[Moore00]

Originally Posted by Eidolon

That's all well and good, but when fans of teams like Nashville or Florida or Carolina or New Jersey point out high ticket prices or too much corporate smoozing as reasons for watching at home, RW fans start thumping their collective chests and spouting 'Hockeytown' dribble at the top of their lungs? Why is the economy, a horrible downtown area, and/or a sports dollar stretched thin due to a multitude of entertainment opportunites (Tigers, Pistons, etc.) a viable excuse for the downturn in the Motor City, but nowhere else in the league? Why do Detroit fans claim supremecy for 'Hockeytown' when it's obvious they suffer from the same issues as every other US market?

The fact is, savvy sports fans, who make a decent living can't afford NHL regular season tickets, much less playoff tickets without taking a serious hit to the nest egg. And as shown by the Detroit example, it has little to nothing to do with the team's performance.

RW in 6. (I just threw up in my mouth a little). Honestly, I'd root for the Pens if they could win it all, but Crosby could somehow be excluded. He's a polarizing figure around these parts, but I'm just sick of hearing about him from both sides. The Pens winning the Cup would result in 4 SOLID MONTHS of proclaiming him the greatest thing since a carpenter from Galilea walked on water...

The fact that the TV ratings in Hockeytown as still as good as they are (if not better than before, plus the ratings for stations like VS are only half what the actual are, as Detroit and the east side gets CBC) shows that the prices really are having an effect. Hockeytown is still Hockeytown, it just is unemployed Hockeytown right now. The Wings are still #1.