What were the Chiefs really up against?

[nLions1]

That was a good read. Thanks for taking the time to post a story TAE.

[abpk2903]

Johnstown has let itself fall away to absolutely nothing. I have been on this earth a little over 20 years and just in my lifetime I can see how Johnstown has literally sucked the life out of itself. I honestly want to know what went through some opposing team players mind when they came to Johnstown for the first time. This is a league that has several beautiful (borderline state of the art) arenas and then they have the War Memorial.

Let's compare the Chiefs (AA hockey) to the Altoona Curve (AA Baseball). They are stationed in very comparably sized cities in the same region of the country.

-The Altoona Curve hold contests, throw out tee-shirts and hot dogs, announce group outings to the games, announce birthdays/anniversaries, ect. every inning. There is literally very little time that nothing is going on. The most exciting thing at a Chief during intermission is watching the Zamboni drive across the ice. People don't want to pay 15 bucks for a ticket to have two different 20 minute intermissions of absolutely nothing.

-The Altoona Curve in their a little over 10 year existence are already on their second jumbotron. They added a party deck, big outfield addition, a second mascot, all you can eat seats, and fan zone down the first base line. I fill like in Johnstown everything they are using was also used 10 years ago.

-The Curve have marketed their product much better than the Chiefs. I know I have multiple Curve hats, tee-shits, baseballs, bats, etc. in my closet just because they looked cool when I was 12 years old and at a baseball game. I have been to two Chief games this year and still couldn't tell you what merchandise they have (would have loved to buy a nice polo or puck or miniature stick or something since they are leaving town.) At a Curve game the first stand after walking through the gate is a merchandise room. This room they are also famous for keeping at about 60 degrees (on a hot summer day fans will go in there to cool off and while they are in there they just may buy something).

-For 2 dollars at a Curve game you can park 300 feet from the ticket gate in a 3 level parking garage with security on game nights. For the really cheap folks, you can park about a quarter mile away in Lakemont's parking lot for free. The parking is labeled and you can see exactly where to go to park. The two Chief games I have been to this season have resulted driving around for 10 minutes to finally end up paying 5 bucks to park in some dudes lot with no lighting and a good ways from the War Memorial.

-The Curve have crowds of close to 8,000 and I have never waited in line for more than 5 minutes at the ticket window at any time. Both the Chief games I attended this year the attendance was under 2,000 and both times I waited in line at the ticket booth for over a half hour. The last game I attended (which is looking like it will be my final) resulted in me and some friends getting to the game a half hour early and finally getting to our seats 5 minutes into the first period.

-The Curve do a great job with player/fan interactions. You can (at least you used to be able to) get autographs an hour before the game behind home plate. Throughout the game they would but up trivia questions about the players and have some player bios up on the jumbotron. Nearly every game has a local little league team that takes the field with the Curve. At the Cheif games, the only way you hear a players name even is if he commits a penalty (because we all know they aren't scoring goals). This is not a big deal to us but to young kids this is what makes then want to go to games. Why do you think McDonald's gives out toys in their happy meals????

These are all relatively cheap ways to boast attendance and interest and I feel any bozo could think of some of these things. But the Cheifs decided to keep Minor League the same way it was in the days of Slapshot and now they are leaving the city.

[abpk2903]

To add to my above post, the Altoona Curve are by no means a model minor league sports franchise but look at how far ahead of the Chiefs they are. They are also competing with summer time when people can picnic, golf, go camping, ect. with a (IMO) much less entertaining product than the Chiefs. What is there to do on a Sunday evening in late February in Johnstown???


The more I think about this the more it irritates me that NOBODY cared for the last 10 years that the Johnstown Chiefs were a sinking ship. The management did nothing to improve the experience for the fans, the city did nothing to help the team be more profitable (for instance do they really need the revenue for refreshment stands during the game), the players have played at less than half-a$$ for both the games I was to this season, the fans attendance continued to dwindle even when it was rumored that they team was in trouble (but they shoulder the least of the blame), and the ECHL seemed to not care about Johnstown's future (of course when they are the eye sore of the league I would want them out too but they are the only remaining original franchise).

Maybe if 1 of the 5 avenues above would have gave a ******* then hockey may continue in Johnstown.

[Dirt Winston]

Geez TAE, your friend is as long-winded as you are, you're perfect for each other. At least you finally admit that it isn't just the people, with no money, that don't support anything, that are the problem. They keep trying to jam low-rate sports with lower-rate production down our throats (see also the Johnnie's and RIverhawks) and then blame us for not supporting anything. I've been to sold-out shows at the War Memorial and Arcadia theatre, and can attest that people will support quality entertainment.

Ontario sounds nice, but let's see if they still have a team in five years. Once the novelty wears off, these warm-weather cities with few real hockey fans really struggle (see the Phx Coyotes).

[The Ancient Enemy]

Well, here's the deal w/ Ontario. That's a first-rate facility, they can house 9,600 fans, and even in a "bad year", which this was, they still led the league in attendance. The problem with the Reign, on ice, is offense. They just cant score enough. They have solid Goaltending and defense, but rely on winning games 2-1 or 1-0. That works sometimes, but usually doesnt.

Ontario is very good. The only teams in the west that I have not seen (saw Victoria last night) are Las Vegas and Utah. I can honestly say... those western teams are much, much better than the Chiefs. Much better in all facets. My friend had a great quote at the game last night while watching the media presentation and the n-ice quality of Bakersfield and Victoria: "Basically the overall experience of today's minor league hockey is what the NHL was like 10 years ago. The Chiefs' experience is what it was like watching minor league hockey 10 years ago."

Just b/c the Chiefs have history in that arena doesnt mean you dont have to do any work. It is YOUR job to sell the franchise to the fans, not the FANS job to tell their friends to go to games. There has been very little advertising for years! And in addition, everyone knows that team sucks. No one wants to go watch a loser year after year. That organization had so many problems it was ridiculous.

But I can tell you this much... It all starts with that arena, and the city's pathetic commitment to it. What do you think those scouts tell those players? Johnstown is the smallest market in the league, has no industry and is incredibly depressed, they have the worst facilities in the league by a longshot, they are broke as hell, the weather is atrocious during the entire season... I mean, that's a no-brainer.

In my opinion, it starts at the war memorial, though. If they would have let Zamias crush that piece of **** arena, build that shopping center downtown and build a new arena where the Galleria is, that town would be a heck of a lot better off. But the "we hate change" mentality won yet again, and they built the biggest waste of money of the past 50 years instead: that convention center, which sees no conventions, takes up all that space, and does nothing for anyone. But as long as the "quality of smalltown Johnstown" is kept "intact" by the 700 yr old idiots who run that cesspool, you might as well save your breath and just pray for another flood to come through and wash that place off the map again.