Why Is The Joe Half Empty?

[number9 3,297]

Thanks for weighing in Buffalo, NY. One long bandwagon?? How could our bandwagon fans be cheering the successes of the Tigers (they're done playing - didn't make playoffs), the Lions (worst team in football), and the Pistons (ummm, self explanatory)???? That makes zero sense.

I've been to early season October games in the past in Toronto, Montreal, Nashville, Tampa, and NY. It's really not that unusual. Even Montreal (who this is their only sport) wasn't even close to full when i was at an Oct game a few years back. I was given tickets to Rangers game last year at MSG by our hotel concierge, I'm guessing (judged by my eyes)... it was a bit over 1/3 full.

Another factor to this reality is that it's hunting season here in Michigan. My cousin sent me a picture from a popular restaurant near Burt Lake/Douglas Lake (up North) on Sat night, it was packed with hunters/Wings fans who came to watch the Canes came. Packed.

Go Wings! Loving the make-up of this team thus far.

UofM/MSU football is doing pretty well. With matchup looming.

[GMRwings1983 8,802]

If Cleary and Rechlicz made the team, the stadium wouldn't have been half empty last night.

[Learn2LuvIt 245]

UofM/MSU football is doing pretty well. With matchup looming.

College football games are on Saturday and we haven't had a regular season home game on Saturday yet?? How could you even draw this conclusion??

[number9 3,297]

College football games are on Saturday and we haven't had a regular season home game on Saturday yet?? How could you even draw this conclusion??

IDK I guess maybe ur right. The fans aren't distracted by other sports, they just don't care about the Wings anymore. Sad. Definitely not hockey town.

[kickazz 5,459]

Number9 is correct. The loss of hockey popularity in Detroit is quite evident. We no longer are "hockeytown" of Scotty Bowman/Yzerman era.

Lets just hope the new stadium brings more fans back.

We've had two home games. It's "been bad this year"?

Actually we've had one home opener and another regular home game.

The home opener had terrible attendance. Probably one of the worst in recent times.

Home openers should be packed. And they almost always are packed. This year it wasn't.

What's more interesting is that this was a home opener against one of our biggest rivals (historically speaking) against our former coach.

Still the lower bowl was half empty. This was common conversation for those who actually attended the game and have a good visual of the stadium.

So the topic of this thread. "Joe being half empty" isn't unusual. This was on the minds of the fans who attended the home opener as well. This has been noticeable for quite some time now and it was even more evident these first two games.

Edited October 14, 2015 by kickazz

[Barrie 900]

Reminds me of the fan who would read his Wall Street Journal all game, only looking up when the fans cheered.Tthat's the typical fan around here. Or the fans who didn't support the Vipers. This is definitely NOT "Hockeytown!"

You must not go to games. I've been to a number of stadiums/arenas, the Joe is the loudest I've been too.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

They needs to stop with this dress like a seat night promotion!

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

IDK I guess maybe ur right. The fans aren't distracted by other sports, they just don't care about the Wings anymore. Sad. Definitely not hockey town.

When's the last time you were at a game?

[number9 3,297]

When's the last time you were at a game?

During the autoshow last year. So that's February I think?

EDIT: Barley pops may have corrupted my memory banks. I was also at Lidstrom retirement ceremony/game, which I think was after that in the spring.

Edited October 15, 2015 by number9

[wingfanatic4alltime 32]

I do agree this is not "Hockeytown" its Red Wings town. Now I'm not a rich man so I dont know if this is true but I have heard that there is this Canadien Club for season ticket holders and that is where most of the lower bowl is at during the games. The home opener on TV looked full and it was loud so I dont know what game that guy was watching. I also think 24 straight playoff appearances makes the regular season stale to average fans but diehards like us are excited to watch this young team. They look damn good so far!

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

College football games are on Saturday and we haven't had a regular season home game on Saturday yet?? How could you even draw this conclusion??

He was messing with you, And he kept going with it after you missed his blatantly obvious sarcasm...

He was talking about the wings success for the last 20+ years and saying everyone jumped on the bandwagon of teams that are either awful or not playing.

How do you not see that's not serious?

Ha

Edited October 15, 2015 by jimmyemeryhunter

[kickazz 5,459]

He was messing with you, And he kept going with it after you missed his blatantly obvious sarcasm...

He was talking about the wings success for the last 20+ years and saying everyone jumped on the bandwagon of teams that are either awful or not playing.

How do you not see that's not serious?

Ha

Lol in his defense number9 isn't ALWAYS that easy to read.

[LeftWinger 5,090]

I just think it is fickle fans...there should be a waiver you sign that says you will attend every game if you buy season tickets...I know, that's impossible, but its the season ticket holders that don't show up to every game, most of the lower bowl are season ticket holders. There is no excuse as to why the home opener wasn't full. In my day, the only games that had that many open seats were games against bottom dwellers. Of course the economy is not so rosy for a majority of blue collar hockey fans either. Prices for tickets, pizza, pops, beer, parking all go up at a faster percentage than folks wages. Couple that with the price of other things going up faster than wages as well and that explains why the Joe isn't full. Folks just cannot afford to buy remaining tickets as readily nor from the season ticket holders who are trying to re-coup their money for the game. Put that together with the season ticket holders who only go to 2 out of 4 games and only the premium games, therer you have it. Plus doesn't preiums team games cost more than regular games? Home opener, New Years Eve, Colorado, Toronto, Tampa, Chicago, etc..for example cost more than Florida, Carolina, Winnipeg, etc...

[vladdy16 2,154]

I don't think it's fair to throw the word "fickle" around so much. You have to understand the excitement the Wings were generating back in the 90s. We went from perpetual cellar dwellers to a damn good team. That kind of turnaround and excitement is impossible to sustain. And there a many, many fans who came into hockey appreciation while the Wings were at their peak; first round exits seem heartbreaking to them rather than realizing making the playoffs for more than two decades is a real achievement to be savored. When I first started going to hockey games, you could pick your seat no matter what your tickets said. It was that empty. There are comparatively few fans still around from the 60s, 70s and 80s who were fortunate enough to watch the (painfully) slow rise to near-dynasty. There are far more post 80s fans now, and they are absolutely spoiled. It's going to take another serious Cup run to get people truly excited again. While I don't agree so much with that way of looking at the Wings and their success or perceived lack of it, I understand it.

[wings7 62]

If you are complaining about the Joe being empty, you better be going to the games. Don't be that guy that complains and does nothing.

Also, no excuse about not having tickets. Those lower bowl tickets are all for sale on TicketExchange.

You can find tickets easily.

Come on, man!

Edited October 16, 2015 by vladdy16
Political reference

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I just tuned into the Tampa game and I noticed all kinds of empty seats and am wondering why? What happens when they move to the new arena? Is this a result of basically not being a Cup contender since 2009?

JLA is notorious for late arriving crowds, and leaving-early crowds in non-playoff games to beat the hassle of getting out of the parking garage. And if you've been there, you'd know how long the lines for the bathrooms are. I've been caught several times in line and missing the start of the period.

[wings7 62]

The people complaining are people that rarely go. Fix the problem yourselves and stop blaming others.

It's not hard to go to games if you want to go. Tix are available.

[kickazz 5,459]

The people complaining are people that rarely go. Fix the problem yourselves and stop blaming others.

It's not hard to go to games if you want to go. Tix are available.

who is complaining about what?

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

If you are complaining about the Joe being empty, you better be going to the games. Don't be that guy that complains and does nothing. Don't be a liberal.

Also, no excuse about not having tickets. Those lower bowl tickets are all for sale on TicketExchange.

You can find tickets easily.

Come on, man!

I live in Minnesota..

[Buppy 1,720]

I live in Detroit, but I work afternoons. Though I promise; the next weekday home game with a 1 am start, I'll be there.

[Vladinator16 236]

Just got home from tonights game and the Joe looked pretty damn packed from the inside, not sure how it looked on TV.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Just got home from tonights game and the Joe looked pretty damn packed from the inside, not sure how it looked on TV.

Because it is and those watching from their home can't get a good view. All they see is the lower bowl.

[Jasper84 333]

Speaking for myself... I buy tickets on stub hub between 10-15 times a year, I love going to games. Over the past 5-6 years, I've gotten upper bowl tickets anywhere between $25-45 each (upper bowl, up to row 16, i try to never go higher than that, unless I have absolutely no choice and really want to go). I usually go with a buddy or a family member, or my girl if she doesn't have a super early shift the next morning.

This year so far, every home game I've looked at (not counting pre-season), the cheapest tickets I've been able to find are in the $75-80 range. If I go with my girl, thats price x2 and she would not be too happy with that. So that is why me and my group that I would normally go with prefer to watch it on tv for that price.

This year for some reason the prices went up, not sure why, don't really care for that.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I don't think it's fair to throw the word "fickle" around so much. You have to understand the excitement the Wings were generating back in the 90s. We went from perpetual cellar dwellers to a damn good team. That kind of turnaround and excitement is impossible to sustain. And there a many, many fans who came into hockey appreciation while the Wings were at their peak; first round exits seem heartbreaking to them rather than realizing making the playoffs for more than two decades is a real achievement to be savored. When I first started going to hockey games, you could pick your seat no matter what your tickets said. It was that empty. There are comparatively few fans still around from the 60s, 70s and 80s who were fortunate enough to watch the (painfully) slow rise to near-dynasty. There are far more post 80s fans now, and they are absolutely spoiled. It's going to take another serious Cup run to get people truly excited again. While I don't agree so much with that way of looking at the Wings and their success or perceived lack of it, I understand it.

I would happily trade that (very impressive) streak for 3 cups in the last few years but that's just me. There are many ways to get fans excited but lets be honest this team was so much more exciting to watch because we've had outstanding players and the whole pack-mentality. If the opponent wanted to play a skill game the Wings would happily oblige, if the opponent wanted to go the heavy game road the team would do that too and while doing so still dominating by fighting and hitting everything that moves - such an allround total package team is just much more exciting to watch and this has nothing to do with being spoiled it's just the reality. I'm willing to bet the Hawks will find themselves in the exact same spot once their stars are hitting the end of their prime (although that's still years and years away). I mean what do other teams think when they have to play the Wings of today? Intimidate them play having a heavy game and more likely than not you are going to win...try that back in the days and we all know how that turned out for the opponent.

With all of that said I still think the new arena needs to open with some sort of a bang but try to generate more excitment for the team again.

[Vladinator16 236]

Speaking for myself... I buy tickets on stub hub between 10-15 times a year, I love going to games. Over the past 5-6 years, I've gotten upper bowl tickets anywhere between $25-45 each (upper bowl, up to row 16, i try to never go higher than that, unless I have absolutely no choice and really want to go). I usually go with a buddy or a family member, or my girl if she doesn't have a super early shift the next morning.

This year so far, every home game I've looked at (not counting pre-season), the cheapest tickets I've been able to find are in the $75-80 range. If I go with my girl, thats price x2 and she would not be too happy with that. So that is why me and my group that I would normally go with prefer to watch it on tv for that price.

This year for some reason the prices went up, not sure why, don't really care for that.

I got my seats for yesterday through Stubhub, section 217c Row 10 for $39 a seat.

Maybe because it was the Canes game lol.