It’s my Parting Shot to follow a friend’s lead and to try and answer a burning question…
A few weeks ago on his excellent blog, “Stanks Sermon,” local freelance journalist Darren Steinke wondered aloud on-line, why are there so many empty seats at Saskatoon Blades’ home games?!
I could ask the same question, but I know the answer because I’ve asked it many times before…and been roasted by phone calls to my office, letters to the radio station and people coming up to me while did my grocery shopping or engaged in other every-day errands and was given a myriad of excuses while being accused of wearing rose-coloured glasses and being a shill for the W-H-L franchise!
On the level, it’s incredible that Saskatoon’s W-H-L team has steadily increased its yearly win total since flaming out in the 2013 Memorial Cup as an ill-advised host club. The Bridge City Bunch, as expected, fell off to 16 wins in 2014…but have risen year-by-year to 19, 26,28 and 35 last year. They’re at 26 already…with 23 games remaining in a campaign that has four fewer games than any of the last five years. Yet, through 21 home dates, only 3,644 fans per game have shown up to SaskTel Centre for a team that has won seven more games than it has lost…extra time setbacks included in the loss total! The 16-win team the year after the Memorial Cup host season averaged over 4,500 fans per game! Last year’s team that just missed out on the W-H-L playoffs with 35 victories, averaged 3,853 fans per game! If your excuse for not going is that the Blades need to win…well they are, and you aren’t going! So what’s the problem now?!
Actually, I’ve heard all of the excuses…from, it’s too far to get to the rink, to I can’t smoke there, or it’s too cold or the ushers are mean. Those excuses are lame! The only one that makes sense is the team hasn’t won anything…not having won a playoff game since 2011 and being swept out of the post-season three straight times between 2011 and 2013 doesn’t help. But, the only two connections to those teams still around now are volunteer assistant coach Jerome Engele and associate G-M “Hilty” Hildebrand, who was the athletic trainer back then!
The time for excuses is done…it’s sad when there are more green-clad Prince Albert fans at SaskTel Centre than Saskatoon supporters for a Blades-Raiders’ game. That can’t be the case when they meet in the playoffs…as I’m willing to bet they will come the second round this year!
That’s my Parting Shot, I’m Les Lazaruk…
