Night menorahs due to faulty glue.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall March 8, noting that Bensussen Deutch & Associates (BDA) LLC had raised one recipient’s concerns over the item’s potential to cause fires and burns. The Washington State-based distributor, which declined to offer an additional explanation of the matter, had imported the good from China for the Warriors’ Dec. 14 tilt against the Dallas Mavericks. Occurring on the third night of Hanukkah (one wonders why the team did not give away the menorahs as a part of Dec. 11’s home matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers, though the recall pretty much makes that a moot point), the promotional occasion seemed like a suitable way to mark the holiday, with the organization offering a basketball-themed take on the customary candelabrum that Jews use in conjunction with the Festival of Lights.
However, nearly three months after almost 2,000 of the promo products went home with appropriate members of the fan base, the commission had to declare the disposal of the tokens as the remedy, relaying that “The glue that holds the menorah’s candleholders can melt, causing the candleholders and the lit candles to fall off, posing fire and burn hazards.”
Team owners, no matter the sport, will always look to incentivize fans’ experiences, and the Warriors’ promotion had such potential to be an active way to commemorate Hanukkah, with it being a good bet that many end-users did enjoy lighting its candles as a part of their celebration. However, the old saying “one apple spoils the bunch” sentiment necessitated the recall, making the item at best a late autumn eye-catcher if fans should choose to keep it. The Warriors, whose Klay Thompson and Steph Curry have earned the moniker “The Splash Brothers” thanks to their perimeter proficiency, will distribute splash towels as a full-building giveaway tomorrow. Let’s hope this impending freebie holds water for the franchise and its fans.
