Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames in 07
So bell at 101 no doubt has wealthy people around it, but is that where southern markets get their base? Being up there is almost as bad as being out in Glendale from an accessibility standpoint if you aren't in the rich part of town or staying at the fairmont. Talking stick has the same remoteness issue for a lot of people.
Right off of 101 sure, but where? They tired originally to build at Papago plaza, I forget all the reasons why that didn't work but I remember at the time reading they didn't know how to properly deal with the traffic.
Also, the Calgary model of dropping a rink in the middle of square miles of concrete is awful and hopefully over. They have to be urban and have an entertainment district around it. And the valley doesn't have a lot of great locations for that, it's so spread out. Tempe can manage crowds with good amenities, access to rail and several freeways makes sense to me. I can't think of a Scottsdale equivalent. It has rich people sure but that doesn't mean everything, and in southern markets seems to mean less don't you think?
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Why would it mean less? Hockey is in the entertainment business. And it is expensive entertainment. That is just as true in the south.
Kids can save up and go to a few concerts of their choice. But ST are expensive. And the only way a franchise can be viable is to have a large ST base (minimum 13,000 or so). That means a large contingent of corporate sales (difficult anywhere in the valley), plus a large and loyal group of fans that will return annually.
University students are entirely outside of that demographic.