My primary interest in low attendance was concerning non-student hockey
fans.  I do appreciate knowing the reasons why students did not attend: (1)
tuition is so high they can't afford an upcharge for a couple of extra
games, even on a single-game basis (2) they were too busy answering the
1-800 dial-a-psychic lines during spring break to attend games where they
already knew the outcome.
 
Only one post got close to what I think is a real (non-sarcastic) solution
to the problem:  promotion.  While alumni stay-at-homes certainly should
have supported their team and pushed them on to victory at the home arena,
it seems as though others might have gone if they had only known "good
seats" were available.
 
Just like for my Bruins tickets, the box office knows when "season" ticket
holders turn down the opportunity to buy in the post-season.  Then, they
can sell those tickets together with the public seats, to all comers.
 
Gee, how could BU have gotten the word out ?  They own a radio and TV
station and could find time somehow to say seats were available, even
during the radio broadcasts of the first two games.  Interested BU
partisans could have called the Walter Brown box office.  There's probably
even a Web site for the Internet-savvy.
 
That would be a very good lesson for them to learn, as they prepare for the
new arena.  Jackie had better learn TV pitchman skills to spur ticket sales
when they add 4,000 or so seats for home BU games.  Surely BU wants some
people in the seats, and wouldn't the team appreciate it, also ?
 
Special note to Heather Towner (who, curiosly left the list after this
thread) - were the percentage of Alfond empty seats vs. capacity as you
remember at all close to the percentage at Walter Brown this past weekend ?
I think not.
 
Finally, whatever happened to the concept:  "let's go to the game to see us
kick XXXX's butt ?"
 
GO BLUE !!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dan Doucette
UMaine 78 MPA 80
 
*** Beers may now be in the booth, but Jean-Yves Roy ***
***    should be kept with the big club in Boston     ***
***   Is there anyone better now with Providence ??  ***
 
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