OT: One More Off Topic Off Season Thread

[Fourier]

Yes, this existed here DT. The library as well was beautiful. I believe the DT library is seen behind the courthouse in the last picture.

The loss of the courthouse is often sited as one of the many many disastrous decisions to let classic buildings get demolished. Indeed at one time in this city there was a zeal to rip down any buildings that were older and had character and replace them with such modernity as Brutalist 50's -60-70's's architecture.

Its also disappointing that Parks Canada chose to get behind the Winnipeg Court House as a heritage preserve, a beautiful building, and had not done the same in the case of the Edmonton Court house.

Parks Canada - Winnipeg Law Courts National Historic Site of Canada

www.pc.gc.ca

I remember that courthouse.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

This guy could add some toughness to any lineup.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837516546899313091

 

[Drivesaitl]

Taking the convo here. One of the many reasons I dislike Rogers Place compared to Rexall place.

Quite simply one was designed for working folk to enjoy games in affordable seats and the new generation of Stadia/Arena are designed specifically with high price points in mind. No need or want for "Gallery" seating, get rid of that, maximize the amount of most expensive seats.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/business/its-not-just-the-super-bowl-going-to-a-game-is-becoming-unaffordable/index.html

I smelled this miles away soon as the original Arena renderings were being discussed.

Ironically these facilities being built with public funding to ensure that less people can afford to go to events and unfortunately that less major events take place.

For me, and I gather for a lot of people sports and entertainment stopped being a thing when ticket prices flew over 100bucks. Now into thousands of bucks for some events.

"Funflation"

Pass, lots of other fun things to do that don't cost a new mortgage.

Biggest irony is that almost all the fantastic events, Stanley Cup wins etc took place at the old Arena, Rexall place, the one they're tearing down. An arena where it was costing 24bucks to see a SC game 7 win. Still have the ticket stubs. Got to see Kiss, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Police, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, etc at the old arena along with multiple SC wins. Didn't cost 2000 a ticket for any of it. It cost 1% of that.

 

[brentashton]

This guy could add some toughness to any lineup.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837516546899313091

All that for a 2 dollar bottle of mouthwash… rough.

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

This guy could add some toughness to any lineup.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837516546899313091

The sound of his head bouncing off the cart rack

 

[timekeep]

Taking the convo here. One of the many reasons I dislike Rogers Place compared to Rexall place.

Quite simply one was designed for working folk to enjoy games in affordable seats and the new generation of Stadia/Arena are designed specifically with high price points in mind. No need or want for "Gallery" seating, get rid of that, maximize the amount of most expensive seats.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/business/its-not-just-the-super-bowl-going-to-a-game-is-becoming-unaffordable/index.html

I smelled this miles away soon as the original Arena renderings were being discussed.

Ironically these facilities being built with public funding to ensure that less people can afford to go to events and unfortunately that less major events take place.

For me, and I gather for a lot of people sports and entertainment stopped being a thing when ticket prices flew over 100bucks. Now into thousands of bucks for some events.

"Funflation"

Pass, lots of other fun things to do that don't cost a new mortgage.

Biggest irony is that almost all the fantastic events, Stanley Cup wins etc took place at the old Arena, Rexall place, the one they're tearing down. An arena where it was costing 24bucks to see a SC game 7 win. Still have the ticket stubs. Got to see Kiss, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Police, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, etc at the old arena along with multiple SC wins. Didn't cost 2000 a ticket for any of it. It cost 1% of that.

It's 2024 man, pro sports teams are owned by business people. They would rather sell less expensive seats and make those people pay lots for for food and beverage. I recall taking a cooler to the Esks games, with beer in it. No major sports team is selling tickets for $25, even exhibition. But you could probably find it on the resellers.

 

[rboomercat90]

Taking the convo here. One of the many reasons I dislike Rogers Place compared to Rexall place.

Quite simply one was designed for working folk to enjoy games in affordable seats and the new generation of Stadia/Arena are designed specifically with high price points in mind. No need or want for "Gallery" seating, get rid of that, maximize the amount of most expensive seats.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/business/its-not-just-the-super-bowl-going-to-a-game-is-becoming-unaffordable/index.html

I smelled this miles away soon as the original Arena renderings were being discussed.

Ironically these facilities being built with public funding to ensure that less people can afford to go to events and unfortunately that less major events take place.

For me, and I gather for a lot of people sports and entertainment stopped being a thing when ticket prices flew over 100bucks. Now into thousands of bucks for some events.

"Funflation"

Pass, lots of other fun things to do that don't cost a new mortgage.

Biggest irony is that almost all the fantastic events, Stanley Cup wins etc took place at the old Arena, Rexall place, the one they're tearing down. An arena where it was costing 24bucks to see a SC game 7 win. Still have the ticket stubs. Got to see Kiss, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Police, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, etc at the old arena along with multiple SC wins. Didn't cost 2000 a ticket for any of it. It cost 1% of that.

I’m almost as old as you are. I never saw class as an issue in our society (I’m specifically speaking about Canada here) at all up until about 10-15 years ago. It dominates it today. It’s really sad.

 

[Drivesaitl]

It's 2024 man, pro sports teams are owned by business people. They would rather sell less expensive seats and make those people pay lots for for food and beverage. I recall taking a cooler to the Esks games, with beer in it. No major sports team is selling tickets for $25, even exhibition. But you could probably find it on the resellers.

So I don't really get this statement. Does 2024 have to suck for the consumer in everything? Do we have to be gouged in all our purchase?

Yes, business people want to make money. What has changed is the amount of money they want to make, and the margin they want to have, and willing dupes, we pay for it and in some instances like with food or heating costs with no choice.

It used to be considered to be OK to run profitable business that served well, and provided good product at reasonable price thus accruing the most consumers. Some businesses still operate that way but not many.

If the public just accepts its just 2024 so prices suck its supporting the whole shell game of why there is such rampant inflation. Or one of the reasons for it anyway.

In anycase even if one buys the argument that this should be what entertainment should cost one has to reconcile that stadia/arenas are generally getting lower capacity thus limiting the amount of seats to any event. The purveyors say that reducing attendance is within the purview of "improving customer experience" when really its about improving the supply/demand equation and increasingly to a smaller portioned market.

Rexall place had more events and more tickets sold almost any year of operation than Rogers Place is doing. One of the reasons for this is high pricing on entertainment means that only the highest profile entertainment now ends up in Arena's and has event dates. Ticketmaster, Livenation are sucking all the money out of the entertainment industry, and also increasing prices and surcharges. This kind of play works in the short term but in longterm it kills the same industries because less and less people consider themselves prime ticket consumers. The goose that lays the golden egg is dying and a lot of the top brand entertainers are too, and not being replaced by too many.

My option is just say no. It is for anybody.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I’m almost as old as you are. I never saw class as an issue in our society (I’m specifically speaking about Canada here) at all up until about 10-15 years ago. It dominates it today. It’s really sad.

Yeah. Its really sad for younger people that end up paying hundreds or thousands to attend an event. That have to spend more than they conceptualize having to buy a house or any residence. For many buying a vehicle isn't even realistic option today.

Flashback but I paid 21bucks in 1983 to see David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, The Tubes. Bought several tickets to bring friends. One of the best times. Great concert, it was the top selling concert tour in the world and so the demand was there, and the artists and promoters could have required people to pay much much more. But many artists back then grew up working class and wanted to be performing for them. They didn't want the only people in the crowd to be CEO's or one percenters. They really didn't want that.

I went to around 40 NHL playoff games in the 80's including two Stanley Cup winning games. Collectively all those games and events cost me LESS than somebody going to the playoffs or final round last season. Something to think about.

So that today Taylor Swift costs 100X as much to see and isn't even comparable in quality to former artists. Pay 100X more, get dreck. No wonder the music industry is dead and dying.

I don't write any of this for me but for the few people that will read it and realize something is seriously wrong. People can't get out of all costs but can re-determine how much discretionary spending they want to spend.

 

[timekeep]

So I don't really get this statement. Does 2024 have to suck for the consumer in everything? Do we have to be gouged in all our purchase?

Yes, business people want to make money. What has changed is the amount of money they want to make, and the margin they want to have, and willing dupes, we pay for it and in some instances like with food or heating costs with no choice.

It used to be considered to be OK to run profitable business that served well, and provided good product at reasonable price thus accruing the most consumers. Some businesses still operate that way but not many.

If the public just accepts its just 2024 so prices suck its supporting the whole shell game of why there is such rampant inflation. Or one of the reasons for it anyway.

In anycase even if one buys the argument that this should be what entertainment should cost one has to reconcile that stadia/arenas are generally getting lower capacity thus limiting the amount of seats to any event. The purveyors say that reducing attendance is within the purview of "improving customer experience" when really its about improving the supply/demand equation and increasingly to a smaller portioned market.

Rexall place had more events and more tickets sold almost any year of operation than Rogers Place is doing. One of the reasons for this is high pricing on entertainment means that only the highest profile entertainment now ends up in Arena's and has event dates. Ticketmaster, Livenation are sucking all the money out of the entertainment industry, and also increasing prices and surcharges. This kind of play works in the short term but in longterm it kills the same industries because less and less people consider themselves prime ticket consumers. The goose that lays the golden egg is dying and a lot of the top brand entertainers are too, and not being replaced by too many.

My option is just say no. It is for anybody.

To be clear, i have little respect for Katz. Not telling you to stop whining and start buying tickets at today's prices, spend your money the way you wish. But to compare or reference prices from 30-40 years ago is very silly. Inflation is part of it, costs of doing business higher. This arena is more comfortable, parking is not great but I plan ahead. I don't know if Northlands was used more nights than Rogers though. Allot of crap goes on at Rogers.

I agree about ticketmaster, but that is the way most teams are going. Less staff to employ and no maintenance of a system. Another business decision by rich people.

 

[Drivesaitl]

To be clear, i have little respect for Katz. Not telling you to stop whining and start buying tickets at today's prices, spend your money the way you wish. But to compare or reference prices from 30-40 years ago is very silly. Inflation is part of it, costs of doing business higher. This arena is more comfortable, parking is not great but I plan ahead. I don't know if Northlands was used more nights than Rogers though. Allot of crap goes on at Rogers.

I agree about ticketmaster, but that is the way most teams are going. Less staff to employ and no maintenance of a system. Another business decision by rich people.

Inflation and costs and such can account for a 3X increase in ticket prices since the 80's. It can't account for a 100X increase in ticket prices. That is unaccountable. It isn't silly to bring it up.

Inflation Calculator

Calculate how much the cost of a fixed "basket" of consumer purchases has changed, using monthly consumer price index (CPI) data from 1914 to now.

www.bankofcanada.ca

But agreed these are business decisions for rich people designed for other rich people. The rest are shut out.

Put it this way. People in trades today make around twice as much, if that, then they made in 1983. They don't make 10 or 100X as much.

In 1983 I was making 20bucks an hour so a Bowie/Gabriel ticket was costing 1hr of pay. For the top drawing tour on the planet. A concert with huge production value.

The same today would cost 100X as much (Taylor Swift unfortunately) and go for around 2K a ticket representing TWO WEEKS of comparable salary in todays earnings.

No horse in this race as I wouldn't be buying anyway through ticketmaster. Refuse to support their business model in any way.

I would be more prepared to say c'est la vie to this except much of this stadia/arena that are for one percenters only are funded by taxpayers. Or portions thereof.

Certainly I could produce numbers on tickets sold at Rexall in a year vs Rogers in a year. Pollstar Rexall/Northlands numbers alone blow Rogers Place out the window. Much of todays entertainment that you see at Rogers place is half bowl lower only, or lower bowl only. They have hardly any artists that sell out the Arena here. Back in the 80's there would be easily 50 Non hockey sellouts every year.

Rexall one year saw nearly 500K NON Sports tickets sold. It flirted with 300-400k non sports tickets sold per year on a regular basis.

This was a typical year for Rexall Place

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://edmontonsun.com/2013/01/19/edmontons-rexall-place-ranked-among-busiest-arenas-in-the-world

Heres the pre pandemic 2019 numbers for Rogers place. (keeping in mind that amount was a high point for Rogers place to that point and was surpassed by Rexall all of its last years of operation.

https://data.pollstar.com/chart/2019/12/Top200Arenas_797.pdf

333K non sports tickets sold that year. Far less than Rexall in 2013 or the peak 470K Rexall sold in 2007.