WpgMikos 17 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 (edited) Yahoo did an interview with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday. (Full article, read here) What caught my eye was this statement by Daly in response to the question: Yahoo Sports: "Are you concerned by some of the early attendance figures" in Phoenix: Daly: "...I will say we’re light years better than where we were last year at this time in terms of how the fans have responded to the club." I cannot comprehend what he's referring to. When I looked at the early numbers, comparing last season to this season, they look almost identical (with last year actually being a tad better). What does "light years" mean to you? It obviously isn't just Phoenix. Attendance is down (or so it appears when watching the games on TV) across the league. Bottom 4 teams are all averaging below 12,000 and we know actual fans in the stands are a lot less. The late 80's song by Cinderella "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" really is true. After we lost the Jets in 96', I didn't see a good live hockey game (I'm trying to forget the snooze fest in 98' I saw in Anaheim against the Flames) until Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004 in Calgary. When I moved to Lansing, I was already a Wings fan courtesy of Stevie Y & the $1 man Kris Draper. I made the effort to attend every Wings game I could get to and still pass school. I averaged about 7-10 games per season (including Game 1 of the 09' Stanley Cup Final). As I said above, I'm not impugning the hockey fans in other cities, but if they don't want to see their team up and leave, they had best buy tickets and support the product because you can be sure there are plenty of places salivating at the chance to do so. Edited October 30, 2010 by WpgMikos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrWings787 11 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 These two guys are dillusional Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cusimano_brothers 1,655 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 After seeing the interview of Mr. Fraser, prior to last week's CBC HNIC, I can't wait to read his book. I would have asked Bettman this: How in the hell did Columbus get a franchise? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrWings787 11 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 After seeing the interview of Mr. Fraser, prior to last week's CBC HNIC, I can't wait to read his book. I would have asked Bettman this: How in the hell did Columbus get a franchise? Do u have a link? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nev 1,085 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 (edited) And wasn't their Game 1 this year against the WIngs? Where about 10,000 of the people in attendance were Wings fans? Where Kronwalls late winner sounded like it was at the Joe? Edited October 30, 2010 by Nev Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cusimano_brothers 1,655 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 Do u have a link? Here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Shoreline Report post Posted October 30, 2010 (edited) Yeah, uh, Coyotes have averaged about a thousand less per game than last year, though it's only about a half dozen games into the season, what the flying s*** can the Coyotes be light years ahead of? Getting closer to a fan attendance of zero? Is the idea that stupid random statements are going to make fans suddenly buy tickets, or make some rich and stupid investor buy a team that has a league's Commish and Deputy Lapdog belligerently want to keep an NHL franchise in an area that sucks horrendously for attendance? He might as well have said the NHL is more popular than the NFL and MLB. Edited October 30, 2010 by Shoreline Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doc Holliday 1,888 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 Fan response doesn't always mean ticket sales. It's not like Detroit has a full house every night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooon 1,089 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 Fan response doesn't always mean ticket sales. It's not like Detroit has a full house every night. We have still gotten close to 3 times the amount they have. Maaaajor difference in that comparison. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WpgMikos 17 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 I think my problem with the comments is they are so far past reality. While they are obviously not going to be "doom & gloom" as they attempt to sell this 165 million dollar albatross, they would do well to stop trying to sell ice to an Inuit. Doc - Isn't the NHL a gate driven league? Wouldn't that suggest that the very measure of success is how many fans are in attendance? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragonballgtz 273 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 Fan response doesn't always mean ticket sales. It's not like Detroit has a full house every night. Also AZ isn't hurting as bad as MI in the unemployment area when I was there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Booster313 138 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 Yahoo did an interview with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday. (Full article, read here) What caught my eye was this statement by Daly in response to the question: Yahoo Sports: "Are you concerned by some of the early attendance figures" in Phoenix: Daly: "...I will say we’re light years better than where we were last year at this time in terms of how the fans have responded to the club." I cannot comprehend what he's referring to. When I looked at the early numbers, comparing last season to this season, they look almost identical (with last year actually being a tad better). What does "light years" mean to you? It obviously isn't just Phoenix. Attendance is down (or so it appears when watching the games on TV) across the league. Bottom 4 teams are all averaging below 12,000 and we know actual fans in the stands are a lot less. The late 80's song by Cinderella "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" really is true. After we lost the Jets in 96', I didn't see a good live hockey game (I'm trying to forget the snooze fest in 98' I saw in Anaheim against the Flames) until Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004 in Calgary. When I moved to Lansing, I was already a Wings fan courtesy of Stevie Y & the $1 man Kris Draper. I made the effort to attend every Wings game I could get to and still pass school. I averaged about 7-10 games per season (including Game 1 of the 09' Stanley Cup Final). As I said above, I'm not impugning the hockey fans in other cities, but if they don't want to see their team up and leave, they had best buy tickets and support the product because you can be sure there are plenty of places salivating at the chance to do so. Actually overall NHL attendance has been up every year since the lockout, don't know about this season yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redpilot09 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2010 These two guys are dillusional Does anybody have a link to the Gary Bettman Mickey Redmond interview during the second intermission on Thursday? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doc Holliday 1,888 Report post Posted October 31, 2010 Doc - Isn't the NHL a gate driven league? Wouldn't that suggest that the very measure of success is how many fans are in attendance? Detroit almost never sells out their games these days and they are the 4th most valuable team in the league? Why? Jersey sales. TV ratings. Etc. Once you make the stupid assumption based on one variable to formulate your opinion you are as delusional as you peg these guys to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tane 17 Report post Posted October 31, 2010 After seeing the interview of Mr. Fraser, prior to last week's CBC HNIC, I can't wait to read his book. I would have asked Bettman this: How in the hell did Columbus get a franchise? All of the new cities since Bettman joined have had 100% to do with TV market size. That's why Houston and Kansas City keep getting brought up. Nothing to do with hockey markets, or chances of the teams to succeed... 100% to do with those are the Next big Markets to tap into. I think my problem with the comments is they are so far past reality. While they are obviously not going to be "doom & gloom" as they attempt to sell this 165 million dollar albatross, they would do well to stop trying to sell ice to an Inuit. Doc - Isn't the NHL a gate driven league? Wouldn't that suggest that the very measure of success is how many fans are in attendance? Definitely not a gate driven league, when most teams' gates don't even cover their players salaries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
13dangledangle 968 Report post Posted October 31, 2010 I think my problem with the comments is they are so far past reality. While they are obviously not going to be "doom & gloom" as they attempt to sell this 165 million dollar albatross, they would do well to stop trying to sell ice to an Inuit. Doc - Isn't the NHL a gate driven league? Wouldn't that suggest that the very measure of success is how many fans are in attendance? After seeing that it made me wonder how the hell they are not admitting the Canadian market is better and DO IT already....Its going to happen but the question is why is it taking sooo long? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viperar 16 Report post Posted October 31, 2010 wow for all the ragging people do on the panthers, they're doing better than a lot of other teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WpgMikos 17 Report post Posted October 31, 2010 Detroit almost never sells out their games these days and they are the 4th most valuable team in the league? Why? Jersey sales. TV ratings. Etc. Once you make the stupid assumption based on one variable to formulate your opinion you are as delusional as you peg these guys to be. Was asking questions. Wasn't suggesting that there was just one variable although I did think gate was a major factor. Via Forbes.com #4: Detroit Red Wings Revenue $130 mil Operating Inc. $27.4 mil Player Expenses $55 mil Gate Receipts $58 mil In Detroit's case it would appear that almost half (45%) of Revenue was generated by Gate. The other major factor is that the Wings TV deal with FSN Detroit(started in 08' and shared with the Tigers/Pistons) is worth 1 Billion over 10 years. It appears the Coyotes aren't as fortunate (Phoenix Business Journal). Truth is because team's don't open their books we can never know what sort of nifty accounting tricks are being done to bring the numbers into line. Clearly there are multiple factors involved in ascertaining a team's revenue streams, but it wouldn't appear to be an unfair characterization, that some team's (i.e. Phoenix) remain heavily reliant on the Gate. 4th Home Game Tonight's crowd was 8171. Last year's 4th game they had 11,938 although that should be qualified by the fact that they were playing the Wings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SweWings 45 Report post Posted November 1, 2010 Financially, the top tier teams can still easily carry the bottom teams... I wonder how long this will be accepted though, especially if another team joins the ranks of Phoenix... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
