The Perception of Empty Seats (Little Caesars Arena making seats black to hide them)

[Esq]

Toronto has the same issue. The corporate suits don't sit in their seats, they socialize in the lounges. It's becoming embarrassing

It's been embarrassing for quite a while.

 

[Esq]

In fairness to Detroit, let's not act like the exact same thing hasn't happened in Boston and Chicago in recent memory. Or that it's not happening in Ottawa right now.

There are literally a handful of cities in each sport where tickets will sell no-matter-what. Some of those are the small hardcore cities where the team has a cult-like presence (Edmonton, Green Bay) and some are larger cities where mass demand just overwhelms all other factors (Toronto in hockey, Dallas in football). Everywhere else, an extended streak of bad teams will lead to empty seats. Even if they're being sold to corporations in some cases, there's a reason people aren't showing up to use the tickets they were given for free by their employers. People don't want to spend their time watching a terrible team lose again and again.

Bingo. Attendance was abysmal in Chicago post-Amonte/Chelios and pre-Toews/Kane. No one (except us middle-aged folks) remembers that now.

 

[MikeCubs]

Thursday night against New Jersey the Red Wings had their first official non sellout at Little Cesar's arena with an attendance of 18,273 out of a capacity of 19,515

https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/boxscore?id=33902

 

[Llama19]

Thursday night against New Jersey the Red Wings had their first official non sellout at Little Cesar's arena with an attendance of 18,273 out of a capacity of 19,515

https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/boxscore?id=33902

The bottom eight or nine teams would welcome a 90%+ attendance average...

 

[YEM]

Those "real fans" in Detroit are depriving the Wings of a lot of money by not showing up.

Jeez
I guess the Ilitch family might have to start holding some money-raising bake sales soon.

 

[TheLegend]

Jeez
I guess the Ilitch family might have to start holding some money-raising bake sales soon.

Not if they bake like their pizzas.

 

[Bondurant]

Bingo. Attendance was abysmal in Chicago post-Amonte/Chelios and pre-Toews/Kane. No one (except us middle-aged folks) remembers that now.

I went to games at the United Center when it was a home game for the Red Wings and Blues. Blackhawks fans stuck to their guns and boycotted Dollar Bill Wirtz. They went to Wolves games instead.