Ticket Prices for 2012-13

[Tater]

But....but.. but the team is losing money. Do you want the team to fold?

 

[The Count Dante]

You aren't alone my friend. They are running out some of the oldest and most loyal fans they've ever had. And, they don't care.

I cant even imagine how some of you longer term holders must be feeling, but I feel like I have been kicked in the gut and spat upon. They managed to take my favorite passion and tarnished it with something as dumb as money.



I will never give up a love of hockey (stipulating a non-lockout), or the Hawks, but you dont get my money anymore short of me fast forwarding commercials on my DVR and the occassional guest in town game that I will go buy from others who are struggling to just keep their seats by selling every fucking game. Gone are the days of me buying a jersey of the player I thought would be a breakout and then buying a Playoff jersey of the player over the course of the season who I liked the most.



I have a friend of mine, has had his tickets for 10 years, whose child, born in the year of the Cup, has the middle name of Brouwer after the first goal scored in the Cup series, who has game played Hull, Stan, and Tony O autographed sticks that are pasted down generationally as Family Heirlooms. He... has to ditch his seats.



Dont remember the bitching about money when I couldnt GIVE away tickets my first couple years as a holder...

 

[IceHogsFan]

I cant even imagine how some of you longer term holders must be feeling, but I feel like I have been kicked in the gut and spat upon. They managed to take my favorite passion and tarnished it with something as dumb as money.



I will never give up a love of hockey (stipulating a non-lockout), or the Hawks, but you dont get my money anymore short of me fast forwarding commercials on my DVR and the occassional guest in town game that I will go buy from others who are struggling to just keep their seats by selling every fucking game. Gone are the days of me buying a jersey of the player I thought would be a breakout and then buying a Playoff jersey of the player over the course of the season who I liked the most.



I have a friend of mine, has had his tickets for 10 years, whose child, born in the year of the Cup, has the middle name of Brouwer after the first goal scored in the Cup series, who has game played Hull, Stan, and Tony O autographed sticks that are pasted down generationally as Family Heirlooms. He... has to ditch his seats.



Dont remember the bitching about money when I couldnt GIVE away tickets my first couple years as a holder...

I think you should take the first post, make into a letter and send copies to Rocky, McD, Blunt, Bowman and your rep.



I am sincere when I say that. You think they don't care and I venture you are correct but if everyone starts writing those same letters you can only hope that Rocky comes to a conclusion that they can't keep fucking over the fans who have always supported the team. And when McD comes to him about his great marketing that involves more and more increases he will look at him and eventually fires his ass. I believe Rocky does care and it is why he is always sitting in the stadium for nearly every game with the fans.

 

[The Count Dante]

I think you should take the first post, make into a letter and send copies to Rocky, McD, Blunt, Bowman and your rep.



I am sincere when I say that. You think they don't care and I venture you are correct but if everyone starts writing those same letters you can only hope that Rocky comes to a conclusion that they can't keep fucking over the fans who have always supported the team. And when McD comes to him about his great marketing that involves more and more increases he will look at him and eventually fires his ass. I believe Rocky does care and it is why he is always sitting in the stadium for nearly every game with the fans.

At this point, my anger is way too great to even give the organ-i-zation so much as a one typed word, when their actions have already spoken. But perhaps when the anger goes away, maybe.



But as...corny as it may sound, it is a pure feeling of loss (damn near MOURNING) for me right now, one that goes above hockey and above money. I feel like they made this hockey push dirty and tainted like Art Modell did with the Cleveland Browns in 1997, when I REALLY got into hockey and only hockey and vowed to never watch another pro football game again ever.



Maybe they do care. Maybe I will stay angry enough in a right frame to do as you suggested. And a love as a fan of hockey and the Hawks is not dictated by where my ass happens to be sitting when I watch them. And when Toews raises the Cup at least one more time in his career (cause he will), I will have all that money saved to pay huge prices to watch it. Because at these prices? Someone will ALWAYS have tickets for sale.



And I am truly thankful that I feel like I got to be a part of Cup, Its traditions, and Its glory and my home, in my winter classic Hossa Jersey that will never be worn again, even if that part was in the most tiny of ways. I will never forget it, it will never be replaced, and can never be taken away.



Shame on The Hawks Office.

 

[Rex]

At this point, my anger is way too great to even give the organ-i-zation so much as a one typed word, when their actions have already spoken. But perhaps when the anger goes away, maybe.



But as...corny as it may sound, it is a pure feeling of loss (damn near MOURNING) for me right now, one that goes above hockey and above money. I feel like they made this hockey push dirty and tainted like Art Modell did with the Cleveland Browns in 1997, when I REALLY got into hockey and only hockey and vowed to never watch another pro football game again ever.



Maybe they do care. Maybe I will stay angry enough in a right frame to do as you suggested. And a love as a fan of hockey and the Hawks is not dictated by where my ass happens to be sitting when I watch them. And when Toews raises the Cup at least one more time in his career (cause he will), I will have all that money saved to pay huge prices to watch it. Because at these prices? Someone will ALWAYS have tickets for sale.



And I am truly thankful that I feel like I got to be a part of Cup, Its traditions, and Its glory and my home, in my winter classic Hossa Jersey that will never be worn again, even if that part was in the most tiny of ways. I will never forget it, it will never be replaced, and can never be taken away.



Shame on The Hawks Office.

You have a Hossa winter classic jersey???

 

[The Count Dante]

You have a Hossa winter classic jersey???

HAHAHAH Oops, sorry, meant Alternate

You see what they have done to me!?!

 

[R K]

I think you should take the first post, make into a letter and send copies to Rocky, McD, Blunt, Bowman and your rep.



I am sincere when I say that. You think they don't care and I venture you are correct but if everyone starts writing those same letters you can only hope that Rocky comes to a conclusion that they can't keep fucking over the fans who have always supported the team. And when McD comes to him about his great marketing that involves more and more increases he will look at him and eventually fires his ass. I believe Rocky does care and it is why he is always sitting in the stadium for nearly every game with the fans.

I wouldn't be to sure about that.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Most of the folks around me have been going to hockey games since before you and I were born, but I suppose there are those "new" fans. I ignore most of that, but the gimmicks and prices are driving me off. I can most definitely afford to move upstairs but I don't want too. I think more of what you describe goes on up there by far than in my section.



You can justify not gong any way you want but games like the other night, sitting at home is NOTHING like being there. Zero, ziltch, zippo....

I have to agree with you there RK. Regardless of where you sit.....just being there and watching it live, in front of you, beats sitting on my couch watching a game any night of the week. That is the ONLY thing I miss about being in DC, my Caps season tickets.

 

[The Count Dante]

And to me it is not relevant if they care. Not to get all hippy and be against it, but make your money while you can get your money. Push the prices to the spot where Season Tickets of any kind are more of a status symbol. Seats are still being filled to max and no reason to think they wont be for some time. Until it burns you in the ass like some of the Cubs trying to fill seats but even still, someone will fill em, at least for now.



I would be better served buying games from my buddy who is trying so hard to keep his seats and help him and the godson then to continue with my own. All in all it was the decision that made me angry as in prior years, no decision needed to be made. For him and his extended family, the tickets are like being the first kid to in a family to go to college.



While we all know it really is a business, you can always push that back a bit as a hockey fan (or maybe as any pro fan, I have never been hardcore about another team and sport, not like this team and sport anyway).



I guess the business-side is just being brought through the curtain for me and I dont wanna play that way. So I will let them go. Does it suck? Ye'up. But for me, it felt like a line drawn in the sand. I just am not going to cross it. Let those who want them as a status symbol, enjoy that symbol. Let those fans that can swing and justify the cost do so and I will cheer and hope that they can. I just wont be one of em anymore. So be it.

 

[The Count Dante]

I do agree there is nothing like being there. No question. But the good news is, with these new prices? Tickets will ALWAYS be available...

 

[Shantz My Pants]

That's a deep post Counte.



I probably won't be able to get seats on stubhub anymore. I think I went to one game this year and decided watching at home is much more affordable for myself.

 

[The Count Dante]

Oh dont get me wrong, I am going through all of the grieving steps, just at a hyper pace. I have moved to acceptance. Just a bit sad because of the signifigance I placed on those seats that went above just the team I was watching. I am mearly taking the funds that would supply the seats to other areas of hockey fandom, like a bigger nicer TV, local bars that turn hockey on when I come in without question, buddy's seats (which sure is a bit of hypocrisy but I am deserving of a little in my Utopic Brain), trips to watch the Hawks in OTHER barns, etc.

 

[Ton]

But....but.. but the team is losing money. Do you want the team to fold?

You just have to laugh when you think about it. Can't wait for the Hawks to release another statement about how they are still losing money so they can justify this ticket increase. Gotta "pay the price" for a top level team... bullshit.



This list is proof that it doesn't matter how much the seats are compared to icing a competitive team.



Top 10: Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Vancouver, Buffalo, San Jose, Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Toronto



Bottom 10: Ottawa, Colorado, Carolina, New Jersey, Phoenix, Anaheim, New York Islanders, Minnesota, Columbus, Florida



5 playoff teams in the top 10.



4 playoff teams in the bottom 10.



Not really a huge difference.

 

[R K]

Notice in the top 10 you have 4 of the 5 Canadian teams. IE were the demand completely dictates price.

 

[Ton]

We'll see if they spend to the Cap next season with Huet off the books. If they don't then that "pay the price" statement is fucked.

 

[R K]

We'll see if the Cap comes down as speculated with the new CBA first. They had nearly 7 mil this season ALL year Long and did NOT spend it at the TDL.



Ironically the same amount for Huet and or Olezs, or close.

 

[The Count Dante]

A little hard to buy the "We Need Money" rhetoric when a common reaction from other non-hockey fan Chicagoians could be summed and paraphrased as: "Why did you buy season tickets?!? They GIVE those away" when hearing that I bought 2.



But NOW they need money...

 

[R K]

The probem is Rocky is trying to make up for the previous decade of losses. Knowing him, and I do, I don't think he cares about any of us propping up this organziation while he was off at Judge n dolf. Just like I think he could are less about Peter, who had more to do with the profits they are making than ANYONE in the current organization.

 

[The Count Dante]

It IS a business after all...



He just wont make more (or make up) millions with my paltry 2 300 season seats anymore.



GO HAWKS GOOOOO GO HAWKS GOOOO

HEY CHICAGO...WHADDAH SAY...

ROCKY'S FISTIN ME, TO-DAY....

 

[klemmer]

You aren't alone my friend. They are running out some of the oldest and most loyal fans they've ever had. And, they don't care.

Not one bit/