Calgary Flames Experiencing Attendance Issues

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

These threads all pathetically devolve into American based fans making wise-cracks about Canadian teams relocating to the US.

Take a bow.

It is mostly about the economy and about Canadian teams living high on the hog for so long and getting away with inflating their prices for so long. It is going to take some time for prices to deflate a bit.

It is not the same dynamic in the US. Where tickets are being given away at the best of times. Anyone in a Canadian city would go to an NHL game if the price is right. It is not from a lack of interest.

Tickets being given away at the best of times?

You call the guy out and then do the exact same thing.

 

[Brookbank]

Much like threads discussing struggling southern markets in America devolving into Canadian based fans making wise-cracks about the Southern teams relocating to such thriving metropoli as Quebec City and Hamilton...

Come out for the curtain call.

And yet they aren't remotely similar. We are talking about profitable blue chip Canadian franchises experiencing a reduction in attendance.

 

[fahad203]

Taking kids, parking, food in today's economy is a tough ask.
That's almost 400-500 investment for a night out

I make good money, but I hardly go watch hockey games anymore

Especially in Toronto. It's just not feasible, not sure how it really is in Calgary

 

[LBS I Digress]

These threads all pathetically devolve into American based fans making wise-cracks about Canadian teams relocating to the US.

Take a bow.

Fans of Canadian teams have had no problem in the past kicking “non-traditional hockey markets” while they’re down. It sucks, and it’s not right, but don’t be surprised that it’s happening. It will continue to happen anytime a Canadian fanbase struggles to sell out, for quite literally almost any reason.

It’s the bed that’s been made.

 

[Oneiro]

They've made watching hockey games a luxury product. Ditto for arena concerts for bigger musical acts.

It's bad for the game, the fans and athletes and entertainers in general, whose ability to capitalize and compound on their popularity is constricted by volume. That upfront, short term money may be good, but you destroy the long term brand preservation and ultimately limit the scale of growth of the game and franchise.

In general, all these issues we're circling around lead back to a lot of short-term greed and absolutely no regard for the life of future revenues.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

Hockey is an American sport. Time to move the Flames to Key West where they belong

 

[Brookbank]

And you're going to see it over and over. Probably for years. The harassment the sunbelt teams have seen for the last 15 years is inexcusable. And harassment is a nice word for what they suffered. Atlanta doesn't even have a team and people STILL talk some of the worst shit I have ever seen about them.

The shoe is on the other foot. I don't want to see Canadian fans get tortured over this but it's gonna happen.

The Atlanta Thrashers would probably still exist if they had an owner with strong hands. So Im afraid you are borderline delusional with this take.

Winnipeg Jets’ David Thomson listed as fourth richest sports franchise owner in the world at $52 billion

Jets co-owner David Thomson has been listed as the fourth richest sports team owner in the world by Online Betting Guide, which used Forbes and Bloomberg billionaire rankings to compile its list.

Thomson, who is a partner with True North Sports and Entertainment’s Mark Chipman is listed as having a wealth of $52 billion.

He is the only NHL owner in the top-10 list, which also includes Steve Ballmer of the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) at No. 1. His wealth is listed at $99.2 billion. Others include Carlos Slim of Spanish soccer side Real Oviedo ($84.6 billion), Mukesh Ambani of the Mumbai Indians, a cricket team ($75.8 billion), and Francois Pinault of French soccer team Stade Rennais ($41.7 billion). The only NFL owner on the list is David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers ($15.5 billion). Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, does not make the top-10, with an estimated wealth of $13.5 billion.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Hockey is an American sport. Time to move the Flames to Key West where they belong

Viva the Tortugas!

 

[Backlund]

They should be paying people to come watch the team they've put together. I don't know why anyone would spend their money to watch this shit.

 

[Three On Zero]

Isn’t the team locked in with the new arena deal? Doubt they would be moved anyways

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I would like to see the Flames finish dead last this year. But I don't think any team will be as bad as the Sharks this year. 8 goals in 8 games, not going to win many games scoring one goal a game.

 

[BRobMint]

No star power on the ice, boring team with a losing record, inflation and high ticket prices. Why would people spend their hard earned money on a team that isn’t worth spending what extra money they have? The funny thing is, I bet fans would be more interested in a rebuilding team that was building towards something instead of this frustrating team that deludes themselves into thinking they’re good enough to compete

 

[Brookbank]

Isn’t the team locked in with the new arena deal? Doubt they would be moved anyways

You doubt eh ? Yeah. I doubt it too. You make it sound like there's a 20% chance of it happening when its about a 2% chance.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Good it's the only way anything changes

 

[Pablo El Perro]

You doubt eh ? Yeah. I doubt it too. You make it sound like there's a 20% chance of it happening when its about a 2% chance.

I didn't see any odds in his post.

 

[Three On Zero]

You doubt eh ? Yeah. I doubt it too. You make it sound like there's a 20% chance of it happening when its about a 2% chance.

2%? Try .5%, we would need to see consistent financial losses year after year for a long duration

 

[Pablo El Perro]

2%? Try .5%

Yeah but your .5% looks like a 50% for those of us who can't math outhouse.

 

[iCanada]

Taking kids, parking, food in today's economy is a tough ask.
That's almost 400-500 investment for a night out

I make good money, but I hardly go watch hockey games anymore

Especially in Toronto. It's just not feasible, not sure how it really is in Calgary

400-500 bucks?

To take kids? As in multiple???

You need more than 500 bucks man. Atleast in Edmonton it's probably 600 bucks just tickets, then 20 parking, 100 for food and drinks. With a souvenir for the occasion call it an easy 800 bucks, maybe more like 1000.

 

[fahad203]

400-500 bucks?

To take kids? As in multiple???

You need more than 500 bucks man. Atleast in Edmonton it's probably 600 bucks just tickets, then 20 parking, 100 for food and drinks. With a souvenir for the occasion call it an easy 800 bucks, maybe more like 1000.

Crazy. Too rich for my blood.

 

[Stealth1616]

Don’t blame the fans.

Terrible management, terrible team with an extremely bleak future. Can imagine attendance will only get worse

 

[iCanada]

Crazy. Too rich for my blood.

Yeah me too. I generally only go when I get tickets through work, which as the career picks up is more and more frequently. Kind of nice.

But yeah, far cry from in the 80s where people would be going to championship games for $20 bucks a ticket - costs rivaling the movie theater. Now a days costs rival a week long vacation with fights and accommodations.

 

[Hank Plank]

Fair attendance number would be about 300 fans. One of the most pathetic teams ever and top 3 most delusional fans. Imagine making fun of the Oilers non stop given everything after 1989.

 

[Devonator]

As much as I loathe the Flames, I do not want to see them ever move....but the upcoming years are going to be ugly....they really are a slow boring old team with bad contracts and almost zilch for any decent prospects......It will be interesting if they can at least hold on until the move into their new arena....I would expect by that time they will be a rebuilding squad that will hopefully elicit large fan interest.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInTampa]

The Atlanta Thrashers would probably still exist if they had an owner with strong hands. So Im afraid you are borderline delusional with this take.

Winnipeg Jets’ David Thomson listed as fourth richest sports franchise owner in the world at $52 billion

Jets co-owner David Thomson has been listed as the fourth richest sports team owner in the world by Online Betting Guide, which used Forbes and Bloomberg billionaire rankings to compile its list.

Thomson, who is a partner with True North Sports and Entertainment’s Mark Chipman is listed as having a wealth of $52 billion.

He is the only NHL owner in the top-10 list, which also includes Steve Ballmer of the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) at No. 1. His wealth is listed at $99.2 billion. Others include Carlos Slim of Spanish soccer side Real Oviedo ($84.6 billion), Mukesh Ambani of the Mumbai Indians, a cricket team ($75.8 billion), and Francois Pinault of French soccer team Stade Rennais ($41.7 billion). The only NFL owner on the list is David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers ($15.5 billion). Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, does not make the top-10, with an estimated wealth of $13.5 billion.

And the NHL knows this and it doesn't stop Canadians from losing their minds to think there could be a 3.0

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

The best thing that could possibly happen to the Flames franchise since the Iginla trade is the possibility of getting a top 3 pick this summer.