Put 22,000 seats in almost all NHL cities and you won't fill the building. That is sort of a risk reward thing. Hockey isn't a sport you can easily follow from bad seats high up, but that is where you get the huge capacities in Tampa and in Montreal. I sat in the very top row of Molson Centre and it felt like I was watching the game from across the street. You couldn't hear much of the crowd or the game action from way up there and it was almost like watching a game through a window. You could see just the ice and the benches, nothing else. Now you tell me, would you pay $40 a ticket for that if the team wasn't really good? That is why making complaints about not selling out a stadium are ridiculous. The seats that don't sell are lousy and it does provide a benefit for the regular "Joe" hockey fan. He can usually get a seat for a game and the empties far up usually mean the team runs great promotions to fill them charging prices even a family can afford. Compare that to a place like Toronto where if you don't know someone that has had tickets for decades you don't get many chances to see a game live. Personally I think cities where they fill the stadiums with a varied crowd and not just businessmen is the best way to go. And seeing a game live is the best experience possible, TV does the game no justice and that is enhanced when the fans are fired up and excited to be at a game.
It is such a ridiculous argument. We have had a team for a little over ten years compared to a hundred in other cities. We packed the expo hall when it started, we drew as many as 30,000 in the Thunderdome and have shown up pretty well in the forum despite some really bad teams. There were at least 50,000 at the forum last night. What do you want from us? There probably would have been 250,000 in Calgary if the Flames win, they are absolutly better hockey fans than us. So now what? Do we give the Cup back? Were the Lightning suppose to lay down and give it to Canada?
As far as not deserving it. No city has been abused more than we were for over two decades under the Culverhouse regime. Granted it was football and not hockey but we deserve anything we can get after that.
As far as not deserving it. No city has been abused more than we were for over two decades under the Culverhouse regime. Granted it was football and not hockey but we deserve anything we can get after that.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The Funk Monkey:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by drhockey:
It is sad when fans do not show up to playoff games. This team did not just squeak into the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed, they won the division! Why no fan base or support? The regular season was the same way. The only time they show-up is when the media discussed the Stanley Cup. I could guarantee that if one took a poll in the Florida area, less than 25% of the people could tell you what it was. Simply put a team exists where the fans do not support it. The Devil Rays are the same way. Now cities such as Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Calgary, and Edmonton display what it means to support a team to the nth degree. Aside from Andreychuk Tampa does not deserve this Cup, and it will be their last.
Dr.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Chicago? They were 27th in NHL attendance this year. They were 24th last year. They were 23rd in 2001-02. They were 24th in 2000-01.
We're talking about the 3rd largest city in America. You'd figure a few thousand people would accidentally wander into the arena every night.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"Dollar Bill" Wirtz has totally ruined the Blackhawk franchise. There are many die-hard hockey fans in Chicago. They are as smart and knowledgable as any Canadian city. Lets see how you fav team draws when you put no home games on TV (unless ESPN has a national broadcast - then they put it on). You draft like crap for 20 years. You have stars like Amonte, Belfour, Hasek, Chelios, Roenick, Sullivan, etc and get nothing for them. They make great signings like Theo Fluery and Bob Probert to fill the building. You jack the season ticket holders around and raise them every year (Next year is different, full season ticket holders get a 10% discount if they pay by July 1 - funny since there will be no season so you just gave an interest-free loan to Dollar Bill. Partial season ticket plans get no discount). Getting back to TV, there hasn't been a game on free TV in the Chicago area in 25 years. Their Radio deal - they had to pay to get on the all-sports station and sell the commercals themselves. I guarantee that he is part of the faction that is locking the players since he has the commissioner in his hip pocket.
It is a shame that an Original 6 team has fallen this far. I remember the Red Wings of the early 80's. They were very bad, but not the laughing stock of the league. Like I said, us Hawk fans are as good as anyones. Just look at the National Anthem from the last All-Star game in the old Stadium. Doesn't get better than that. We are smart by not going to see an inferior produck, problem is it will not change until Wirtz passes along.
Dollar Bill Wirtz - this
is for you.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by drhockey:
It is sad when fans do not show up to playoff games. This team did not just squeak into the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed, they won the division! Why no fan base or support? The regular season was the same way. The only time they show-up is when the media discussed the Stanley Cup. I could guarantee that if one took a poll in the Florida area, less than 25% of the people could tell you what it was. Simply put a team exists where the fans do not support it. The Devil Rays are the same way. Now cities such as Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Calgary, and Edmonton display what it means to support a team to the nth degree. Aside from Andreychuk Tampa does not deserve this Cup, and it will be their last.
Dr.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Chicago? They were 27th in NHL attendance this year. They were 24th last year. They were 23rd in 2001-02. They were 24th in 2000-01.
We're talking about the 3rd largest city in America. You'd figure a few thousand people would accidentally wander into the arena every night.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
"Dollar Bill" Wirtz has totally ruined the Blackhawk franchise. There are many die-hard hockey fans in Chicago. They are as smart and knowledgable as any Canadian city. Lets see how you fav team draws when you put no home games on TV (unless ESPN has a national broadcast - then they put it on). You draft like crap for 20 years. You have stars like Amonte, Belfour, Hasek, Chelios, Roenick, Sullivan, etc and get nothing for them. They make great signings like Theo Fluery and Bob Probert to fill the building. You jack the season ticket holders around and raise them every year (Next year is different, full season ticket holders get a 10% discount if they pay by July 1 - funny since there will be no season so you just gave an interest-free loan to Dollar Bill. Partial season ticket plans get no discount). Getting back to TV, there hasn't been a game on free TV in the Chicago area in 25 years. Their Radio deal - they had to pay to get on the all-sports station and sell the commercals themselves. I guarantee that he is part of the faction that is locking the players since he has the commissioner in his hip pocket.
It is a shame that an Original 6 team has fallen this far. I remember the Red Wings of the early 80's. They were very bad, but not the laughing stock of the league. Like I said, us Hawk fans are as good as anyones. Just look at the National Anthem from the last All-Star game in the old Stadium. Doesn't get better than that. We are smart by not going to see an inferior produck, problem is it will not change until Wirtz passes along.
Dollar Bill Wirtz - this
