Massive unemployment will affect ticket sales and a lot of employed people are feeling negative financial pressure. Costs are up and incomes are down for plenty of working folks. Food lines are record long. So while a vaccine is great, it's going to take a while for things to get back to something close to normal.
I suspect some fans have a little resentment that sports teams seem to have had better access to testing and will likely receive better access to vaccines; and pandemics do make you refocus on your family survival and health over sporting events.
Ticket prices, parking, food etc are not cheap and the league hasn't been shy about trying to squeeze every possible dollar out of the fans. The players haven't been shy about trying to squeeze every possible dollar out of the owners. We will see how this plays out but I certainly wouldn't begrudge someone not anxious to line up and hand the league their cash. Fans will return because we love the game but everything won't happen very quickly.
Location: The centre of the hockey universe Joined: 07.31.2006
Nov 19 @ 9:47 AM ET
Massive unemployment will affect ticket sales and a lot of employed people are feeling negative financial pressure. Costs are up and incomes are down for plenty of working folks. Food lines are record long. So while a vaccine is great, it's going to take a while for things to get back to something close to normal.
I suspect some fans have a little resentment that sports teams seem to have had better access to testing and will likely receive better access to vaccines; and pandemics do make you refocus on your family survival and health over sporting events.
Ticket prices, parking, food etc are not cheap and the league hasn't been shy about trying to squeeze every possible dollar out of the fans. The players haven't been shy about trying to squeeze every possible dollar out of the owners. We will see how this plays out but I certainly wouldn't begrudge someone not anxious to line up and hand the league their cash. Fans will return because we love the game but everything won't happen very quickly. - Queenie_5_hole
I also initially thought this, but I took a look at the historical NHL revenues and it doesn't seem like the last recession had a negative effect:
The Leafs recently polled their season ticket holder base and asked a bunch of questions related to this - would you be willing to go, would you want less tickets than normal, would you want more games with less seats, etc.
Location: say it aint so TARASENKO, YT Joined: 01.07.2008
Nov 19 @ 9:56 AM ET
Execs are less worried about the decline in walk up ticket sales, which will likely be down due to higher unemployment.
Bigger concern is regarding those who financially have been fairly unscathed and buy season tickets or multi game packages. Have they now found other preferred avenues for their money/ time?
Been a season ticket holder for 10+ years and I'm likely done after the next season completes.
Maybe not hockey and say the masters as much but many fans were turned off by all the SJW virtue signaling.
Who wants to go to a arena and get accosted by the face diaper police for three hours.
I for one only wear a mask when I can’t get by without one. I feel like crap at the end of the day if I end up wearing one for hours.
My job has me in the road everyday and most people do not wear a mask when working if they don’t have to.
What is the minimum arena capacity to break even with operating costs? If you can’t do that due to restrictions it’s not worth opening the buildings.
I feel bad for the young kids why have aspirations of being a pro hockey player.
The exposure and season interruptions could be a killer.
Location: You are all perennial cynical sissies , ON Joined: 02.26.2007
Nov 19 @ 10:11 AM ET
Special promotion: Vaccine Night!
Every fan who receives a vaccine gets 10% off at all food and souvenir booths! - Atomic Wedgie
and they get a one eye Brian Berard bubblehead
arichardson22 Season Ticket Holder Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Philly, PA Joined: 06.10.2013
Nov 19 @ 10:43 AM ET
Having fans in the stands would be foolish (this soon). All it takes is one game (or a few cases) to ruin it all. Why take that chance at all? Seems the time and resources spent to allow fans to return would be a waste in the end.
Comparing a recession to pandemic that has closed doors on a world economy is probably a little difficult to do. People are getting by because of the massive stimulus being injected into each countries economies. I have yet heard any government roll out a reasonable reset plan, whenever we get past this. Everyone seems to think the vaccine is going to just magically make all this go back to normal but from what Ive read, these vaccines are just not a one shot & done kind of thing. Just look at the regular flu shots, they're a hit /miss every year at best. The key is in testing with rapid results & low cost. There is a test I saw last night that you spit on a litmus paper & in 15 minutes you have the results, 90% accuracy & very inexpensive. This should be the push. If you test positive, stay the fck home. Everyone should test frequently & eventually, like the previous pandemics, they vanish into the night as quick as they arrived.
Location: “Give me Point, Cirelli and Paul all day against anybody.” Mr. Cooper , ON Joined: 07.06.2007
Nov 19 @ 11:09 AM ET
Rapid, accurate testing will be more important to getting fans into games in the short term than vaccines. GS Warriors is exploring using new testing technologies that gives 99% accurate results in 15 minutes. They want to move to 50% capacity and have been studying the logistics of how to make this work.
FDA recently approved the tests and the company is ramping up production. This should be useful sooner and more widely than vaccines.
I think the long unemployment and not wanting to be near people is going to hit sports hard.
I am in no hurry to start the season. Bettman is now asking for more cuts and deferrals from the PA so I can see at least two more months of haggling before they even agree to play. Come back for 2021-22 in September.
I think the long unemployment and not wanting to be near people is going to hit sports hard.
I am in no hurry to start the season. Bettman is now asking for more cuts and deferrals from the PA so I can see at least two more months of haggling before they even agree to play. Come back for 2021-22 in September. - VANTEL
Gives you more time to make Twitter accounts. - Marwood
I ve spending all my free time trying to find who started that thingy on you on Twitter ,From what i've heard is you put the Twit in Twiiter. Lot's of people think you are one collosal c*nt . Still looking.If I find out who did it I will get back to you..
Hows the legs are they still as screwed up as 2020
Location: The centre of the hockey universe Joined: 07.31.2006
Nov 19 @ 12:42 PM ET
This pandemic will be like 9/11, we're never going back to "the way things were". Sports will just adapt and evolve like everything else. - forbetterorWORSE
Other than removing my shoes at airports, aren't we pretty much back to the way things were pre-9/11?
Location: LA (home of King Alex), CA Joined: 11.17.2018
Nov 19 @ 12:58 PM ET
Don't forget the players preaching to fans about racism and disrespecting anthems. For some fans that was the final straw. Not just hockey, but other sports. Hollywood is in the same boat. Athletes and celebrities in many cases have become so far removed from normal life that fans can no longer relate. Why am I paying thousands of dollars and investing thousands of hours to support this? This is real. But the players demanding 100% salary for a partial season is another indication of how clueless they are.
Don't forget the players preaching to fans about racism and disrespecting anthems. For some fans that was the final straw. Not just hockey, but other sports. Hollywood is in the same boat. Athletes and celebrities in many cases have become so far removed from normal life that fans can no longer relate. Why am I paying thousands of dollars and investing thousands of hours to support this? This is real. But the players demanding 100% salary for a partial season is another indication of how clueless they are. - Kooleus
This will do little to nothing as doing nothing probably would have lost as many if not more .
Kooleus.....So the First Amendment does not apply if you do not agree with it? Right. If players wearing BLM t-shirts offends you to the point that you won't go to games anymore or become disinterested in general, then you were never much of a fan in the first place.
Don't forget the players preaching to fans about racism and disrespecting anthems. For some fans that was the final straw. Not just hockey, but other sports. Hollywood is in the same boat. Athletes and celebrities in many cases have become so far removed from normal life that fans can no longer relate. Why am I paying thousands of dollars and investing thousands of hours to support this? This is real. But the players demanding 100% salary for a partial season is another indication of how clueless they are. - Kooleus
I second.
I've given up supporting sports starting with football 5 years ago. I had hoped hockey would stay out of it but they didn't.
