Dean Jordan, the new President of Gale Force Holdings,
the Hurricanes' holding company, said the team will not give
away free tickets this season, according to Steve Politi of
the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Jordan: "As far as I'm
concerned, there will be zero tickets given away. At some
point in time, you've got to start establishing value. We
might as well start establishing it sooner than later."
Even if his decision results in smaller crowds, Jordan said,
"At least everybody in there would have paid." The team
also will no longer reveal how many season tickets it has
sold. Jordan "wouldn't even give a ballpark figure when
asked last week, and neither would ticket director Jim
Baldwin." Jordan: "The only thing I can tell you about that
is that we're ahead of where we were last year, and we're
encouraged by that." Last year, the team expected to sell
10,000 to 12,000 season tickets, but "barely cracked 3,000."
Baldwin said 80% of last year's season-ticket holders have
renewed. In order "to improve the arena atmosphere" at the
Greensboro Coliseum, the team will lower black curtains
around the upper deck to reduce capacity, "expected" to be
between 10,000 and 12,000. Jordan said that the team won't
raise the curtains for top draws, "even if it means turning
away fans at the turnstiles" (NEWS & OBSERVER, 8/16).
ARENA UPDATE: In Raleigh, Eisley, Williams & Alexander
reported that the Centennial Authority "is asking" NC State
to contribute another $10.5M to help make up the $26M
shortfall on the new arena being built for the school and
the Hurricanes. Sources said Friday that NC State "may
agree to put up another" $5-10M. If the Hurricanes match NC
State's contribution -- "as the team has recently suggested
that it might" -- the authority "may be able to borrow the
rest it needs from a bank or from the hockey team, instead
of seeking more public money" (NEWS & OBSERVER, 8/15).
