Larry Brooks Rumors Nashville Problems

[Whalerfan11]

Yes, it's a business decision not to buy tickets from the Predators. But isn't it a business decision not to support such companies? It's a two-way street. Companies have the right not to purchase tickets from the Predators. And Predator fans have the right to not purchase products and services from their company. Isn't that what having 'rights' in commerce is all about?

But does anyone have a right to list all these companies? I think making a list of companies public that don't support the preds is a bad idea and not the right way to go about raising attendance. But maybe I'm alone in this thinking it's just my opinion.

 

[SmokeyClause]

I guess that guy has to have had a little truth to his "BS" about the door to door. Obviously I believed it because the guy is from Nashville and I seen him post it on a football forum a few weeks ago.

First things first, the Preds aren't doing anything. They've hired a company to market them. If that company is going door to door (which is misleading, it's not exactly how it works with these types of firms), then that's the company's decision, not necessarily Nashville's.

Secondly, going door to door in business is not uncommon at all for sports teams. You made it sound like the Preds were going door to door at residential locations. What if I told you the Atlanta Braves, Orlando Magic, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Supersonis, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and New York Yankees all employ a marketing firm similar to that used by the Predators. And both Exel Marketing (Predators company) and JT Advertising (the company responsible for helping market the listed teams above) use very similar strategies.

 

[Whalerfan11]

Basically the Preds are almost threatening companies...."If you don't buy tickets we will put you on a blacklist that will be published and you will potentially lose business".

Can't you see the sleezyness in that?

 

[SmokeyClause]

But does anyone have a right to list all these companies? I think making a list of companies public that don't support the preds is a bad idea and not the right way to go about raising attendance. But maybe I'm alone in this thinking it's just my opinion.

While I would definitely not suggest the Predators do such a thing, I have no qualms if the Predators fanbase decides to take action. The lack of corporate support with regards to the Preds is embarrassing. If the Preds aren't having any success increasing support, maybe a little pressure from the fanbase, which does support the team very well, might help?

 

[nomorekids]

Basically the Preds are almost threatening companies...."If you don't buy tickets we will put you on a blacklist that will be published and you will potentially lose business".

Can't you see the sleezyness in that?

If the Predators as an organization did that, there would be hell to pay.

What their fans do is out of their hands and not really their responsibility.

 

[Whalerfan11]

While I would definitely not suggest the Predators do such a thing, I have no qualms if the Predators fanbase decides to take action. The lack of corporate support with regards to the Preds is embarrassing. If the Preds aren't having any success increasing support, maybe a little pressure from the fanbase, which does support the team very well, might help?

I understand your point I just see the whole thing getting nasty. I think the Predators should just reach out to these corporations and companies and ask for support. If they decide not to then fine. I bet there are alot of places that haven't been asked to help yet.

 

[SmokeyClause]

Basically the Preds are almost threatening companies...."If you don't buy tickets we will put you on a blacklist that will be published and you will potentially lose business".

Can't you see the sleezyness in that?

Let me say that there's a reason you will rarely find most Predator fans on this site over their on the official Predators message board. It's a cesspool. So I would take everything I read with a large grain of salt.

That being said, this is not necessarily the Predators doing. If anything, it is the marketing firm taking an initiative and doing it on their own. They are an agent of the Predators, not the Predators themselves. And I would imagine if they do actually go through with this (which I'm not too confident it'll ever happen), they won't keep the Preds as a client long.

 

[jamiebez]

Basically the Preds are almost threatening companies...."If you don't buy tickets we will put you on a blacklist that will be published and you will potentially lose business".

Can't you see the sleezyness in that?

Edmonton did it.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

Off topic, but Denver really doesn't get nearly the amount of snowfall that people think it does.

Just curious... what amount do "people think" we get then? Because if Denver "doesn't get nearly" the amount they think, they must really, really be thinking high amounts.

 

[Gnashville]

I understand your point I just see the whole thing getting nasty. I think the Predators should just reach out to these corporations and companies and ask for support. If they decide not to then fine. I bet there are alot of places that haven't been asked to help yet.

According to some thread in the Predator section some of the companies not supporting the team are ones making money off the Predators ie downtown bars that benefit directly from the team playing 41+ nights a year.

 

[canes-sth]

If you gave Karmanos truth serum, he'd tell you that he'd have been better off taking the arena deal and staying in Hartford. With two trips to the Finals and a Cup, and a salary cap, he'd be sitting a lot prettier than he is in Raleigh.

An interesting question, no doubt. But I'd disagree. When Karmanos had a "town hall" with Season Ticket Holders just after the lockout began he sat in the arena and pointed around the place. Ad signage, concessions, etc. He talked about how the deal here at the RBC was so much more advantageous because of how Gale Force Holdings "gets it all". It's not always about how many people are willing to go to the games. Just ask Pittsburgh.

 

[MoMiester]

Do you know the details of his lease with Hartford or his one now with the Canes? Maybe he didn't get much of the money from suites in Hartford. Suites can go for as much as 125k a year here in Nashville, I understand that's not just hockey but it is related, especially with Nashville because the Predators get all the revenue for suite sales (so the CMA's, the Stones and Elton John have all contributed to the profits of the Predators).

Canes suites are somewhere in the $150K to $175K range.

 

[MoMiester]

Actually, the decision to move out of Hartford aside... the decision to move to Raleigh was kinda dumb. Raleigh is not the major city in the Carolinas. Charlotte would've been far smarter. Raleigh is an area about 1/3 the population of Charlotte. Coporate oppurtunity is slightly higher in Charlotte, with Raleigh boasting big names like Cisco, RBC Centura, First Citizen's Bank, and Nortel Networks . Charlotte boasts Wachovia (formerly First Union), Bank of America, Duke Energy, Time Warner, Meineke and Lowe's.... not to mention NASCAR corporate, who assuredly would be major supporters of the NHL in Charlotte, just as they are of the NBA and NFL. Charlotte is the 2nd largest financial center in the country after NYC.

Charlotte's desire to be added to the list of big American cities is apparent with the amount of high rise development in the last 20 years, and the fact that they lured the NFL and re-lured the NBA into town. The willingness of the city to build a new arena was apparent with the building of Charlotte Bobcats arena, completed in 2005.

Stupid move going to Raleigh, comparatively? Definitely.

Stupid ??? I don't think so.

A few corrections.
Charlotte CSA metro population 2M
Raleigh/Triangle metro population 1.5M

Not "1/3 of" and that is CSA. You go to MSA and the difference is only 300K people

Raleigh has higher average income than Charlotte (always $4k higher on census), higher growth rates (see money mag), best place to do business (Fortune Mag)

Corporate support in the Triangle also included SAS, IBM (largest IBM site in the world), NETAPPs, RedHat (HQ) , Progress Energy (Fortune 250 company), John Deere (WW HQ for lawn mowers/gators/outdoor power equip) GSK HQ (2nd largest phrama company in the world), numerous SW companies, etc, etc, etc. It is the 3rd largest Biotech center in NA and many mags say it will be first in a couple of years. When all these drugs start to take off and get approved that are being developed in Raleigh/Triangle and moving to RTP in the next 5-10 years, the Triangle is going to skyrocket with all that Pharma/medical money on top of all the tech money/salaries that are there. And it will just keep coming.


Not to mention the general feel of the two cities. Sorry, but Charlotte is "way more southern" than Raleigh/Triangle (not a bad thing) even though it can have a more metropolatain feel than Raleigh since Raleigh/Triangle is more spread out. Raleigh has a different vibe to it than Charlotte. Not sure if it is the NASCAR thing of Charlotte. And to be upfront, I like southern.

Not to mention Raleigh had the arena when needed and Charlotte's was not a viable choice at the time with NFL no viable arena and a stuggling NBA team.

For Bobcats arena, it still does not have a sponsor name and the city is not really supporting their new team in their new arena that took years to get.

I would say Charlotte is a great NFL town and supports the Panthers great with the help of the 2 states. It is working its way toward a world class cities with great help from the banks. (but watch the buyout of Barclays as they have a large NY presence) They need to take care of the Bobcats and get that straight.

I like Charlotte and go there often . Charlotte has a great DT (Raleigh/Triangle has 3 cities plus RTP so DT areas are spread out but DT Raleigh is growing like crazy even though they don't have a 60 story I.M. Pei designed tower) but I just don't buy it is a better place for hockey. It has great business but Raleigh is not that far behind.

I would also say that The Charlotte media barely covers Hurricane hockey now and no radio station will cover the game unlike Raleigh/Triangle have 2 stations that cover the Bobcats.

Plus, Charlotte built their new arena so that it only sits 14K people for hockey. It is truly a basketball arena.

I think Charlotte needs to work for the next 20 years to bring MLB into town and take care of the Bobcats.

JMHO

 

[OG6ix]

MLB should not go to southern states! They won't support a team that plays 80 games a season. You think they will average 17,000 to 20,000 a season with a crappy team? I don't think so. Look at the Marlins, Devil Rays, Braves etc... they all have fickle fans (Eventhough the braves area or were a dominant team).