you mean the tv contract situation getting worse in the States than it already is?
Tacoma to renovate Tacoma Dome for NHL and/or NBA team?
- Thread starter Melrose Munch
- Start date
you mean the tv contract situation getting worse in the States than it already is?
PanthersHockey1
South by Southeast
Is there enough of a hockey presence in seattle to support a team? And whats wrong with vancouver? Are my two major concerns
What I find odd is that I always read that the US media doesn't care about hockey. Every couple weeks a thread pops up on the main board against ESPN's supposed bias against the sport.
If the US media doesn't care, how much of a black eye can the league really take? The Atlanta-to-Winnipeg move was in the news in the US for what? A week? At most? Even then, many American commentators applauded the move.
Yes.
Well that was one move. They like to make fun of hockey. I am sure MoreOrr will elaborate, but the perception will be the League as a whole is failing.
Nuclear SUV
Registered User
- Jun 1, 2008
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If they were doing a serious remodel to attract a team, they would likely save most of the roof, dig out a bowl, and a build a larger and more permanent seating arrangement in an NHL viable configuration.
The footprint is certainly large enough. Salvaging the roof will also save some money. The question is how much does the rest cost, where does the money come from, and is it politically viable.
Tacoma certainly has the population to support one or the other (NHL/NBA). There are 1,650,000 people between Southcenter (I-5/I-405 in Tukwila)-Olympia and Port Orchard-Eatonville. What it lacks is the corporate base. It just lost its biggest recently to Seattle (Russell Investments). Weyerhaeuser in Federal Way, a former Tacoma company, is the only heavy hitter down there until you venture into Kent.
The footprint is certainly large enough. Salvaging the roof will also save some money. The question is how much does the rest cost, where does the money come from, and is it politically viable.
Tacoma certainly has the population to support one or the other (NHL/NBA). There are 1,650,000 people between Southcenter (I-5/I-405 in Tukwila)-Olympia and Port Orchard-Eatonville. What it lacks is the corporate base. It just lost its biggest recently to Seattle (Russell Investments). Weyerhaeuser in Federal Way, a former Tacoma company, is the only heavy hitter down there until you venture into Kent.
Vancouver is not a close as it looks on the map to the Seattle area. Besides a nice 3 or so hour drive the border crossing can really slow things down, especially post-911. It's an occasional once a year trip to see the Canucks, but I seriously doubt there is more than a handful of season ticket holders in Seattle
The US media may not care that much about hockey, but it seems to often care enough to take negative jabs at the sport or at least at the NHL. More importantly though is the general overall impression that relocating teams consecutive teams to Canada will have... 'Hockey is failing in the US'... and so many casual fans (which could one day become more than casual fans) might start thinking,.. 'you know, I guess hockey really isn't an "American" thing.'
The NHL has obviously been striving to build an image, a more popular and positive image, in the US, and relocating two teams in a row to Canada works totally against that objective. Of course the issue is really not that simple, but that's how it could be viewed.
I hope I didn't disappoint, Melrose
Why is your opinion of whether they can support a team something to think about? You don't have any real evidence to back it up. There are a few markets out there where people questioned its ability to succeed and it's been proven otherwise. Any market in the US and Canada can work given the right circumstances.
The US media may not care that much about hockey, but it seems to often care enough to take negative jabs at the sport or at least at the NHL. More importantly though is the general overall impression that relocating teams consecutive teams to Canada will have... 'Hockey is failing in the US'... and so many casual fans (which could one day become more than casual fans) might start thinking,.. 'you know, I guess hockey really isn't an "American" thing.'
The NHL has obviously been striving to build an image, a more popular and positive image, in the US, and relocating two teams in a row to Canada works totally against that objective. Of course the issue is really not that simple, but that's how it could be viewed.
I hope I didn't disappoint, Melrose
Very nice.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
well as someone who has spent a lot of time down in Seattle and the area--their fans are fickle--even when the super sonics where a very good team---they had to work double hard as other teams to get butts in the stands.
My evidence is my experience in the area--some people would assume it would be a slam dunk for hockey to make it in the area--I think the area is more suited to WHL and uni hockey then the nhl
When Paul Allen built his new arena in Portland it was originally a duel purpose arena for BB and hockey--but Allen never made a serious pitch for hockey
I have been in the Dome and it is not good for hockey and most would agree that it would be a stop gap till the new arena is built--that may take 10 years and the upper seats in the dome are horrible for hockey
what evidence do you have that NHL hockey would work in the area?
When I was in the area--I found people who were thunderbird fans but not NHL fans
Nuclear SUV
Registered User
- Jun 1, 2008
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That's nonsense. The Sonics were the first NBA franchise to average over 20,000 fans a game for an entire season. Led the league in total attendance four times. Plus had one of the longest sellout streaks during the 90's despite the league's 2nd highest average ticket price. Even towards the end when they were mediocre or being intentionally destroyed in an effort to steal the team away to OKC, they still drew over 90% capacity.
Seattle was a great NBA city and will get a team as soon as someone up there builds a new arena.
Correct. Sonics problem wasn't support. The Sonics problem is they had ****** selfish/shortsighted owners and a moody voter base that had already funded 2 big overbudget stadium projects. Key arena was outdated but they couldn't get a new one built. So Mr Starbucks sold off to Mr. Okie ********* and he took the team to OKC.
Your attempt to make yourself credible is weak at best. Your experience there is irrelevant unless you actually have some hard facts. Even if you did, it is irrelevant. Most people in places where the NHL is not at are not going to say they're NHL fans. There is nothing locally there to appeal them to the brand unless they're transplants from other NHL markets.
Paul Allen's business in Portland is irrelevant to the happenings of Seattle with regards to the NHL.
I'm not really having this exchange with you over the Dome. I've already made my feelings fairly clear on that particular subject. My issue is that you posted that your opinion of the market without any shred of evidence is something that people should actually think about. As if you're some authority on the subject.
There are many markets that were similar to Seattle in terms of indifference to the NHL prior to their arrival. All that matters is that you have the right ownership group, the right arena and subsequent deal to play there, and ice a competitive team without being in the basement for a significant period of time. Any market that has those three key things can succeed with the NHL product. Now, it's no easy task to get those things but that's what it takes in a simplistic sense.
If Seattle got an NHL team there, those Thunderbird fans would likely support it as well as many other folks that like to see pro sports. Until they do, they have no link to the NHL brand and it's not uncommon for that attitude to be there without it and for it to change quickly when they get it.
DeathToAllButMetal
Let it all burn.
- May 13, 2010
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The US media may not care that much about hockey, but it seems to often care enough to take negative jabs at the sport or at least at the NHL. More importantly though is the general overall impression that relocating teams consecutive teams to Canada will have... 'Hockey is failing in the US'... and so many casual fans (which could one day become more than casual fans) might start thinking,.. 'you know, I guess hockey really isn't an "American" thing.'
The NHL has obviously been striving to build an image, a more popular and positive image, in the US, and relocating two teams in a row to Canada works totally against that objective. Of course the issue is really not that simple, but that's how it could be viewed.
I hope I didn't disappoint, Melrose
Nobody in the US cares enough for this to be a black eye. And even before Atlanta moving, the insanity in Phoenix, etc., the NHL was constantly getting trashed. Look at The Onion. They blast the league every couple of months with some story about Bettman, the Stingley Cup, etc.
If a big US team moved to Canada, I could see the worry. Philly packs up for Quebec, sure. Maybe even NYI, because they're in New York. But Phoenix? Nobody will care enough to even bother writing a single joke headline.
The NHL would do itself more damage by desperately scrambling into a joke arena like this Tacoma Igloo thing. That I could see being followed up with an Onion story about the Devils moving to a parking lot and the Panthers heading to a high school gym.
kypredsfan
Smashville Subban
Just to show everybody, this is what the hockey set-up for the Tacoma Dome is.
WOW. So basically upper level sideline seats and end zone seats are miles away from the ice.
Hey, I noticed in the basketball pic they had 4 basketball games going on. Maybe if there are two NHL franchises that need to be moved next year they can put two NHL standard-sized rinks side by side and play games simultaneously. Fans can really get their money's worth!
Kimota
ROY DU NORD!!!
End on a Hinote
Registered Abuser
Yes. The big issue is putting a winning team on the ice. The Mariners got a killer stadium built for them and they can't field a halfway decent team. As a result, the stands are empty. Corporate support wouldn't be a problem. Getting the right people to build a winning franchise top to bottom is.
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GreenHornet
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Nuclear SUV
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