Florida Panthers

Cheaper Ticket Prices!!!

Whoo hooo! Now we are making progress! The Florida Panthers announced yesterday that they have lowered season ticket prices in 11 of 14 areas for the 2009-2010 season. In an effort to attract more fans and make the tickets more affordable due to the economy this measure was brought about by a marketing “scheme” by sports agent Drew Rosenhaus, a prominent sports agent in the South Florida area. Drew however focuses mainly on football, and has had very little exposure to hockey. Thus his excellent negotiating yielded a pretty nominal effect.

How will this affect the coming season you ask? Well you can you purchase a season ticket for $7.00. Probably in row 97 in the upper balconey, but hey, you are in the building. The most expensive seat is going to cost you $207, and that is right on the glass!!! Great, $207 to watch an AHL version of an NHL team. My math and research of this public relations bonanza can best be desrbied as follows:

Cheaper ticket prices = Cheaper product on the ice!

We are not seeing a version of anything resembling a true NHL caliber playoff team here. When the Panthers make a big announcement that they have signed free agent forward Jeff Taffe to bolster their minor league affiliate, that isn’t news that I can get excited about. Especially when we are told, that he can be expected to step in and help the “big club” at some point this season. Yikes! Jeff Taffe!!

Let’s face it, the econmoy in Florida, like many places is suffering. Lowering ticket prices and signing third line and minor league players is not going to help get more people in the seats. There is an awful lot of money here in Florida. People are living here that can afford to pay for tickets. But you are not going to fill the building if you aren’t doing the one thing that the Panthers management keep missing, and that is WIN. Just win baby! That’s all it will take to fill the seats.

Not the silly gimmicks like “coming to your first game, give us your florida driver’s license number and we’ll give you two free tickets”. Or order 2 large pizza’s from our sponser and we’ll give you two free tickets. Those ideas dilute the product and just make us, your season ticket holders upset.

In order to put more people in the seats you need to get some players that are going to make this franchise a winner. Stop throwing money at unproven players. Stop giving unproven players six year contracts because you “think” they will blossom. The Panthers have shown over the last two or three years that they have overpayed for most of their roster, especially for the return on their investment.

For the love of god, can you please go out and get a 40 goal scorer and some nasty defenceman that will keep the opposition from standing in front of the net. Leave the ticket prices alone, win some games, and focus on putting together a winning hockey team. Otherwise these tickets can be free for all I care.

Oh…wait… sometimes they are!!!

Thanks for reading.