Who here loved the Winnipeg Jets?

[MacDaddy TLC*]

Mac, here you are again bashing Winnipeg, claiming its some crime-ridden cesspool....

I only used the crime stats provided by Global tv in Winnipeg.

Of course Winnipeg is safer than Jacksonville Florida. i'm not comparing it to USA cities, just Canadian, where the stats tell the story: a murder per capita rate double the national rate.

Did Winnipeg really support their NHL team? No the average attendance was consistently below the league average, which I provided before (backe up my claims that Winnipeg if an AHL city)

How the devil someone can bash Quebec city is beyond me. They were out to support their team when it counted-- at the games not after the fact and the team is lost!


and speaking of making claims and not backing them up, where is the proof that this arena can be expanded without affecting sight lines which was the problem with the old arena?

The main point is Winnipeg has more serious issues than pursuing a pipe dream. Support the AHL team and get gang activity and violent crimes in check.

 

[kenabnrmal]

I only used the crime stats provided by Global tv in Winnipeg.

Of course Winnipeg is safer than Jacksonville Florida. i'm not comparing it to USA cities, just Canadian, where the stats tell the story: a murder per capita rate double the national rate.

Did Winnipeg really support their NHL team? No the average attendance was consistently below the league average, which I provided before (backe up my claims that Winnipeg if an AHL city)

How the devil someone can bash Quebec city is beyond me. They were out to support their team when it counted-- at the games not after the fact and the team is lost!


and speaking of making claims and not backing them up, where is the proof that this arena can be expanded without affecting sight lines which was the problem with the old arena?

The main point is Winnipeg has more serious issues than pursuing a pipe dream. Support the AHL team and get gang activity and violent crimes in check.

Again, while using attendance numbers to dictate how much a city cared and supported for their team may be a quick, easy way to do it (and no one loves quick and easy debates, regardless of how it affects the facts like HF Boards does), it is very much flawed. As I said, unless you lived in Winnipeg or knew it very well, it is impossible to know how much the fans there supported the team, how integral it was to the city, or how well a team would be supported in the new arena.

You've never lived in Winnipeg. You've admitted in the past that you hate the city because of one bad incident. As a former Winnipegger, I am very sorry that you had a bad experience, but your constant bashing of the city is baseless. You quoting one stat does not make you an expert on the city, nor does it even make what you're implying. You don't know a thing about the city, its crime problem, or its gang problem. You had one bad experience in a visit. I've had none in 25 years of living there.

Discuss the issue at hand. Crime and gangs are not the issue. Whether you like the city or not is not the issue. Local support, both corportate and fan, is the issue. And stating an average attendance figure doesnt come CLOSE to being a definitive damnation of the city's hopes.

And I hope you weren't referring to me, because I never stated that the arena can be expanded without affecting sight lines. I simply said that we didn't know if expanding it without affecting sightlines was possible.That it could be, and all it would take would be smart archetects to realize that any expansion would have to include not affecting sight lines.

 

[Jets4Life]

*bump*

 

[jacketracket*]

*bump*

Just curious, J4L ... do you post on Darren Ford's site?

I've had a few conversations with posters there. Seem like a good bunch, with a couple of exceptions.

Edit: I only ask because I think I recall you mentioning the site a few times before, in posts here. If not, please disregard.

 

[Jets4Life]

Just curious, J4L ... do you post on Darren Ford's site?

I've had a few conversations with posters there. Seem like a good bunch, with a couple of exceptions.

Edit: I only ask because I think I recall you mentioning the site a few times before, in posts here. If not, please disregard.

As a matter of fact, I do post on Darren Ford's site. I'm glad you have checked it out. There is a strong movement to lure an NHL team back to Winnipeg at present time. We sold out our new building for both World Junior exhibition games (15,015). Hopefully the Jets will be back soon. I have my fingers crossed!

 

[Reilly311]

If Winnipeg was an American city, there wouldn't even be a discussion here about bringing the team back.

 

[It Kills Me]

If Winnipeg was an American city, there wouldn't even be a discussion here about bringing the team back.

how so?

 

[Reilly311]

how so?

If Winnipeg was an american city, people would be talking about what a horrible hockey market it is/was. The only reason people want the team to come back is because it was a canadian team. There are plenty of teams in the states that average more per game than the Jets did, yet people want those teams to be moved somewhere else, namely Winnipeg.

 

[leafaholix*]

If Winnipeg was an american city, people would be talking about what a horrible hockey market it is/was. The only reason people want the team to come back is because it was a canadian team. There are plenty of teams in the states that average more per game than the Jets did, yet people want those teams to be moved somewhere else, namely Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is a city in love with hockey... the cities in the US that are being talked about are not.

When you compare Atlanta, Carolina, Nashville, Florida, Anaheim, etc... to Winnipeg, they don't stand a chance in terms of popularity. If an organization is going to average 13,000 fans a game and not sell out every night, you might as well have the team located in a city that actually cares for the sport... not just cares, but loves the sport.

 

[Reilly311]

Winnipeg is a city in love with hockey...

obviously, since they built a nice, big rink to house their massive fan base.

When you compare Atlanta, Carolina, Nashville, Florida, Anaheim, etc... to Winnipeg, they don't stand a chance in terms of popularity.

In canada, yes. People in the states don't even know what a Winnipeg is.

If an organization is going to average 13,000 fans a game and not sell out every night, you might as well have the team located in a city that actually cares for the sport... not just cares, but loves the sport.

Thank you for proving my point.

 

[Jets4Life]

What with the "311"?

I'm sure you are aware that's slang for "Ku Klux Klan".

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

obviously, since they built a nice, big rink to house their massive fan base.

They built a medium sized arena to fit an American Hockey League team.

Funny, we keep hearing about the "Great fans of Winnipeg", yet other than two seasons the average attendance has been higher in Phoenix each season....

We hear Winnipeg fans love hockey, yet, unless it is a short term committment (ie a World Junior Championship, which they did a fantastic job hosting in 99 or a Pan Am games) yet they don't show it by ACTUALLY attending the games. The Jets were below the league average attendance almost their entire existence. Fans who love hockey show up at games, not sit at home and watch their team DIE!

We hear Winnipeg fans showed up in droves to support their Jets when they were about to become Coyotes, but WHERE were these people when it mattered: attending the games and helping the team make some money when the team might actually have been saved?

We hear the city of Winnipeg is hoping to lure a team back with a brand spanking new arena, but why would they have only 15 000 seats, which is FAR BELOW the NHL standard?

The city courted the Penguins who play in probably the biggest dump and couldn't even get a sniff. Another used Winnipeg as leverage to get their new arena built. I'll go on record right here: It wasn't Nashville, who have one hell of a great hockey fan base developing right now and everyone would know this if they opened up their eyes, It was the New Jersey Devils. They got their arena deal and Winnipeg served its purpose.


You can cross all the digits you want, and maybe even hold your breath (please do), but the NHL will never return to Winnipeg!

 

[Slats432]

They built a medium sized arena to fit an American Hockey League team.

Funny, we keep hearing about the "Great fans of Winnipeg", yet other than two seasons the average attendance has been higher in Phoenix each season....

We hear Winnipeg fans love hockey, yet, unless it is a short term committment (ie a World Junior Championship, which they did a fantastic job hosting in 99 or a Pan Am games) yet they don't show it by ACTUALLY attending the games. The Jets were below the league average attendance almost their entire existence. Fans who love hockey show up at games, not sit at home and watch their team DIE!

We hear Winnipeg fans showed up in droves to support their Jets when they were about to become Coyotes, but WHERE were these people when it mattered: attending the games and helping the team make some money when the team might actually have been saved?

We hear the city of Winnipeg is hoping to lure a team back with a brand spanking new arena, but why would they have only 15 000 seats, which is FAR BELOW the NHL standard?

The city courted the Penguins who play in probably the biggest dump and couldn't even get a sniff. Another used Winnipeg as leverage to get their new arena built. I'll go on record right here: It wasn't Nashville, who have one hell of a great hockey fan base developing right now and everyone would know this if they opened up their eyes, It was the New Jersey Devils. They got their arena deal and Winnipeg served its purpose.


You can cross all the digits you want, and maybe even hold your breath (please do), but the NHL will never return to Winnipeg!

I think I have made this same post 10 times.

Winnipeg is a great hockey market...unless they need to buy tickets.

 

[mazmin]

Oh yes! The Winnipeg Haters Club thread!

Gimme a break. Unless you live here and know "exactly" what goes on then save the useless comments. There has GOT to be a better way to spend your time...but probably not *ahem*

 

[Hockeyfan02]

We could have easily beat out Tampa in terms of attendance if we sold tickets for $7 a game. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Tampa selling Stanley Cup Final tickets for that same price? I also read that game 7 was not sold out until the afternoon of the game. Can you honestly say that would happen if a Winnipeg-based team reached the final?

They sold 200 seats for $8 dollars a ticket as a giveback to the fans and as a promotion on every game day during the playoffs like they did the previous year. They literally had people camped out for DAYS to get them on game day. Technically you could say they werent sold out because they put these seats on sale at 8AM on game day, but all the other seats were sold out for about 2 weeks before the game. They also had about 5,000 people outside the plazas watching on big screens. Have no idea what your sources are but they are way off in their information. The team was bad for years so attendance wasnt going to be all that great when they were dead last in the league practically every year. Heck, even the Red Wings had lackluster attendance when they were bad in the 70s and 80s.

 

[Slats432]

Oh yes! The Winnipeg Haters Club thread!

Gimme a break. Unless you live here and know "exactly" what goes on then save the useless comments. There has GOT to be a better way to spend your time...but probably not *ahem*

Born and raised in Kenora. I know all about the Jets, Winnipeg, and the fact that there are a select few that pine for the days of the return of the team.

There is always opinion, but the facts are the facts. If the Jets would have had more than league average attendance for their entire NHL history, then I would be less inclined to feel the way I do.

And don't make it personal...I happen to like Winnipeg.

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

I feel sorry for them, as they are clued out. Mac has a hard-on for making Winnipeg look bad, so anything he says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The AHL Moose have drawn very well over the past 8 years. This year, they are the top team in terms of attendance in all of minor league Hockey (9,000 per game).
**EDITED OUT CHILDISH COMMENT**

• Winnipeg does a fine job making itself look bad; no help needed
• I live in reality, have a fine life, no need to feel sorry for me. You on the other hand are clinging to the past and a pipe dream. I feel sorry for you. Fact is, Dancing Gabe has moved on; time for you to do the same.
• The Moose have drawn well; 9000 a game. Looks like Winnipeg has ound it's niche---Minbor league city. The fact is, like slats said, unless you include the word free, NHL tickets will sit in the box office, just like they did in the past. Time to move on.
• If you have time to bump a thread on its way to thread heaven, maybe it is you that needs to find something better to do.

EDIT: looks like Winnipeg stats are being inflated...AGAIN: http://www.theahl.com/AHLStatistics0304/attendance.html
Manitoba 276,562 40 6,914



Maybe the ECHL.... :lol

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

Oh yes! The Winnipeg Haters Club thread!

Gimme a break. Unless you live here and know "exactly" what goes on then save the useless comments. There has GOT to be a better way to spend your time...but probably not *ahem*

How are presenting the FACTS Useless? If Winnipeg cared about the team they would have attended the games instead of whining about it for eternity after it was too LATE!

 

[Jets4Life]

EDIT: looks like Winnipeg stats are being inflated...AGAIN: http://www.theahl.com/AHLStatistics0304/attendance.html
Manitoba 276,562 40 6,914
Maybe the ECHL.... :lol

Maybe you should stop misleading people by providing LAST YEARS attendance figures. We are #1 in all leagues this year in terms of attendance for minor leagues. Go back and check your link. Better yet, I'll do it for you:

2004-05 AHL Attendance

 

[Jets4Life]

Born and raised in Kenora. I know all about the Jets, Winnipeg, and the fact that there are a select few that pine for the days of the return of the team.

There is always opinion, but the facts are the facts. If the Jets would have had more than league average attendance for their entire NHL history, then I would be less inclined to feel the way I do.

And don't make it personal...I happen to like Winnipeg.

Despite the old arena having over 5,000 obstructed view seats, we still managed to attract approx. 13,200 fans per game during the Jets NHL history. That's very impressive when you consider there were only 9,000 good seats at the old arena.

Additionally, it was the FANS that bought over 90% of tickets to games. Not like today, when corporations buy up 1/2 the seats (most of the premium/club seats), especially in the Southern US. That's why attendance is announced at 15,600, etc, when it appears an 18,000 seat building is less than 1/2 full to many observers.

 

[Sotnos]

Additionally, it was the FANS that bought over 90% of tickets to games. Not like today, when corporations buy up 1/2 the seats (most of the premium/club seats), especially in the Southern US.

I see that Hockeyfan02 already corrected your misinformation about Tampa, but I'd like to see where you got these particular statistics from. I find it hard to believe that half of any arena's tickets are purchased by corporations, and it's also hard to believe that this information would be made public anyway.

 

[Slats432]

Maybe you should stop misleading people by providing LAST YEARS attendance figures. We are #1 in all leagues this year in terms of attendance for minor leagues. Go back and check your link. Better yet, I'll do it for you:

2004-05 AHL Attendance

And exactly how is it that providing the last complete season as evidence of attendance misleading? Or is it that the 14 games from this year are a better basis of evidence? Poor argument.

Obviously, you want to create something that just isn't there....an overwhelming support from the Jets to return to the NHL from people other than those few die hards that already exist.

 

[triggrman]

I see that Hockeyfan02 already corrected your misinformation about Tampa, but I'd like to see where you got these particular statistics from. I find it hard to believe that half of any arena's tickets are purchased by corporations, and it's also hard to believe that this information would be made public anyway.

Me too, in fact according to Craig Leopold Nashville has one of the highest percentages of non corporate season ticket bases. We have the die hard fans, we just need better corporate support, competing with the Titans for the corporate dollar is an uphill battle here.

 

[Jets4Life]

I shouldn't even bother answering this. I had said that Winnipeg is leading Minor League hockey in attendance THIS YEAR. The forum member in question accused me of inflating these figures, and provided a link to LAST YEARS attendance figures.

It really does not matter though. I have no idea what the member in question has against the city of Winnipeg, but let's keep the topic about hockey. If you reread this thread, the member in question does everything to sway the topic off course to things that are irrelevant to the topic. The crime rate, gangs, personal bad experiences in the city, etc.

Contrary to what you think, most Winnipeggers want to see the return of the Jets. However at the same time the city is taking a "wait and see" approach. Once the lockout is over, we will know if it is economically feasible to bring an NHL team back to Winnipeg. Keep in mind the city is in much better economic condition than in 1996.

 

[Sotnos]

Me too, in fact according to Craig Leopold Nashville has one of the highest percentages of non corporate season ticket bases. We have the die hard fans, we just need better corporate support, competing with the Titans for the corporate dollar is an uphill battle here.

Interesting stuff!

As you suggest, corporate support is VERY important to NHL owners, so claiming some high percentage of non-corporate fans doesn't really support a case for acquiring an NHL team anyway.