NC WINGS FAN

It does not matter how bad the Blackhawks are and how good the Redwings are because these are always well matched games. Now that the Hawks are respectable, it is all the better. How many empty seats you think there will be at the Joe? My guess is not many!!! Screw the economy!! It's the opponents. They could play these guys 20 times a year and I would watch every one of them if I could.

I think hockey players will feel it the most given that they have very few endorsement as it is. If Z leaves, chances are, he will never be heard from again. Look what happened to that Federov guy. Where is he now? Columbus? A lot of these guys build a rap in Detroit, leave and fail to live up to the hype. It just goes to show that the Wings are the cream of the crop in terms of organizations. Sure, he could go to Toronto, Montreal, New York (Rangers), or maybe even Chicago but what are the odds of being that lucky? And yeah what is another mil when you are already making 6 million? By then rich is rich is rich!!! Would your life be that much better/different if you were raking in 8 instead of 7 million? It's absurd!!!

Two words.... Legacy Costs. You then couple that with the facts that they built crap for 30+ years building a bad reputation in the process and then just expecting that people will buy them. Meanwhile the Japanese were building more fuel efficient, better quality, and more affordable cars and not having to deal with the unions and there you have it. Sorry to get off the topic of sports and hockey.

True but the player salaries are part of what drives the gate prices up along with the corporates who spend top dollar and make up a great deal of the empty seats in arenas like the Joe. At some point, companies like GM, will have to cut back and this would be one of the first things to go. What goes up must come down as it can't go up forever.

In the mid- 1990s, the Redwings were on their way up while the Pistons were fading fast from their glory days of the late 80s- early 90s. By then, fans took notice that the Wings were consistent winners and contenders for the first time in 30 years and without a championship dating back to 1955. I do agree that they should have lowered prices after the lockout though. Add to that they were the hottest ticket in town as everyone else sucked.

Where are the fans you ask? They are at home waiting for when the games are meaningful or at least until an opponent they care about comes to town. Many are watching at home wishing they could afford to go or get one of those empty seats the corp suits bought up, or watching the Pistons.

..... And about GM? The writing has been on the walls for over 35 years now, but they chose to keep their heads in the sand while the Japanese gained ground in quality and ultimately sales. In asking for the bailout, they are just following the leads of others. Bottom line, I will not waist my time worrying about the Redwings moving. How did we get on this stupid topic when there has never been such talk other than from Drew Not-So-Sharp?

Sure anything is possible, but the Wings leaving is very highly unlikely!!! The Redwings are one of the league's golden franchises sort of like what the Celtics, Knicks, and Lakers are to the NBA. The Supersonics were never that to the NBA, more like what the St. Louis Blues are to the NHL. A team with good fan support in a large market with some success along the way is what they were. How many times were there Sonics fans overcrowding out of town arenas? The Redwings see that everywhere they go and so losing that would be devastating to the NHL. You could bet they would fight it because the last thing they want is yet another Nashville Predators or Florida Panthers. Add to that the fact that Detroit is a huge market and would still be bigger than most markets if they lost a few million, which will not happen.

The only way I would wear an Avalanche jersey is if I had to choose between that and a Ducks jersey. I used to hate the Avs but now would root for them in the playoffs against any California or Western Canada teams just like I did the Stars against San Jose last year.

I agree, the rivalry is dead. They tried to hype it up in the media but it failed miserably because all of the guys we loved to hate have been gone for years. The rivalry's last stand was on May 24? 2002 when the Redwings handed the Avalanche a 7-0 knockout punch in game 7 that would send the Avs home and the Wings to yet another Stanley Cup victory. I really do not hate Colorado anymore partly b/c they are a great hockey/sports town unlike Anaheim. I have always liked Sakic as he has always reminded my of Yzerman in how he carries himself, very classy. That said, I would not consider wearing one of their jerseys.

What a great year 1997 was!! I remember that game like it was yesterday watching it live in my living room/ den. That was some vintage McCarty if I ever saw it, kick Claude's ass and score the winner. They then met up again the the WCF en-rout to a sweep of the heavily favored Flyers to win their first Cup in 42 years!!! Man we were so into the games that year.

Why is everyone getting all hot and bothered about this? It is not like he killed/beat his wife/girlfriend, lied about taking controlled substances under oath, shot himself in the leg while carrying a concealed weapon, raped anyone, was in a drive-by shooting, drug trafficking, killing dogs, or even getting a DUI or anything!!! All he did was say something stupid and now people want to crucify him while their boys in the NFL, NBA, and MLB do of the above, which is almost all of the time. Having said that, I think the league has bigger fish to fry than some jackass calling his ex-girlfriend "Sloppy Seconds". Try promoting the league for once and getting us back on ESPN instead of continuing to make a joke of the league Buttman you moron!!!!

Is this really any reason to suspend the guy indefinitely? A fine I can see, but a suspension? If Pronger would have said that, this probably would not have happened. It was a silly thing to say but not suspension worthy imo.

No need to worry folks, the Devils have played in front of empty seats for years despite winning three Cups. Not only that, they have to play in a way over-crowded market where they are the little fish in the big pond. Despite all of these obstacles, they decided to build a new arena right down the street that I would bet is still empty.

Oh they probably will eventually once local businesses start looking for ways to cut costs. All of those season tickets and club seats that make up for a lot of the empty seats at the Joe will be the first things to go. At that point, it will be time to lure the real actual fans back once the yuppy suits have backed out.

There are many factors that come into play here: The first is complacency: The Wings have been winning for so long that it is just expected and no longer fresh and new like it was in the 90s after they had been mediocre at best for so long. They also play in a more crowded market than they did ten years ago what with the Pistons and Tigers expected to contend every year. Before, they were the only thing to root for besides Barry Sanders and the still-lowly Lions. People do not have the disposable income they had a decade ago either, but that will turn around eventually. It is also the opponent. No one in Detroit is dying to see the Vancouver Canucks, or a handful of other teams for that matter. If they were playing Toronto, Montreal, or Chicago, something tells me there would not be an empty seat in the house. You also have to consider the fact that they play so many games that are next to meaningless, especially this early in the season. Why go watch someone you don't care about now when you can wait for the end of the season or playoffs when the games mean something? We are not Canada. I know people here love hockey, but Detroit like any other American city, is a football first and baseball second kind of town. After that, the NHL and NBA team must fight for thirds.

Seattle is not that great of a sports town and LA is even worse. You have a lot of transplants there who root for other teams. The Sonics did have a good run in the 1990s but have been irrelevant since about 1999. They may have been the hottest ticket in town for a long time but their fanbase was nothing compared to that of what the Redwings and other elite/historical teams have. The Supersonics were never considered of the the league's most storied franchises. Having said that, it is still a shame that the Supersonics had to move and change their name(to one of the gayest names I ever heard), to Oklahoma City of all places.

The people in New Orleans have no money yet they manage to support the Saints, since 1967, and Hornets. Per-ca pita, it is one of the poorest areas in the country. If attendance were the case, then they should have moved the Devils several times over by now as they have been winning for almost two decades now (3 Cups) and still can't sell out their arena. Given those circumstances, it is highly unlikely.

It depends on who makes the playoffs. If I could have it my way, St. Louis would improve so the Wings can beat them in the first round. 1st St. Louis Blues - Great sports town and rivalry and brings back a lot of good memories 2nd Colorado Avalanche - Same reasons as St. Louis even though the rivalry died when Patrick Wah hung them up 3rd Chicago Blackhawks - One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports and sick of all these dang non hockey markets winning SCF Toronto Maple Leafs - Even though it is a longshot. Another great rivalry that must be rekindled like Buttman must go. Why does everyone want us to see all of these Western Canada and So Cal teams that have owned the Wings in the playoffs. Are you all telling me you were not ecstatic when Dallas defeated San Jose last year? As for the Ducks, I hope they don't even sniff the playoffs next year. I hope they pull a Detroit Tigers and come out of the gate at 0-7 and never really recover finishing last in the division. In my opinion, they are just another of the handful of irrelevant teams that do the league a disservice simply by being competitive.

As a sports fan, I have always been curious as to what team names were the most and least popular among other fans. I must say, that as a big NHL fan, I have been somewhat annoyed by the names of many of the leagues franchise names. The NFL, I have always felt has the best overall while the NBA is at the other end of the spectrum. Here are some of my favorite/least favorite names. I hope you all have fun with this light hearted discussion NHL Favorites: 1. Chicago Blackhawks Tough yet classy 2. Philadelphia Flyers It has a nice ring to it. I also like their color scheme and logo 3. Detroit Redwings I used to wish they stayed the Cougars but have grown to love it and would not want to see it or the winged wheel go for the world. 4. Boston Bruins There is something about the name, colors, and logo that says these guys are no pushovers. 5. Dallas Stars I just like it, though I wish they would go back to the old unis from 1992 - 1999. 6. San Jose Sharks It is fitting for where they play and unique. 7. Montreal Canadiens Classy and synonymous with greatness NHL: Least Favorates 1. Anaheim Ducks It's not as bad as Mighty Ducks but still dorky. Even before they were upsetting the Wings, I hated this team simply b/c of their name. It sounds a little short bus to me. 2. Pittsburgh Penguins It sounds like something Adam Sandler as the Water Boy or someone with a funny retardation would say, P P P Penguins. 3. Colorado Avalanche Never liked names that are not plural. 4. Minnesota Wild Sounds somewhat gimmicky. 5. Columbus Blue Jackets I know what it means but still.....

From a marketing standpoint, it would be interesting to see what is really in a name. Something tells me there would not be tons of Raider fans all over the globe if they were called the Rosebuds and donned red and green instead of silver and black. I realize that nothing attracts fans like a few wins and a mentality of striving to be the best, but I also think that a name most find appealing is a plus in terms of generating revenue.

I hate it when leagues play games over seas!! To me it seems somewhat arrogant!! They have their own sports and leagues over there and, for the most part, could not care any less of this country or our sports. Something tells me fans in this country would be somewhat annoyed with being bombarded with European leagues playing here.

The Redwings were a great team when he got here in 1993, thanks to Jimmy D and Jimmy Nill, and will remain a good team following his departure. I have no hard feelings toward the guy and appreciate all the good he did for this organization. I hope the Blackhawks continue to get better as it may not only be better for the NHL but also for the our Wings!!

This was how I felt 8-10 years ago. Remember when everyone was saying that the Wings only have a few more good years left to compete before they get too old and go in decline and rebuilding mode? Now here we are 2 more Cups later and all of that worrying seems pretty stupid now. This is by far one of the best organizations in sports and have proven despite the losses of many great players like Fedorov, Yzerman, Shanny, Hull, etc. Remember when people were always asking "what will we do when Yzerman retires? That was when the Wings were doomed when he was not on the ice. That said, the Wings will be good for years to come.

The Jets were a terrible organization. As of today, the organization has not won a playoff series since I believe 1987. As an organization, they have never even gotten close to the Finals.