OULETTE, Ken (2004-2006) Global Spectrum Obituary

Oh Ken, we hardly knew ye. You can hear the screeching tires turning off of north Broad street as this is being written. You came into some of our lives like a cool New England autumn breeze, with the leaves rustling in the distance. Just as quickly and quietly you came into our Global lives, you left us.

You were toiling away at the Whittemore Center in New Hampshire with one event per year, not counting hockey games, minding your own business. Not too many of us had heard of you, let alone tried to pronounce your name.

I first met you at the annual 2005 “Annual Global Spectrum Retards Meeting”, the yearly gathering for newbies or for marketing people who just didn’t have a clue (like myself). We spent quality time with the “studly” Chad Baranksy, the very pregnant Liz Garcia (The Bud Center), Kelly David and the cool chick from Richmond who I can’t seem to recall her name (Shameka, maybe?), but it’s not important. That week, we bonded over crab fries and towers of beer at Chickies & Petes, where he had to watch what we said since Ike was always around, and rides from the Holiday Inn on Pattison to the Wachovia Center. It’s here where I started espousing my views on the company, where we were all heading (and it wasn’t upward bound). We talked about psycho Asst. GMs who banged box office managers, GMs who got canned because of fabricated from trumped up sexual harassment cases and other great, positive stories of folks who were forced out of their “COMFORT ZONE” and then forced into quitting. Who knew you would be next?

You called me when the “opportunity” came up to work at the Liacouras Center. I didn’t want to sound like a "hater", but I know how I can come off. I am sorry for not keeping it more real. The first person to hear about the move may or may not have been newly named Liacouras Center general manager Fran Rodowicz. He may have found out through a voicemail you left him while he was on his honeymoon.

We’re really not sure what caused the sudden departure. It could have been the complete culture shock of moving from New Hampshire to North Philly, it could have been My Little Pony and the constant questioning from Bob Schwartz and his continually throwing people under the bus that made you want to leave. It could have been the most recent event event; Mayor Street’s truancy hearing held at the Liacouras Center that turned into a near-riot. Or it could have just been the proximity of Chris Rumer. Who knows? I think it’s the latter.

Ken, I knew first hand how hard this job was/is. You didn’t have the following luxuries: being close to home, having a Playstation in your office, having free lunch provided by the next door bar, the Draft Horse, any good events (I at least had Kanye West and the Moscow State Cirucs), having your asst. ops manager bootleg any movie or CD or game you wanted, not having a GM for six months while you were there and then having a GM who thought your we cool for the last two months. There are a lot of factors/non-factors that went into your decision.

Ken, I never partied with you at a Global Meeting, at an EAMC conference, but the small time we spent on the phone, on IM, working Temple football games or otherwise, I could tell you were a winner. Also, congratulations on the sheer timing. Two weeks before Christmas, four games into the basketball season. You truly are a brilliant marketer, of yourself.
We know you’ll be looking down upon us from wherever you are.

Good Speed