[White Out 403]

I think people are forgetting the state of hockey in Canada as a business from the late 80s to the early 00s'. People are under the impression that since hockey being very successful as a business in Canada for, I dunno, say 17 years now, it will always stay that way. This isn't the case and this is the kind of assumption to leads people making bad long term decisions. There was a time where people speculated their would only be 3 teams left in Canada due to spiraling salaries and #### attendance.

On the other page one of the posters misunderstood my point about families and kids. I don't think that kids and parents have a right above others to see the game, I think that as a business if you're serious about growing your future client base you recognize you need to earn your customers when they're young. My childhood experiences of going to Jets and Bombers games made me a full time customer of both leagues that has spent money and time supporting it. You can't earn that kind of business, at least not as easily and readily, with adults. I'm not going to become a die hard cricket or soccer fan at 42, for example. Sure I may follow team and watch the occasional game, but I'm not spending the money on the CPL or MLS or euro teams that I do on the CFL and NHL.

I just can't quite wrap my head around why regular folk here, even the double meat subway crowd, can't recognize this is a terrible long term business plan, to gouge and extort your clients for 55 dollar nacho combos and 300 dollar seats for a game in the lower bowl. Everything has an expiration date, including fans tolerance for being financially raped. Again, unless you're a very rich person with significant shares in the Flames or some other Canadian team charging people 8 dollars for a soda.