Seems as if the L.A. Times and O.C. Register have pumped out more articles on the Ducks these last few days then they have the entire season. Isn’t there a Lakers game you dicks should be covering? Hockey got the shit end of the stick again this year, despite the Ducks having the best season in their history. Reporters covering games were cut, TV coverage was dismal, ratings sucked compared to other teams. Is this even a hockey market? There comes a time where it takes more then the marketing department for the Ducks to sell the game and team to the people. The media in Southern California has really dropped the ball on this one.
Much like the baseball team across the 57 freeway, the fans and media do not give a damn until the team is in the thick of something good. I was an Angels fan in 2003 and for a decade before that, a very big Angels fan at that. I watched every game I could squeeze around a Mighty Ducks game. When they beat the Yankees, I knew it was pretty special and I became even more involved. It was amazing to see the coverage that the team received in the media and how the fans miraculously started showing up to the stadium. in 2002 they averaged 28,463 a game and 2,305,565 for the season. 2003 saw an increase of 37,791 a game and 3,061,094 for the season, with an increase after that. Now I give no care to how the Angels do, they peaked and now I do not give them any time.
I will have to give the media some credit for that rise, they covered the Angels a lot. But also just the fact that it was baseball, it is an easier game to grasp for a casual fan. Hockey is very niche, but has a similar concept to sports that are very Orange County…soccer and water polo. If you make an effort to cover the Ducks on news casts, newspapers and online outlets it would only help. The Ducks could also help themselves soon by getting a new network to cover games or at least make sure the games are in high definition, this is Orange County, everyone has a HD TV.
The Samueli’s should not have to lose a couple million each year for a franchise that is doing quite well. It is nice to have net worth of $2 billion, but losing a million here and there is like having a nagging bill that you can’t get rid of until you sever ties with the service you are paying for. Maybe a Stanley Cup should bring the noise.
