Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

From Raw Charge

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4. Any problems with the app, bug reports, or suggestions for new features should be sent to SB Nation Support. 
5. The Android version of the SB Nation app is due out before the holidays.  Stay tuned!

Since last spring, during the playoffs, Raw Charge (and the SB Nation network in general) has been in a partnership with TiqIQ, offering fans the ability to find tickets through the web site for upcoming games.

At any rate, we're introducing a contest for TiqIQ called "Take A Seat", being run specifically through Twitter. You'll have a chance to win two tickets to a December / January Lightning game of your choice. Here's how it works:

1. Follow @TiqIQ on Twitter (this necessary first step lets them track entries)
2. Tweet @RawCharge with the name of the player you think will be leading the team in PIM as of November 30, 2011, the number of penalty minutes you think he'll have by that time, and the #TakeASeat hashtag. (You can enter as many times as you'd like.)
   Example: @RawCharge: Pavel Kubina, 48, #TakeASeat
3. Entries must be made on or before October 31, 2011.
4. The winner of the contest will be announced on December 9, 2011.

Other Contest Rules:

1. You can enter as many times as you'd like, but the final cut off is October 31st. No whining when November rolls around and you missed the window.

2. The total PIM count includes all games up until the end of November. Keep the current totals in mindwhen you enter and, better yet, play around on Hockey Reference and check out each player's past splits to see how penalized they have been during October/November in the past.

3. The winning entry (or entries) has to be the exact PIM total. No Price is Right rules. It is a contest after all.

Good luck!

The SB Nation network, as a whole, wants your opinions and feedback on the user experience on Raw Charge as well as across the wider SB Nation network.  They're also looking to gain some insight into your sports habits online.

The network is always trying to improve user experiences, be it site navigation or brand integrations across the network and your feedback through this survey is valuable in the process.  

All responses will be kept confidential and the entire survey will only take a few minutes.  Also, as incentive to participate, for the 3 SB Nation sites with the highest percentage of completed surveys, SB Nation will make a $500 donation to the charity of our choice, in our name. Do it for the kids...

To take the survey, click here

This time next week, the Lightning will be preparing for their first preseason game, against the St. Louis Blues.  By this time next week, we'll be reverting to our regularly scheduled Tuesday link posts and ceasing the summer open threads.  

But before we do that, let me take this opportunity to share with you the Bolts marketing slogan for the season - Be the Thunder:

"Last season we placed great emphasis on our ownership and management’s commitment to the team’s long term success and to the community," Vice President of Brand Management Lynn Wittenburg said. "Now, we’re turning our attention to the fans, the most integral players on our team. We encourage them to come together, be loud and share with us a one-of-a-kind experience as we continue to proudly cement our presence in Tampa Bay."

 

"The new campaign calls on our dedicated, passionate fans to ‘Be the Thunder’ behind the Lightning," said Chief Operating Officer Steve Griggs. "Through strength in numbers, our fans are encouraged to serve as that force of nature as we implore them to create a raucous atmosphere in our building for every home game and provide unwavering support in the community."

Of course, some of the reactions I've seen are not that flattering, but how many marketing campaign slogans are intially received in a flattering light anyway?  

At least it's not a grossly unimaginative co-opting a song that has been played and parodied to death in the pop culture.

The SB Nation iPhone app is now available in the App Store! And it's absolutely free.

Now you can stay on top of all the latest coverage from us at Raw Charge as well as any one of the 300+ other SB Nation blog communities in the network. With the SB Nation iPhone app you can:

• Get the latest, breaking sports news as it happens
• Customize your news with your favorite teams, sports and blogs (including Raw Charge)
• Get notified of updates to the stories you choose to follow on SBNation.com, regional sites, Baseball Nation, and MMA Nation
• Read and reply to comments

Here's how to get it:

Go to the App Store on your iPhone and search for "SB Nation"

-- OR --

Go here and click "Download Now"

FAQ

1. An Android version of the app is coming soon. Hopefully by the end of the year
2. The app is free
3. Comments are basic read-and-reply, but SB Nation has plans to enhance them in future updates
4. You can use your existing SB Nation user name and password to log in to the app

Any questions, feedback, comments? E-mail support@sbnation.com

Earlier this summer, we pitched the Raw Charge jersey design contest to the masses. The rules were simple: take our site name, perhaps take our colors or the Tampa Bay Lightning's colors, and mock-up a jersey design.

While we didn't offer any contest prizes, we did still gather a total of seven submissions from six participants. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the timeout to throw something together and submit. Not all the submissions are posted, and that's not a slight toward the entrants.

We chose a winners by popular vote among myself and Raw Charge staff members Cassie McClellan, Nolan Whyte, Matt "Don't Trade Vinny" Amos and Clark Brooks.

Below the jump are the top five entries as voted by the staff.

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Hockey logos, jerseys, and uniform designs bring out a passionately creative breed of hockey fan with fantastic graphic and Photoshop skills.  You can witness this on a regular basis with designs cooked up and posted on Icethetics, or Puck Drawn.  The creations can be innovative, clever, controversial, or just a subtle upgrade.

Of course, the Tampa Bay Lightning brand transformation that launched last winter set off a flurry of design ideas before and after the unveiling of the new Bolts logo and uniform system.  Everyone had something to add or change with the design; everyone had something or other they wanted to see included or eliminated...

With the summer doldrums in full effect throughout the hockey world and on Raw Charge; with the Lightning changing their own looks around...  I got an idea.

What about a Raw Charge jersey design contest?  Just what would people expect or creative for a team named Raw Charge, playing in the SB Nation Hockey League?

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