This board needs a rickshaw, and this thread deserves to be its poster boy. Let me offer a little summary of the pure hilarity that is contained within these pages.
#1 -- Initial poster posts a press release that is, arguably, unclear.
Unnamed conspiracy theorist is certain that the league is in fact lying, and as such, assumes that attendence only went up because the league scheduled more games in October then prior years.
An astute poster mentions that it is, in fact, average attendence, not total. Here's where it gets fun. Conspiracyboy then argues
You didn't read the article closely enough. It does not say the average of 16,820 is a record, just that a record was set, and that was the average. Trust me, if the average was a record too, the NHL would let you know.
Much trite arguing followings, finally put to the rest by another astute poster who showed that the NHL release itself quite clearly mentioned that it was an average in the title
IN BIG BOLD LETTERS LIKE THIS.
Conspiracyboy (who will be called CB from here on out), continues to maintain that..
this was a press release written by the NHL. No reporter uncovered this information. The NHL was purposefully ambigous
Despite.. once again, it being in
IN BIG BOLD LETTERS LIKE THIS.
CB then asks where one finds that information.
Once again, people remind him that it is in the fricken title in
IN BIG BOLD LETTERS LIKE THIS.
CB, realizing he's really screwed, changes gears.
OK, you can believe the headline, and I'll believe the text. Works for me.
Now, noone is quite sure *** this is supposed to mean, but CB gives us a glimpse of his brilliance further on.
Here's something the journalism experts here forgot to mention: headlines are not written by the same person who wrote an article.
Also CB still ignores the bolded words, opting instead to state that.
I could pretend the release says something it doesn't
The real crowning moment. Apparently CB calls the NHL and gets some secretary to state that it is, in fact, total attendence and not average. He then states the following.
Again, I did read what was presented, and I drew my own conclusion.
Here is what he read.
NHL sets record average attendance in October
He then developed his "own" conclusion. The NHL meant total not average! Read the text!
I thank all of those involved, but CB in particular deserves a medal.