nhl writer: hockey doesn’t work in tampa bay
tim permalink | categories: channelside, entertainment, media, online, sport, tampaby tim @ 2:29 pm
Despite being a lifelong hockey fan (Red Wings until 2003, then Lightning upon scheduling my move down here) I’d never attended a hockey game until two weeks ago, when a trip to the 
Forum (part of a bachelor party of which I won’t share further details) for a game against Atlanta showed me what I already knew: live hockey is exciting, entertaining, and LOUD. Even against the lowly Thrashers, the St. Pete Times Forum was packed and rocking — I had a great time. (Skip the Five Guys booth. The burgers aren’t worthy of the name.)
Imagine my surprise, then, to see on the front page of Yahoo.com an article about the death of “Hockeytown, USA,” self-glossed sports nickname of Detroit. The essay, written by Pro Hockey Writers Association chapter chairman Ross McKeon of Yahoo.com Sports, reveals its writer as being suspiciously uninformed about the sport of which he pledges to be an expert.
Mckeon highlights the decline in attendance at Detroit Red Wings games and claims that Detroit is “no longer Hockeytown, USA.” He then presents arguments for why other cities are worthy of the title — and how others can’t maintain a local hockey interest. The problem, of course, is that his criteria are entirely arbitrary (despite his initial argument being predicated on home attendance). He categorizes each team’s support, among the noteworthy:
“Pretty darn good, in their own way”: Dallas, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Jose
“Nice try, but this doesn’t really work”: Tampa Bay
Let’s look at average attendance figures from the past three years, shall we?
2005-2006
Tampa Bay: 20,509 (103.8% capacity)
Dallas: 17,828 (96.2%)
San Jose: 16,831 (96.2%)
Pittsburgh: 15,804 (93.2%)
St. Louis: 14,213 (74.7%)
2006-2007
Tampa Bay: 19,876 (100.6%)
Dallas: 17,914 (96.7%)
San Jose: 17,422 (99.6%)
Pittsburgh: 16,424 (96.9%)
St. Louis: 12,520 (59.6% — last in the NHL)
2007-2008
Tampa Bay: 19,172 (97%)
San Jose: 17,496 (100%)
St. Louis: 17,492 (83.3%)
Dallas: 17,193 (92.8%)
Pittsburgh: 17,058 (100.6%)
As you can see, hockey clearly doesn’t work in Tampa. Feel free to provide Ross some feedback on his misguided assertions.
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November 6th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I’m glad you posted this. My brother sent me McKeon’s article last night and I sent him a note disparaging his myopic and just plain wrong insights. What a jackass.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Feedback provided to Ross.
Great catch Tim.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Is the octopus exclusively a Red Wings thing? I remember watching the ‘92 playoffs at the Pickwick Bar in Grand Rapids and being alarmed at the octopi flung onto the ice. When I attemded a Lightning game four years later, fans flung nachos instead. Seemed a little more benign, somehow.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I’m a deeply passionate, committed hockey fan but I’m also a realist. And the unfortunate reality is that hockey is a niche sport; beloved by it’s diehard fans and a novelty, at best, to everyone else. Typically around here, the Lightning don’t show up on most people’s radar screens until January (after the Bucs are done). And that’s when they’re doing well. If they’re struggling like they are now, they may not register at all. I hope they start playing better soon so that isn’t the case.
The problem isn’t unique to Tampa Bay, however. Until the NHL takes some drastic steps to start publicizing their product (and getting a good national TV deal should be items one through nine on their top ten list), it’s going to continue to lag waaaay behind the NFL, NBA, MLB NCAA sports and NASCAR.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I don’t know if McKeon was deliberately trying to be provocative and controversial, but I sent him an email w/ some info that refutes his ridiculous categorization of Tampa Bay hockey. Did you know the Lightning is listed as the 11th most valuable hockey franchise by Forbes? Our attendance, as Tim pointed out, is consistantly at the top of NHL cities. Add our 2004 Stanley Cup and then tell me what, exactly, doesn’t work???
November 14th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Meredith, the octopus thing is strictly a Red Wing thing. It was brought into existence back during the original six era when it took 8 wins to win the Stanley Cup.
Rick Marnon, Howell
http://www.oaklandlivingston.com