Atlanta Thrashers

[wolfjc]

I was watching the Atlanta game on Versus last night and I swear that there were more empty seats than there were seats with people in them.
Atlanta has already lost one hockey team to Canada and I wonder how long they will be able to keep this one if the empty seats I saw last night is how it is always.
I really don't understand why hockey keeps putting teams in the south were they don't see any ice and most of the people there have never seen a hockey game and don't understand the game when they do see one.

 

[SabresRule]

IMO, Atlanta may be the worst sports city in America.

 

[anders5189]

Having hockey teams in places like Atlanta never made sense. With the talk about Toronto maybe getting a 2nd team you'd think that the Thrashers would be a good candidate to move, but the idiot commissioner will NEVER let that happen. He singlehandedly killed the Predators move to Canada, so he will probably block any move out of Atlanta too. Bettman is more interested in putting new teams in places like Las Vegas than he is in putting teams in places where they actually care about hockey like Canada.

 

[SandraC]

Having hockey teams in places like Atlanta never made sense. With the talk about Toronto maybe getting a 2nd team you'd think that the Thrashers would be a good candidate to move, but the idiot commissioner will NEVER let that happen. He singlehandedly killed the Predators move to Canada, so he will probably block any move out of Atlanta too. Bettman is more interested in putting new teams in places like Las Vegas than he is in putting teams in places where they actually care about hockey like Canada.

I agree with Sabres, the Thrashers situation says more about Atlanta than it does about the idea of hockey in places like Atlanta. Atlanta is famous for not supporting even it's best sports teams...when the fourth team in town is bad attendance is going to go downhill very quickly.

Hockey is struggling in Atlanta and Phoenix, but doing quite well in places like southern California, San Jose, North Carolina, Tampa and Dallas, which you would not call 'typical' hockey markets.

Miami and even St. Louis have had attendance ups and downs as well.

I have no idea why Atlanta doesn't support their sports teams. You can make the argument every Atlanta team could be drawing better if it relocated.


Sandra

 

[stone phillips420]

I was watching the Atlanta game on Versus last night and I swear that there were more empty seats than there were seats with people in them.
Atlanta has already lost one hockey team to Canada and I wonder how long they will be able to keep this one if the empty seats I saw last night is how it is always.
I really don't understand why hockey keeps putting teams in the south were they don't see any ice and most of the people there have never seen a hockey game and don't understand the game when they do see one.

ive seen many empty seats in supposed hockeytown over the last few years as well
so its not just in atlanta thie empty seats also effects original six teams like wings bruins blackhawks and maybe rangers although i think there crowds are pretty strong currently

heck there are even empty seat at the Wild, although im sure all the tickets are purchased but not everyone shows up i guess
every wild home game in history has beeen a sellout.

 

[SandraC]

ive seen many empty seats in supposed hockeytown over the last few years as well
so its not just in atlanta thie empty seats also effects original six teams like wings bruins blackhawks and maybe rangers although i think there crowds are pretty strong currently

heck there are even empty seat at the Wild, although im sure all the tickets are purchased but not everyone shows up i guess
every wild home game in history has beeen a sellout.

There is truth in your post but that doesn't mean the situation in Atlanta is the same as situations elsewhere. Announcers talk about the empty building now during games.

You can find empty seats at every sporting event if you want to, but it seems sometimes like there are more vendors than fans at recent Thrasher games. Don't compare that to an empty row or something at Hockeytown, MSG, Toronto, or anywhere else. It's not the same.


Sandra

 

[SabresRule]

Atlanta will only fill up seats when their team is in the playoffs- see last year's Celtics/Hawks series.

Still, Thrasher fans are better than Bad-landers fans.

 

[SandraC]

Atlanta will only fill up seats when their team is in the playoffs- see last year's Celtics/Hawks series.

Still, Thrasher fans are better than Bad-landers fans.

Bad-landers, nice. I'm a Springsteen girl and I never thought of that!

But ATL fans won't even fill 'em up for the playoffs. Ask the Braves. If the Hawks make the playoffs a few years in a row the novelty will wear off and it'll happen to them too.


Sandra

 

[Derwin0]

Having hockey teams in places like Atlanta never made sense.

Except that the Flames had pretty good support in Atlanta.

The reason they moved was because the owner went bankrupt due to his realestate business and had the sell. A local group tried to buy the team, but was out bidded by a group from Calgary.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Ticket price increases have contributed greatly to this problem and not just in Hotlanta. There are many corporate types who now own (and occasionally occupy) these lower level seats all over the league and contribute to the empty seat and blasé fan attitudes...

Empty Seats and Corporate Suites: The NHL's Worst Home Crowds | Bleacher Report

 

[anders5189]

I have no idea why Atlanta doesn't support their sports teams. You can make the argument every Atlanta team could be drawing better if it relocated.

Having lived in Atlanta in the past I can tell you 2 things. The only team people really care about there is Georgia football. Also the city of Atlanta is something like 67% black. Not your typical hockey crowd.

 

[Ira Lacher]

Let's not forget the legalized scalper sites. Have you ever noticed how HUNDREDS of tickets are on sale for every event at sites such as Stub Hub and others? How many of those do you think actually get sold? No wonder there are so many empty seats!

 

[KCK_Halo]

The "recession" and economy are hitting arenas everywhere this NHL season. For the first time in ages, we are seeing empty seats @ Honda Center. And it's a pity that Staples Center is so empty for the Kings games so far...they actually have a core of young studs that can play. The Kings will be a force in the NHL soon.

 

[CharlesO]

[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance"]Moved Permanently[/ame]

Actually so far this year Phoenix is at 89% arena capacity so far this year, which for where Jobing Arena is located is pretty good.


In many ways Atlanta is like Phoenix, as low density urban sprawl with half of it's population from somewhere else and it's main employment center located outside the cities core. Also, take away one World Series title from each and they both suffer from not having a true winning sports culture.