There seems to be some debate about the Kings’ assertion that they’re losing more money than before the lockout. Keeping in mind, of course, that the Kings aren’t opening the financial books, what do you think?
Here’s the last of it. It comes back to the financial problems, although I must issue a disclaimer. They talk about salaries going up, and at the time, sitting in that conference room, I didn’t have access to the fact that the Kings’ payroll has dropped significantly since 2004 (although it has raised slightly since 2003). So what follows might seem like something of an incomplete answer. You can be sure this topic won’t just die out though…
I hope everyone found the quotes from this meeting worthwhile…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 6” »
Resuming the quotes from the meeting last week… Maybe the most interesting thing, at the beginning, is Robitaille’s quote about the Kings drafting a defenseman. That’s certainly no shock to anyone, but it’s the first time anyone in the organization has outright said that a defenseman is on the way. Beyond that, there’s some talk about how to market this team, as it develops, and about the proper way to bring along the top prospects.
Someone asked, in a comment, about a follow-up question regarding the Kings losing money. That’s coming, in the next and final installment of these quotes. For now, here’s some stuff on the young talent…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 5” »
Here’s the big “meat” part of the “meeting,” in which the execs discuss how the ticket-price increases might help the on-ice product in the long term, and I discover that the franchise is losing MORE money than it was before we all endured the lockout. At the end, they discuss the plans for the new season-ticket holder website. Here’s the next part of the interview…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 4” »
Here we get more into the question-and-answer part of the meeting, in which the execs talk about why the price increases had to happen now, and if they’re prepared for the inevitable backlash from the fans…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 3” »
What follows here is a statement, really, from Kings chief marketing officer Chris McGowan, about the season-ticket price increases and what the organization is doing to make the increases more palatable. In future posts, we’ll get around to talking about why the increases had to be done this summer, coming off a terrible season, and why they’re important to the health of the organization. Here’s the McGowan quotes…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 2” »
The meeting I had at the Kings’ offices Wednesday lasted more than two hours, and I want to share as much of it as possible, so I’m going through the process of transcribing quotes and sorting it all out. I’ll share the first part now, which deals with the Kings’ vision for the future and, specifically, why the fans should have faith that things are improving. Dean Lombardi and Luc Robitaille address the issue…
Continue reading “Meeting quotes, part 1” »
ESPN The Magazine has released its annual fan-satisfaction rankings. You probably won’t be stunned to know that the Kings didn’t fare well. Overall, the Kings ranked 107th out of 122 NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA teams. The Kings ranked 29th out of 30 NHL teams. Here are the categories:
BNG (Bang for the Buck): Wins over the past three years per revenues directly from fans
FRL (Fan Relations): Ease of access to players, coaches & management
OWN (Ownership): Honesty; loyalty to players and city
AFF (Affordability): Price of tickets, parking and concessions
STD (Stadium Experience): Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions
PLA (Players): Effort on the field; likability off it
CCH (Coach/Manager): Strong on-field leadership
TTR (Title Track): Titles already won or expected — soon
And here’s how the Kings fared, out of 122 pro sports teams and out of the 30 NHL teams:
BNG: 112 overall, 27 NHL
FRL: 87 overall, 27 NHL
OWN: 102 overall, 28 NHL
AFF: 113 overall, 26 NHL
STD: 83 overall, 22 NHL
PLA: 108 overall, 28 NHL
CCH: 114 overall, 30 NHL
TTR: 109 overall, 29 NHL
So the Kings fared best in “stadium experience” and worst in “coaching.” So Marc Crawford finished just ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ Tony Sparano, who has yet to coach a game. Interestingly, Andy Murray got major recognition. St. Louis’ coaching rating was seventh in the NHL and 23rd overall, which put him just behind Super Bowl winner Mike Holmgren and just ahead of World Series winner Terry Francona. And right behind him was Wayne Gretzky. Interesting.
ESPN Fan Satisfaction Rankings