96Homer 0 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Link Mitch Albom is no longer the most prominent MSM voice wondering about the attendance struggles for the Detroit Red Wings. Today, the Wall Street Journal picks up the story in "What Happened to Hockeytown?"; an in-depth and balanced look at the causes and effects of the empty seats at the Joe, where "blocks of four tickets could be purchased online three hours before Game 2" and scalpers were looking to dump tix for less than face value. The first factor is the most obvious one: Our booming war-time economy. The tepid turnout is a reflection of both Michigan's sagging economy and the tough battle the NHL faces for fans. The Detroit area has been hit hard in the past few years as the Big Three auto makers and their suppliers slashed tens of thousands of jobs. The region ranks near the top in home foreclosures, too. Detroit's entertainment dollar is "severely stretched," says Comerica Bank chief economist Dana Johnson. As the Journal points out, the Red Wings have tried to be proactive in marketing to fans after ignoring this issue for several seasons. Detroit hired Steve Violetta from Nashville as a marketing exec, and he responded by adding promotions and slashing prices for tickets and concessions. It's helped, but it hasn't stopped the Red Wings' attendance problems from becoming a major storyline for the playoffs. The article goes on to indentify the "too much of a good thing" factor, in which so much success creates fan "malaise" that deadens the arena and keeps fans away. (As a Devils fan, I've always felt there's some truth to this.) A touchier subject is the fact that his collection of Red Wings has a much more pronounced international flavor than previous championship teams: Others suggest that Detroit hockey fans need to form bonds with the new players, often Europeans, who dominate the roster. Steve Yzerman, the team's longtime face, retired in 2006. Other well-known names like Brendan Shanahan now play in other cities. The stands are still flooded with fans wearing jerseys with the names of Mr. Yzerman and Mr. Shanahan on their backs. Fans do appear to be warming to the new generation of Red Wings. Center Johan Franzen, for instance, is on a record-setting scoring pace in the playoffs. Veteran Kris Draper insists that Mr. Franzen, nicknamed "The Mule" for his gritty play, is custom-made for Detroit's blue-collar ethic. Others, including center Henrik Zetterberg, are slowly gaining recognition after spending years playing in Mr. Yzerman's shadow. Don Cherry's "it's a redneck town" comments about Detroit were an off-shoot of this argument, leading Montreal Gazette columnist Pat Hickey to fire back with an "it's the economy, stupid" jab at Cherry: "Well Don, anyone who knows anything about what's happening in Detroit knows that it is the economy and the next time you go on a rant, you should check your facts." All of these reasons have varying degrees of validity. Yet the bottom line is that the best team in the NHL is struggling to sell out conference championship home games. That's embarrassing, and in the eyes of Battle of Western Canada, it's a rather disturbing harbinger of things to come: "If Detroit can not sell tickets now, in the third round of the playoffs when their team is looking like the best, then how are they going to sell tickets in a few years when they slip to worst in the league?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OsGOD 3 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 (edited) Pre-sale tickets are going on right now on ticketbastard for the finals... Want a seat? all that is left is $200+ tickets... Enjoy! Edited May 14, 2008 by OsGOD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seeinred 1,488 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 That's embarrassing, and in the eyes of Battle of Western Canada, it's a rather disturbing harbinger of things to come: "If Detroit can not sell tickets now, in the third round of the playoffs when their team is looking like the best, then how are they going to sell tickets in a few years when they slip to worst in the league?" Oooh, I know how! They just won't slip to worst in the league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CUJO#31 0 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Oooh, I know how! They just won't slip to worst in the league. Didn't we have to endure this crap when they announced the cap??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim3033 1 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 RUPERT MURDOOOOOOOCCCCCCHHHHHH!!! We're at war? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lidsyukerberg 0 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 All of these reasons have varying degrees of validity. Yet the bottom line is that the best team in the NHL is struggling to sell out conference championship home games. That's embarrassing, and in the eyes of Battle of Western Canada, it's a rather disturbing harbinger of things to come: "If Detroit can not sell tickets now, in the third round of the playoffs when their team is looking like the best, then how are they going to sell tickets in a few years when they slip to worst in the league?" Do they know something we don't? That's a pretty bold statement about a team who has been the best, or close enough to touch the best, for well over a decade now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sixer 37 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Pre-sale tickets are going on right now on ticketbastard for the finals... Want a seat? all that is left is $200+ tickets... Enjoy! Do you have the pre-sale code for those? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OsGOD 3 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Do you have the pre-sale code for those? yeah 08SCUPSTH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Datsyerberger 279 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Worst in the league? God forbid the day when we're outdone by the Panthers, Coyotes, and Thrashers all at once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barrie 900 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Every Wings Playoff Game Summary on NHL.com said attendance was 20,066 (sell out). Other than a few empty seats in the lower bowl (seasons/corporate tickets anyway), the arena looks packed. Look at some of our playoff games from 1997, 1998, and 2002 (if you have them on dvd/vhs), there were some empty seats in the lower bowl those years as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManLuv4Clears 7 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Pre-sale tickets are going on right now on ticketbastard for the finals... Want a seat? all that is left is $200+ tickets... Enjoy! Damn, I've been to 7 games this year including 2 in the playoffs, and have been blessed with an okay paying job, but I can't justify paying more than the $140 a ticket I paid last Thursday. I love my Wings and all, but that's just too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joshy207 156 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Prices are too high especially for our economy, too many lower-bowl corporate tickets go unused, and every person in the Olympia Room (which can be quite full during the game) represents another empty seat in the arena. When watching on TV, it looks like nobody is there because the lower 5-6 rows are a ghost town. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 From what I understand the problem isn't so much selling the tickets as getting people to go. This could be solved by not allowing so many corporations to buy up tickets. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShanahanMan 473 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 wow.......300 buxx for upper level. Robbery in Detroit.....who'd a thunk it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deker 0 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 From what I understand the problem isn't so much selling the tickets as getting people to go. This could be solved by not allowing so many corporations to buy up tickets. Problem is, who else can afford it? They have to sell to the corporations because they're the only ones who can buy those high priced seats. Anyone know if Pittsburgh has put them on sale yet? I'd love to see a comparison. I'm guessing that a lot of it is based on the league setting the price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hockeytown0001 7,652 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Worst team? That's what they said would come post-lockout. We all know that Bettman would foam at the mouth at the thought of the Wings not being successfull, but it's just not going to happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crymson Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Link Umm no, this isn't right. It isn't too much of a good thing; it's that Michigan's economy is the worst of any state, and people don't have the money to buy playoff tickets. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman54 91 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 always Fricken Negative!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barrie 900 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Problem is, who else can afford it? They have to sell to the corporations because they're the only ones who can buy those high priced seats. I don't have a problem with corporations buying tickets. The main thing is, the tickets are sold, and the team gets their money. A lot of times too, employees are given those tickets for free from work, which is kinda cool when you think about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevieY9802 6 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 I think the article is pretty accurate. It's a little bit of everything. The economy and tickets prices being #1, a lot of people expecting a cup and no less don't get excited about the early rounds and they didn't say it directly but people living in the past. I loved Stevie and Shanny and all of those guys, and Stevie will be my favorite player forever but I've moved on. I love watcing Zetterberg and the rest. But there is not doubt in my mind that prices are a big reason. And the people who said those corporate people aren't coming I think thats true too. But the Wings made the money on those very low seats and probably would have a tough time these days to sell them to average people. Most of your upperbowl seats are full right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taylorov 37 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Do they know gas is $3.89? Parking is $20.00? Tix are $200.00? That puts me (a currently laid off auto-worker) out $450.00+ before the puck even drops. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vangvace 12 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 This could be solved by not allowing so many corporations to buy up tickets. You know... statements like this have always troubled me. Even more with Michigan's economy in the toilet. Who are these "corporations" that have bought up most of the 6000+ seats? Without numbers I'm calling shenanigans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deker 0 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 I don't have a problem with corporations buying tickets. The main thing is, the tickets are sold, and the team gets their money. A lot of times too, employees are given those tickets for free from work, which is kinda cool when you think about it. Well, yeah, I agree, but I think the point is that the corporations are not using the tickets, if they even still have them. Once Stevie retired and Shanny left, sales people started using Piston and Tiger tickets to "impress" their clients. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elitepuckster 1 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 (edited) Everyone looks at ticket prices, but if you want to park anywhere close to the joe you are paying between $20-$40 for parking. People that know detroit park other places like greektown and take the people mover in which saves the high cost parking. But we do have to look at that as a factor. Edited May 14, 2008 by elitepuckster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OsGOD 3 Report post Posted May 14, 2008 (edited) These suspected lower bowl tickets that the corps are buying up... are mostly for sale in the ticketmaster ticket exchange... readily available to those with $$'s availability of the tickets is not the issue... its availability of the funds Edited May 14, 2008 by OsGOD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
