Cowardly Bettman ignoring evidence of Thrashers fans
Gary Bettman is blaming Atlanta hockey fans for not supporting a bad product. (AP photo)
In his most recent spoken example of the Wile E. Coyote/Acme explosives/NHL public relations disaster, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman somewhat admonished Thrashers fans for not buying tickets to what has been a crummy product for most of their 11 seasons.
Quoting here: “Demonstrating your dissatisfaction by not going to games is an interesting strategy. It’s your absolute right. But if it becomes a turnoff for anybody who might want to buy the franchise, the long-term consequences could be severe.”
Imagine if we applied this philosophy to other aspects in our life.
Buy a new car. If the doors fall off two blocks down the street, that’s OK. Just make sure you support that dealership by buying another one next year. Eat at a new restaurant. If dinner makes your stomach feel like there are a thousand screaming piranhas in it, that’s OK. Eat there the following week, because you wouldn’t want that restaurant to go out of business. And this time, bring friends!
Bettman doesn’t want to leave the impression that the NHL is on the verge of abandoning Atlanta again (which it is). So he is trying to lay the ground work for the Thrashers’ exit to Winnipeg. He’ll point to attendance and stupid stuff like only a few hundred fans showing up at a rally. He’ll do everything possible to try to convince you that this mugging wasn’t his fault and he had no choice.
Don’t fall for it.
All aboard for Winnipeg . . .
Let me tell you a story. The Braves averaged about 10,000 fans per game in 1988, which they finished 54-106. In one late-season game, attendance was announced at 3,017. Ex-Brave Gerald Perry mused, “Sometimes, we look up from the dugout and say, ‘This’d be another good day to paint the seats.’”
Let me tell you a story. In 1989, 7,792 fans showed up for an NFL game, or at least one between the Falcons and Detroit Lions at old Atlanta-Fulton Stadium. When one fan was asked why he purchased a ticket, he responded, “It was a Christmas present, and I didn’t want to let my brother down. He could be here, but he said he’d rather go to grandma’s.” The Falcons finished 3-13 that season.
Postscript: The Braves started winning in 1991 and attendance doubled. It tripled by 1992 and quadrupled by 1993. Falcons’ attendance spiked under Jerry Glanville, dropped again when the team lost, then returned after Arthur Blank, Michael Vick and success arrived (38 straight sellouts).
Most of you probably understand where I’m going with this. The cowardly Bettman is in the corner with his eyes closed, ears covered and loudly humming, pretending not to notice.
If a team wins, it draws fans. If a team does the right thing – or sometimes even just leaves the impression it’s trying really hard to do the right things – it draws fans. Atlanta losing an NHL team isn’t about Atlanta not having enough hockey fans to support a franchise. It’s about the fact that people grew fed up with supporting a bad product run by bad ownership.
Let me tell you a story. In their inaugural season, the Thrashers sold out 14 games and averaged 17,205 fans per game in a 61-loss season. A year later, they averaged 15,265 in a 47-loss season. In three year, the team got worse and attendance dropped even more.
The Thrashers made the playoffs in 2006-07 for the first (and only) time in their history. Funny thing happened. They sold out more games (11) and averaged more fans (16,239) than in any season since the first.
Millions of Braves fans didn’t suddenly move here in 1991. Blank didn’t hand out $500 bills across state borders to get people to come to Falcons games. Thrashers fans didn’t move after two seasons, then come for the playoffs, then move again. This isn’t about a market. It’s about a fan base that has seen too many car doors fall off.
In 2003-04, Chicago, an “Original 6” team, had the second-worst record in the league and ranked 27th in attendance at 13,253 (2,000 less than the Thrashers). Six years later, when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, they drew 21,356.
Could it be there’s a connection?
Bettman will try to convince you Atlanta just didn’t want hockey bad enough. He’ll ignore the reasons. He’ll grab millions in a relocation fee from a city that he moved a team from 15 years earlier.
The Winnipeg Jets averaged 11,316 fans in their final season — 2,000 less than the Thrashers drew this year. Don’t expect to read that in the news release.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Earlier: Countdown: Bettman, Spirit on Facebook, angry beaver, Monta’s tattoo
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455 comments Add your comment
H.Lloyd Atkinson
May 24th, 2011
4:43 pm
Pretty good column. I’m a Manitoban who gets CNN and Peachtree TV on my cable system and feel some connection to Atlanta. I would only add that Canadians tend to be so hockey crazy that they will often tolerate losing teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the best example of this.The Leafs keep missing the playoffs but fill the Air Canada Centre. Up here ,TSN (our version of ESPN which is a minority owner of TSN) gets huge hockey tv ratings. In the states, ESPN has given up hockey to NBC and Versus.I suspect Winnipeg’s new MTS Centre with a little expansion will work better for the NHL this time. I’d bet the relocated team will be called the Manitoba something to help promote the whole province, all the way up to Churchill’s Polar Bear country.But my condolences to Thrashers fans. Go Braves!
Ugh
May 24th, 2011
4:43 pm
Jeff Shultz, let me point something out to you about the 11,500 avg attendance you speak of in wpg in their last season. You ignore the fact that it was a lame duck season for us, meaning we had a year knowledge in advance that the Jets were leaving. Do you think this may have been a good reason for the low attendance figures that year? Pretned for moment that you had one year left in Atlanta and you all knew it, what do you think the avg attendance would be? Huh?
DaveDawg
May 24th, 2011
4:44 pm
JetsFan, I wasn’t aware that North America was caught up in Winnipeg mania. Anyhow, I didn’t take a swipe at Winnipeg. I admire any city that exists despite the elements. (Same goes for Phoenix being in a desert). But if you think losing a growing city of 5+ million and the #8 U.S. television market helps the overall health of the NHL in any way, you need a few basic business classes.
growing older, but not up
May 24th, 2011
4:45 pm
Has Bettman noticed the economy and unemployment rates suck?
DaveDawg
May 24th, 2011
4:46 pm
And I do apologize to my Canadian friends for Peachtree TV. Not sure how that got up there.
atlpaddy
May 24th, 2011
4:47 pm
And for the record, John Kincaid is Betteman’s/ASG’s Tokyo Rose.
TerryJ
May 24th, 2011
4:51 pm
Winnipeg is a crazy town.
Very good economy, low cost of living and ~750K hardcore hockey nuts. There’s nothing else to do there, let ‘em have this one.
HockeyMom
May 24th, 2011
4:52 pm
Every business acheivement is directly based on advertising….a year ago, I had no idea we even had hockey. I am southern born and breed. We don’t do hockey. We see ice and are terrified. But thanks to a high school field trip. We saw hockey. Wow. What have we been missing! And by the way, we saw hockey players, wow! What have we been missing! Since that day a little over a year ago, I have travelled to Atanta several times a week with at least 12 to 20 teens in our cars. Each trip added more (girl) fans. The journey has become part of our fall, winter, spring routine. And guess what? These girls even learned the game!
Maybe a little more work on that level would solve a lot. Why has no one in the Thrasher organization figured out the power of teen girl dollars? I know, it’s a cop out, but sometimes all it takes is the right marketing…Justin Beber could have told them that!
Admit it guys, you all perform better with the girls screaming for ya!
Nick
May 24th, 2011
4:53 pm
Me, I am pretty sick of going to any games around this whole country. Why go to a game and pay 10 bucks for a tiny beer, when I can get a case down the street at the store for that amount and sit in my nice house, NOT wasting gas too, and watch whatever I want of a game on my nice HDTV. All these major sports franchises need to take a look at how they are milking people for too much money. Its already gonna cost me AT LEAST 20 bucks just to get to the dang stadium now, then I got to pay another 10-20 to park. Then when I get thirsty, its another 10-20 just to not get dehydrated. You gotta be the dang Rockefellers now-a-days to have any sort of a good time at any sporting event. I could care less if the Thrashers leave too, definately not gonna waste my money to go see the bottom players in the league lose. Not worth it.
Nick
May 24th, 2011
4:55 pm
Oh and then they want me to pay like 50 bucks just to get in? Yeah F that.
Bravo
May 24th, 2011
4:55 pm
Well said Jeff. The team has only legitimately been for sale for a few months. Interested owners and some winning and we would be where Tampa presently sits, in the playoffs with a buzz. The Hawks have the 7th highest payroll, Thrashers bottom of the league. This has apparently been echoed by the goalie Mason. It does not appear bettman has lifted a finger to keep the team in Atlanta so it will be interesting to see his defends assertions that he just let the team walk to winnipeg.
canofpeas
May 24th, 2011
4:58 pm
great column Jeff. And thanks for pointing out the last point, which has gotten swept under the rug for the most part.
Annoying how long the NHL is dragging this out. Another month and the move is going to last longer than the short term revenue pop they are going to get from it!
(kidding…sorta).
Brendan
May 24th, 2011
4:59 pm
Well Jeff, what will be Gary Bettman’s legacy? That’s something we might discuss in a bar.
Jets Fan
May 24th, 2011
5:05 pm
“Others have pointed out that as soon as the exchange rate returns to historical levels, the NHL won’t work in Winnipeg.”
Another interesting comment. I wonder if these same “others” that have pointed this out were also responsible for the mortgage foreclosures in the U.S.that continue to reach “historic levels” and the terrific Health Care system that is place.
raindawg722
May 24th, 2011
5:05 pm
Fun with numbers:
5
3
5
9
Those are the number of times in the Thrashers 11 seasons (not counting the 2004 strike-cancelled season) that they outdrew the Blackhawks, Bruins, Devils and Islanders respectively.
That tally includes the last 3 seasons when the fans realized that ownership abandoned the team and attendance drastically declined. In other words, in 5 of their first 8 seasons, the Thrashers outdrew the Blackhawks and the Devils.
up north
May 24th, 2011
5:05 pm
You are correct, sir. This is a very good write-up of the situation.
I remember attending many Atlanta Knights games when the Omni was packed, and the fans were stoked!
Goaltender
May 24th, 2011
5:05 pm
Fan-f’ing-tastic article Jeff. I’ve been a hockey fan and recreational player since childhood. When I moved here I addopted (or tried to) the Thrashers as “my team”. As far as I’m concerned, the attendance problem is just as much cost as it is poor product. I grew up rooting for the Cleveland Browns/Indians etc… I’m used to bad teams. I know NHL tickets are costly, but it’s hard to rationalize fighting downtown traffic to pay $35+ each, when I can just as well go to a Gladiators game with my wife and get two seats on the glass and two jerseys for $30.
thrasherdawg
May 24th, 2011
5:06 pm
AWESOME JOB JEFF !
Bettman: What the difference between a $10 Ho and a $60,000,000 Ho ?
Answer: Nothing…they are both still Ho’s. Only, one works on the street corner and the other works for the NHL.
Hillbilly Deluxe
May 24th, 2011
5:06 pm
If you’ve never seen hockey, except on TV, you haven’t seen it. The way to make a fan is to get them into the arena that first time. Not all will like it but many will. Did the ASG ever seriously attempt to do that? Not in my opinion.
JEM
May 24th, 2011
5:09 pm
Superb piece of writing here, Mr. Schultz.
jetsfan
May 24th, 2011
5:10 pm
@DaveDawg A few basic business classes? Tell me why Green Bay has an NFL team then? Bigger centers do not mean better outcomes for leagues. I said Canada is going nuts for the return of another franchise, not North America. That is the beauty of living in a ’small’ country, we still care and celebrate for the fortuines of other regions….especially when it comes to our national game.
Kovy's Agent
May 24th, 2011
5:16 pm
Ok, enough of the economic bashing. First, a little facts. US GDP is around $14.1 trillion. Canadian GDP is around $1.34 trillion. Do you really want to taunt an economy 10x the size of yours even when we’re sucking wind right now? I know we’ve had some issues lately with mortgage defaults and all but still with those numbers you gotta see why Bettman was desparate to get the NHL going in the US. They’ll be back at some point because frankly, those numbers above are just too big to walk away from forever.
Canadian Bias
May 24th, 2011
5:16 pm
Guys, basically the problem according to the Canadians is that we didn’t support a a losing team year after year! We are bad fans and it is our fault! Enough said! Most of the Canadians who have been trolling this blog are hockey elitist who think because we aren’t Canadian by birth we shouldn’t have a say about our team! ASG screwed all of the Atlanta fans and Bettman has sat right by without uttering a word to the Atlanta fan base!
Cornbread
May 24th, 2011
5:19 pm
Wow! Some clueless fool actually wants to compare the Oilers “Hockey Dynasty” to the Thrashers miserable situation???
What an idiot. The Oilers have had 4 decades to grow their team, the Thashers 1. The Oilers had Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, the Thashers Patrick Stefan and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Oilers won 9 Division titles, the Thrashers 1. The Oilers won 2 President’s Trophies, 7 Conference Championships, and 5 Stanley Cups, the Thrashers have won 0 playoff games. In fact, the Thrashers have played in 4 out of a minimally possible 44 – 77 games or, in other words, 5% of the first round playoff games they – like every other team – had a chance of competing in over the past 11 years.
Post your ignorant troll comments elsewhere. If the Thrashers had the time, committment, and succes that the Oilers have had, then you may have a point. But, what the reality is and greatest fear for trolls like you is the Atlanta Thrashers even having a chance at the same success the Oilers have had. For if they did, you know they would not be in the situation they are in now or ever would be.
The Atlanta Thrashers “Hockey Dynasty” in the Southern US of A, Canadian Trolls’ greatest fear. It always has been and it always will be.
Kevin
May 24th, 2011
5:20 pm
It’s quite unfortunate that the people of Atlanta blame Winnipeggers or even Canadians for the Thrashers possibly leaving. Make no mistake about it that Bettman is not a popular person here in Winnipeg either. We know what the fans of the Thrashers are going through here in Winnipeg and I feel for them. At least you still have the Braves, Hawks, and Falcons so I’m sure the people in Atlanta will be alright.
former sth
May 24th, 2011
5:23 pm
Green Bay is able to keep an NFL team because of the huge TV deal. Something the NHL will never have.
gtbeak
May 24th, 2011
5:29 pm
Regarding attendance figures in Winnipeg, here are the yearly totals PRIOR to the final season: 13,013, 13,297, 13,550, 13,291, 12,931, 12,931, 13,106. Arena capacity was 15,565. Obviously the attendance problem in Winnipeg was not related to the a lameduck season but was systemic and evidence that Winnipeg was not a hockey town.
I don’t really believe that Winnipeg was/is not a hockey town, but using the same measuring stick being used on Thrashers fans that is the only logical conclusion.
Curt
May 24th, 2011
5:30 pm
Gary Bettman’s comments were accurate, and the article (by Jeff Schultz) is just reactionary nonsense. Bettman is correct that low attendance will never attract a potential buyer to keep the team in Atlanta, good team or bad. If Thrasher fans want the team to stay in Atlanta, they have to purchase tickets. That may seem wrong to Schultz, but its not a shocking revelation. The team also needed greater corporate support. If fans are only willing to pay to see a winner, they had better move to New York where there’s big-spending owners.
Doug
May 24th, 2011
5:31 pm
“The Winnipeg Jets averaged 11,316 fans in their final season — 2,000 less than the Thrashers drew this year. Don’t expect to read that in the news release.”
Another stupid comment by a reporter who doesn’t know how to look up league attendance avg’s. Also, Winnipeg knew the team was leaving. It had been announced prior to that season.
Cajun Crap Talker
May 24th, 2011
5:32 pm
Just like Los Angeles said to the NFL: “Later!” To H with ‘em.
I’m hoping Arthur Blank will start an MLS team in Atlanta and show these idiots how it’s done.
Jets Fan
May 24th, 2011
5:35 pm
Kovy’s Agent – so with 10X the GDP, should this not mean that there should be slightly more than 3X the amount of NHL teams in the U.S? U.S. also has 10X as many people, so the fact that Canada can support soon to be 7 franchises, while the U.S. 23……….
Guffman
May 24th, 2011
5:35 pm
“The Winnipeg Jets averaged 11,316 fans in their final season — 2,000 less than the Thrashers drew this year. Don’t expect to read that in the news release.”
The Jets were already sold and it was a lame duck season. I like how Schultz ignores that relevant point to make his grand finale to the article.
Stop being a hack, Jeff, and not use misleading points in your articles… unless that point was made out of your ignorance… A nice trait for a jounalist, hmm?
Paddy
May 24th, 2011
5:36 pm
I can’t believe Bettman actually is blaming the Atl fans. He must have been sick that day in Sports Management 101 when they were discussing “things never to say in public”!
jojo
May 24th, 2011
5:41 pm
Bettman needs to check out the payroll of the Trashers, lowest in the league.The sorry owners never made a commitment to the team. Just a bunch of w—–.,trying to grab the money and run. Don Waddell has been a joke since the day he arrived in Atlanta. As GM he never had a decent draft, never made a decent trade Maybe Bettman needs to check this out before he blames the fans
Florida jacket
May 24th, 2011
5:41 pm
Just a few points here: for the people pointing out that Western Canada is booming and the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar, oil busts always follow oil booms and for the last hundred years or so the American dollar has been worth approximately twice the Canadian dollar. As for hockey this move and the moves that will follow prove that hockey is not a top four sport in the United States. It’s a regional sport like Australian rules football and hurling. As for Winnipeg enjoyed your day in the sun, winter is coming.
Louis Lewow
May 24th, 2011
5:42 pm
I find it fascinating that the commissioner feels that the only reason we should attend games that offer a sub-standard is that we will frighten off potential buyers of that sub-standard team. Let’s reward ineptitude with full rafters, sold out merchandise, purchasing $10 beers and a fat profit at the sale to another group of inept owners. Gee Gary, seems a little one sided, don’t you think. Oh, that’s right. You represent the owners, not the players or the fans.
Let’s see what you’ve done to help hockey in Atlanta:
1) You approved a group of owners with no reason to work together and no real affection for Atlanta.
2) You put all of your games on Versus and NBC. Both of which have little or NO ability to promote your game to its viewers (”Hey Bull Riding fans stay tuned to the Sharks vs the Thrashers coming up next!!!”). Ever see a hockey promo on Football Night In America? Maybe I missed it!!
3)2005 All Star Game in Atlanta…oh wait no season that year. Well Atlanta can wait a few more years. By the way, we sold it out in 2008!
4)Danny Heatly…too many bad memories. Move him to The Senators
Kovelchuk….Move him to the Devils
Every other reasonably big name (Hosea)dealt away for NOTHING in return
Mr.Bettman, your people should be asking how in the world you lost the profit potential of the 7th largest market in America and forced that team to make The Moose move to St. John’s.
There are many reasons the Thrashers failed in Atlanta. Don’t you dare point your finger at the fans. Bring on the AHL. The Atlanta Knights won a championship and were fun to watch and be a part of.
Jets Fan
May 24th, 2011
5:43 pm
“The Winnipeg Jets averaged 11,316 fans in their final season — 2,000 less than the Thrashers drew this year. Don’t expect to read that in the news release.”
Also, as was pointed out, Winnipeg pop. 700,000+; Atlanta region 5,000,000+. Only 2,000 more people???? Should have been sold out consistently and ownership wouldn’t be looking to sell. Had Winnipeg owned the Arena and concession/parking rights, original owners would have been able to keep the team. This wasn’t the case as Winnipeg Enterprises controlled all the extra amenities that owners had no piece of.
gtbeak
May 24th, 2011
5:45 pm
Guffman….Please address the Jets average attendance from 1989-1990 to the end of the 1994-1995 season. Very poor attendance in all of those seasons.
ATL Observer
May 24th, 2011
5:47 pm
One other thing that needs correcting: The perception that no one is interested in buying the Thrashers and keeping them in Atlanta.
Baloney.
The Spirit rigged the game. The bottom line is, they wanted to flip their acquisition and, for whatever reason, their disdain for hockey is so great, they made the selling conditions impossible for any local buyer to meet.
Buyers that plan to move the team won’t have to deal with leases. Local buyers will. And that’s part of the source of all of this ridiculous nonsense.
Go Hawks, but I feel dirty saying that because based on yesterday’s announcement, it sure seems like they were being used to destroy the other half of the Spirit enterprise.
Guffman
May 24th, 2011
5:47 pm
In terms of average attendence, 15 to 20 years ago, Winnipeg was about 1500 under league average in a 40 year old dump of an arena. Atlanta was 4000 fans under the league average in a modern arena.
Again, if you want to draw comparisons, use relevant information.
prairie dog magazine | dog blog
May 24th, 2011
5:47 pm
[...] The paper’s Thrashers section is here. But perhaps you should start with this piece, from which I excerpt: In his most recent spoken example of the Wile E. Coyote/Acme explosives/NHL [...]
The American Dream
May 24th, 2011
5:49 pm
Jeff: This is your best work yet. Next time you should throw in that Bettman’s third cousin once removed was once found guilty of jaywalking in Savannah in 1901. The AJC is horrible. I can’t believe you ran that story yesterday about our wide receiver’s cousin–shame on you all. Here’s a big F . . . .U to you AJC
Blueland Rebel
May 24th, 2011
5:52 pm
Jeff, the next round is on me. Great piece!!
Gino
May 24th, 2011
5:52 pm
Attendance has nothing to do with it as Winnipeg will have the smallest rink in the NHL but because ticket prices will be more than almost every American team, they will be make a ton of money. Canadians buy a ridiculous amount of merch and Canadian TV revenue is a hell of a lot bigger than American. The Thrashers only lose money. Even if Atlanta increased their attendance, they’d probably still be a money loser.
Blake
May 24th, 2011
5:53 pm
I wish it worked in Atlanta, but honestly, this is a weak argument. The mark of true fans is loyalty to the team (ticket purchases) regardless of how good they are. Think of places like Long Island, or Boulder, where the teams are making money dispite having a crap product on the ice right now. Even the Panthers for pete’s sake!
The fact of the matter, if no one pays to go to a game, there is no money to invest in better players, in a better product. The team will do fine in Winnipeg, because the fans will show up through thick and thin.
gtbeak
May 24th, 2011
5:53 pm
Attendance figures are totally relevant to the discussion, since we are discussing attendance. Philips is modern but in a very poor location, so that cancels out the Winnipeg arena being a dump. The Jets were decent on the ice from 89 to 93, performing better than the Thrashers have in most seasons. Again I ask, why the lack of support from the great people of Winnipeg.
Winnipeg = joke
May 24th, 2011
5:54 pm
Winnipeg is a joke! They lost a team as recently as 1996! They aren’t any better.
Jets Fan
May 24th, 2011
5:55 pm
35,000 people to “Save the Jets” rally 15 years ago; 200 people at Atlanta Thrashers rally……shows how fans care.
Gino
May 24th, 2011
5:55 pm
Attendance has nothing to do with it. It’s what you make in terms of $$$$. That’s why Canadian teams make money, their ticket prices are way higher than American and they don’t make post fake attendance numbers like many US teams do (Including Atlanta).
the deep end
May 24th, 2011
5:56 pm
Blake,
You’re an idiot. Nobody goes to Islanders games and Boulder doesn’t have a hockey team.