OKC Barons to cease operations after the 2014-2015 season

[td25er]

You can think not if you want. It's not silly, it's true. The Thunder run this town and will always get what they want.

Yeah, now they can set their sights on OU football.

[borchard]

Just read that the Blazers Junior A team drew over 7,000 people to a game recently at the Cox Center. What was the largest crowd the barons pulled in this year?

[ahlokc]

The game on Dec 20. 5816 was the attendance. It was Salute to Heroes night.

[Dave Cook]

Just read that the Blazers Junior A team drew over 7,000 people to a game recently at the Cox Center. What was the largest crowd the barons pulled in this year?

Surely that was from the night in October where they handed out free tickets to fill the house. Looks like it worked.

Can't wait to kick out the NHLers for a bunch of high school kids. Awesome job, Okies. Outstanding.

[borchard]

Surely that was from the night in October where they handed out free tickets to fill the house. Looks like it worked.

Can't wait to kick out the NHLers for a bunch of high school kids. Awesome job, Okies. Outstanding.

Couple of points here;
1. the Barons are NOT NHL'ers. They are AHL. One step below the NHL. Wow, I'm a native Okie and even I know that.
2. These "high schoolers" are Junior-level hockey players. Where exactly do you think future NHL'ers come from?
3. Maybe if the barons had "given away" more tickets their attendance wouldn't suck as badly as it does.
4. Even though I can't explain it, I would wager that if you could round up 16 former Blazers, suit them up, and have them play a game against the barons the place would be packed, and 9/10's of the crowd would have on Blazers colors.
I was, and always will be, a Blazers fan. The barons leaving doesn't affect me at all, except for MAYBE now we can get The Blazers back, and into the ECHL. My wife and I will be one of the first ones in line to get season tickets if/when that happens.
Stupid Okies!

[Laramie]

It caught me by surprise that he said NHLers, although he probably meant AHL 'ers.

Felt all along that the first major league franchise (NBA or NHL) to move into Oklahoma City would survive. Glad it was the NBA because it has more media coverage, familiar American player names (identity/recognition) & better profit sharing than the NHL. Nation Wide Insurance of Columbus, OH helped secure the 4th & final 1997 NHL expansion franchise for their city. Could Oklahoma City have survived with an NHL franchise like the Blue Jackets?

Chesapeake Energy Arena: Opened June 2002, Hockey capacity 18,038
Cost: $89 million ($117 million in 2014) &, 2008 improvements $105 million ($138 million in 2014), Chesapeake Arena value: $250 million in 2014.

Columbus Nationwide Arena: Opened September 2000, Hockey capacity 18,500 Cost: $175 million, ($240 million in 2014 dollars)

Attendance:
1st Year - 2000: 18,136
. . 2002 - 2004: 17,500
. . 2005 - 2009: 15,800
. . 2010 - 2014: 15,000

Source: 2014-2015 NHL Attendance - National Hockey League - ESPN

[kwhey]

Hi 😑

[kwhey]

1. the Barons are NOT NHL'ers. They are AHL. One step below the NHL. Wow, I'm a native Okie and even I know that.

Agreed

2. These "high schoolers" are Junior-level hockey players. Where exactly do you think future NHL'ers come from?

Not too many players come from the WSHL though. If is considered Tier III (along with 14 other leagues.)

3. Maybe if the barons had "given away" more tickets their attendance wouldn't suck as badly as it does.

Maybe if Prodigal had done a better job of actually marketing the team instead of just thinking people would come out, it would have helped. I know a lot of people who didn't know we even had a hockey team.

4. Even though I can't explain it, I would wager that if you could round up 16 former Blazers, suit them up, and have them play a game against the barons the place would be packed, and 9/10's of the crowd would have on Blazers colors.

And that crowd would be quiet for most of the game after the Barons would thrash the Blazers 10-1. It wouldn't even be a contest.

I was, and always will be, a Blazers fan. The barons leaving doesn't affect me at all, except for MAYBE now we can get The Blazers back, and into the ECHL. My wife and I will be one of the first ones in line to get season tickets if/when that happens.
Stupid Okies!

The Barons leaving sucks because I enjoyed the level of talent that was presented every night. Guys that played or were on their way up to the NHL. I enjoyed watching the Blazers too and took them for what they were worth.

I am a hockey fan first and Barons and Blazers fan second. Unfortunately, you had too many people in the Blazers fan only camp and that helped to hamper attendance because it wasn't the Blazers. I really never understood that. Let's not act like the Blazers were the only team name in the history of the world in Oklahoma City hockey history.

I hope we get a team in the "E" (regardless of their name) but I fear this may be a scorched earth hockey market.

[borchard]

Agreed



Not too many players come from the WSHL though. If is considered Tier III (along with 14 other leagues.)



Maybe if Prodigal had done a better job of actually marketing the team instead of just thinking people would come out, it would have helped. I know a lot of people who didn't know we even had a hockey team.

And that's odd, since they are a marketing firm.

And that crowd would be quiet for most of the game after the Barons would thrash the Blazers 10-1. It wouldn't even be a contest.

And it wouldn't matter. My point was that people were fans of the Blazers, and the players themselves. Even if the score was 10-1 barons, the loyalty would be 10-1 for the Blazers. And if you're trying to make money from a sports team isn't that what you want? Maybe Prodigal should go back to Marketing school.

The Barons leaving sucks because I enjoyed the level of talent that was presented every night. Guys that played or were on their way up to the NHL. I enjoyed watching the Blazers too and took them for what they were worth.

I tried to enjoy the barons. I really did. But I agree several others I've seen post. It was boring to me. I could NEVER get into it.

I am a hockey fan first and Barons and Blazers fan second. Unfortunately, you had too many people in the Blazers fan only camp and that helped to hamper attendance because it wasn't the Blazers. I really never understood that. Let's not act like the Blazers were the only team name in the history of the world in Oklahoma City hockey history.

Actually it almost is. If you know anything about hockey history in Oklahoma City, then you'd know that The Blazers name was here from 1965 to 1977, as well as from 1992-2009.

I hope we get a team in the "E" (regardless of their name) but I fear this may be a scorched earth hockey market.

Not if it's done right. I hope we do, as well.

[dcsooner]

Hockey in OKC will never succeed on a grand scale. Oklahoma is simply not a hockey State. I was born and raised in Oklahoma and hockey was not even on the radar as a sport to play as a young person. Hockey can only prosper in relatively warm places IF the populous includes transplants from colder cities where hockey is big time. Examples, Phoenix, LA, Miami, Dallas to some degree Nashville. Oklahoma and OKC is not a diverse state or city, for the most part people in large numbers are not moving to OKC from N or NE states where again hockey is strong. Give up on hockey outisde of your carnival level teams like the one before the Barons

[Fantastic]

Here are a few things to consider. First and foremost, the people in this city who prefer the Blazers over the Barons are not hockey fans, they are Blazers fans. Nothing wrong with that, I grew up with the Blazers, I loved them too, but hockey fans understand that the Blazers were AA the Barons are AAA... for a city to acctually prefer a LOWER level of a sport is utterly and completely embarrassing. The fact of the matter is that the hockey IQ of people like borchard (sorry to call you out, but you have been very vocal in a way that validates this argument) is very low. If you look at the product put on the ice and think to yourself "The Blazers were better," then you are not a hockey fan.

Secondly, all these people that say they couldn't support the Barons because the players get called up to the NHL and they liked the Blazers because the players were here for long periods of time are seriously off-base. Yeah, sure, Hardy Sauter, Tyler Fleck and Joe Burton were here for the long haul, but asside from that, the roster turnover year to year was just as high as any other sport. Baseball has almost always been in the farm system, and people still go to the games. And look at the Thunder roster. A handfull of guys are here for the long haul, but the turnover on the rest of the roster is pretty high. Hell, KD is the only starter that was here when they moved, and he, Russ and Nick are the only ones who have been on the roster since the move (Russ being drafted that year, Serge the following year). Looking at the Barons roster you had several players that were here for multiple years, Mark Arcobello, Tyler Pitlick, Brad Davidson, Anton Lander etc. Some of these guys have now made it to the NHL, but they had long stints in the AHL prior to their major league assignments.

On that same point, there was so much excitement when the Blazers were reformed in 92, because it was a "return to the glory days of OKC hockey"... but it wasn't. The original Blazers were a farm team just like the Barons, so, again, the whole farm system hate gets thrown out the window. And when the North Stars acquired the Blazers as their AA affiliate, and subsequently changed the name to the Oklahoma City Stars, attendance tanked. It's all about the name, plain and simple.

And while we are talking about names, the Blazers were NOT the first hockey team in Oklahoma City, that distinction lies with the Oklahoma City Warriors of the AHA in the 30s... just thought I would point that out.

Here's another thing about names. Refusing to support a higher level team because they don't have the right name is ridiculous. Did anyone refuse to support the Thunder because they werent called the Cavalry? Did anyone refuse to support the 89ers because they weren't called the Indians? Or the Energy because the aren't called the Slickers? And don't try to tell me it's not about the name. You know as well as I that if the name on the jersey was Blazers rather than Barons, these non-hockey fans wouldn't have known the difference.

All that being said, I'm not a Blazers hater. I loved the Blazers and recognize what the name means to the city, but I would like those that I have described to admit the truth, that they are not really hockey fans, they are Blazers fans. If I had to choose between the Blazers and the Barons, I would choose the Barons because of the level of play on the ice, but If I don't have a choice, I'll support whatever team we have at whatever level... even if it's the Jr Blazers (which I also go see from time to time, how many of you so-called "Hockey/Blazers fans can say that?")

[borchard]

Here are a few things to consider. First and foremost, the people in this city who prefer the Blazers over the Barons are not hockey fans, they are Blazers fans. Nothing wrong with that, I grew up with the Blazers, I loved them too, but hockey fans understand that the Blazers were AA the Barons are AAA... for a city to acctually prefer a LOWER level of a sport is utterly and completely embarrassing. The fact of the matter is that the hockey IQ of people like borchard (sorry to call you out, but you have been very vocal in a way that validates this argument) is very low. If you look at the product put on the ice and think to yourself "The Blazers were better," then you are not a hockey fan.

I've said it many times, I was first and foremost a Blazers fan, and THEN a hockey fan. You're not hurting my feelings by saying that. I grew up in SE Oklahoma. The first hockey game I ever saw was the 1980 US/USSR Olympic game. But I never said that the Blazers played better hockey than the barons. That would be ludicrous. What I DID say was that I enjoyed Blazers games MUCH more than I ever enjoyed a Barons game. Why? Because I loved the team.

Secondly, all these people that say they couldn't support the Barons because the players get called up to the NHL and they liked the Blazers because the players were here for long periods of time are seriously off-base. Yeah, sure, Hardy Sauter, Tyler Fleck and Joe Burton were here for the long haul, but asside from that, the roster turnover year to year was just as high as any other sport.[/quote]
You forgot; Marty Standish, Peter Arvanitis, Jean-Ian Filliatrault, Guy Girard, Steve Simoni. Alan Perry, George Dupont, Simon Olivier

Baseball has almost always been in the farm system, and people still go to the games.

Actually they don't seem to anymore, at least not in Oklahoma City. Last year OKC was 10th out of 16 in the PCL in attendance. In 2005 we were 6th in attendance, and it has slipped pretty continually since then. Like the barons they have even resorted to curtaining off the upper deck to make the stadium not look so empty.

On that same point, there was so much excitement when the Blazers were reformed in 92, because it was a "return to the glory days of OKC hockey"... but it wasn't. The original Blazers were a farm team just like the Barons, so, again, the whole farm system hate gets thrown out the window. And when the North Stars acquired the Blazers as their AA affiliate, and subsequently changed the name to the Oklahoma City Stars, attendance tanked. It's all about the name, plain and simple. And while we are talking about names, the Blazers were NOT the first hockey team in Oklahoma City, that distinction lies with the Oklahoma City Warriors of the AHA in the 30s... just thought I would point that out.

I guess if that were true, and I'm not saying it isn't, why didn't Prodigal just run a promotion saying "The Blazers are going to The Show!"? I actually agree with you on that point. With all of the stupid people like me out there, all it would have taken to get all us rubes on board would've been to just name the damned team The Blazers!? You'd think that a marketing genius like Bob Funk Jr would have know this. You seem to know more about the hockey history in OKC than HE does! All banners taken down. No mention of The Blazers, Stars, Warriors, Nothing. Apparently there was no hockey ever in Oklahoma City before the barons came. It's as if Bob Funk Jr invented hockey when they brought the barons to town.

Here's another thing about names. Refusing to support a higher level team because they don't have the right name is ridiculous. Did anyone refuse to support the Thunder because they werent called the Cavalry?

Never supported the Cavalry. Went to a few games, if there was nothing better to do that night. Or, it was New Years Ever.

Did anyone refuse to support the 89ers because they weren't called the Indians?

Don't remember the Indians. Haven't lived here that long.

Or the Energy because the aren't called the Slickers?

Don't support the energy. (See Bob Funk Jr reference above). I DID support the Slickers. I went to more games than I can remember. Sometimes it was just me, and 35 of my closest friends :-)

And don't try to tell me it's not about the name. You know as well as I that if the name on the jersey was Blazers rather than Barons, these non-hockey fans wouldn't have known the difference.

See my statement above. It's the "non-hockey fans" (READ "most of Oklahoma City") that Prodigal didn't seem to understand, and subsequently alienated, from my perspective. They might non know the difference, but I would bet you more of them would still be attending games. Do you folks not remember the Booster Club for The Blazers? Regulars folks, like you and me, that bought buttons and jerseys, had fundraisers, chartered buses to away games. Those were loyal fans, whether they met anyone's criteria as a "hockey fan" or not. They loved their team. They loved their players. And they actually paid for tickets to games, even away games. So please, before anyone else tries to poo poo the dumb Okies who just don't understand hockey, realize that you're talking about the people who made hockey successful here, in the first place. I know, it was't "real" hockey. It was ;
beer league
bush league
carnival hockey
but people actually came to watch it. And for whatever reason, they didn't buy what the barons and Prodigal were selling. So, in the end, who's fault is that?

All that being said, I'm not a Blazers hater. I loved the Blazers and recognize what the name means to the city, but I would like those that I have described to admit the truth, that they are not really hockey fans, they are Blazers fans. If I had to choose between the Blazers and the Barons,

OK, you got me. I am NOT a "real" hockey fan. I was, am, and always will be, a Blazers fan. I'm not going to apologize for it. I'm proud of it

I would choose the Barons because of the level of play on the ice, but If I don't have a choice, I'll support whatever team we have at whatever level... even if it's the Jr Blazers (which I also go see from time to time, how many of you so-called "Hockey/Blazers fans can say that?")

Apparently more people than can say they went to a barons game, since I saw that they pulled in over 7,000 people for a game at The Cox Center this year. I will be going, now that I know there is a team. Got dust off the old jersey,a nd put on the foil ;-)

[Dave Cook]

Couple of points here;
1. the Barons are NOT NHL'ers. They are AHL. One step below the NHL. Wow, I'm a native Okie and even I know that.

Whoa! What a sec.....you mean the Barons aren't in the National Hockey League? Man, thanks for the correction.

I coulda sworn Jonathon Cheechoo led the entire NHL in goals a few years ago.
I coulda sworn Martin Gerber led the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup a few years back.
I coulda sworn Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were some of the most promising young forwards in the NHL today.
I coulda sworn Josh Green had over 300, Jason Williams over 400 and Darcy Hordichuk over 500 NHL games experience before coming to OKC
I coulda sworn Justin Schultz was one of the best D-men in Edmonton.
I coulda sworn Mark Arcobello, Magnus Paajarvi, and Chris VandeVelde were all skating regular shifts in the show.

I'll go ahead and stop there because you're not a hockey fan and this information might be a bit too much to take in. But since you're a Blazers fan, you can rest easy tonight knowing that all this NHL talent will be long gone and you can look forward to Doug 'the mullet' Lawrence and Marco 'the forehead' Cefalo returning to the ice....along with chuck-a-puck or the Ben Buckland toupee toss or whatever the hell else draws you knuckle-draggers to the rink,

[borchard]

Whoa! What a sec.....you mean the Barons aren't in the National Hockey League? Man, thanks for the correction.

I coulda sworn Jonathon Cheechoo led the entire NHL in goals a few years ago.
I coulda sworn Martin Gerber led the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup a few years back.
I coulda sworn Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were some of the most promising young forwards in the NHL today.
I coulda sworn Josh Green had over 300, Jason Williams over 400 and Darcy Hordichuk over 500 NHL games experience before coming to OKC
I coulda sworn Justin Schultz was one of the best D-men in Edmonton.
I coulda sworn Mark Arcobello, Magnus Paajarvi, and Chris VandeVelde were all skating regular shifts in the show.

Going a LONG way out your way to make a point there. But OK...
Did you know that in the past four years the CHL, you know that Bush League that The Blazers used to be in, had 154 call-ups to the American Hockey League, you know the league that the barons are in (Can't say that for much longer though.)
Did you know that there are ACTUALLY former CHL players who are playing int he NHL? WHAT?!??
- Brian Foster (Florida Panthers)
- Jordie Benn (Dallas Stars)
- Ryan Garbutt (Dallas Stars)
- David Schlemko (Phoenix Coyotes)
- Keith Aucoin (Washington Capitals)
- Andrew Desjardins (San Jose Sharks)
- Joel Martin (New York Islanders)

I'll go ahead and stop there because you're not a hockey fan and this information might be a bit too much to take in. But since you're a Blazers fan, you can rest easy tonight knowing that all this NHL talent will be long gone and you can look forward to Doug 'the mullet' Lawrence and Marco 'the forehead' Cefalo returning to the ice....along with chuck-a-puck or the Ben Buckland toupee toss or whatever the hell else draws you knuckle-draggers to the rink,

I won't stop there. Did you also know that the bush league, carnival, knuckle-dragging Blazers sent several players to the NHL? Not just players who played here on their way down? And this, without any sort of agreement with an NHL team.
Wade Brookbank
Sebastian Centomo
Viktor Ignatiev
Cam Severson

And BTW, it's attitudes like yours that have turned me off from even trying to follow the barons. I have NEVER resorted to calling Barons fans names. I just said I didn't enjoy it. I also do not like the ownership of the team. That's my deal. But for some reason I get called; stupid, ignorant, knuckle-dragger, okie just because I liked my team. Hopefully you don't work in marketing for Prodigal. But given their track record of success, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Laramie]

Borchard subscribes to other forums. He has been unwavering about his feelings of the Barons and Energy FC's ownership (also owned RedHawks), which we should all respect.

We should all be reminded that Pete has provided us a vehicle to express our opinions whether we agree or disagree with others. Let's police ourselves and our language directed toward other posters as we agree to disagree with their point of view.

[kwhey]

Just read that the Blazers Junior A team drew over 7,000 people to a game recently at the Cox Center. What was the largest crowd the barons pulled in this year?

That was another Blazers inflated number. There were closer to 5,000 there. The whole crowd could have been in the lower bowl.

[borchard]

Borchard subscribes to other forums. He has been unwavering about his feelings of the Barons and Energy FC's ownership (also owned RedHawks), which we should all respect.

We should all be reminded that Pete has provided us a vehicle to express our opinions whether we agree or disagree with others. Let's police ourselves and our language directed toward other posters as we agree to disagree with their point of view.

I really like reading Laramie's posts. Whether I agree with him on a topic, or not, I always respect his opinion because it is almost always written with tact and grace. He never resorts to name-calling. and if he's wrong, he admits it.

[Dave Cook]

And BTW, it's attitudes like yours that have turned me off from even trying to follow the barons. I have NEVER resorted to calling Barons fans names. I just said I didn't enjoy it. I also do not like the ownership of the team. That's my deal. But for some reason I get called; stupid, ignorant, knuckle-dragger, okie just because I liked my team. Hopefully you don't work in marketing for Prodigal. But given their track record of success, I wouldn't be surprised.

Sorry I heart your feelings, Sweetie.

You see, hockey fans that actually live in Oklahoma City don't care about this silliness and are frustrated by this strange faction of 'Blazers fans' that are caught up in this bizarre battle of allegiances.

I don't care if the team is owned by the Boston Bruins, Ron Norick, Horn Chen or Bob Funk, Jr. I don't care if the GM is Harry Sinden or Ted Hampson or Chris Dashney. I buy a ticket, take a seat and enjoy the hockey game. I don't care about the car-giveaways, ticket holder parties or meeting the players. Who cares about meeting a bunch of hockey players?

But for some reason, so many Blazers fans made it about them. I enjoyed a lot of Blazers games from 1992 to 2011 but don't necessarily miss it. You're trying to make an argument about how great the CHL was.....but you have to be kidding. I liked watching those Doug Shedden Wichita Thunder teams but there is simply no comparison between that and the AHL.

And what is the beef with the Funks? Poor advertising? I see the commercials on TV periodically and they gave away freagin cars, for Christ's sakes. They have had really good teams every year including two Western Conference Finals appearances and are currently 20-7. What's not to like?

Obviously, the good ol days of Oklahoma City hockey are long gone and never coming back. You can bring in the ECHL (which is fine) but we'll still only pull in 2,000-3,000 fans. Minor league hockey nationally isn't what it used to be.

Just too bad more people here don't appreciate the game.

[Dave Cook]

I guess if that were true, and I'm not saying it isn't, why didn't Prodigal just run a promotion saying "The Blazers are going to The Show!"? I actually agree with you on that point. With all of the stupid people like me out there, all it would have taken to get all us rubes on board would've been to just name the damned team The Blazers!? You'd think that a marketing genius like Bob Funk Jr would have know this. You seem to know more about the hockey history in OKC than HE does! All banners taken down. No mention of The Blazers, Stars, Warriors, Nothing. Apparently there was no hockey ever in Oklahoma City before the barons came. It's as if Bob Funk Jr invented hockey when they brought the barons to town.

This is kind of a bizarre statement.

While the Barons did remove the Blazers banners (as they should have), there have been gigantic wall wraps in the arena for several seasons listing every Oklahoma City player to play in the NHL since 1965. To say that they have completely ignored the history of hockey in OKC is not completely factual.

[dankrutka]

Hockey in OKC will never succeed on a grand scale. Oklahoma is simply not a hockey State. I was born and raised in Oklahoma and hockey was not even on the radar as a sport to play as a young person. Hockey can only prosper in relatively warm places IF the populous includes transplants from colder cities where hockey is big time. Examples, Phoenix, LA, Miami, Dallas to some degree Nashville. Oklahoma and OKC is not a diverse state or city, for the most part people in large numbers are not moving to OKC from N or NE states where again hockey is strong. Give up on hockey outisde of your carnival level teams like the one before the Barons

If OKC had a NHL team and no NBA team, this would become a "hockey town" overnight just like it became a NBA town overnight.

[jn1780]

If OKC had a NHL team and no NBA team, this would become a "hockey town" overnight just like it became a NBA town overnight.

I agree. It just shows that the city can't support two major teams. That said, if we were to compare basketball to hockey, people are going to choose basketball. This is probably true for most of the country except northern regions.

[Laramie]

I agree. It just shows that the city can't support two major teams. That said, if we were to compare basketball to hockey, people are going to choose basketball. This is probably true for most of the country except northern regions.

Columbus, OH wrestled away that final '97 NHL expansion franchise from OkC. Mayor Ron Norick & Clay Bennett were told to get a press conference ready for Monday; then came the adverse news that Ohio's capital city was selected. The attendance figures dropped after the 3rd year honeymoon period in Columbus, attendance has a stable 15,000 followers.

We're passed that five year milestone (Thunder's 8th year, local ownership) with a healthy NBA franchise as evident by 190 consecutive sellouts (18,203). Note: We're 42nd among the top 50 markets; with 30 NBA franchises in which 2 markets possess two NBA teams each, we're fortunate to be among the elite.

Minor league sports has less appeal once a city begins that transition into the major leagues. We are no longer a virgin sports market. As OKC experiences growth, the appetite for more sports will continue. We need to be discrete & selective about the next major professional sports franchise (MLB, NFL, NHL, MLS) that enters our market.

[borchard]

Columbus, OH wrestled away that final '97 NHL expansion franchise from OkC. Mayor Ron Norick & Clay Bennett were told to get a press conference ready for Monday; then came the adverse news that Ohio's capital city was selected. The attendance figures dropped after the 3rd year honeymoon period in Columbus, attendance has a stable 15,000 followers.

I know I was one of those back then that was really hoping we would get one of the NHL expansion franchises. But even I had to admit that I wasn't sure it would work, long term. I am actually glad we didn't get one, now. IMHO, the NHL, and hockey in general, was at it's zenith of popularity right about then, but it has jumped the shark several times in the past 20yrs. Strikes, changing TV strategies, etc...

We're passed that five year milestone (Thunder's 8th year, local ownership) with a healthy NBA franchise as evident by 190 consecutive sellouts (18,203). Note: We're 42nd among the top 50 markets; with 30 NBA franchises in which 2 markets possess two NBA teams each, we're fortunate to be among the elite.

I am so very excited about the Thunder, and how OKC has embraced and supported them. Kind of like I was with the Blazers, I am a Thunder fan MUCH more than I am a basketball fan. Before we got The Thunder I can't remember the last time I watched an entire game. Now, it's rare that my wife miss a game.

Minor league sports has less appeal once a city begins that transition into the major leagues. We are no longer a virgin sports market. As OKC experiences growth, the appetite for more sports will continue. We need to be discrete & selective about the next major professional sports franchise (MLB, NFL, NHL, MLS) that enters our market.

You might be right. We finally see ourselves as a "Major League" city. And it's hard to be someone else's "farm team." Doesn't mean it can't happen, though.

[Edgar]

Epic marketing fail by Junior and whoever advised him. You can see by the taxpayer funded upgrades to the Myriad, those stupid loge suites, the exclusive bar that hosted the zombie apocalypse on game nights, Fund and co weren't looking to woo the blue collar Blazer crowd. They obviously thought there existed a legion of more well to do hockey fans hungering for higher quality hockey if you could just get rid of the Blazers' stink. Looks like there was 100's of them on game nights. The upgrade would have succeeded sans the arrogance of Funk and city leaders. There are still plenty of hockey fans in OKC.

[borchard]

We'll just have to see what happens now. My personal hope is that Brad Lund and DeBray Ayala are behind an effort to get OKC into the ECHL. And of course I, and many lunk-headed, idiotic, knuckle-dragging fans would love it if they are able to bring back The Blazers name/colors/etc... However, I'm not sure if Funk and Prodigal still own the rights to the name. If so, that may not happen. There is HUGE animosity between the two parties that started when Funk Jr fired Lund and Ayala, and it is continuing with their battles over soccer in OKC.