Barons done after next season?

[Dubya61]

I definitely think the prices are high! I had Blazers season tickets for 320 per seat -- Great tickets! Bottom row in 322, IIRC.
Apparently I was one of the few stooges that actually purchased tickets. Having to rethink what other bad decisions I made in the past -- did I always purchase Ragu pasta sauce?

[Richard at Remax]

They are high. This is why you buy the online $10 and sit anywhere you want.

EDIT: I might have just screwed myself on admitting that. However from my perspective, would you rather have $45 seats that no one buys or sell $10-20 good seats that people buy along with concessions?

[OKCretro]

I believe that was the blazers policy, don't worry about the ticket price, pack them in and make money on concessions and beer. Problem with that the myriad concessions are outdated.

[jedicurt]

About Tulsa and Witchita. Remember, AHL teams are a part of their parent team. They can't just create AHL new teams. To get teams there they would have to move from somewhere else.

That has only been true since the 2010-2011 season... more often then not, there have been NHL teams without AHL affiliates and even a few times inwhich there were AHL teams without an NHL affiliate... so while it is unlikely to happen, unless a team moves their affiliation, it isn't impossible

[elitespy]

I talked to some Prodigal people not to long ago and asked them about this whole situation. They said it's all just rumor and none of it is true, but I guess they have to say that don't they.

[kwhey]

I have it from a good source that the Barons (and Edmonton) are in for the long haul in Oklahoma City.

Then there is this: Barons building a brand in Oklahoma City | News OK

[HOT ROD]

Interesting that the major league team is in Edmonton and the AAA team is in OKC. OKC is larger than Edmonton.

But I know, Hockey was invented in Canada and the NHL is Canadian claim to fame. Just a little irony that the AAA minor league team is in the bigger city.

[HOT ROD]

As to ticket pricing, I do believe all of the upper level tickets are overpriced. I like the idea of sectioning that off and just having the lower bowl, but even then pricing shouldn't be more than $30 right at rink side and the bulk of tickets should be around $20.

Could the city improve concessions with some of those that used to be at Ford Center? They could also do more family oriented options such as $40 for four seats, four hot dogs, and four drinks for select sections of the arena. This would make it affordable for a family and get butts in the seats (and likely, parents might opt for more concessions/beer). Weird but true, I heard this promotion on TV for the Portland NBA team (trailblazers).

[Dave Cook]

Interesting that the major league team is in Edmonton and the AAA team is in OKC. OKC is larger than Edmonton.

But I know, Hockey was invented in Canada and the NHL is Canadian claim to fame. Just a little irony that the AAA minor league team is in the bigger city.

But let's not kid ourselves.....if there were ever two cities that deserved one another....er, or rather complimented each other perfectly...it's Edmonton, Alberta and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Can't turn a corner in those towns without bumping into a tourist.

[Snowman]

Interesting that the major league team is in Edmonton and the AAA team is in OKC. OKC is larger than Edmonton.

But I know, Hockey was invented in Canada and the NHL is Canadian claim to fame. Just a little irony that the AAA minor league team is in the bigger city.

While technically smaller, there metro is as close to even as two cities you are trying to compare can get, plus it seems in that kind of situation it is much better to have the major league hockey their and basketball here than the reverse.

[Urbanized]

But let's not kid ourselves.....if there were ever two cities that deserved one another....er, or rather complimented each other perfectly...it's Edmonton, Alberta and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Can't turn a corner in those towns without bumping into a tourist.

What does this even mean..?

[shawnw]

I have it from a good source that the Barons (and Edmonton) are in for the long haul in Oklahoma City.

Then there is this: Barons building a brand in Oklahoma City | News OK

Thanks for that. Missed it when it came out. I was most interested in the player salaries bit, and in this:

"Moving across Reno Avenue has trimmed facility costs 40 percent compared to when the Blazers played at Chesapeake Energy Arena"

Also like their hiring of true experts in the industry instead of thinking "we ran the Blazers for 17 years we know what we're doing" and saving the cost of those expert's salaries. Shows their commitment to the organization succeeding IMO.

[Edgar]

Who covers the operating loss?parent club or prodigal?

[Bill Robertson]

Who covers the operating loss?parent club or prodigal?

According to an article I read in INGOAL magazine the agreements between parent club and farm club vary in what the parent club covers in operating expenses. But it said that in all cases the salaries of the players assigned to the AHL by the NHL team are paid by the NHL team. It also said that most coaching and front office staffs are hired by the parent club. I think that would leave whatever it costs Prodigal to use the COX Center as the biggest cost for them. I have no idea what Prodigal and the city have worked out or what the agreement with the Oilers is.

[Snowman]

I think that would leave whatever it costs Prodigal to use the COX Center as the biggest cost for them.

The biggest cost is pretty likely to be the sum of all employee salaries (even if the Oilers pick up the tab for coaches, some or all players and front office staff )

[kwhey]

As of right now the only players the Barons pay themselves is players signed to an AHL contract. The others are on an Oilers contract and are paid by the Oilers.

[GoOKC1991]

Forget after next season, this season might be the last. Combine this news with the fact that the Barons have an opt out clause if the average attendance falls below 4,000 for this season. It's got to be the Barons talking to Glens Falls.

City officials exchange contract proposals with AHL ownership group

[Snowman]

Forget after next season, this season might be the last. Combine this news with the fact that the Barons have an opt out clause if the average attendance falls below 4,000 for this season. It's got to be the Barons talking to Glens Falls.

City officials exchange contract proposals with AHL ownership group

Maybe but the description in the article fits most of the league and minor pro teams move/fold all the time so there is probably other likely candidates for moving. Glenn Falls is a pretty small city any move there is surely going to be because the team was purchased by locals, so you will know it if the team is sold to a group from there.

[Richard at Remax]

nm

[borchard]

few tid bits... some tickets to the thunder are cheaper than the Barons cheapest tickets.

I don't think Clay wants to share the arena with a triple a team, (sees this as being little league not Big League)

The blazers attendance over the years has been greatly exaggerated. I went to blazers game quite a bit in the early 90's. Many of the tickets people had were free. I actually liked them playing at the state fair arena more. I would say on average the blazer paid attendance was probably around 6k, their Christmas night games vs Tulsa were legendary

I guess have to disagree with your assessment. I was a multi-year season ticket holder for the Blazers in the 90's. I NEVER thought the attendances were inflated. Especially when they played at the Myriad, when they announced that there were 9,000 people, it was because there WAS 9,000 people there.
And I've heard it said many times that "many tickets were given away"... I don't know about that. I was a ginormous Blazers fan, and I NEVER got a free ticket. I must have been the DUMBEST fan they had, if that was the case. But, even IF they gave away ticket, at least people were there! I think Bob Funk Jr, and his group, pretty effectively destroyed hockey interest in OKC. And I'm just afraid they're gonna do the same thing to soccer. They're already hedging their bets with ANOTHER soccer team in Tulsa.
And I have also heard from several people that the Oilers are looking to move their farm team, especially since the fan support has been so tepid here

[borchard]

Barons hockey is ten times better hockey then the Blazers hockey, but the attendance for a Blazers game was always around 9-10k people. I think ticket price has a lot to do with it cheap entertainment for a family of 4 or 5.

I hear this said all of the time. But if it's 10xs better, why don't people go? And I really don't think you can blame much on The Thunder. I for one can tell you that I was more of a Blazers fan, than a hockey fan. I LOVED The Blazers. My friends and I took road trips to San Antonio, Memphis, Nashville, etc... To watch them play. I knew all of the players. I had several jerseys. I listened to John Brooks broadcast games every chance I could.
The Barons have COMPLETELY failed to capture people's imaginations and interests like the Blazers did.

[Dubya61]

borchard, I'm right there with you. I think we may be fraternal twins of different mothers, but for one thing. I'm more of a hockey fan than a Blazers fan. That said, I would not be a hockey fan at all, if it were not for the Blazers, so I hold a certain fondness for the Blazers.
Yup, I, too, bought Blazers tickets and was never given one. I never heard about any giveaways while I was going -- only here. The Myriad absolutely ROCKED when the Blazers were playing and the record attendances were more than the "sell-outs" where you can see empty seats. There were often NO empty seats in the Myriad during the hey day. We, too, often went to Tulsa and Wichita to watch away games. It was great fun.
But let's quit living in the past. I've been to the Barons games and had a great time, too. Sure, the first couple of games included me holding a grudge that they weren't the Blazers and Joe Burton wasn't involved in some fashion, but it was still good hockey (usually better than the Blazers). So ... what? What would you do to make the Barons more successful?

[Richard at Remax]

Problem is back in the day the Thunder weren't around. Don't underestimate the impact that has had on the sports entertainment dollar. OU/OSU basketball have suffered as well.

As for me I go to as many barons games as I can and even though they usually have 2-3K fans at the games, it still is a good atmosphere.

[borchard]

I talked to some Prodigal people not to long ago and asked them about this whole situation. They said it's all just rumor and none of it is true, but I guess they have to say that don't they.

Yeah, I wonder if, back in the day, they said the same thing about rumors that they were going to lose the IGA Tennis tournament?
Did they say the same thing about rumors that they were looking to sell the Redhawks?

I'm sorry. Until proven different I have zero faith in Bob Funk Jr and Prodigal to run anything successfully.

[kwhey]

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