On the Forecheck
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How will the Deadbeat Devils skate without ice?
by Forechecker on 11/20/08 at 02:46 PM ET
Comments (7)
Since moving into the Prudential Center last year, the New Jersey Devils have been mired in a dispute with the Newark, New Jersey Housing Authority over millions of dollars in rent. Now, apparently, other parties are claiming that the team isn’t paying their bills:
Councilman Augusto Amador said the city should take action if the Devils refuse to pay an outstanding utility bill. The Devils owe the city $41,625 for installation of sewer lines, according to the Newark Housing Authority, which owns the arena.
“If they continue not to pay, I’m sure we’ll consider ... shutting off the water, just like any normal business entity in the city,” said Amador, a commissioner for the authority. “Enough is enough.”
Besides the rent and utility fees, various contractors and subcontractors are claiming lack of payment, as well as small businesses which were forced to relocate so “The Rock” could be built.
Tip o’ the hat to The Business of Sports for this one.
Filed in: NHL Commentary | On the Forecheck | Permalink
Comments
Just another sign of how the economy is hurting everyone. Thanks for the link!
-Russell (TheBusinessOfSports.com)
Posted by Russell Scibetti from NJ on 11/20/08 at 03:43 PM ET
I like all the comments by fans saying they never should have moved to Newark and that nobody goes to the games now. For the record no one ever went to the Devils games wherever they played….except Ranger/Flyers fans that is. Somehow Ranger and Flyer fans are able to get their lazy behinds to Newark or the Meadowlands to see a game but Devils fans can’t seem to figure it out. THE DEVILS HAVE NO FANS..or they are just too damn cheap to but a ticket.
Posted by kevin from boston on 11/20/08 at 04:09 PM ET
I’ve been to the rock a bunch of times over the past season plus. Great arena. But, unless the Devils are playing the Rangers that place is only half full.
I went to a Flyers/Devils game last season and the annouced attendant was 13k and change, there were no more than maybe 10k in the arena. That’s against a rival team. Plus, a third of that crowd were Philly fans.
I went to the 3 games at the Rock when the NYR played the Devils last year in the playoffs and that place was rockin’ - only problem was (from a Devils perspective), it was 60-40 Rangers fans.
There’s nothing wrong w/ the arena being in Newark. It’s in a great location, in a safe part of the city. Plenty of parking, easy to commute by train from NY, Northern NJ, Philly, South Jersey - anywhere that has a train going to Penn Station, Newark. (It’s a 2 block walk from the arena to the train station). + it’s a 5 minute drive from the NJ Turnpike.
The arena isn’t full because like the poster above me said, Devils fans don’t go to games. No idea why - but that’s a fact!
I hate to see it, a beautiful, brand new arena that only sells out 4-5 times a year
Posted by Declan from NJ on 11/20/08 at 04:54 PM ET
They also need to drop ticket prices. Hockey attracts a certain audience, and its not always upper-class. They have priced a lot of their potential customer out of the games, but they don’t want to cut prices because they have budget goals that depend on those numbers. Ultimately, they will have to adjust somehow.
Posted by Russell Scibetti from NJ on 11/20/08 at 05:01 PM ET
The fact is they never should have moved to NJ 30 years ago. The Rangers and Flyers were already established in that market for a long time. However, they do sell out when the playoffs get going so its really kinda strange. The Nets have the same problem but they have alway been awful so nobody was too surprised that they had no fans.
Posted by kevin from boston on 11/20/08 at 05:23 PM ET
Truth is they only sell out in the playoffs if it’s the Rangers or Flyers
Posted by Declan from NJ on 11/20/08 at 05:41 PM ET
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Turn off the water, let the Devils play all of their games away….it’s not like they actually have fans that attend the games anyway
Posted by Declan from NJ on 11/20/08 at 03:11 PM ET