The one thing I noticed at the start of the game and also on the highlight pkg was that there were alot of empty seats. You would think after 2 weeks of no hockey the rink wouldn't be 60% empty and the fans would be coming out but no the attendance just keeps dropping game after game.
I mentioned the small crowd in my game recap I posted after Friday's game. I noticed during warm up their wasn't many people in the stands then normal and then really noticed it with about seven minutes before the teams come out onto the ice for the start of the game, it looked like a preseason crowd. One thing I noticed that I haven't seen before is the large amount of season ticket holders that weren't at the game on Friday. At the start of the game there was sixteen people in our section which is normally a fairly busy section and the one row to the right of me that is almost always full and full of season ticket holders, that row was completely empty.
I have said this before, I have talked to several season ticket holders this year that have told me if Jason McKee is back next year they will not be renewing their season tickets. I have talked to several long time season ticket holders that are very upset this year. I have some friends that enjoy going to Vipers games and go to about ten or so games a year. I have some friends that haven't gone this year because they saw the teams record and noticed they seem to be losing most games. The friends that have come out to some games this year, have said this team is pretty bad. One friend has been to a few games this year and come to the game on New Year's day. Him and his wife were sitting below me and on their way out after the game walked by me and laughed saying this team sucks! I think this is our last game this year.
Vernon is a small town where people don't make a lot of money, so when they do have some extra money after payday there are other things to do other then a Vipers game. When team hasn't won many games and word gets around how bad this team is people will start to find other things to do and spend their hard earned money else where.
If you want to keep your fanbase the Vipers and ownership better start to look long and hard at next years team and put together a much better team, a more competitive team and a team that isn't near the bottom of the league in the standings or your attendance will continue to decline.
It looks good on Johnny Boy. You can't just throw away years of tradition and morals to march to the beat of your own drum. Perhaps this town has gotten to hear about the real Johnny Boy. He is the reason I haven't been to a game in nearly 2 years. Take a stand and say bye bye to the Glenns people. I don't really care if they were winning every game, I simply cannot support this ownership. This is coming from a hockey nut who gets free tickets btw. Players abandoning ship should tell people all they need to know.
The thrown away tradition will come home to roost, so to speak, this coming Wednesday as the Trail Smoke Eaters come to Vernon for a rare mid-week game. Cameron Moger of the Smoke Eaters came up through minor hockey in Vernon and was a very promising prospect with the Okanagan Rockets U18 team in the BC U18, formerly midget, league. He was the highest scoring defenseman in that league and 12th OVERALL in the league. All the ingredients were there for him to become the hometown hero.
His father, former NHLer Sandy Moger, was rumoured to be a close friend of Mark Ferner, and when the Vipers' ownership changed hands and Ferner was let go.......... young Cameron committed to play in Trail. So if you go to the Wednesday game, some local parents will likely be there watching the Smoke Eaters.
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The one thing I noticed at the start of the game and also on the highlight pkg was that there were alot of empty seats. You would think after 2 weeks of no hockey the rink wouldn't be 60% empty and the fans would be coming out but no the attendance just keeps dropping game after game.
I mentioned the small crowd in my game recap I posted after Friday's game. I noticed during warm up their wasn't many people in the stands then normal and then really noticed it with about seven minutes before the teams come out onto the ice for the start of the game, it looked like a preseason crowd. One thing I noticed that I haven't seen before is the large amount of season ticket holders that weren't at the game on Friday. At the start of the game there was sixteen people in our section which is normally a fairly busy section and the one row to the right of me that is almost always full and full of season ticket holders, that row was completely empty.
I have said this before, I have talked to several season ticket holders this year that have told me if Jason McKee is back next year they will not be renewing their season tickets. I have talked to several long time season ticket holders that are very upset this year. I have some friends that enjoy going to Vipers games and go to about ten or so games a year. I have some friends that haven't gone this year because they saw the teams record and noticed they seem to be losing most games. The friends that have come out to some games this year, have said this team is pretty bad. One friend has been to a few games this year and come to the game on New Year's day. Him and his wife were sitting below me and on their way out after the game walked by me and laughed saying this team sucks! I think this is our last game this year.
Vernon is a small town where people don't make a lot of money, so when they do have some extra money after payday there are other things to do other then a Vipers game. When team hasn't won many games and word gets around how bad this team is people will start to find other things to do and spend their hard earned money else where.
If you want to keep your fanbase the Vipers and ownership better start to look long and hard at next years team and put together a much better team, a more competitive team and a team that isn't near the bottom of the league in the standings or your attendance will continue to decline.
It looks good on Johnny Boy. You can't just throw away years of tradition and morals to march to the beat of your own drum. Perhaps this town has gotten to hear about the real Johnny Boy. He is the reason I haven't been to a game in nearly 2 years. Take a stand and say bye bye to the Glenns people. I don't really care if they were winning every game, I simply cannot support this ownership. This is coming from a hockey nut who gets free tickets btw. Players abandoning ship should tell people all they need to know.
The thrown away tradition will come home to roost, so to speak, this coming Wednesday as the Trail Smoke Eaters come to Vernon for a rare mid-week game. Cameron Moger of the Smoke Eaters came up through minor hockey in Vernon and was a very promising prospect with the Okanagan Rockets U18 team in the BC U18, formerly midget, league. He was the highest scoring defenseman in that league and 12th OVERALL in the league. All the ingredients were there for him to become the hometown hero.
His father, former NHLer Sandy Moger, was rumoured to be a close friend of Mark Ferner, and when the Vipers' ownership changed hands and Ferner was let go.......... young Cameron committed to play in Trail. So if you go to the Wednesday game, some local parents will likely be there watching the Smoke Eaters.
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