I know I haven't wrote in this blog since last year. I am upset about the NHL lockout. During the lockout of the 2004-2005 season I went to Saginaw Valley State University my freshmen year so I caught some Saginaw Spirit games, some alumni games, and some charity hockey games to help me get through the winter/spring.
I won't forget to mention in 1994-1995 there was a lockout too and they had a shortened season to 48 games compared to the normal 82. The fact we have a second lockout with only a few years between them will kill the sport in the U.S. The NHL lost about half of their fans after the 2004-2005 lockout. The sport was finally recovering from the previous lockout and their profits were increasing and now we have another lockout because they can't reach a collective bargaining agreement. The worst part of this whole situation is the vendors, ushers, and other arena staff are losing thousands of dollars by not working. I remember reading some online articles that some bar owners will not be able to stay open because there are no NHL games. If and when there is another NHL season, who knows how many fans they will actually get to retain.
Yesterday when they announced the cancellation of the 2013 Winter Classic the NHL reached a new low. I saw a tweet from USA today asking fans that purchased Winter Classic tickets to email their reactions. I emailed them and was surprised they put my email in the article. Here is the link to the article: USA today
There are two options: a full refund with associated fees or they hold onto the money for the next Winter Classic. The owners have been sitting on my money since July and I'm going to be asking for a refund. The interest alone they are collecting from the season tickets and WC tickets pisses me off. They marketed a product that isn't even happening.
Being a recent college graduate, last year was the first time I bought a 10 game package for the Red Wings season. I sold some of the games, but went to at least one game a month. Last spring, I put a $500 deposit down to secure a spot to get a 20 game package for this season. I only purchased a 20 game package because it gave me access to buy Winter Classic tickets that would have taken place at the Big House. I only have a part time job so I had to save up a lot of my money and make sacrifices to be able to afford it. The majority of my tax refund went to paying for these tickets and now it was a waste.
Even though I am not a season ticket holder I have spent thousands of dollars on game tickets, Winter Classic tickets at Wrigley Field, jerseys, clothing, went to autograph signings, and merchandise. A few friends of mine are more upset this time around than the last lockout. It will be hard for me to come back as a fan after this crap.
I honestly hope they just scrap this season, it's pointless to try to squeeze in a partial season. More games per week will lead to more injuries on teams. Both the players and owners are to blame. They need to just reach an agreement and start a new season next fall 2013. They can also work on getting their fans back and maybe lowering ticket prices!
