I decided to go back in the Boltsmag archives to a year ago in order to find some content for discussion right now. Hockey content, that is…. I went back to the Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens series posts and one of those posts hit me on the forehead as something that has been overlooked as of late in the media as well as on the blogsphere with regards to CBA negotiations.

Last year around this time, Bolts fans were hit and hit hard by ticket prices to catch playoff games… Heck, to say priced out wouldn’t be a stretch of terminology either. I’m not faulting Lightning ownership for raising ticket prices for the playoffs (as everyone does it) but for prices to go as high as they did in a market that does not have much disposable income to play around with - well, it hurt. Of course, it hurt real good when it came to the Bolts winning the Stanley Cup, yet to have tickets in the upper-corners of the arena (nose bleeders) going for 55 bucks a game — you start getting an idea that there is a problem.

During November, December and January, I often talked to my friend and fellow Lightning fan about the CBA situation and one thing that was commonly brought up in discussion was ticket prices. Owners had been playing that card — that prices would be lower under their planned Salary cap system — during negotiations and yet there was no proof of lower prices. Andrew’s Dallas Stars Page has a very good piece of writing with regards to the entire issue of ticket prices and the CBA negotiations.

I’m just left wondering what to expect next season if and when it comes. Surely there will be a temporary break in prices or some other attendance bells-and-whistles in order to draw fans back. I can actually see Palace Sports and Entertainment going back to their ticket discounts and voucher system (which was employed during the 50+ loss seasons to get fans to attend games) in order to lure fans back.

Yet could the supply-and-demand system keep hockey ticket prices sky high around the league?

I don’t expect Toronto or Montreal to lower their ticket prices as both provinces are hockey mad. I don’t expect the Rangers, Avalanche or Red Wings to do so either as they are all in documented strong markets. Hell, I could see ticket prices staying the same in every Canadian city in the league while Boton, New York, Detroit, Denver and LA keep prices just the way they planned because of supply-and-demand….

Ticket prices are an issue and in a market like Tampa or other non-traditional markets, they can help cease any growth in popularity of the sport w9ith ticket prices too high to allow repeat buying from die hard fans. Hockey isn’t supposed to be a sport for Aristocrats and the well-to-do… Yet with some of the pricing, you would think that only the affluent were fans of the game.

Mike Chen has a little message for Bob Goodenow after the latest piece of politics from the NHL / NHLPA labor war.

And personally? I couldn’t have said it better myself. While other bloggers remain NHLPA Apologists, there is an undying truth that the NHLPA is more like a frat-pack than a Union and their labor applicaiton amounts to a piece of paper that would be worth more burned than filed.

The St. Pete Times devotes a little ink to the SEJHL today — Florida’s Junior C ice hockey program that fills the void between Midgets and college play.

It also mentions that the Sandsharks have been courted to join Junior A conferences… Yet Florida’s developement as a Junior league isn’t far enough along to let that be plausible.

Well, it was fun while it last. Ok, maybe not so fun seeing that guys like Jeremy Roenick went out and started barking about the merrits of the Bobby Hull Invitational and how fans were dying for some hockey while the players were itching to get some extra dough….

TSN reports, by way of the Toronto Sun, that the Bobby Hull Invitational is in trouble.

Phil Esposito had once joined this and stated that he pulled out weeks ago from this because he was not being paid for his promotional stints and what not.

So what does this mean? Not much really, besides the fact the WHA still can’t get it’s act together to pose a challenge to the dormant National Hockey League.

You know, I don’t care for Chris Chelios - some of my posts during the lockout will confirm that.

Yet I will make an exception for this Royale With Cheese bit of comedy clip that my comrade-in-blog Keith sent over.

This clip isn’t for the kids — and some of you may have already seen it but I haven’t. Enjoy

WIth no hockey, my focus is on the NFL draft at the moment…

The St. Petersburg Times offers Kevin Mcgreeve and his NFL Draft Blog - being blogged in from One Buccaneer Place and the Buccaneers war room.

Our friends at OustNaimoli.com have a plan of action for the (few) fans who attend May 7th’s game against the Minnesota Twins May 28th’s game against the Mariners:

This is an email from ‘oustnaimoli.com’ Message: Thanks to everyone for registering for the OustNaimoli.com site and supporting our efforts in getting Vince Naimoli to step down as owner of the Devil Rays! The petition is still growing strong and our collective efforts have begun to make waves in the Tampa/St. Pete communities. However, we feel that we can still take it to the next level! OustNaimoli.com is in the process of organizing a fan walkout during the May 7th game against the Twins May 28th game against the Mariners. We would appreciate your help to spread the word to the masses.

Now for my commentary on the entire Oust vince campaign —

This is WAY overdue. WAY, by far and away, WAY overdue. I screamed and shouted on web based message boards and mailing lists for the last few years “Where is the outcry? Where is the outrage over things?” Those “things” tended to be blunders by Chuck LaMar and the indifference fo the Rays franchise in general.

Now the tired fans are outraged. They’ve seen their team kicked around since the franchise was incepted and they’re finally fed up with the fact those who run the franchise could give a damn. I had plans to start an anti-Chuck LaMar site but ranting the same things over and over again would have gotten very old, very fast…

Note to Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen, Head Coach and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers —

You’re sitting on the number 5 draft pick in this weekend’s NFL Draft. Your team is falling apart and you are in need of several position players — not just a potential franchise player, but several key players. One draft selection will not help fix things for the Bucs.

Do us all a favor - especially yourselves - and trade down.

Look, it’d be nice to get a Quarterback prospect that could become the franchise - but now is NOT the time to do it. It would also be great to get a running back that can carry the load - but in a Running Back deep draft, going with the top 3 prospects might not be the wise choice. There are needs on the Offensive Line, at Wide Receiver, at Linebacker and Corner Back that are much greater than the ego-stroke QB pick or teh “this-will-put-us-over-the-top” Running Back selection.

Knowing how you operate, Jon, a running back will be part of a committee of several players, not just one or two featured backs. Also knowing how you operate, a Quarterback is a project pick much like Chris Simms was a project pick.

Do Buccaneer fans a favor and prove that the past few weeks have been a smoke screen — trade down for more picks and start restocking the franchise. Don’t try to restore the days-gone-by with one pick, because the days-gone-by that you are likely to restore are the ones of the Yuck-aneers of the 1980’s and early 1990’s… Not the contenders and Super Bowl Champions of recent.

….

And in a related story, John Lennon remains dead.

One day, two anti-Vince Naimoli web sites….

Vince Must Go and Oust Namoli don’t seem to have much content besides the obvious — have Vincent J. Naimoli removed as owner of the Devil Rays. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Vince threaten legal action over this to make matters worse.