We're going through some ownership issues and that's cutting down on some buyers. Also, recently, the Rangers are making a deep run into the playoffs again (Baseball if you don't know), and that's not helping much either.
Kritter had a really good post about why, can't seem to find it though. It was in one of the GDT's, I believe.
This is a team that has for the past 3 years failed to make the playoffs and have made no effort to improve themselves. Pieces have only been subtracted. At best the Stars have been treading water. Last season's surge and collapse has likely soured some fans. Tom Hicks is hated by any Rangers or Stars fan in the metroplex and some feel (incorrectly) if they go to the games they are supporting him. Names like Modano, Lehtinen, Zubov, and Turco that the casual fan could relate to are all gone. Add in the NHL scheduling Stars games head to head with a Rangers playoff game and you aren't going to see many at the arena.
Basically the Stars "brand" is at an all time low. Its not likely to change until we get a new owner. Fans need to see that this team has some direction. Even during a rebuild attendance can be good if fans understand where the team is going and they believe that there is something to hope for. As of right now the Stars don't have the capability to make the changes they need to make and everyone knows it.
Kritter had a really good post about why, can't seem to find it though. It was in one of the GDT's, I believe.
here it is...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kritter
Who buys tickets in those uber-expensive lower-bowl seats? Corporations. What relationships have been most dynamited by the not-paying-bankruptcy-bills, not-hiring-marketing-and-sales-staff issues over the past few years? Corporate sales.
Outside of the team, which group has the economy just blasted in the past 2-3 years, making them question investments like season tickets to sports teams? Corporations.
And that's before you bring in the factors of a.) the individual purchasers hating Tom Hicks' guts and many refusing to buy tickets while he still technically owns the team, 2.) the policy to no longer give extreme single-game discounts to games like this so as not to anger the existing STH base, pi.) the recession's affect on the non-corporate population and cube.) the team's poor on-ice performance for the past three seasons.
It's not something that will be fixed in November when the sale is official. It will take the summer and probably a few more years to build this team back to where there is a 2,000 person waiting list for season tickets.
And plenty of "traditional market" teams have had terrible attendance dealing with just one or two issues that are choking the Stars ticket base right now. Boston, Calgary, Edmonton, Chicago, Detroit, Ottawa, Buffalo and (old) Minnesota all come immediately to mind.
we're getting lots of hits about this issue... time to sticky this?
I seriously laughed when the Stars/Blue Jackets game started. It was my first game to attend this season and I was kind of embarrassed. The smallest crowd I have ever seen first hand and I used to go to some Ft. Worth Fire games as a kid. Understanding the ownership scenario coupled with the Rangers playoff run and its effect on attendance is why I am not worried about it. Still terrible to see. Go Stars!
This is a team that has for the past 3 years failed to make the playoffs and have made no effort to improve themselves. Pieces have only been subtracted. At best the Stars have been treading water. Last season's surge and collapse has likely soured some fans. Tom Hicks is hated by any Rangers or Stars fan in the metroplex and some feel (incorrectly) if they go to the games they are supporting him. Names like Modano, Lehtinen, Zubov, and Turco that the casual fan could relate to are all gone. Add in the NHL scheduling Stars games head to head with a Rangers playoff game and you aren't going to see many at the arena.
Basically the Stars "brand" is at an all time low. Its not likely to change until we get a new owner. Fans need to see that this team has some direction. Even during a rebuild attendance can be good if fans understand where the team is going and they believe that there is something to hope for. As of right now the Stars don't have the capability to make the changes they need to make and everyone knows it.
I can't believe you think the team did not improve this season. Ryder,Souray,Fiddler,Pardy and Dowell. That is a improvement. Yes, it would have been nice if we could have got a new owner and traded Richards, but considering that we still need a new owner, I believe Joe has done his best. I did in the past bash GM Joe, but he is trying. Low attendant due to Texas Rangers playoff series. Case closed.
I can't believe you think the team did not improve this season. Ryder,Souray,Fiddler,Pardy and Dowell. That is a improvement. Yes, it would have been nice if we could have got a new owner and traded Richards, but considering that we still need a new owner, I believe Joe has done his best. I did in the past bash GM Joe, but he is trying. Low attendant due to Texas Rangers playoff series. Case closed.
I believe he himself is aware of the improvements, but they're very small improvements and only improvements to make us competitive, not really the improvements fans are looking for when they're debating over whether to spend their money on the Stars or not. It all comes down to perception and perception is reality. And if this team is still winning games come January or February, then maybe the perception changes. Until then though, the perception is that this team has lost the guys he mentioned like Modano, Zubov, etc and has added small pieces to tread water.
Here’s hoping things get solved in the ownership saga sooner rather than later and by the sounds of it the current list of suitors are all in it for the right reasons!!! Dallas has always been a good franchise and it seems like it has a core fan base and it is a really solid market. He11 Chicago was having trouble drawing flies when "dollar Bill Wertz" was squeezing the last pennies out of the fans and not investing back a few years back until Rocky took over and showed Sons can do it better than dads in the family business now and then!!!
Ebb and flow guys it will come back and while you are waiting for an owner I assume it is easier to upgrade the season tickets and get into some hot seats “buy low”!!!
I love how people just jump on us for having a bad attendance when they don't even know the situation. Our attendance will improve by a lot soon. Don't worry!!
P.S. Coyotes and Avs attendance is worse, but yeah 9.5k is still embarrassing but like I said we have a reason for those stats, while the other two don't have a good argument of why they have bad attendance.
the lack of even a small ticket special is hurting too. at least twice this year I planned on going to a game but when you see you would have to pay full price to a Stars/Blues games I don't think I am the only person whose interest quickly waned.
I made this post in the Devils GDT but I'm going to re-post it here...
Quote:
Originally Posted by glovesave_35
For those of you who don't live in the metroplex you need to know that the Stars are always going to be the 4th local team. That's just the way it is. People here love a winner and by and large you have a contingent of "sports" fans who flock to whichever teams are winning more. It's not an overnight two-week winning streak type of thing either. It needs to be for months on end and building year by year. The Stars will do better than they have been attendance-wise if the team continues to win but counting on a big (noticeable on tv) uptick before February is asking way way too much. Those sports fans I mentioned, some of whom shelled out a ton of cash for ALCS and World Series tickets, yeah those people don't have money burning a hole through their pockets at the moment. They are also emotionally spent and thus not likely to invest in another local team like people would hope, at least not very soon. Let's not forget that a lot of those same people ALSO paid good money for Mavericks playoffs games as well.
I could be wrong but Rangers baseball or no we're not going to see much difference in the crowds anytime soon. No disrespect to our northern fans, but we should really dispense with the game by game question and answer session on the topic. It's bad for all the reasons mentioned over the last two years and certainly won't get remotely better until this team gets an owner and a plan for the future. Until then, it's cheaper to go to a movie.
I worry about this, and hope new ownership can reverse this scenario. Hopefully the Stars can build on their great start and maybe attract some more fans into the building this year!
What are you locals thinking if the entire NBA season(I don't know **** about the situation) is called off, will that make a difference on the Stars' attendence?
What are you locals thinking if the entire NBA season(I don't know **** about the situation) is called off, will that make a difference on the Stars' attendence?
It should, but it might not. Winning helps, and we may see a pleasant jump in attendance if the NBA season does get scrapped...
