The economy may be a big issue

A few weeks ago I wrote about how the Red Wings are struggling to sell out Joe Louis Arena after years of it being almost impossible to find tickets. In that post, I explained that my opinion was that the economy is not a big part of why people are not showing up to games. I have to admit that, while I still think there are other issues, the economy seems to be a big problem. Ticket prices are as high as ever and people are simply sick of it. After reading people's responses to Yahoo! Sports asking for a removal of the title Hockeytown for Detroit, I realize that ticket prices are a big reason for the decline in attendance.
















I still believe that one of the biggest reasons is that Joe Louis Arena sucks. I am sorry to put it so blatantly and that might not sound professional but it is honesty. There is nothing about the arena that draws me in. If I was living in Detroit I would love to go to games because I am grew up as a die-hard hockey fan. Still, I would make a point to make it to games if I could go to an arena like what they have in Tampa at the Ice Palace. Very similar to The Palace of Auburn Hills (owned by Bill Davidson), the Ice Palace is beautiful and is a place that I would be excited to go. When I am heading downtown, I am excited for hockey, but not for parking, walking through the alley's that Joe Louis surrounds, and definitely not the 15 dollar Little Ceaser's pizza that comes on a paper plate and is covered by a sheet of plastic. Sorry, that does not do it for me.