Was Mitch even present at the game, like an actual journalist, or did he mail this in from the site where his latest book is being made into a movie or something?

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 08:15 AM ET

I’m not a “Mitch hater” by any means, but I feel the need to grudgingly quote Bill Clinton:

“It’s the economy, stupid!”

Maybe Mitch could do some charitable work on behalf of hockey’s future and donate a big block of tickets for all remaining home games to underpriviledged kids and longtime fans who can’t afford $100+ per game.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 05/09/08 at 08:39 AM ET

What’s with all of this “our” talk, Mitch? “Our” team, it’ll be “our” loss. Oh, right, it’s the playoffs and you’re now a hockey writer (and Wings fan) again.

You’re like the guy at work, Mitch, who gets assigned to a successful project at the last minute then runs around saying, “Boy, we sure did a great job.”

Stick to the book signings, fan boy, and leave our team to it’s real fans.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/09/08 at 08:49 AM ET

He could donate 10% of the proceeds from his last book to buying seats for kids and their families.

And another 10% to cover the cost of the nearly $4.00 per gallon gas to get them there.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 09:01 AM ET

a beautiful ricochet slapper by Brian Rafalski

Rafalski scored on a wrist shot.

You did actually watch the game, right Mitch?

Posted by shep from california on 05/09/08 at 09:17 AM ET

Shep, are you insinuating that he would actually write a story as if he had seen the game when he really hadn’t?  Why, that would be akin to journalistic fraud, and Mitch would never do something like that!

Oh, wait…

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 09:20 AM ET

I think you guys are missing the point.  There were empty seats at a conference final playoff game… that is just sad…

I watched and was shocked at the number of empty seats - the economy thing only goes so far - that excuse should have ended on April 6th.

What will happen when the team is struggling (if it ever gets back to that point lol)?

Posted by WingMan from Canada on 05/09/08 at 09:27 AM ET

Those seats were sold.

Posted by moore00 on 05/09/08 at 09:44 AM ET

I hope PIT plays DET in the finals so the nutso Pens fans can fill those empty seats and they make the Pens feel like the home team.  Haha.

Posted by Phil M on 05/09/08 at 09:53 AM ET

Well if they were sold, that is even a more depressing fact then… Interest is obviously not there then… But I guess if the tix are sold that is all that matters to the owners/league.

Still, too bad soooo many people decided to skip the game (or corporations couldn’t give them away).

Posted by WingMan from Canada on 05/09/08 at 10:22 AM ET

I have been a wings fan since I was 10.  I hate going to the Joe for many reasons…

1) terrible parking and expensive
2) terrible arena (i would like to defecate in a stall that has a door, i dont think thats too much to ask...)
3) sketchy area, people wash up on shore near the Joe
4) why should I go down to the game and pay god knows how much for tickets at 8.50 per warm miller 22oz, when I can sit and home and watch it in HD for free and drink good beer for 300% less money.

Posted by DrW from Ferndale, MI on 05/09/08 at 11:11 AM ET

Why should that excuse have ended on April 6th?  The economy hasn’t improved any since then - and in my city, the gas prices went up from $3.65 to $3.89 overnight.  If anything, it looks like it’s going to get even worse for many people.

Besides, the teams have all been off nearly long enough to forget the playoffs were going on - I only remembered because a coworker asked me when the next game was, and I actually try to pay attention!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 11:17 AM ET

Hey Mitch, do you remember that there is a regular season? Welcome back Capt. Bandwagon

Posted by aaron from phoenix, that makes me a transplant on 05/09/08 at 11:35 AM ET

It can’t be fun to be compared to Nashville. That is the worst! Columnists write to get a reaction, and Mitch sure got one today.

Posted by PredNeck from Hicktown on 05/09/08 at 11:44 AM ET

Predneck, I think most people are annoyed that it’s Mitch Albom writing the column.  The guy ignores hockey until April, and then he harps on the same topics.  The only time the Red Wings will matter to Albom is when he writes another sentimental novel using the team as a subject matter.  Perhaps the title will be “Thursdays with the Wings.” The Chief can star as Rafalski once it is, inevitably, adapted into a TV movie.

Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 05/09/08 at 12:14 PM ET

And the NHL lists attendance at

Attendance:  20066

The dictionary says

1. the act of attending. 
2. the persons or number of persons present:

Someone’s leading us astray.

Posted by Ted from Innisfil, Ontario on 05/09/08 at 12:16 PM ET

I was at Game One, drove in from Lansing with my wife for it.  What Albom says is an insult to those who have spent the money to make it down and those who would want to but can’t afford it.  I broke down the cost of the trip and he needs to get his head out of his ass if he expects people to be able to spend that kind of money regularly right now.

Posted by Clark on 05/09/08 at 12:43 PM ET

I’ll leave out the options, and just go with tickets ($280), parking ($15), and gas - from Taylor, so maybe $5.  $300 on a single night’s fun?  When rent is $560, groceries hover around $200/month, only my wife is working at the moment, and I’m already paying to see the games on cable?

That’s not whining.  Things will get better.  But don’t bitch about me not shooting myself in the head so you can believe the Hockeytown nickname is right and just.  Ass.

Posted by jrl123 on 05/09/08 at 01:17 PM ET

The funny thing is, now that I think about it, even if I could afford to go to the games live, I doubt that I would.

It has nothing to do with the price of gas or the area of the city the arena is in, either.

It wouldn’t matter if the arena was in a safe and beautiful part of town, state-of-the-art, and easily walkable. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have an HDTV.  Unless I could watch the game with total control over the volume of the noise, a bathroom with no lines, and access to the food and beverages of my choice without standing in line or paying an arm and a leg, I’d prefer to watch at home.  Maybe it’s just me, but I hate crowds and have no desire to try to pay attention to a hockey game over the screaming drunken fans, loud music, and hassle of lines for everything.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 01:54 PM ET

Well, Baroque, to me, there’s nothing like being at an NHL playoff game.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 05/09/08 at 02:28 PM ET

I’ve always liked quiet so I can concentrate, but a lot of people like noise and activity and boisterous crowds, and I understand that - but I wonder if people are less likely in general to seek out crowds when it is so easy to have human contact via email, internet, text messaging, etc.

No one is ever alone with their thoughts anymore if they don’t have to be - human contact, or the semblance anyway, is never more than a few buttons or keystrokes away.

(I also need to pace when I’m nervous, and you can’t pace in stands, so I’d be spending time on the concourse instead of watching anyway.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/09/08 at 02:32 PM ET

I notice nobody seems to mention that the bulk of seats for Wings games are season ticket holders.  would you go to EVERY game?  ok, maybe that’s a bad example on a blog like this.  most of us probably would.  but I can imagine a lot of people don’t, and I’ve heard comments before about people not being able to even give the tickets away - thanks to the cost of getting down there, parking, food and drinks, etc.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/09/08 at 06:02 PM ET

Even if you wouldn’t go to every game during the regular season, it’s the PLAYOFFS!!!  If you’re not gonna go at least GIVE them to someone!  Despite what you say, I guarantee you that there are people who would take them.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 05/09/08 at 06:05 PM ET

Hey, if we can fill Lions seats, we can fill Red Wings seats.

but can we fill both?  or all four? (Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Wings)

I think the attendance issue has a lot to do with the fact that people’s sports entertainment dollars are spread around more.

could also be that fans feel taken advantage of - considering they know the Wings payroll was cut in half a few years ago.  were ticket prices?  hmmmmmm…

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/09/08 at 06:07 PM ET