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Hockey East Semi's and Finals

Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

chickod said:
The crowd will be smaller there. People are going to have to get used to the fact that the "old days" are gone and these buildings are not going to be packed anymore.
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Do you think if they lower the prices for tickets, parking and food, they could make the same profits or more ? After all, professional teams draw more than collegiate sports.
 
brassbonanza said:
Cost of attendance has a lot to do with it. Not just ticket prices, but the cost of parking, the cost of concessions, the fact that arenas don't have water fountains - it's a crappy fan experience and an expensive one. The cost of a hot dog and soda is basically the same as the cost of your ticket. Not to mention if you'd like to hydrate yourself at any point during the two 3-hour games you're watching in the semifinals, it's $4.50 for a bottle of water, $5.50 for a tiny drink. Beer is $11.25 at the minimum, a burger is $15. You can offer cheap $20 tickets all you want but when everything else costs insane amounts of money, people are going to stay home.
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I looked on Ticketmaster awhile ago and for the two cheapest tickets it was $75 all in. I’ll pay that much if Maine’s in it but no way to see other teams. It’s much more of a hassle and expense getting to the games as well. I used to park at Wellington and take the T and it would cost like $5. That same deal now costs like $12.
 
brassbonanza said:
Cost of attendance has a lot to do with it. Not just ticket prices, but the cost of parking, the cost of concessions, the fact that arenas don't have water fountains - it's a crappy fan experience and an expensive one. The cost of a hot dog and soda is basically the same as the cost of your ticket. Not to mention if you'd like to hydrate yourself at any point during the two 3-hour games you're watching in the semifinals, it's $4.50 for a bottle of water, $5.50 for a tiny drink. Beer is $11.25 at the minimum, a burger is $15. You can offer cheap $20 tickets all you want but when everything else costs insane amounts of money, people are going to stay home.
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Agree with all of this. Not to mention that the fan experience is better in almost any of the hockey east arenas as compared to the Td garden
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

brassbonanza said:
Cost of attendance has a lot to do with it. Not just ticket prices, but the cost of parking, the cost of concessions, the fact that arenas don't have water fountains - it's a crappy fan experience and an expensive one. The cost of a hot dog and soda is basically the same as the cost of your ticket. Not to mention if you'd like to hydrate yourself at any point during the two 3-hour games you're watching in the semifinals, it's $4.50 for a bottle of water, $5.50 for a tiny drink. Beer is $11.25 at the minimum, a burger is $15. You can offer cheap $20 tickets all you want but when everything else costs insane amounts of money, people are going to stay home.
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Agreed. And that's probably a good argument for moving it out of the Garden. I am sure that there are contractual obligations to unions and such that force the cost up. Although there are similar scenarios at other arenas, I don't believe they are to the same extent. Parking alone at other venues would save people money. $48??? Unbelievable. I actually parked in the garage across the street. I'm not sure what happened - the sign said $40 for 'Garden Events' but when we left we had to pay at the gate (the machines were shut down) and when I handed the attendant my card it came up on the screen as $12. I'm not sure why...but I'll take it!

I won't repeat the ad nauseum discussions that have been carried on for a few years now on multiple threads concerning attendance, but it's really time to move this event out of the Garden.
 
chickod said:
Are you kidding? You weren't around for the old days. Maine and UNH would bring OVER 4,000 each and sometimes more.
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I’m old and cranky. I remember. :)
I think we’ve already established that the attendance was much better in the Big Four era. But UML has phenomenal support in HE and them not making it Boston seems to hurt attendance.
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

Park in the garage at MGH and walk through the expensive garage. Then after just cry at the counter and tell them grandma is dying and you lost your ticket. Total cost $0
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

mookie1995 said:
Park in the garage at MGH and walk through the expensive garage. Then after just cry at the counter and tell them grandma is dying and you lost your ticket. Total cost $0
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Excellent!

Another option which I do every year is since I come from the north, park at Sullivan Square T station ($5) and then a quick, cheap two stop subway ride in on T.
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

mookie1995 said:
Park in the garage at MGH and walk through the expensive garage. Then after just cry at the counter and tell them grandma is dying and you lost your ticket. Total cost $0
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And then the next night tell them that <b>grandpa</b> is dying and hope it's a different attendant? :D
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

Jon said:
I’m old and cranky. I remember. :)
I think we’ve already established that the attendance was much better in the Big Four era. But UML has phenomenal support in HE and them not making it Boston seems to hurt attendance.
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Agreed Jon. Lowell routinely packs a few loge sections, spilling over into adjoining ones and not counting the other isolated pockets of Lowell fans. Their balcony sections are jammed too, overflowing into others as well. Easily 5,000+ and the observations on how many Lowell fans are routinely there each of the last five seasons have been confirmed by others, especially last year when the same attendance comments arose but all pointed to Lowell as the exception. I thought Lowell not being there would have an attendance impact and that was obvious from a photo I saw on Twitter from up high well into the first period.

Plus you have to take into account St. Patrick's Day and like it or not, that does have an impact too.

Conference deserves to play in the Garden that week on the big stage. You can always find inexpensive options to park as well as do plenty of pregaming outside the venue before going in to lessen concession damage. And I've found the concession prices on some food items not bad considering what the product is (Note I said some, not all, and not including beer which I would never buy in there given the mark up, thus the heavy pregaming elsewhere before).
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

riverchief1 said:
Excellent!

Another option which I do every year is since I come from the north, park at Sullivan Square T station ($5) and then a quick, cheap two stop subway ride in on T.
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But when do the trains stop running? There have been years where you would have been stuck there (or would have had to leave early, so what would have been the point?) And for those of us coming from the West, if we park at Alewife, we have to get to Park Street (to get the Red line) first, which means we would leave earlier than Orange Line folks, because the last train leaves Park Street at 12:30. (or did)
 
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Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

chickod said:
I won't repeat the ad nauseum discussions that have been carried on for a few years now on multiple threads concerning attendance, but it's really time to move this event out of the Garden.
Click to expand...

Couldn't disagree more. Conference deserves to play in the Garden that week on the big stage. You can always find inexpensive options to park as well as do plenty of pregaming outside the venue before going in to lessen concession damage. And I've found the concession prices on some food items not bad considering what the product is (Note I said some, not all, and not including beer which I would never buy in there given the mark up, thus the heavy pregaming elsewhere before). Options exist to make it less expensive on non-ticket options as the ticket prices are going to be what they are.. And it's only once a year if your team is fortunate enough to make it so you go with the flow.
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

chickod said:
But when do the trains stop running? There have been years where you would have been stuck there (or would have had to leave early, so what would have been the point?) And for those of us coming from the West, if we park at Alewife, we have to get to Park Street (to get the Red line) first, which means we would leave earlier than Orange Line folks, because the last train leaves Park Street at 12:30. (or did)
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In the vicinity of 12:30 or so I believe. So unless you have the oddity of the epic Lowell/PC 3OT game in the first game on Friday that pushes the second game way off, transportation shouldn't be affected.
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

Even with dwindling attendance, they're staying at the Garden if they can stay at the 10,000 range.
 
You really should look into a ticket in the Sports Deck. $75 each night, but free appetizers (quality apps too) and soft drinks. Alcohol is extra. You get great seats, great food, a TV with the in-house feed and a couple of cable channels. Plus access to the sports museum which is a sight to see.

Added bonus is since you are dealing directly with a ticket agent in premium seats at TD Garden there are no fees. They'll even mail the tickets to your house at no charge.
 
Re: Hockey East Semi's and Finals

You can park for 9 dollars at Post Office Square and walk the 15 mins and buy tickets at the box office to avoid fees it's still feasible. Pretty easy to bring in your own booze if you really want to be a cheapskate.

I remember in 97 being able to sit along the glass during the UNH - BU game and the loge being about 80 percent full and the balcony about 30 percent full. Even at the Old Boston Garden the Friday night games never sold out.

The tickets themselves are reasonably priced its the fees that kill me
 
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