Don Cherry on ESPN

No, no no….

A: The Michigan economy is in freefall

B: The Detroit market is not all that big really, but it has 4 major sports clubs and SE Michigan overall also has 2 major collage programs as well. Mirtle argues Nashville would have sold out in the second round but that’s not apples to apples – the Predators are not competing against a very good NBA team and a good MLB team.

B(2): given B the Wings are also tying to fill one of the larger areas in the NHL – a sell out in Nashville or Pittsburg is what some 4000 seats less (and even a hockey Mecca picked by god as a true and lasting place for ™‘Real’ Canadian Hockey like Vancouver has a capacity of around 2000 less… and wait were is that rock-em-sock-em hockey in Vancouver anyway?)

C: The Joe is a dump – period. I’m mean if am I some company and I want tickets to give away to clients or employees for a reward etc.(or use them); with the Pistons success hell I drop by Joe season tickets in a hart beat if I could only have one set (Joe or Palace).

D: For all his success with the management of their on ice product Illich is a Neanderthal when it comes to marketing the wings. His management team has completely failed to notice either the state of the economy, the decrepitude of his area or the relative strength of the local completion for the area’s sports dollar.

E: I don’t think I’m a red neck, sorry Don; but I did grow up in Ann Arbor MI and played pond hock and one of the only excuses for staying up late that would stick with my father was watching the late game on the CBC – but I still think the current iteration of Red Wings hockey is a damn sight more entreating than any other team I watched this year.
Sure It was fun when the ‘bruise brothers’ played in Detroit, but than again it more fun watching Detroit still playing than thinking about Kocur and his tee times. Anyway the Wings continued to sellout long after Probert and Kocur were gone and Detroit was called soft a ‘Euro’ team with all their Russians in the mid 90’s too.

I'm at a long distance from Michigan but it appears a disaster from here. Not only are there an embarrassing large number of empty seats, the crowd is awful. We hear so much about Hockeytown, etc, but compare that crowd to, say, San Jose's.

"Detroit was called soft a ‘Euro’ team with all their Russians in the mid 90’s too."
Well, they did have Euros like Konstantinov, Fetisov who could ring someone's bell. The grind line was there. Regardless, thanks Paul for your input. I am now truly informed. How high are Wings ticket prices?

Sisyphus: This current crowd seems much more mellow than in the old days. Is it because their team wins so much and they are used to winning? I bet a close 7-game series will get them riled up again! Just a thought.