13 pro teams running out of fans

[FireCaptain 563]

The Blue Jackets, Pistons and Stars made the list.

Surprisingly, Phoenix didn't.

After this nonsensical lockout, I think EVERY NHL team is probably going to lose some..

http://247wallst.com/2012/11/26/13-pro-teams-running-out-of-fans/2/

[chances14 227]

i think phoenix would actually have to have some fans in order to run out of them

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Good luck getting people to NHL games in Dallas, Columbus, Florida, and Phoenix following the 189th lockout in 20 years. The only places that won't see any legitimate decrease in attendance will be the Canadian markets and NYR. I think Detroit will have a hard time getting 20,000+ back into the Joe consistently after all this horse s***.

[number9 3,297]

Good luck getting people to NHL games in Dallas, Columbus, Florida, and Phoenix following the 189th lockout in 20 years. The only places that won't see any legitimate decrease in attendance will be the Canadian markets and NYR. I think Detroit will have a hard time getting 20,000+ back into the Joe consistently after all this horse s***.

pshhhhhh hockey towners live and die this sh*t. Not worried.

[MabusIncarnate 5,344]

I keep posting on forums, don't be a dumbass and boycott hockey if it does return this season. The sport is already damaged from all of this, the day hockey returns and Center Ice becomes available i'll buy it as I normally do.

Let's face facts, yes this sucks, yes i'm mad, yes many fans are lost, but I still have a love affair with the sport. The word Hockey was in my wedding vows (seriously) and my better half understands that I can't live without it and it's so much more to me than just a sport.

We'll get through this, and hopefully there's not too much of a decline in fan following, although i'm pessimistic about that. I just want hockey. Now.

Santa if you are reading this, making this wish comes true makes up for the lack of a slip and slide in 1989. Still bitter.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I heavily and respectfully disagree, sorry.

Unless both sides are seeing a massive dropoff in fan interest and therefore lost merchandise, attendance we're going through this crap every 5 years. A message needs to be send to both parties and on top of that, this time even the hockeysupermad markets like Toronto and Montreal have stopped to care, usually this should ring a bell in the ears of Fehr and Bettman, but I highly doubt.

Never take a person for granted, it is the same with your girlfriend if you take her for granted chances are you are going to lose her, the NHL does the same thing. They believe fans will be back whenever they decide to come down to earth, meanwhile other leagues are starting or getting closer to the playfoffs and fans are pissed -> a gamble I wouldn't bet on.

The MLB had to learn it the hard way, so will the NHL.

[vladdy16 2,154]

I keep posting on forums, don't be a dumbass and boycott hockey if it does return this season. The sport is already damaged from all of this, the day hockey returns and Center Ice becomes available i'll buy it as I normally do.

Let's face facts, yes this sucks, yes i'm mad, yes many fans are lost, but I still have a love affair with the sport. The word Hockey was in my wedding vows (seriously) and my better half understands that I can't live without it and it's so much more to me than just a sport.

We'll get through this, and hopefully there's not too much of a decline in fan following, although i'm pessimistic about that. I just want hockey. Now.

Santa if you are reading this, making this wish comes true makes up for the lack of a slip and slide in 1989. Still bitter.

So anyone who doesn't feel the same way you do is a dumbass? You may not like the fact that MANY fans are going to boycott in response to the lockout, but they are entitled to their opinion just as you are entitled to yours. People will do what they will, and name calling isn't going to change that. If you can't see the reasons and potential benefits associated with boycotting, far be it from me to try to explain it to you.

I'm shocked that only 2 hockey teams cracked the top 13. I didn't realize Dallas was having attendance problems to that extent either.

[The Greek 323]

I keep posting on forums, don't be a dumbass and boycott hockey if it does return this season. The sport is already damaged from all of this, the day hockey returns and Center Ice becomes available i'll buy it as I normally do.

Let's face facts, yes this sucks, yes i'm mad, yes many fans are lost, but I still have a love affair with the sport. The word Hockey was in my wedding vows (seriously) and my better half understands that I can't live without it and it's so much more to me than just a sport.

We'll get through this, and hopefully there's not too much of a decline in fan following, although i'm pessimistic about that. I just want hockey. Now.

Santa if you are reading this, making this wish comes true makes up for the lack of a slip and slide in 1989. Still bitter.

I would say that continually throwing money at a business that disregards its customers is the sign of a true dumbass. I love hockey too, but there are other sources that can satisfy my needs. I've been playing a lot more and it's been far more fun than just watching.

[MabusIncarnate 5,344]

That was probably a bad choice of words, it's not my intention to insult anyone for their opinion. I do very passionately feel that any hockey is better than no hockey at all, and I don't think some people understand that there is a realistic risk that the NHL may not exist anymore if this continues or happens again in 5 years or however long the CBA can be extended for. So people are all mad, and hockey comes back and they decide to not watch because they are frustrated from the events that happened over the last couple months. The fan base dwindles, the NHL pitches their "Thanks fans, you are the best!" campaign and gains a few back but can't rebound.

Then what? We sit here and say "haha, they got what they deserved" as the NHL crumbles into it's own oblivion and we sit here with no hockey anymore forced to watch another sport like Basketball that just survived a lockout, or Baseball that survived the exact same scenario just to get pissed right off again when the same thing happens in their respective leagues.

Fact is, every business, organization, charity, anything that involves multiple millions of dollars is corrupt. It doesn't matter if it's a sport, a massive company, when there's that much money involved there's no remaining integrity. I can sit here and say Walmart is evil, put hundreds of thousands of people out of work and destroys small businesses. If I stop shopping there are they going to go bankrupt? No probably not. Even if I do decide to spend my money there, will my $400-$600 I spend a year there make any kind of impact on the progress and future of the business? No, it will probably cover 20 minutes of their electric bill for one store.

I know people are mad, don't feel the same way that I do, but let's face it, people continue to return to this site during the lockout because they care, they may say they don't but if they didn't they wouldn't be here. Regardless of opinion hockey fans want what I want, to wake up, check the news, and see if the lockout has ended and we may resume watching the sport we love.

The NHL can disregard me and my opinion all they want, but i'll continue to watch because they are doing what every other corporation in america with money does, screws it's consumers. If people want to support the collapse of the NHL, see this site no longer exist, and be stubborn about it enough to stop supporting the NHL then that's your decision. I care too much about it to be part of the demise, i'd rather be a part of the rebuild.

And again, I apologize for the poor choice of words, no offense intended.

[vladdy16 2,154]

We're all pretty freakin' cranky at this point. Apology not really necessary but accepted.

I seriously doubt that the NHL will crumble. I think it will take them much longer to recuperate this time around, and rightfully so, but I think the absolute worst that could happen would be a few teams would be forced to fold. Whether that's good or bad is and has been another subject of debate, and ad nauseum IMO. But I don't even see that happening. The revenue sharing pot will help with that.

It boils down to the fans have no other power. Like I said before, it completely takes the sting out of "I'm really, really pissed" if you're dialing up Ticketmaster as you say it. The NHL is going to have to do some serious wooing to make up for this one. Groveling would not be out of order as far as I'm concerned. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see Bettman on his knees!!

[55fan 5,133]

We're all pretty freakin' cranky at this point. Apology not really necessary but accepted.

I seriously doubt that the NHL will crumble. I think it will take them much longer to recuperate this time around, and rightfully so, but I think the absolute worst that could happen would be a few teams would be forced to fold. Whether that's good or bad is and has been another subject of debate, and ad nauseum IMO. But I don't even see that happening. The revenue sharing pot will help with that.

It boils down to the fans have no other power. Like I said before, it completely takes the sting out of "I'm really, really pissed" if you're dialing up Ticketmaster as you say it. The NHL is going to have to do some serious wooing to make up for this one. Groveling would not be out of order as far as I'm concerned. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see Bettman on his knees!!

So many insults; so little time.

[Guest The Axe]

The MLB had to learn it the hard way, so will the NHL.

The juiced ball era. Now the juiced puck era!!! 145 mph slap shots with a puck half as light. Yes!!!!

[Wing Across The Pond 196]

Pistons = crappy economy/high personal debt + crappy product not in a downtown area

Then again (apart from the downtown area bit) the same can be said of most of those teams. The Mariners baffle me though, not because they've massively dropped off in success, but because they've lost over half of their fan base according to those stats.

Also agree with chances14's flippant comment Phoenix aren't on the list because they probably haven't lost any fans. They don't get many, but the ones they do probably go to most games. Which unfortunately means the league will use this as further justification that the experiment is proving successful.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

The Blue Jackets, Pistons and Stars made the list.

Surprisingly, Phoenix didn't.

After this nonsensical lockout, I think EVERY NHL team is probably going to lose some..

http://247wallst.com...-out-of-fans/2/

Columbus is a front-running town to a certain extent. If the CBJ are playing well, the crowds will be there. If they aren't, then you'll see crowds like what they had last year. I don't think it has much to do with the lockout.