Predators to Blackhawks Fans: GTFO

[cprice12]

I like the sentiment...but StubHub and sites like that will allow a truckload of Hawks fans to grab tickets.

Predators to Blackhawks fans: You're not welcome here
http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/ ... /70465216/



The Predators are sending a clear message to out-of-town Chicago Blackhawks fans: Stay away from Bridgestone Arena in April.

With a first-round playoff series between Nashville and Chicago a possibility, Predators president Sean Henry is pushing steps to assure Bridgestone and Lower Broadway does not turn into a sea of Blackhawks red.

"We want to fill the building with gold, filled by our fans, through our fans and for our fans. Period," Henry said Wednesday. "Just like any team should want their home arena to be. And any columnist who says otherwise, should look at his own history."

Oh, not this columnist. This one agrees with Henry.

His barb was intended for Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Rosenbloom, who recently penned that the "Predators will obsess anew over plots and firewalls and security installations to keep Hawks fans out of the rink. If the past is neurotic prologue, then you watch, before the Predators release playoff tickets, they'll completely eliminate the paper version and allow E-tickets only after demanding their fans submit to iris recognition technology."

Rosenbloom's sarcastic prose was close to reality.

The Predators will begin selling playoff tickets this weekend. On Saturday, tickets can only be purchased at Kroger stores in Middle Tennessee. On Sunday, they can be purchased at the Bridgestone box office prior to and during the 4 p.m. game against Calgary. On Monday, tickets will be sold online through the Predators' website — but only to customers who live within the team's TV market.

Good for Henry and the Predators. And good for Predators' fans.

A strong fan base is built on lasting memories. Quite often, those memories are created during dramatic and dynamic playoff moments.

While the Predators have done a remarkable job of marketing their product, the franchise is still in its infancy. Season 16 is a fraction of the life of most of our country's professional sports franchises.

And there are ebbs and flows with every franchise, something Blackhawks fans should know. Before Chicago's recent run of success — two Stanley Cup titles in last five years — fans were not flocking to home games.

As recently as 2006-07 the Blackhawks averaged just 12,727 fans, ranking next-to-last in the league and well behind the Predators.

Then what happened? The Blackhaws drafted well and started winning games. The fan base grew as it experienced exciting playoff atmosphere and two championships.

Henry wants the same thing to happen in Nashville. It's really a simple formula.

But it can't happen if playoff games are a replay of the Dec. 6 meeting between the Predators and Blackhawks at Bridgestone. Henry estimates as many as 5,500 Blackhawk fans attended that game, a 3-1 Chicago victory.

He said the team estimated 1,200 tickets were sold by season package holders to fans in out-of-town zip codes; another 2,500 were sold from the team's online portal to fans in the Chicago market; and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

He doesn't want to see that happen during the playoffs.

"We make no apologies for building this fan base for our fan base," he said. "We are obsessed with it as an organization because we want our fans to feel comfortable. We are not obsessed who the (opponent) is."

[cardsfan04]

I love that he takes a slight shot at blackhawk fans for not attending games until their team was good.

[dmiles2186]

I remember when the Blues did this a season or two ago. At the time, I remember that it felt kind of embarrassing. I get why the Preds would try to do this, but this will just motivate Hawks fans (especially the cocky BFIH Hawks fans) to try to overtake their barn.

[ComradeT]

I love that he takes a slight shot at blackhawk fans for not attending games until their team was good.

Big difference between motivating and enabling. The intrigue is in how many Predz fans would want to cash in by reselling to Hawks fans and how much Hawks fans would be willing to pay to get to Nashville.

[JesusNEVERexisted]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

[gaijin]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

[cprice12]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

Even the article said that.

[gaijin]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

Even the article said that.

The article NEVER existed.

[KrustyKevo]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

Even the article said that.

The article NEVER existed.

lol'd heartily

[Kerfuffle]

Love the fact that we are really in their head that their front office is obsessed with keeping us out. It will only have the opposite effect as more and more Hawks fans will attend the games. When you're front office is obsessed with an opponent I think it takes the eyes off the prize for your own team.

[cprice12]

Love the fact that we are really in their head that their front office is obsessed with keeping us out. It will only have the opposite effect as more and more Hawks fans will attend the games. When you're front office is obsessed with an opponent I think it takes the eyes off the prize for your own team.

Nah...I like it.
Anything to make things more interesting. Just one more thing for us to talk about.

[JesusNEVERexisted]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

back to you!

It doesn't say how they will prevent that again! Scalpers live right there so they can get tickets locally and sell them on the street to Hawks fans. Like Kerfuffle said the Hawks fans find a way to pack stadiums within a relative close vicinity to Chicago.

[cardsfan04]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

back to you!

It doesn't say how they will prevent that again! Scalpers live right there so they can get tickets locally and sell them on the street to Hawks fans. Like Kerfuffle said the Hawks fans find a way to pack stadiums within a relative close vicinity to Chicago.

Being a blackhawk fan is a proud tradition dating back to 2008.

[Toasted Oates]

I also appreciate the sentiment. However, I think it's awesome when our fans are seen/heard in an opposing rink, so I'd be a hypocrite if Chicago's traveling fans (phony or otherwise) were to irritate me. It is what it is. Championships are a fan's impenetrable armor.

Want them to stop coming? Beat them. Then they won't feel so comfortable getting rowdy in your barn.

[Kreegz2]

As recently as 2006-07 the Blackhawks averaged just 12,727 fans, ranking next-to-last in the league and well behind the Predators.

I really didn't want to look up the stats after reading this sentence, but I just had to.

[rorschach]

But he doesn't talk about all the scalpers selling tickets outside the arena before the game.

...and another 1,500 were sold to scalpers who either sold the tickets on online sites such as StubHub or to fans on the streets.

back to you!

It doesn't say how they will prevent that again! Scalpers live right there so they can get tickets locally and sell them on the street to Hawks fans. Like Kerfuffle said the Hawks fans find a way to pack stadiums within a relative close vicinity to Chicago.

I believe you have to present your receipt and or purchasing credit card and I.D. at the gate. From what I understand they will only accept tickets from the original purchaser. From what I've heard that's how they intend to prevent scalping, you can still scalp the tickets, but the gate wont accept them.

[WaukeeBlues]

Personally I like it. I know there will be the inevitable re-sale to Hawks fans and StubHub and all that but you can certainly try to limit the damage as much as possible. I don't think any of the steps the franchise is taking is too much. I like it.

[Kerfuffle]

I love that we're an invasion force for many cities. Nashville, St Louis, and Columbus get the most Hawks fans just due to it being a reasonable drive to any of those 3 cities. Dallas, while farther, seems to have 50% Hawks fans at our games. It's cool.

[Kerfuffle]

I believe you have to present your receipt and or purchasing credit card and I.D. at the gate. From what I understand they will only accept tickets from the original purchaser. From what I've heard that's how they intend to prevent scalping, you can still scalp the tickets, but the gate wont accept them.

I doubt it - that would take way too long to process every person coming in the building. It goes slow enough just scanning the ticket, but now to sit everyone down and basically do an IRS audit and have them pull out a receipt, ID, and credit card all to verify they were purchased by a 'Nashville fan' seems ludicrous. As long as you have the ticket in your hand you're getting in.

[cardsfan04]

I believe you have to present your receipt and or purchasing credit card and I.D. at the gate. From what I understand they will only accept tickets from the original purchaser. From what I've heard that's how they intend to prevent scalping, you can still scalp the tickets, but the gate wont accept them.

I doubt it - that would take way too long to process every person coming in the building. It goes slow enough just scanning the ticket, but now to sit everyone down and basically do an IRS audit and have them pull out a receipt, ID, and credit card all to verify they were purchased by a 'Nashville fan' seems ludicrous. As long as you have the ticket in your hand you're getting in.

For sure. I don't see them doing a verification of who bought the ticket at the gate. I'm not even entirely certain it would be legal to institute that policy midseason.