Would New Arena Attract You More?

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I am tired of all of the attendance issues that the media comments on. I don't care if the Wings don't sell out every game, real fans know the reasons that they don't sell out and we don't need to be told about it by commentators.

My question is, if the Illitch's were to build a new arena (say 21000-24000 capacity) downtown, with adequate parking and entertainment facilities (concourse, restaurants, bars) would this boost attendance? Would you want to go to Detroit to pay for the same tickets (say the prices stayed the same or increased slightly) to see the Wings in a new arena as opposed to JLA?

I, for one, do not go to as many games as I could. I have gone to 2 post-season games this season (Game 1s in the 1st and 3rd rounds) and zero games during this season. The reason I went to games this year was that my mother as a GM employee received discounted ticket prices and I took them up on the offer. Price is always an issue, as is driving distance, time, food, and parking for all fans. Some people just don't feel like driving 40 miles, searching for decent and close parking, and paying expensive prices for food and drinks on top of the $200 they spent on tickets.

But, if there were an entertainment complex consisting of more than just an arena, I for one would be more tempted to travel downtown and spend the day there, not just from 7:00 to 11:00 to see the game, but get there around noon for lunch and spend a few hours after the game as well. I think that a new, exciting district is needed for the Wings (the Tigers and Lions would benefit also) to attract fans downtown and keep them there.

Thoughts?

Edited May 17, 2008 by Wings_Dynasty

[Jasper84 333]

I don't think a new arena would magically put extra cash in people's pockets to go to games. It would be great to see a new arena, and very enjoyable when you have the cash to go, but with the current economy, new or old arena wouldn't make a difference, for me at least.

[betterREDthandead 58]

It would probably result in a short-term attendance boost. Most new arenas do. It only lasts a season or so though. There's a natural curiosity about seeing the new digs, but for most people, one time is enough for the novelty.

However, there are plenty of other good reasons that a new arena is sorely needed, besides the one-year boost in attendance.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

i want a new arena, but not to cure attendance woes...a new location might help in turning around the city, the area around comerica park/ford field/fox theatre can be really jumping at times

[Hockey13Playa 240]

I look at this way... Look at the Detroit Lions, they played at the Silver Dome, then now they currently play at Ford Field.

They still tend to produce crappy season after crappy season. When the arena was built there was so much hype, I think its the newness of it all, and the sports bars, new concessions etc. that are avaible which attract fans. They still produce a good audiance game after game even if they always loose. So, if you look at the wings perspective, they usually are on top, I think it could boost the attendance but wouldn't solve the problem completey. It would sure attract more people, but the queston is how long would it last?

[Jaywings 0]

I for one checked for tickets for game 5.

Its hard for me to justify paying $150 per ticket needing min. 2 tickets for upper bowl

when our economy is so bad in Michigan.

Not to mention Gas,parking,and food.

Its not that i don't have the money but you never know about next week around here.

I would however pay regular season prices right now little easier on the wallet.

Which makes me wonder why jack up prices for each round of the playoffs???

What does it cost more to run the facility as the Wings advance??? i think not

Those empty seats are wasted seats,not just in ticket price but consessions as well.

I mean look at the Pistons, 4 tickets,4 hotdogs, and 4 drinks for $99!!!!!!!!

[rdwngnut 0]

I personally already go to games. I am a season ticket holder. It is a horrible place to go to a game compared to other arenas. I like the view since there really isn't a bad seat at the Joe. But give me more leg room, cup holders, more bathrooms, nicer concourse. I don't think it would cause any boost in attendance but it would be nice. After all the Wings are one of the best teams in the NHL but we have one of the oldest arenas. Hmmm, go figure. If and when there is a new arena, they need to have more price levels so a family of 4 or more can afford to go to a hockey game and sit in a decent spot. My niece did interview with Olympia and the new head of marketing said they are going to build a new arena, when? not sure. Where? not sure. He said they would either build a new one or redo the Joe. Not sure how they would do it but that is what he said. I hope it comes soon cuz we are really in need of one. I hope if they do, I can get comparable seats for the same price. I don't think Mr Mike can hike prices up that much with the lack of buying now.

But I would go to a game no matter what....

GO WINGS!

[HkyTwn 5]

I would still go to the same amount of games (one or two a season), but that is because of not only the ticket prices but also because of the drive up into Michigan (I'm from Ohio) and all the other things that go along with it. I already go up there for the day and eat in Greektown, but I do think I would be tempted to spend a little bit more money.

[OsGOD 3]

f*** NO! Probably would go less because it would be put in a s***ty location and traffic would be a ***** to get in and out of on game nites.... so not the case now!

FYI its not the arena... If tickets were maybe $10 more than regular season... the place would be PACKED solid.... Playoffs are all extra money anyways for the club... they don't need to charge 300% more for tickets to the third round

FYI... for the price i paid for 5 post season games... I could have gone to 16 regular season games and sat in the 22 seats....

Edited May 17, 2008 by OsGOD

[BlueMonk 102]

I am vehemently opposed to a new arena. Here's why:

Home ice advantage will vanish. The Joe is a tough place to play for visiting teams for a lot of reasons; from the ice surface, to the home team knowing the quirks of the building, to the measly accommodations the visiting team gets. In a new arena, these things all go away. Will they be replaced by other things that give the Wings a huge advantage? Don't count on it. Mystique goes a long way and it's hard won over a period of time.

The men piss in troughs in the men's room. You can't get more old time hockey than that.

The new arena won't be Joe Louis Arena anymore. There will be some ridiculous corporate name attached to it. Prepared to cheer the team on at Softsoap Center? Neither am I. Corporate sponsorship is the f**king enemy of mankind.

I like my barns old and rickety, thank you.

[whiskeybean 0]

The new arena won't be Joe Louis Arena anymore. There will be some ridiculous corporate name attached to it. Prepared to cheer the team on at Softsoap Center? Neither am I. Corporate sponsorship is the f**king enemy of mankind.

That's a really good point. RIP, Pine Knob and Tigers Stadium....

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

I am vehemently opposed to a new arena. Here's why:

Home ice advantage will vanish. The Joe is a tough place to play for visiting teams for a lot of reasons; from the ice surface, to the home team knowing the quirks of the building, to the measly accommodations the visiting team gets. In a new arena, these things all go away. Will they be replaced by other things that give the Wings a huge advantage? Don't count on it. Mystique goes a long way and it's hard won over a period of time.

The men piss in troughs in the men's room. You can't get more old time hockey than that.

The new arena won't be Joe Louis Arena anymore. There will be some ridiculous corporate name attached to it. Prepared to cheer the team on at Softsoap Center? Neither am I. Corporate sponsorship is the f**king enemy of mankind.

I like my barns old and rickety, thank you.

Meh, I'm as much of a hockey purist as they come, but they need a new barn. Half of the crowd can't even make it back to their seats before the game is 5 mins into the next period because half of the bathrooms have 3 stalls, and one door for both entry/exit. Leaving a game resembles something out of an old western movie during a stampede scene; concourses are twice as wide in most arenas, not to mention the booths set up right in the middle, and on the outside of the herd of people trying to get out. The logistics of The Joe are garbage, too- from parking to the exits leading into parking, it's just a nightmare all-around. As far as knowing the ins and outs of the building, every home team knows their arena- didn't seem to hurt Anaheim/Nashville, etc. Who cares what the arena is called? I'd rather go to a game at Softsoap Arena and be comfortable than not want to drink, and having to go to the bathroom DURING the period so that I could make it back to my seat for the 2nd half of the season.

Edited May 17, 2008 by MotownIce

[eva unit zero 271]

I look at this way... Look at the Detroit Lions, they played at the Silver Dome, then now they currently play at Ford Field.

They still tend to produce crappy season after crappy season. When the arena was built there was so much hype, I think its the newness of it all, and the sports bars, new concessions etc. that are avaible which attract fans. They still produce a good audiance game after game even if they always loose. So, if you look at the wings perspective, they usually are on top, I think it could boost the attendance but wouldn't solve the problem completey. It would sure attract more people, but the queston is how long would it last?

Ford Field did one thing for the Lions' attendance. Slashed the average by about 15,000. Why, you ask? Because the Silverdome has a capacity close to 80,000, and Ford Field's capacity is close to the NFL average of about 65,000. The Lions sold out the Silverdome when they played there...so selling out Ford Field is a piece of cake.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I am vehemently opposed to a new arena. Here's why:

Home ice advantage will vanish. The Joe is a tough place to play for visiting teams for a lot of reasons; from the ice surface, to the home team knowing the quirks of the building, to the measly accommodations the visiting team gets. In a new arena, these things all go away. Will they be replaced by other things that give the Wings a huge advantage? Don't count on it. Mystique goes a long way and it's hard won over a period of time.

The men piss in troughs in the men's room. You can't get more old time hockey than that.

The new arena won't be Joe Louis Arena anymore. There will be some ridiculous corporate name attached to it. Prepared to cheer the team on at Softsoap Center? Neither am I. Corporate sponsorship is the f**king enemy of mankind.

I like my barns old and rickety, thank you.

I would definitely miss the troughs and calling the place "the Joe"....and the sightlines from the upper deck can't be beat because there are no suites in between....a lot to lose if the Wings move.

But for the sake of the city, a new arena is a must. The land the Joe sits on is sorely needed to expand Cobo Hall. A new Wings arena behind the Fox would revitalize a large, neglected area of downtown. The outside atmosphere is nonexistent because the location is pure suck. It takes ages to go anywhere after the game because there's a freeway and a big-ass convention center in the way. And the building looks like a damn warehouse.

[Hockey13Playa 240]

Ford Field did one thing for the Lions' attendance. Slashed the average by about 15,000. Why, you ask? Because the Silverdome has a capacity close to 80,000, and Ford Field's capacity is close to the NFL average of about 65,000. The Lions sold out the Silverdome when they played there...so selling out Ford Field is a piece of cake.

Good post, I guess I should of done my research before I spoke, err..typed.

Well, I still would like to back my original concept of building a new arena might help attendance, but then again, THIS IS HOCKEYTOWN, WHERE THE REDWINGS PLAY, where there are hardcore fans, and if there not selling out it must because of economy and people just can't afford to go games like they used to. Also note, a lot of seats are bought by corparations which then give away there tickets to there employers, who never end up showing.

So all in all there are different factors in which why the joe doesn't always sell out or why it appers empty. Its kind of sad actually.

So if there was a new arena to be built, with a proper size ,fair paying parking lot, and concessions that weren't rediculously over priced, I would say it could/should do just fine.

[Jwo 7]

I would definitely miss the troughs and calling the place "the Joe"....and the sightlines from the upper deck can't be beat because there are no suites in between....a lot to lose if the Wings move.

But for the sake of the city, a new arena is a must. The land the Joe sits on is sorely needed to expand Cobo Hall. A new Wings arena behind the Fox would revitalize a large, neglected area of downtown. The outside atmosphere is nonexistent because the location is pure suck. It takes ages to go anywhere after the game because there's a freeway and a big-ass convention center in the way. And the building looks like a damn warehouse.

Cobo Hall needs to be torn down, not expanded. That place is falling apart. The parking structure is crumbling, a lot of the plumping does not work, The HVACs are from the 1960's, Doors don't work.

Affordable prices is what puts butts in the seats. Just go ask the Pistons. Cheapest first round ticket was $12, for the second round they were $15 and for the Conference finals they are $24.

The Joe would sell out if the Red Wings had a similar pricing structure as the pistons.

Edited May 17, 2008 by Jwo

[hockeytown9 1]

The new arena won't be Joe Louis Arena anymore. There will be some ridiculous corporate name attached to it. Prepared to cheer the team on at Softsoap Center? Neither am I. Corporate sponsorship is the f**king enemy of mankind.

I like my barns old and rickety, thank you.

QFT. My main reason for replying was going to be to bring up this point. It's a minor thing in a way, but I'm so sick of nearly every sports venue having to have some corporate name attached. Do people really think I'm going to go to a Tiger's game and say, "Gee what a nice ballpark we have at COMERICA PARK. I think I'll do all my banking now with COMERICA based on my experience here." I would rather have corporate logos plastered all over the building instead of naming the place after it. It really is ridiculous how many things in a sporting event have a sponsorship.

To comment more on the topic, personally, a new arena wouldn't matter to me as far as making me want to go more. I would wonder about even further increased prices due to the new building.

[lfd250 1]

here's something to think about, Sell to people not business. Sound simple right. Chances are you won't be behind the players bench do to the fact that's were the players tickets home and away teams are. So that leaves a lot for people to buy. Wana know why the lower bowl is $85 a game. Because 90% is a tax right off for a business and they really don't care how much they pay. As long as they take a clint to one game, chances are they are writing it off THE WHOLE SEASON. Doesn't matter if people go or not. What would a new arena bring? Higher ticket prices. And higher hot and ready pizza.

[rdwngnut 0]

Tickets are alot cheaper for the playoffs than last year!! I am paying about $100 less per game per round than last year. They are still expensive though!!

f*** NO! Probably would go less because it would be put in a s***ty location and traffic would be a ***** to get in and out of on game nites.... so not the case now!

FYI its not the arena... If tickets were maybe $10 more than regular season... the place would be PACKED solid.... Playoffs are all extra money anyways for the club... they don't need to charge 300% more for tickets to the third round

FYI... for the price i paid for 5 post season games... I could have gone to 16 regular season games and sat in the 22 seats....

[Coolio Mendez 7]

With this economy it would do squat.

I say lower ticket prices, damn $200 dollar tickets for an average seat. Illitch is to greedy to lower ticket prices.

Maybe consider this new arena in 5 years or so

[OsGOD 3]

any one who thinks parking will be better is fooling themselves... park at Hockeytown Cafe during a tigers game night... they jack up prices so high its not even funny... imagine when the arena would be near there... not to mention if both tigers and wings played on the same night

[kylee 727]

im probably the minority here but i dont mind JLA much at all.

i like the place, the history, the statues, its location...

sure there are a few downsides to the place, but i think they're way overblown. GO WINGS

[rdwngnut 0]

Good point. I know they brought in that Steve V guy from Nashville to get the fan base back. I think he is doing what he can with the discounted tickets to corporations for single games but that doesn't make this season ticket holder happy when the guy next to me paid 1/2 of what I did. Oh well, at least the seats are filled right. Not, I don't care if anyone sits next to me, more room for me to jump up and down. I do think they do need to make it more affordable for the average joe to sit in lower bowl or anywhere. That is why the lower bowl looks empty because of your point of corps giving them out and no one using them. Sad sad sad but maybe this Steve guy will figure it out. I know he is forming a new department to do just that, get back the fans they lost. Hope it helps.

here's something to think about, Sell to people not business. Sound simple right. Chances are you won't be behind the players bench do to the fact that's were the players tickets home and away teams are. So that leaves a lot for people to buy. Wana know why the lower bowl is $85 a game. Because 90% is a tax right off for a business and they really don't care how much they pay. As long as they take a clint to one game, chances are they are writing it off THE WHOLE SEASON. Doesn't matter if people go or not. What would a new arena bring? Higher ticket prices. And higher hot and ready pizza.

[eva unit zero 271]

What I would like to see in a new arena:

I want the suites located under the lower bowl, similar to how they are in the ACC. Why, you ask?

Because the seats tied to the suites, in my model, would be upwards of row 15 or 20 or wherever you made the walkway. This would allow the Wings to sell decent seats to businesses at high prices, and still keep a good number of good seats available for the everyday fan or average joe who wants to buy a single game or even seasons.

This solves multiple issues; the arena appears more full even if attendance is the same because the empty 'sold' seats are further from the ice and thus less noticeable, and it allows everyday average joe to get good seats for one game without having to secure his business' season tickets to do so.

[rdwngnut 0]

Good point....I have never been in a suite at the Joe but doesn't seem to good if you are at the top of the arena and always looking down. Needs to be like the Palace as far as suites.

What I would like to see in a new arena:

I want the suites located under the lower bowl, similar to how they are in the ACC. Why, you ask?

Because the seats tied to the suites, in my model, would be upwards of row 15 or 20 or wherever you made the walkway. This would allow the Wings to sell decent seats to businesses at high prices, and still keep a good number of good seats available for the everyday fan or average joe who wants to buy a single game or even seasons.

This solves multiple issues; the arena appears more full even if attendance is the same because the empty 'sold' seats are further from the ice and thus less noticeable, and it allows everyday average joe to get good seats for one game without having to secure his business' season tickets to do so.