dbd33

I think it's wonderful that the NHL doesn't play anymore, the TV's better, there's news in the newspapers and Canadian children are exposed to less gratuitous violence. It doesn't make any difference to the Leafs, of course, corporations will buy the seats whether they play or not. It's kind of odd though that people should go on living the last season, it was a long time ago folks, move along now, don't you get basketball or lacrosse out west ?

Iginla

I'll bite.

No I won't.

Oh, what the hell.

I'm very happy that you finally have been able to find something that you enjoy in Canada albeit watching TV and reading newspapers. I was getting worried.

Out of curiosity, do corporations often buy seats for non-events in Toronto?

dbd33

I believe it's only for hockey, it's an ethnic thing.

Iginla

It's not good business sense is it? This buying tickets for non-events.

I suppose they buy up tickets to raptors play-off games as well?

Sorry, am I keeping you from your TV or newspaper?

dbd33

I don't think it makes any difference from a business perspective whether or not the game is played. The tickets are nominally for entertaining established clients so the write off would be the same with, or without, attending the game. Hockey is a game for an overwhelmingly white audience (yes, I know there was once a black player and once a native one) and Toronto isn't a white town so it's a game for an affluent minority. It's primarily about corporate entertainment and long term contracts for boxes.

The market for Raptors tickets is completely different. Basketball has a broad appeal and is attended by people who buy their own tickets. Families of all cultural groups attend games. It's more price and results sensitive, individuals don't want to see a losing team, still less a game not being played.

I do know, btw, that in small markets the situation is different but it's only the Leafs among Canadian teams that matter in the NHL now, no one in NYC or Chicago wants to watch Montreal or Vancouver.

Iginla

Always turns into a race issue with you.

Of course it is! Obviously you didn't pay much attention to the picture that was posted earlier in this thread.

Just look at that overwhelmingly white audience!

With apologies to Wasi!

You don't know very much. There are several. There is even one of each about to join that celebration in the photo.

I refer you to the picture again. Also I'm willing to bet the raptors tickets are as expensive (if not more) than the leafs.

So now you are going to try and tell me that corporations don't buy seats for Raptors games. Bollox!

Again I refer you to the photo. Again I challenge you that tickets for the crap raptors are as expensive as the slightly less crap leafs.

Again, you have no idea what you're talking about. Can you back this up? Fact is Montreal have always been and always will be a bigger pull than Toronto. Toronto is a big city, that is it.

dbd33

That is a disproportionately white audience. Not everything is a race issue with me but the issue of the audience for sports team is an important one here, shifting demographics mean the future for the Leafs is not as bright as that for the Raptors (assuming hockey is played again and neither of them has a winning team). Corporations do buy tickets for Raptors games but so do individuals, the Leafs primarily sell to corporations and that's a significant difference. Average ticket price for the Raptors is $31.04 http://www.leagueoffans.org/nbafancost02-03.html Hockey isn't played anymore, when it was there were no Leaf tickets sold over the counter, the aftermarket sites only list current prices and don't have the Leafs so I can't get current prices. Last time I went it was $120/seat for reds but that was years ago. The last time the Leafs were in the play offs we went to watch them in North Carolina because it was cheaper to pay airfare and hotel than to buy tickets for here ($600 for reds iirc). Not sure how to demonstrate that the Leafs get more TV viewers than the Habs but am searching.

I should, of course, not have got into this because my original point was that the world has moved on, it's better now and it's feeble to rehash statistics about games of the past. Like fretting over Wolfe and Montcalm really.

dbd33

I don't know if the teams are "crap" or not but the whole point of the ticketing marketing strategy is to make sure that it doesn't matter. The market for hockey tickets is people who will be thrilled to attend a game, lose or lose, it's being there that counts. The Leafs have been a superb organisation, they've sold out for nearly all of the games since 1967 without the expense of having a competitive team. They sell very well.

hot wasabi peas

Hmm, I don't know Iginla, there seems to be plenty of bare wall above that half-dead plant.

Iginla

It is merely a bit of jesting between myself and Wasi.

dbd33

Yeah. I got carried away there. I used to watch hockey and went to a lot of games, the last final I watched seriously was 88-89 when my team lost. I caught the end of the last game in a pub after playing baseball and decided not to bother with it anymore. Hockey in summer is silly. I'm actually only mildly pleased to that there's no HNIC.

Iginla

Which one is the half dead plant?

Elvis loves Bert!



BTW- Who Karmaed me? Karma me again with your name please.

pollard

I agree with you dbd33 about there not being any hockey games on TV, and I hope it stays that way too. Iginla seems to have single-handedly killed this thread with all these pics of a lousy hockey game.

How did it go from licence plate, to hockey? Yeah but no yeah

Iginla

Awww, Boo hoo hoo.

Why don't you stop crying and get it back on topic then?

Nothing to say except whinge.

Manc

well at least it ain't rugby *****ing league.