Why hasn't Baltimore ever worked for a hockey ?

[Royalsflagrunner77]

After visiting Baltimore and doing a little history digging I found that the city has had multiple teams in the past . But it looks like mostly poor management is what failed those franchises . with exception of the bandits .
Just wondering why it couldn't possibly support a SPHL or ECHL team ?

 

[CrazyEddie20]

After visiting Baltimore and doing a little history digging I found that the city has had multiple teams in the past . But it looks like mostly poor management is what failed those franchises . with exception of the bandits .
Just wondering why it couldn't possibly support a SPHL or ECHL team ?

The biggest problem is that the arena is an aging dumphole.

Baltimore considers itself a major league city. At one point, it had the Bullets, Orioles and Colts - three of the four major leagues. The Bullets left for the brand new Capital Centre because the arena was a dumphole back then. The Capital Centre has been replaced, but 50 miles north in Baltimore, THE SAME ARENA is still there.

No one would go watch SPHL or ECHL hockey in Baltimore. No one.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Like Eddie said, arena that is incapable of hosting a minor league tenant and potential fan base just isn't there.

The Baltimore Skipjacks drew terrible support despite being affiliated with the nearby Washington Capitals. They actually suffered from hosting too many games on the same dates since their fanbase clearly was choosing the big club over the other. The Capitals played in Baltimore to a good crowd once a few years ago, but I highly doubt minor league hockey would ever fit on the Baltimore sports scene. If you live in the suburbs, which is where most of their fan base would be drawn from, you're going to follow the Capitals, not some random minor league team nearby.

 

[AHLFAN]

The City of Baltimore is in Contract talks with Developers to Overhaul Royal Farms Arena. Both of the Developers will privately fund the project. The starting estimate is $150 millions for the overhaul. You can research the headlines but The Baltimore Sun and local Business Papers won't let you read the article unless you are a subscriber.

 

[AHLFAN]

PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines.

This is a link to the story. With this site you move to the right to continue reading not scroll down.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

The City of Baltimore is in Contract talks with Developers to Overhaul Royal Farms Arena. Both of the Developers will privately fund the project. The starting estimate is $150 millions for the overhaul. You can research the headlines but The Baltimore Sun and local Business Papers won't let you read the article unless you are a subscriber.

That's a comically large amount of money to renovate an inadequate structure. They could tear it down and start over and build a modern 15,000 seat arena and still have money left over, but hey, go throw that money down the hole, KD...

 

[AHLFAN]

It's not the cities money. The main Developer is the same one that redid the arena in Seattle.

 

[Atlantian]

They had their chance at the bigs in 67. If one of the NHLs 6 expansion teams had been unable to begin play, Baltimore would have been granted a team. Since then, each minor league team has had consistently low attendance (except for inaugural season Bandits apparently). There have been talks of the Caps trying to buy Hershey and move them to Baltimore, but that will never happen. And, as previously mentioned, the arena is a shithole that needs to be scrapped and have a new one take its place.

 

[JMCx4]

... This is a link to the story. With this site you move to the right to continue reading not scroll down.

Oh, how quaint. It's like reading a tabloid on the morning train.

 

[PCSPounder]

It's not the cities money. The main Developer is the same one that redid the arena in Seattle.

Oooooooooooohhhhh… so another concert venue that might try to mix in a sport or two. That’s the MO for OVG, even if they’ve hit one from the point with the Kraken.

Judging from the times I’ve seen the place on TV (WAY back in the days of indoor soccer on TV), does that arena really even situate hockey in a fan-accessible manner?

 

[Roadhog]

The City of Baltimore is in Contract talks with Developers to Overhaul Royal Farms Arena. Both of the Developers will privately fund the project. The starting estimate is $150 millions for the overhaul. You can research the headlines but The Baltimore Sun and local Business Papers won't let you read the article unless you are a subscriber.

outline.com gets you around a lot of paywalls.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Judging from the times I’ve seen the place on TV (WAY back in the days of indoor soccer on TV), does that arena really even situate hockey in a fan-accessible manner?

Not really. I'd describe the configuration as a "squared off U", meaning the corners of the bowl are at 90-degree angles, thus creating a lot of dead space on the floor. It's kind of like a bigger version of the Civic Coliseum in Knoxville in that way.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Oooooooooooohhhhh… so another concert venue that might try to mix in a sport or two. That’s the MO for OVG, even if they’ve hit one from the point with the Kraken.

Judging from the times I’ve seen the place on TV (WAY back in the days of indoor soccer on TV), does that arena really even situate hockey in a fan-accessible manner?

Looks to be serviceable but less than desirable.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I was in the arena-I believe it was called the Baltimore Civic Center at that time-in 1989 or 1990. It wasn't anything special, but it was functional for sure.

When hockey took off in Cincinnati in the early 90s with the original version of the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Cincinnati Gardens wasn't anything to write home about. No air conditioning, inadequate bathrooms and concession stands and messy parking when the crowds were big-but the place was packed almost all of the time.

I'm sure there's more to it than the arena. If U2 or the Rolling Stones (or any of the other absurd geriatric rock bands) would announce dates at the Baltimore Arena, it would sell out in no time flat. There are very few arenas which will stop people from attending a desired product. I think it's an easy and probably inaccurate excuse for the reason why hockey has failed in Baltimore.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I was in the arena-I believe it was called the Baltimore Civic Center at that time-in 1989 or 1990. It wasn't anything special, but it was functional for sure.

When hockey took off in Cincinnati in the early 90s with the original version of the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Cincinnati Gardens wasn't anything to write home about. No air conditioning, inadequate bathrooms and concession stands and messy parking when the crowds were big-but the place was packed almost all of the time.

I'm sure there's more to it than the arena. If U2 or the Rolling Stones (or any of the other absurd geriatric rock bands) would announce dates at the Baltimore Arena, it would sell out in no time flat. There are very few arenas which will stop people from attending a desired product. I think it's an easy and probably inaccurate excuse for the reason why hockey has failed in Baltimore.

I mean, fans being unable to attend a desired product and a desirable hockey arena aren't the same thing. Trois-Rivières has all the makings of a good ECHL market, but the old Colisée de Trois-Rivières certainly wouldn't be compatible with the ECHL. The Richmond Coliseum is the same thing. So is Martin Luther King Jr. Arena. And those are ones just off the top of my head. There's more than "can it host hockey and hockey fans."

 

[PCSPounder]

The modern arena experience needs to be better than watching the game on TV. In that way, it really doesn’t compare with concerts (which are almost never televised live).

 

[Roadhog]

Kevin Durant's company taking part in Royal Farms Arena makeover

 

[PCSPounder]

I mean, fans being unable to attend a desired product and a desirable hockey arena aren't the same thing. Trois-Rivières has all the makings of a good ECHL market, but the old Colisée de Trois-Rivières certainly wouldn't be compatible with the ECHL. The Richmond Coliseum is the same thing. So is Martin Luther King Jr. Arena. And those are ones just off the top of my head. There's more than "can it host hockey and hockey fans."

Excuse me. Getting Colorado Springs flashbacks.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Excuse me. Getting Colorado Springs flashbacks.

Don't forget about Hara Arena. Don't sit in the top few rows unless you want your head to hit the ceiling.

 

[JMCx4]

Don't forget about Hara Arena. Don't sit in the top few rows unless you want your head to hit the ceiling.

Slouch down, problem solved. Kids these days, always demanding luxury.

 

[Atlantian]

Don't forget about Hara Arena. Don't sit in the top few rows unless you want your head to hit the ceiling.

Is there even a ceiling left to hit though?

 

[JMCx4]

Is there even a ceiling left to hit though?

As of last September ... doesn't look like it ...

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Is there even a ceiling left to hit though?

Not since the demolition. And the tornado before that. But before both those things, there was a ceiling to hit.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

There's more than "can it host hockey and hockey fans."

But that's not what the garbage hockey crowd has said time and time again...

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

But that's not what the garbage hockey crowd has said time and time again...

My fault. I meant "can it host hockey and hockey fans in a financially successful and sustainable manner."

I forgot there is somehow a semi-professional league with teams in rec rinks.