Where are the fans?

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

I must admit it is pretty sad to see less then 4,000 Griffins fans at Van Andel last night for a PLAYOFF game. There are enough people and hockey nuts in West Michigan to fill that place up every night. So if there are any Griffins fans out there that can make it please come tonight! The Griffins need us!!

[Andy Pred 48 337]

i think tonite will be a full house as the Griffs need to tie the series

[JacksWild 0]

i think tonite will be a full house as the Griffs need to tie the series

Sure wasn't a ful house tonight either, but BETTER! Still not what it should be - but unless you are a true GRIFIN fan, there are lots of other things going on right now - it's the true fans who are there now -

[Kwiatek 0]

If I would live in GR I would go to every home game.

[BadAndy 0]

I was at both games, and I was pretty bummed out at the lack of attendance!

The griffins usually put on a pretty good show, and have some really great players... but less than 4000 people on each night, it is really sad!

I have probably been to about 20 or 25 games this season(i should of bought season tickets, damn it), and the Griffs really play better when there is a good turn-out.

Glad to see they turned it up in the 2nd and 3rd periods on Sat. game, Friday was a lack-luster showing by the top team in the AHL.

Edited May 7, 2006 by BadAndy

[Kwiatek 0]

I found few moments ago very interesting tally, the all-time home games attendance:

[BadAndy 0]

Well, judging by that, the deeper they go the better the turn-out will be... It's too bad that all those people there will be the band-wagon fans!

[Hocketownwest 11]

I was at Fridays game and it looked like there were fewer people there than the first round. I had to miss Saturdays game because of my kids B-day party, if the family had left an hour earlier we would have made it

I read in the paper that Babcock, Bowman and Holland were there watching the game

[Aussie_Wing 354]

I found few moments ago very interesting tally, the all-time home games attendance:

Why on earth would more people attend the regular season as opposed to the playoffs?

[MilAdfan 0]

Why on earth would more people attend the regular season as opposed to the playoffs?

That's life in the AHL. Once the playoffs start the companies with season tickets usually do not get playoff seats. Also there is a lot less time to sell tickets. Teams may only have 2 or 3 days to sell as many tickets as they can. It's all about getting the word out in the AHL.

[ladystanley 0]

I'll be there next game!! And I am hoping to attend at least once a week now.

I love to watch the Griffins every chance I get. I am usually so busy it's hard enoughfor me to keep track of the Wings. I try to at least listen to some of theGriff games and keep track of them. Now that the Wings are out it is all about the Griffins..WOOHOO!! GO GRIFFS!!

Edited May 11, 2006 by ladystanley

[Icer 0]

I don't know why you guys expect sellouts night after night. These are minor league hockey teams and most of them are playing in multi-use arenas that are way bigger than any minor league team needs. If the arenas were built specifically for a minor league hockey team (usually economically unfeasable) you would probably see rinks about the size of a college arena like Munn (6470 seats) or Yost (6603 seats).

[JacksWild 0]

GOOD POINT! Look at the Walker Arena - (home of the Muskegon Fury) - that town is WILD over the Fury, the arena is half the size of the Van, and they rarely sell-out - and there are lots of seats, (especially the ones close to the glass that are TERRIBLE!!

[Mule39 0]

I think the Griffins large attendance figures in it's first 3 years have to do with it being a new franchise in GR and alot of it's residence wanted to see the new product.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

I don't know why you guys expect sellouts night after night. These are minor league hockey teams and most of them are playing in multi-use arenas that are way bigger than any minor league team needs. If the arenas were built specifically for a minor league hockey team (usually economically unfeasable) you would probably see rinks about the size of a college arena like Munn (6470 seats) or Yost (6603 seats).

Thats true, but <4000 is still sad IMO. I don't expect it to be sold out, but I think GR can put at least 6000 in there on average.

[Hocketownwest 11]

I hope people will come out for tonights game but I won't be surprised at a less than stellar showing by the supposed fans. It would be great if the anyone that supports the Wings and has never seen the Griffins would show up.

[JacksWild 0]

Thats true, but <4000 is still sad IMO. I don't expect it to be sold out, but I think GR can put at least 6000 in there on average.

WHAT WOULD REALLY BE GREAT IS IF THE GRIFFINS ORGANIZATION ( DAN DEVOS) IN PARTICULAR, WOULD GET SOME SORT OF RADIO THING GOING TODAY WHERE PEOPLE COULD GET TICKETS BY CALLING IN - WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE 6,000 - 7,000 PEOPLE THERE TONIGHT - (REAL FANS OR NOT)! WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE NOISE!!!!!!!!!!!

LET'S GO GRIFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!

END IT IN SIX

[Hocketownwest 11]

WHAT WOULD REALLY BE GREAT IS IF THE GRIFFINS ORGANIZATION ( DAN DEVOS) IN PARTICULAR, WOULD GET SOME SORT OF RADIO THING GOING TODAY WHERE PEOPLE COULD GET TICKETS BY CALLING IN - WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE 6,000 - 7,000 PEOPLE THERE TONIGHT - (REAL FANS OR NOT)! WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE NOISE!!!!!!!!!!!

LET'S GO GRIFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!

END IT IN SIX

My wife said the same thing, they should have given away tickets on the radio, the exposure would have been good advertising. Could have made up some money on the concessions.

The Moose skated for their life in the 1st period, Griffs didn't, now its game 7.

Time to get serious, go Griffs!

[PuckMark 14]

I attend about 10-15 regular season games every year, and I RARELY attend a playoff game. Here's why:

- It's a family affair. I take my young boys to the games (ages 11, 9 and 5), and they enjoy the in-game promotions which occur during the regular season, and which don't occur during the playoffs. My 2 oldest boys are now full-fledged hockey fans, and don't need the entertainment, necessarily. This can't be said for my 5 year-old. Without the in-game entertainment, he doesn't want to go. Griffins games are entertainment events for 80% of the people who attend the regular season games. There are very few hockey purists in GR - keep in mind, the Griffs have only been here 10 years, and GR previously lost an IHL team in the 70's.

- Little League Baseball. My kids all play baseball, and currently, we have games 5 nights a week. This makes weeknight games difficult, if not impossible to attend.

- The dreaded Triple OT games. My wife has given me strict instructions when I take my kids to a playoff game. "You will leave by 11pm, OR ELSE". Regular season games don't have the "my wife will kill me if the kids get sick due to lack of sleep" overtime possibility.

So, we didn't attend a single game of the Manitoba-GR series. However, there were always at least 2 radios going in our house during each game, and when Bootland scored the Game 7 winner just an hour ago, there were 3 big kids (ages 11, 9 and 39) jumping up and down exchanging high-fives.

If I had my preference, I'd be at every single playoff game. However, life doesn't work that way.

[ladystanley 0]

yep life happens, but I hope you get to a game soon. I am hoping to take the kids on Saturday..that way if it goes into major OT, who cares, they can sleep in all day Sunday. lol