George calls out Wings’ PR
George Malik of Snapshots wrote a piece about the Red Wings’ PR, which you can read at Kukla’s Korner.
I thought it was an excellent opinion piece and it certainly rang true in my mind. I’ve been one of the fortunate few to get access to the team in 2003-2004 season. I attended a private practice and interviewed Kris Draper and Jason Williams. I was able to attend because my best friend’s family was friends with Denise Ilitch, the owner’s daughter who has since been removed from the organization. I was able to interview Denise Ilitch at her lovely home. I was invited to attend High School Journalist Day at Joe Louis Arena in March 2004. I was able to interview Assistant GM Jim Nill, who was the parent of my brother’s best friend at that time. That was a wonderful year. I got to actually meet some players outside of the autograph signings. And it didn’t cost me anything.
Unfortunately, I do not have those luxuries anymore and it’s tough to be a Red Wings fan. I’m not saying it is tough to be a fan in the sense of our team’s performances, but we aren’t treated very well as a fan base in my opinion.
Teams complain when fans use venues like StubHub to purchase tickets to games. I have no problem with StubHub and have bought many tickets through that website. Why? Because if I go to buy tickets on Ticketmaster, the best seats I could get would be mid upper bowl in the corner for $55. I remember looking to buy pre-season tickets and I was able to get better seats at half the price on StubHub. The arena may look a lot emptier than it was before and that’s because it is emptier. But I don’t think it’s due to the lack of interest or fans, the Detroit economy sucks and people can’t afford to pay almost $100/game for a ticket, parking, and food to sit in the mid upper bowl or higher.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Detroit Red Wings. I love the players, the tradition, and I have a soft spot for the Joe even though it’s old and outdated. However, I think there are a lot of improvements that the organization could make to regain the favor of its fans. As George suggested, offer more open skates, update the music and video shown during games, create better advertisements (print and TV), etc. I remember seeing a video of the Dallas Stars players walking around the concorse signing autographs following a pre-season game this year. You would never ever see the Red Wings do that and that’s slightly disheartening.
I must say that while I don’t enjoy the players and skill level as much, the Plymouth Whalers games (OHL) are more fun and a lot cheaper. The most expensive ticket costs you $14 for center ice. $14. My parking for a Red Wings pre-season game this year cost me $15. It cost more for parking (and yes, I have to park in the lot across from JLA because of my knee) for a pre-season game then it does to sit center ice within 15 rows of the rink at a Whalers game.
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4 Responses to “George calls out Wings’ PR”
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October 20th, 2006 at 7:55 am
You’ve got my vote. Though I guess it’s been well-established that Hockeytown isn’t exactly a democracy…
A friend of mine (a Michigan transplant) visited me from Atlanta last weekend and this same subject came up. ATL offers very reasonable season ticket packages and an unbelievable amount of access to players and management - couldn’t be a sharper contrast between the two organizations.
There is one person who has escaped unscathed thus far in this discussion - and probably shouldn’t have. Obviously this is only my opinion, but while JimmyD is the hockey mind responsible for ushering in Mr. Ilitch’s Hockeytown era, he is also uniquely symbolic of its despicable arrogance toward its fanbase. As much as Babs was allowed to aid in the end of the Yzerman era last season, someone needs to push JimmyD toward the exit too. Sooner rather than later.
October 20th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Christy,
You make some excellent points. Keep in mind, though, that through the years Detroit fans were such hardcore hockey fans that the team did not have to “sell” the game to the public. Hockey sold itself, at least to those people who considered themselves fans. In its day, the charm of Olympia, in part, was the Old Red Barn persona which went along nicely with the “Old Time Hockey” style that was played at the time. The Joe is state of the art in comparison, but also outdated when compared with newer arenas around the league. The newer franchises have to sell the game to the fans and enlist the players to help them do so, such as what you mentioned with the Dallas Stars. They also have fireworks, mascots, giveaways, etc. The Red Wings have never had to do that to help fill the seats and it may take some time for them to come around to that point, if ever. The players are pretty accessible during training camp in Traverse City but I know it is much tougher during the regular season. As for ticket prices, I agree that the prices are too steep for the average fan to afford and that is unfortunate. That is flip side of trying to have a competitive team and I am not sure what the solution is. I don’t want to be an apologist for the Wings being less than fan friendly in some respects, I just thought I would offer an opinion as to why it may seem that way.
October 20th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
I understand exactly what you mean Christy. Toronto is the closest I can get to an NHL game and even if I was willing to pay ridiculous prices they would be impossible to get regardless. Sadly, hockey isn’t so much more about the fan experience so much as a business anymore. The team’s economic obligations have to come first and they don’t seem to know how to keep their fanbase in mind anymore. Unfortunately for Toronto losing fans will never be something they have to worry about and it’ll be the same crappy experience for years.
I think it’d be a great opportunity to work for the organization and bring in a fan’s perspective. I think you’d do a wonderful job since you understand the game as well! My dream job would be to work for the Sens or even the League as well, haha.
October 21st, 2006 at 8:53 am
As an old Detroit boy I have attended many games at the Joe,all my family lives in Plymouth and even though I now live in Tampa I still attend the occasional game there.The place is dead anymore,the atmosphere is gone.The level of exitement and electricity in the air at the Forum in Tampa blows the Joe away nightly.
Why?It’s not the building,yes the Joe is outdated but that’s not the problem.It’s the fans…a lot of them are not really hockey fans.Some say because of the Red Wings success over the last decade or so the fans are spoiled,if it’s not an important game the emotion isn’t there or people are depressed by the economy in SE Michigan.I don’t buy it,the lower bowl is half empty most nights because they are corporate ticket holders.And there is the problem.
The organization has taken the easy money(and sale) and sold large ammounts of tickets to company’s that give them to their employees for various reasons.They often go to people who are marginal hockey fans at best or simply are taken and not used,sometimes because of the politics of the office.
Which gets us to the point.What happened to the 10 year waiting list for season tickets that the team now has to start trying gimmicks and promotions to fill the seats?The answer is the Red Wings didn’t care about the “ordinary” fan.It’s much easier and cheaper to just sell out to company’s,so the team didn’t want to sell to the general public when they could count on the easy sale.The rest of the organizations treatment of we lowly fans followed.
After many years of this the team now will be faced with the problem of recruiting back the true fan base.A tough task in tough times.That’s what their arrogance has gotten them.
TLW