OKC Barons Preseason Game v. Houston Aeros, Tonight!!!

[White Peacock]

If you have an itch to get out and see your local pro hockey team in action, the Barons are having a preseason game tonight at the Myriad/Cox. Tickets are only $10 (general admission), and some of the goods in the merch store are discounted by at least 50% tonight.

If you've been wanting to check them out but unsure about the ticket prices, tonight's a good opportunity to see what they're made of. And given the seething hatred between the Barons and the Aeros, it could turn out to be a pretty exciting match.

Game's at 7!

[dankrutka]

Did anyone show up? I was at the Myriad Gardens at 7pm and the parking spots around the Gardens were all open. I'm afraid we'll lose the Barons before too long. No one cares...

[ljbab728]

Did anyone show up? I was at the Myriad Gardens at 7pm and the parking spots around the Gardens were all open. I'm afraid we'll lose the Barons before too long. No one cares...

This is still a college and highschool football state first and foremost. Opening the season on a friday night during football season is not the best recipe for a great opening night.

[kevinpate]

It would be interesting to know who had a better crowd, the Barons or H&8th.

[MDot]

I keep forgetting we have a hockey team.

[MDot]

It would be interesting to know who had a better crowd, the Barons or H&8th.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say H&8th.

[Thunder]

I keep forgetting we have a hockey team.

Me, too! If there is no Blazers in Oklahoma, then there is no hockey in Oklahoma.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say H&8th.

You are correct! I think the OP was the only person (if not a few) there to cheer on a wishful-thinking team.

Take a look at last year... http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=23620

No one was interested. LOL!

[hewi]

Wondering what happened to the Blazers crowd? Are the Barrons even reaching out to those through marketing or are the reaching for a higher crowd? :-)

[dmoor82]

^^The Blazers gave away thousands of tix per game when they were in town,but still were way more successfull!I remember going to alot of games that were sold out and packed to the brim and the Myriad was rockin!

[Of Sound Mind]

Me, too! If there is no Blazers in Oklahoma, then there is no hockey in Oklahoma.



You are correct! I think the OP was the only person (if not a few) there to cheer on a wishful-thinking team.

Take a look at last year... http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=23620

No one was interested. LOL!

NO ONE was interested?

There was a pretty decent turnout considering that it was a preseason game and that it was on a football Friday night. And I have no delusions that a football state like this has any large following of hockey fans, but those that go are passionate about this team. And they put on quite a show, beating the defending AHL champions 4-0. This year's team already looks significantly better than last year's.

I loved the Blazers when they were here, but this is a MUCH better brand of hockey with MUCH better talent. Last year, six different players from the OKC squad were called up to play for the NHL Oilers (their parent team) and at least one of those players is likely to make this year's NHL squad.

Are the Barons doing enough to get out the word? I don't know. Do the Barons get enough media coverage? Not sure that it's much worse than the dismal coverage the Blazers got.

The Barons attendance average is about average for the rest of the league -- not the best and certainly not the worst.

If you keep forgetting we have a hockey team, then it's because you're not paying attention.

[MDot]

Was waiting for someone to come and pick up the Barons and make it seem like they're legit.

[Of Sound Mind]

Was waiting for someone to come and pick up the Barons and make it seem like they're legit.

How are they not?

[Richard at Remax]

I was at the preseason game. Lot more than I thought would be there and had a good time. Plus it couldn't help that the first few months of the NBA season is looking like games won't be played. I see them making a big push in advertising. The south side of the cox center has big barons banners all over it.

[MDot]

How are they not?

How are they?

[MDot]

I was at the preseason game. Lot more than I thought would be there and had a good time. Plus it couldn't help that the first few months of the NBA season is looking like games won't be played. I see them making a big push in advertising. The south side of the cox center has big barons banners all over it.

Like they did for the Thunder during the playoffs?

[Of Sound Mind]

How are they?

Being an AHL affiliate of an NHL team, with talented players who are frequently called up to play in the majors, makes them legit in most reasonable people's minds.

[MDot]

Being an AHL affiliate of an NHL team, with talented players who are frequently called up to play in the majors, makes them legit in most reasonable people's minds.

Not exactly. It makes them a rehab center.

If they're still here in 7 years and doing really good I'll call them legit. Until then, your arguments are pointless to me.

[MDot]

That's a little harsh. I'll give them 4 more years. Them you and I, Of Sound Mind, will be able to sleep at night thinking we have a legit AHL team.

[Of Sound Mind]

Not exactly. It makes them a rehab center.

If they're still here in 7 years and doing really good I'll call them legit. Until then, your arguments are pointless to me.

I'll use the same standard to judge your contributions here:
If you're still here in 7 years and doing really good I'll call you legit. Until then, your arguments are pointless to me.

[dankrutka]

Lol.

[MDot]

I'll use the same standard to judge your contributions here:
If you're still here in 7 years and doing really good I'll call you legit. Until then, your arguments are pointless to me.

Hey, you're funny. But before you become Gabriel Iglesias, tell me who on here has taken my contributions here as legit? I'm new, nobody has a reason to believe in me or anything I stand for or anything I say. So you can turn every word I say against me, but that doesn't prove anything besides you're good at changing around words.

[cfeken]

Well said!

[Thunder]

I'm siding with MDot, so are the majority of the people here. We all love him!

[Of Sound Mind]

I'm siding with MDot...

There's a ringing endorsement.

[White Peacock]

The only thing that could render the Barons illegitimate is people snidely considering them so for the simple fact that they're not NHL. A team without public support will inevitably fail; so in the case of so many people foreseeing their demise, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'm a hockey fan, so obviously I'm stoked that we have a talented team. I loved the Blazers. Their games were always a good show, but to be frank, they were one step above beer league. Their most recent, post-1992 incarnation saw them with no higher league affiliations and their players saw little mobility beyond moving to other CHL teams. The Barons are the hockey equivalent of the Redhawks. Sure, the Oilers send down their injured and call up our best in times of need, but why scoff at the team for this? The AHL farm team is an important element for any NHL team, and the Oilers are going to have one, whether it's in OKC or elsewhere. If they do opt to move it to another city, they own the team so we'll be left with jack sh*t if they make that decision. It was a big gamble on the part of the Oilers to place their team in a city like this. If you like hockey, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't be supporting the Barons. If you don't like hockey, please shut the f*ck up because you really don't have a place speaking on matters such as the legitimacy of a hockey team.

So even if you decide not to support them by going out to games or buying their merch, try not to have a dick attitude about their presence here and discourage the people who do. If we lose the team due to lack of support, it'll only reinforce the redneck, cowtown image that everybody outside of the Midwestern US has of us.