:: View topic - "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."

So, almost 8000 people showed up to see two bottom feeder teams play an exhibition game in neither's home town and that's a failure?

I think it would be fair to say that a city that already has a team will draw a lesser audience for the preseason, than a city that is supposed to be in the running for an expansion franchise - It's pre-season (in Buffalo) versus The Only Professional Game of The Year, in Kansas City...

The Sabres drew 11,600 for the Caps. But, KC is supposed to be the "Cinderella City" in the running for the next team...

AND, KC were only charging $10 a ticket for the lower bowl. Not a great endorsement for a fan-base. Can't give it away?

Halifax routinely draws 10,000 for exhibition games...that's all their arena holds.

Surely Kansas City would be a great market for hockey...here's an idea for their uniforms!

i would. nhl hockey is nhl hockey. i go to a ton of minor league games.

End The Curse wrote:

Surely Kansas City would be a great market for hockey...here's an idea for their uniforms!

Nah; they'd never make a uniform out of those!

im a pats and lions fan. so id go see the lions, yeah. but over both the pats and lions... gimme a good ole fashioned big 10 college football game with michigan in it.

Nah; they'd never make a uniform out of those!

Author:	icehound [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:40 am ]
Post subject:	"Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Courtesy of Faceoff.com: Kansas City shows no interest in hockey "The Islanders drew only 9,792 fans for an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Kings at the two-year-old Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Long Island newspaper Newsday reported there was more excitement at the hearing than at the game. The game was designed to gauge interest in the NHL in Kansas City, but the upper deck of the arena was blocked off by black curtains. Tickets were available at the box office for US$10 if fans mentioned the local all-sports radio station. Chris Botta, the Islanders' former vice-president of media relations who now writes a blog about the team, noted: "While Islanders players and coaches were wowed by the facility, the 50-per-cent-capacity crowd at the game did nothing to stamp [K. C.] as a serious contender for an NHL franchise." Uh-huh...Don't tell Herr Bettman, he's got "big" plans for the Winnipeg Jets Ver. 3.0

Author:	End The Curse [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:55 am ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Since when did fan interest enter in to Gary Bettman's formula for expansion or relocation? He could care less if the arena is 80% empty. Just follow his "strategy" of a) Force-feeding NHL hockey to US markets that aren't interested in the sport to help him secure enormous national contracts with big networks like "Outdoor Life/Versus" b) Collect a big expansion/relocation fee. c) Secure guaranteed taxpayer money, find a crooked owner, and - "TA-DA!" - we have the Bettman formula for success!

Author:	Jim Bob [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:09 am ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
rbochan wrote: So, almost 8000 people showed up to see two bottom feeder teams play an exhibition game in neither's home town and that's a failure? What did the Sabres draw for the Caps game at HSBC?

Author:	End The Curse [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Does the league even give out attendance figures for standard preseason games?

Author:	icehound [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
I think it would be fair to say that a city that already has a team will draw a lesser audience for the preseason, than a city that is supposed to be in the running for an expansion franchise - It's pre-season (in Buffalo) versus The Only Professional Game of The Year, in Kansas City... The Sabres drew 11,600 for the Caps. But, KC is supposed to be the "Cinderella City" in the running for the next team... AND, KC were only charging $10 a ticket for the lower bowl. Not a great endorsement for a fan-base. Can't give it away?

http://www.sabresjunkie.com/forum/

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Author:	Howie Hodge [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Hockey starved cities should draw well for exhibitions. They used to draw good crowds in the mid - late eightees in Cleveland for NHL exhibitions. Now if Cleveland, who was not being mentioned as a potential NHL site, was outdrawing KC - who is; I'd be leary of the market too.

Author:	End The Curse [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Halifax routinely draws 10,000 for exhibition games...that's all their arena holds.

Author:	Displaced Fan [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Even here in Denver when someone talks about football for instance I'll try and change the subject to hockey and the Avalanche and most people are like "Well, yeah we do have them I guess well anyway back to the Broncos" They just don't seem to care at all about it out here unless they're winning...because that's always fun.

Author:	Jim Bob [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
icehound wrote: I think it would be fair to say that a city that already has a team will draw a lesser audience for the preseason, than a city that is supposed to be in the running for an expansion franchise - It's pre-season (in Buffalo) versus The Only Professional Game of The Year, in Kansas City... The Sabres drew 11,600 for the Caps. But, KC is supposed to be the "Cinderella City" in the running for the next team... AND, KC were only charging $10 a ticket for the lower bowl. Not a great endorsement for a fan-base. Can't give it away? It usually goes the other way as fans in cities with no real ties to the teams playing don't have the emotional fan interest to go to a pre-season game. Just look at the Bills in Toronto and the debacle that has become. I'm not saying that KC would be a great NHL market. I just don't think a neutral site pre-season game is the best indicator of potential success.

Author:	ironyisadeadscene [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:14 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
i dont like the idea of kansas city, but having a kansas city team over a team in arizona is more appealing to me. seattle/portland or bust!

Author:	AudSabres [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
End The Curse wrote: Halifax routinely draws 10,000 for exhibition games...that's all their arena holds. I was at the Sens/Panthers game a week or so ago at the Metro Centre, with barely any big names in the lineup, there was still about 8000 at the game. Decent showing considering the biggest names were Chris Neil, Nathan Horton N co.

Author:	Howie Hodge [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
End The Curse wrote: Surely Kansas City would be a great market for hockey...here's an idea for their uniforms! Nah; they'd never make a uniform out of those!

Author:	Skyline_BNR34 [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
icehound wrote: I think it would be fair to say that a city that already has a team will draw a lesser audience for the preseason, than a city that is supposed to be in the running for an expansion franchise - It's pre-season (in Buffalo) versus The Only Professional Game of The Year, in Kansas City... The Sabres drew 11,600 for the Caps. But, KC is supposed to be the "Cinderella City" in the running for the next team... AND, KC were only charging $10 a ticket for the lower bowl. Not a great endorsement for a fan-base. Can't give it away? Put Detroit and Pittsburgh you'll have almost a sell-out house? Who want to see two bottom feeder teams play? I would rather stay home instead of spending 10 bucks to watch pointless hockey with two teams that haven't made the playoffs for awhile now. Well the Islanders made them a few years ago but they have sucked the past few seasons.

Author:	Skyline_BNR34 [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:03 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
ironyisadeadscene wrote: i would. nhl hockey is nhl hockey. i go to a ton of minor league games. Well some would, but many would prefer to see good teams playing in a location where there isn't a team Take the Detroit Lions and St Louis Rams, would you want to go see them play, or would you much rather see a team like Indy playing against the Giants or something? Or Indy vs. Patriots? (I know you're a fan of Brady, but keep in mind if you weren't?

Author:	icehound [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Howie Hodge wrote: Nah; they'd never make a uniform out of those! DUDE! That's Eddie Gilbert!!! He played for the Hamilton Red Wings (was a local boy, back in the early '70's) - One of their final seasons (perhaps their last in the OHA) in existence. I think he may have been their last NHL draft pick. I have a photograph with him, taken for some kind of Scotiabank Kid's Savings promo I won - And his autograph!! Sonofabitch!!

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Author:	MakinItLookMean [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
Howie Hodge wrote: End The Curse wrote: Surely Kansas City would be a great market for hockey...here's an idea for their uniforms! Nah; they'd never make a uniform out of those! i like those jerseys dammit !

Author:	Skyline_BNR34 [ Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: "Oh, Gary...About Kansas City....."
ironyisadeadscene wrote: im a pats and lions fan. so id go see the lions, yeah. but over both the pats and lions... gimme a good ole fashioned big 10 college football game with michigan in it. Well I was saying if you weren't a fan of either of those teams and you lived in some random place without a football team, you'd rather want to go to a game with teams with big name players on it. And who didn't suck.