The Lightning "gave away" 103,834 complimentary tickets
during the first three months of this season, "enough to
fill the Ice Palace five times," though "only twice that
many people - 210,594 - tipped the turnstiles" at the
facility, according to Ken Koehn of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. Over
the same three-month period last season, the team gave away
33,727 tickets. Lightning President Ronald Campbell: "Our
plan is to try to expose as many people as we can to hockey.
If you get exposed to it, you're going to get hooked on it."
Koehn wrote that on some nights, the number of free tickets
dispensed "practically equals" total attendance. Campbell
said that more complimentary tickets are dispensed on nights
the team "knows it won't draw well." While some season-
ticket holders "have complained" about the giveaways, the
team has offered "extras" to those fans, such as luncheons
with Lightning execs (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 2/9).
CALLING MATT FOLEY: Also in Tampa, Eric Miller writes
that the Lightning's motivational speakers series "got off
to a disappointing start" Tuesday night when "even a speech
by" FL St. Univ. football coach Bobby Bowden "couldn't get
turnstiles turning" at the Ice Palace. Team execs predicted
that Bowden's pre-game appearance would help the team sell
an extra 3,000-4,000 tickets, but "only about" 850 arrived
for Bowden's speech and just over 11,000 attended the Sharks
-Lightning game, below the team's home average of 13,634.
Lightning Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Michael Yormark said
that the team "is considering moving back the starting time
for future speakers," who include Mrs. Fields Cookies
Founder Debbie Fields, ESPN NHL analyst Bill Clement and
former U.S. WWC head coach Tony DiCiccio (T. TRIBUNE, 2/11).
