If a Hockey game is played but no one attends.... (Checkers game)

HisIceness

This is Hurricanes Hockey
Sep 16, 2010
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70,080
Charlotte


So because of the icy roads, the Checkers decided to close the doors to fans for tonights game against Bridgeport. The Checkers twitter had a lot of fun with it.

This is the second time they've done this since moving back to the Bojangles Coliseum.
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
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St. Louis, MO
Dang, I definitely coulda won the Chuck-A-Puck closest to the target prize tonight. :thumbu:
 

CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
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Auburn, Maine


So because of the icy roads, the Checkers decided to close the doors to fans for tonights game against Bridgeport. The Checkers twitter had a lot of fun with it.

This is the second time they've done this since moving back to the Bojangles Coliseum.

it made ESPN, folks.... but it is not unprecedented
 

UticaHockey

Registered User
Feb 27, 2013
3,419
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Utica, NY
You forgot to add the ending in your title....If a Hockey game is played and no one attends....is the game in albany?
rjpnc.jpg
 

Nightsquad

Registered User
Jan 25, 2014
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If officials are suggesting fans to stay off the road then the team is doing the right thing. No need to require fans risking their safety, no need for arena and support staff to compromise their safety either. Season Members and pre sold game night ticket holders get refunds for the lost game night, all is well. In my neck of the woods if its icy or wind chills in single digits I don't leave the house lol.
 
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garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
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Durham, NC
Could've sworn that it's happened a couple times before, but not seeing it other than in mentions about almost empty ballparks. The more you know.

It's happened (to an extent) in Minor League Baseball once. The Charleston RiverDogs, a Low-A team in the South Atlantic League owned by Bill Murray and Mike Veeck (Bill Veeck's son) had a "Nobody Night" in 2002. Fans were kept out of the ballpark until after the 5th inning (at the point the game became official and when attendance is recorded) and the team's radio play by play announcer was in a cherry-picker outside the park narrating the action for the fans.
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
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St. Louis, MO
It's happened (to an extent) in Minor League Baseball once. The Charleston RiverDogs, a Low-A team in the South Atlantic League owned by Bill Murray and Mike Veeck (Bill Veeck's son) had a "Nobody Night" in 2002. Fans were kept out of the ballpark until after the 5th inning (at the point the game became official and when attendance is recorded) and the team's radio play by play announcer was in a cherry-picker outside the park narrating the action for the fans.
That has "Bill Murray" written ALL over it.
 

Nightsquad

Registered User
Jan 25, 2014
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100
very true

Kind hypocritical don't ya think coming from a Monarchs fan? Have you seen their attendance numbers recently. The only time I remember Albany being dead last was last year, after the team announced they were moving mid season. Not that attendance had been good but not too far off from the rest of the bottom five AHL clubs. People forget Springfield was usually last, along with Portland, and Worcester, and Lowell (Devils affiliated, see the pattern?) a few years back. Manchester and their lack of support may cost them pro hockey all together. Albany still has Adirondack nearby which is much a part of that market. Had Albany been affiliated with the Rangers or Bruins (much of Albany area fans are NYC or New England) and had the organization actually cared about the fans of the area we would be having a different discussion.
 
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garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
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Durham, NC
That has "Bill Murray" written ALL over it.

More "Veeck" written all over it. Read up on some of the promotions that Mike's father, (in)famous owner Bill Veeck engineered, ranging from the infamous Disco Demolition Night to having a dwarf, Eddie Gaedel, pinch hit while wearing the uniform number 1/8 (he walked on four straight pitches), to having Grandstand Manager Day where fans could hold up placards and vote for in-game strategy and you'll see that promotions like that run in the family. Heck, even the first homerun scoreboard celebrations were a Veeck hallmark, what with Comiskey's exploding scoreboard.
 

GarbageGoal

Courage
Dec 1, 2005
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There was a MAAC basketball game involving Fairfield a number of years ago where fans couldn't attend due to a flu outbreak. I'm pretty sure it was at Harbor Yard.

Not really sure I agree with the decision. Yes, encourage fans to not come by offering them tickets for another night, but if you made a trip down to Charlotte as a Bridgeport fan for a two night stand you got screwed. What if you stayed at the hotel down the street and didn't have to drive?
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
13,478
8,328
St. Louis, MO
More "Veeck" written all over it. Read up on some of the promotions that Mike's father, (in)famous owner Bill Veeck engineered, ranging from the infamous Disco Demolition Night to having a dwarf, Eddie Gaedel, pinch hit while wearing the uniform number 1/8 (he walked on four straight pitches), to having Grandstand Manager Day where fans could hold up placards and vote for in-game strategy and you'll see that promotions like that run in the family. Heck, even the first homerun scoreboard celebrations were a Veeck hallmark, what with Comiskey's exploding scoreboard.
I grew up in the Bill Veeck heyday - back when I was as much a baseball fan as a hockey fan - so I remember each of those events very well. But locking the fans outta the stadium for the first 5 innings is less showman and more subtle irony, thus my attribution to Murray. However you slice it, the Murray-Young Veeck partnership must've made for some interesting planning meetings. They probably ruined the careers of an intern or three.
 
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garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
12,476
11,841
Durham, NC
I grew up in the Bill Veeck heyday - back when I was as much a baseball fan as a hockey fan - so I remember each of those events very well. But locking the fans outta the stadium for the first 5 innings is less showman and more subtle irony, thus my attribution to Murray. However you slice it, the Murray-Young Veeck partnership must've made for some interesting planning meetings. They probably ruined the careers of an intern or three.

Oh, for sure. Not to go too far off topic, but there was definitely one promotion that undoubtedly got somebody sacked - Free Vasectomy Night. Scheduled for Father's Day, the winning entrant would have gotten a free procedure done at the game. Enough uproar from the local Diocese got the promotion cut (no pun intended...ok maybe a little one)
 

royals119

Registered User
Jun 12, 2006
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West Lawn, PA
Not really sure I agree with the decision. Yes, encourage fans to not come by offering them tickets for another night, but if you made a trip down to Charlotte as a Bridgeport fan for a two night stand you got screwed. What if you stayed at the hotel down the street and didn't have to drive?
But if you do that then you need at least some arena employees to show up. (ticket taker, security, usher, concession worker, janitor), and those people are put at risk traveling for what might be only a couple fans.
 

GarbageGoal

Courage
Dec 1, 2005
22,353
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RI
But if you do that then you need at least some arena employees to show up. (ticket taker, security, usher, concession worker, janitor), and those people are put at risk traveling for what might be only a couple fans.

Yet there had to be arena workers to turn on the lights, right? Clean the ice, off ice officials, etc. Is there any concern for them?
 

royals119

Registered User
Jun 12, 2006
1,457
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West Lawn, PA
Yet there had to be arena workers to turn on the lights, right? Clean the ice, off ice officials, etc. Is there any concern for them?
If you click the link you will see the team employees filled those roles. Ticket sales people were cleaning the ice, COO was running the AV, etc - a real skeleton crew, and people who were probably already at the rink when the decision was made. I don't know the exact conditions, but assuming it was expected to get worse as the night went on, as an employer it isn't always about getting your employees to work, it is getting them home safely afterward. The less people you bring in, the less you need to worry about travelling on dark, wet, icy roads. In fact, its possible the team put those few salaried employees up at a hotel along with the team if it was bad enough.

Most arenas have at least a security guard and/or maintenance person on site at all times, but just enough to maintain an empty building. Once you let people in, you need enough to keep an eye out that no one goes "exploring" where they don't belong, etc.

Once you open it up and say "come if you want to, but we don't advise it", you don't know if you will get 10, 100, or 1000 people. I wouldn't be surprised if two fans who drove down from Bridgeport and stayed at the hotel next door showed up at the employee entrance and explained the situation the team would have made and exception let them in - they just wouldn't publicize it.
 

210

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210sportsblog.com
Could've sworn that it's happened a couple times before, but not seeing it other than in mentions about almost empty ballparks. The more you know.
The only reason I know that it's happened only once is the previous record for fewest fans at a major league game was six...set in Worcester when they played Troy on September 28, 1882.
 

CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
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Auburn, Maine
There was a MAAC basketball game involving Fairfield a number of years ago where fans couldn't attend due to a flu outbreak. I'm pretty sure it was at Harbor Yard.

Not really sure I agree with the decision. Yes, encourage fans to not come by offering them tickets for another night, but if you made a trip down to Charlotte as a Bridgeport fan for a two night stand you got screwed. What if you stayed at the hotel down the street and didn't have to drive?

Siena had a tournament stretch of 7 games without fans
 

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