No jets no! No jets no!

Hit the road Jets

JACQUES MARCOUX, VOLUNTEER STAFF

Similar to the questioning of God’s existence, the debate over whether the Jets should return to Winnipeg has never yielded unilateral consensus. Eleven years after the fact the streets of Winnipeg continue to reverberate chatter about an eventual come back of NHL hockey.

Before explaining why Winnipeggers have no hope of ever regaining their ostensibly “beloved” team, I should clarify my position on the matter. This debate should not be a question of should the Jets return, but rather can the Jets return and survive. The answer: Winnipeg cannot sustain an NHL team. At the forefront of the argument are simple and objective economics. It is a fact that professional teams generally have strong corporate support.In order for an NHL team to survive in a city, it requires that approximately 60 per cent of ticket sales be derived from corporate season ticket packages. One would be hard-pressed to round up that kind of support from Winnipeg companies and expect them to sustain it indefinitely. The remainder comes from individual ticket-holders — that’s you and me. According to the Return of the Jets Campaign website, the cost of tickets would certainly triple, rendering a night out with the average family implausible.

While the website points out accurately that there are several other revenue streams available in the form of concession and merchandise sales, it also fails to mention that these prices would likely triple as well. We have all heard horror stories of lurid price gouging for items such as hot dogs and beer from those who have had the opportunity to attend a Montreal Canadians game, or any other professional sport for that matter. Recognizing that corporate ticket sales are without question necessary and as an attempt to coax local companies to support the campaign, the website draws the deceitful and groundless conclusion that economic spin-offs will also triple as a result of the Jets coming back to Winnipeg.

There is no doubt that if the Asper brothers or Mark Chipman took action and purchased a deteriorating team from down south that it would, unequivocally, be a success; at least in the short-term. As the pro Jets website states, on a per capita basis, Winnipeg is comparable, and in some cases even larger in population than most cities, increasing the potential of spectators attending games. However, given that Winnipeg has a predominantly middle-class and much less stratified population than most large cities, it is unlikely that most individuals and families would attend more than a handful of home games per year.

Certain Jets activists will insist that Green Bay can sustain a NFL team despite having just over 100,000 residents. What they fail to understand is that these games attract many individuals who also live in areas in close proximity to the home field such as Milwaukee and surrounding area’s 1.5 million residents. Winnipeg is at a geographical disadvantage from this perspective.

The fact that there is so much reluctance from the few corporate moguls in the city to seriously and openly consider owning a Winnipeg NHL franchise speaks volumes about the issue. After all, the potential candidates in question did not become wealthy by making poor business decisions. Recently, Jets hopefuls have been enthused by the teasing words of David Asper on a radio talk show on CJOB, alluding to the fact that he has not ruled out the possibility of ownership. The unlikelihood of the Asper family as a candidate is compounded by the realistic chance that they will purchase the Winnipeg Blue Bombers instead, precluding any hope of Jets ownership.

In the very unlikely event that Winnipeg ever became, once again, an NHL city, we would see an immense public outpour of support. The question is: how long would this last? Winnipeg could only support a team for as long as the stars are perfectly aligned, and for this reason, inaction from the business community will persist. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, Dancin’ Gabe’s only performances will continue to be at Moose games and Bomber games.

Jacques Marcoux is a fourth-year commerce student.





Volume 95 Issue 5	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	September 12, 2007

Home About Us Advertising Rates Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Volunteer Online Classifieds St. Vincent's Academy Diaries	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly No jets no! No jets no! Hit the road Jets JACQUES MARCOUX, VOLUNTEER STAFF Similar to the questioning of God’s existence, the debate over whether the Jets should return to Winnipeg has never yielded unilateral consensus. Eleven years after the fact the streets of Winnipeg continue to reverberate chatter about an eventual come back of NHL hockey. Before explaining why Winnipeggers have no hope of ever regaining their ostensibly “beloved” team, I should clarify my position on the matter. This debate should not be a question of should the Jets return, but rather can the Jets return and survive. The answer: Winnipeg cannot sustain an NHL team. At the forefront of the argument are simple and objective economics. It is a fact that professional teams generally have strong corporate support.In order for an NHL team to survive in a city, it requires that approximately 60 per cent of ticket sales be derived from corporate season ticket packages. One would be hard-pressed to round up that kind of support from Winnipeg companies and expect them to sustain it indefinitely. The remainder comes from individual ticket-holders — that’s you and me. According to the Return of the Jets Campaign website, the cost of tickets would certainly triple, rendering a night out with the average family implausible. While the website points out accurately that there are several other revenue streams available in the form of concession and merchandise sales, it also fails to mention that these prices would likely triple as well. We have all heard horror stories of lurid price gouging for items such as hot dogs and beer from those who have had the opportunity to attend a Montreal Canadians game, or any other professional sport for that matter. Recognizing that corporate ticket sales are without question necessary and as an attempt to coax local companies to support the campaign, the website draws the deceitful and groundless conclusion that economic spin-offs will also triple as a result of the Jets coming back to Winnipeg. There is no doubt that if the Asper brothers or Mark Chipman took action and purchased a deteriorating team from down south that it would, unequivocally, be a success; at least in the short-term. As the pro Jets website states, on a per capita basis, Winnipeg is comparable, and in some cases even larger in population than most cities, increasing the potential of spectators attending games. However, given that Winnipeg has a predominantly middle-class and much less stratified population than most large cities, it is unlikely that most individuals and families would attend more than a handful of home games per year. Certain Jets activists will insist that Green Bay can sustain a NFL team despite having just over 100,000 residents. What they fail to understand is that these games attract many individuals who also live in areas in close proximity to the home field such as Milwaukee and surrounding area’s 1.5 million residents. Winnipeg is at a geographical disadvantage from this perspective. The fact that there is so much reluctance from the few corporate moguls in the city to seriously and openly consider owning a Winnipeg NHL franchise speaks volumes about the issue. After all, the potential candidates in question did not become wealthy by making poor business decisions. Recently, Jets hopefuls have been enthused by the teasing words of David Asper on a radio talk show on CJOB, alluding to the fact that he has not ruled out the possibility of ownership. The unlikelihood of the Asper family as a candidate is compounded by the realistic chance that they will purchase the Winnipeg Blue Bombers instead, precluding any hope of Jets ownership. In the very unlikely event that Winnipeg ever became, once again, an NHL city, we would see an immense public outpour of support. The question is: how long would this last? Winnipeg could only support a team for as long as the stars are perfectly aligned, and for this reason, inaction from the business community will persist. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, Dancin’ Gabe’s only performances will continue to be at Moose games and Bomber games. Jacques Marcoux is a fourth-year commerce student.


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