NY Post Larry Brooks: NHL Selling Out Fans - Not Games

[FlyerFan]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102006/sports/nhl_selling_out_fans___not_games_sports_larry_brooks.htm

Click to read more...

 

[TheDanceOfMaternity]

Reading that article made me realize that while Bettman is a sock puppet, it is the media that has really ****ed things up. And ironically, i don't think that was Brooks' main point.

 

[puck57]

Reading that article made me realize that while Bettman is a sock puppet, it is the media that has really ****ed things up. And ironically, i don't think that was Brooks' main point.

I think Brooks had more than one point to his article, and I think it part he was blaming the media for how they reported the whole lockout thing and being so pro-owner for the most part. Don't agree with everything he says, but some of the points are worth chewing over for sure.

 

[donelikedinner]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102006/sports/nhl_selling_out_fans___not_games_sports_larry_brooks.htm

"There is essentially no television coverage of the league. Newspaper coverage has been slashed dramatically across its major U.S. markets. This is not reflective of issues within the newspaper industry, as Bettman likes to pretend, for newspaper s are not cutting back on their 24/7/365 coverage of King Baseball or of the NFL. This is, instead, reflective of issues in Bettman's league.

Attendance is down. It's likely down by considerably more than the reported numbers, as those merely reflect tickets distributed. The Penguins - forever looking to the league and their government for a bailout - were below 15,000 announced for six of their first 15 home games even with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin having been dropped in their laps. The lower tier is half-empty for nearly every Devils game. There are thousands of empties downstairs almost every night in Detroit. The Islanders can't get people to come. Just look. Everyone can see. "

yup the nhl is sooooo much better now

 

[crashlanding]

yup the nhl is sooooo much better now

You're right, half the reason I watch the games is so I can hear the attendance figures. I mean isn't that why these players get the big bucks? Forget goals, assists, who has the hightest PBIS (puts butts in seats) number?

Attendance is down this year, but revenue is up. Maybe they should start selling tickets to the owners counting their money.

 

[donelikedinner]

You're right, half the reason I watch the games is so I can hear the attendance figures. I mean isn't that why these players get the big bucks? Forget goals, assists, who has the hightest PBIS (puts butts in seats) number?

Attendance is down this year, but revenue is up. Maybe they should start selling tickets to the owners counting their money.

attendance is directly related to the quality of the product. price is a deterrent yes, but the game has changed and fewer people are watching and attending games. all praise bettman

 

[nyranger61494]

attendance is directly related to the quality of the product. price is a deterrent yes, but the game has changed and fewer people are watching and attending games. all praise bettman

If this were true the Devils would be one of the highest drawing clubs in the league year in/year out...there are ALOT of factors at play here

 

[donelikedinner]

If this were true the Devils would be one of the highest drawing clubs in the league year in/year out...there are ALOT of factors at play here

nj doesn't count. their fans only show for the playoffs

 

[Jumptheshark]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102006/sports/nhl_selling_out_fans___not_games_sports_larry_brooks.htm

I liked his suplly and demand thing

seems to me if the seats were cheaper down south more people would go

 

[GSC2k2*]

"There is essentially no television coverage of the league. Newspaper coverage has been slashed dramatically across its major U.S. markets. This is not reflective of issues within the newspaper industry, as Bettman likes to pretend, for newspaper s are not cutting back on their 24/7/365 coverage of King Baseball or of the NFL. This is, instead, reflective of issues in Bettman's league.

Attendance is down. It's likely down by considerably more than the reported numbers, as those merely reflect tickets distributed. The Penguins - forever looking to the league and their government for a bailout - were below 15,000 announced for six of their first 15 home games even with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin having been dropped in their laps. The lower tier is half-empty for nearly every Devils game. There are thousands of empties downstairs almost every night in Detroit. The Islanders can't get people to come. Just look. Everyone can see. "

yup the nhl is sooooo much better now

Larry Brooks is a complete halfwit, although I suspect I am overestimating him.

He has no valid points, in this article or any other excrement to which he has attached his name. None.

 

[GSC2k2*]

I liked his suplly and demand thing

seems to me if the seats were cheaper down south more people would go

Don't be deceived by his facile dribblings. He knows nothing about supply and demand. Price elasticity is different for different products, particularly for luxury items such as hockey tickets.

 

[nyranger61494]

Don't be deceived by his facile dribblings. He knows nothing about supply and demand. Price elasticity is different for different products, particularly for luxury items such as hockey tickets.

Economics major in college?

 

[donelikedinner]

Economics major in college?

H.S.?

 

[nyrmessier011]

I wasn't fooled when that ******* said that part of the purpose of the lockout was the make things "affordable for our great fans." Prices are exactly what they were two years ago and owner costs have been basically cut in half for our franchise.

 

[OG6ix]

attendance is directly related to the quality of the product. price is a deterrent yes, but the game has changed and fewer people are watching and attending games. all praise bettman

The same people who are watching now likely were watching in 03/04.

 

[Hasbro]

I think Brooks had more than one point to his article, and I think it part he was blaming the media for how they reported the whole lockout thing and being so pro-owner for the most part. Don't agree with everything he says, but some of the points are worth chewing over for sure.

Of course Brooks is nothing but a PA mouth piece in the late unplesantness.

 

[Sotnos]

Of course Brooks is nothing but a PA mouth piece in the late unplesantness.

He definitely was. Add that to his long time role as big market mouthpiece and you get columns like that one.

 

[Skroob*]

He definitely was. Add that to his long time role as big market mouthpiece and you get columns like that one.

not to defend Larry, but, he does write for the NEW YORK Post, and thusly, will cater to his audience, which is a major market. Is it really that surprising?



Speaking of New York, i went to the box office the other day to get some tixx for a friend of mine, and they have nothing but scattered single seats available for the rest of the season, but still, there are empty seats nightly. Bought & paid for, but not occupied.

 

[bling]

Of course Brooks is nothing but a PA mouth piece in the late unplesantness.

Regardless of that perception of him, the facts are, ticket prices were not reduced, as promised by Bettman, and attendance is down.

The "late unpleasantness" was created by NHL owners in order to increase their profits and thusly the individual club's value. Mission accomplished.

 

[crashlanding]

not to defend Larry, but, he does write for the NEW YORK Post, and thusly, will cater to his audience, which is a major market. Is it really that surprising?

For a guy who writes plenty of articles about the Devils, I don't think he's catered to his audience in that respect once. Why start now?

 

[crashlanding]

Regardless of that perception of him, the facts are, ticket prices were not reduced, as promised by Bettman, and attendance is down.

I'm still not convinced that Bettman ever "promised" lower ticket prices.

This quote is from Feb. 2004
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/thorne/2004-02-10-thorne_x.htm

Asked whether lower salaries would lead to lower ticket prices, Bettman said: "Every market is different. Every club's ticket pricing structure is different." He said he hoped lower salaries would translate to lower ticket prices, but that would depend on the market.

The "late unpleasantness" was created by NHL owners in order to increase their profits and thusly the individual club's value. Mission accomplished.

Isn't that the point of any business? And if you believe the NHL is not a traditional business, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[bling]

Isn't that the point of any business? And if you believe the NHL is not a traditional business, I don't know what to tell you.

Traditional businesses are allowed to spend their own money to improve the product they sell. The fact that the NHL relies on artificial constraints to reduce the ability of it's individual team's (businesses) to maintain or improve it's product shows that it is indeed NOT a traditional business.

 

[Pepper]

For the love of god, Bettman has not even once said that the current system would guarantee cheaper tickets.

He has once said something like "in IDEAL system the clubs would be able to drop ticket prices". We don't know what that ideal system is.

Every other comment has been "MORE AFFORDABLE" which is not the same as lower ticket prices. Too bad Larry's minimal IQ doesn't allow him to reach that conclusion.

Larry's just bitter that fools like him and Alfred E. "who me?" Strachan lost the fight as part of the PA propaganda organisation.

 

[crashlanding]

Traditional businesses are allowed to spend their own money to improve the product they sell. The fact that the NHL relies on artificial constraints to reduce the ability of it's individual team's (businesses) to maintain or improve it's product shows that it is indeed NOT a traditional business.

A lot of NHL clubs are still bleeding dollars, hence revenue sharing. The successful teams are spending their own money to improve the product by making all 30 teams viable. Look at the way the western conference is now, all 15 teams have a shot at the playoffs. That improves the product on the ice, night in, night out. If you think allowing one team to spend 80M on their salary while the team filling the other locker room can only spend 22M is an improvement on today's product, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[bling]

For the love of god, Bettman has not even once said that the current system would guarantee cheaper tickets.

He has once said something like "in IDEAL system the clubs would be able to drop ticket prices". We don't know what that ideal system is.

Every other comment has been "MORE AFFORDABLE" which is not the same as lower ticket prices. Too bad Larry's minimal IQ doesn't allow him to reach that conclusion.

Larry's just bitter that fools like him and Alfred E. "who me?" Strachan lost the fight as part of the PA propaganda organisation.

At the 2004 All-Star Game, league commissioner Gary Bettman said, "I believe with the right economic system, many, many, if not most of our teams, will actually lower ticket prices. I believe we owe it to our fans to have lower ticket prices."


Obviously it is Gary Bettman and even more obviously he talks out of both sides of his mouth (and some occaisions one of his lower orifaces) and regardless of how the owner supporters have chosen to spin this issue today, one of Bettman's big selling points for getting a salary cap was to make the game more afforable "for the family" and thereby make it a more attractive entertainment product.

I do not care about Brooks or Strachan or what their motivation is for writing such articles. I am merely pointing out that we as hockey fans were mislead and now instead of a reasonably priced and competitve team to cheer for, I now have a mediocre, struggling, team of lower statured, no names, that I am are asked to pay even higher prices to watch.