Franchise Notes

In Detroit, Michael Rosenberg reports there were “thousands of empty seats” for Sharks-Red Wings Game One on Thursday despite an announced attendance of 18,712. Rosenberg: “It was the worst sports environment for any pro playoff game I have ever attended in this state. ... It is just too bad that [Owner] Mike Ilitch has chosen to alienate his fan base like this, by acting like the economy is still thriving and the Wings are still the only winner in town.” More Rosenberg: “Playoff ticket prices have dropped 10% from their peak, but they remain too high. The Wings have clearly misjudged the market” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/27)....In New Jersey, Tara Sullivan reports announced attendance for Senators-Devils Game One Thursday was 15,512 of a possible 19,040, “but there were far more seats disguised as ... folding chairs than the franchise would like to admit” (Bergen RECORD, 4/27).

PICK OF DESTINY: Sonics Owner Clay Bennett at a Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau meeting on Wednesday indicated that Las Vegas, not his hometown of Oklahoma City, “would be a likely destination if the team winds up leaving Washington.” Jim Kneeland, a local PR liaison for the Sonics’ ownership group, said that “while no firm plans are in place, the team is ‘looking really hard right now’ at Las Vegas.” Kneeland: “He said, ‘I’d still like to get a deal done here, but we’re at a point where we have to start looking at other options’” (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/27).

LIGHT BRIGADE: Average attendance at AFL Brigade games has dropped from 15,234 last season to 10,851 this season, 14th out of 18 teams. The Brigade have sold just over 5,000 season tickets this year, down from nearly 8,500 last year. Two of the team’s four home games have been on Friday nights, and they drew the two lowest crowds of the season. The team also has no local TV deal. While all but one game was televised last year, only two games have aired so far this year and “currently only three of the remaining nine games will be” (K.C. STAR, 4/27).