Pistons' Home Sellout Streak At Palace Ends At 259 Games

Pistons Were 356 Fans Short Of Continuing Home Sellout Streak

The Pistons' home sellout streak of 259 games at the Palace of Auburn Hills ended last night against the Heat, according to Vince Ellis of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The streak began January 19, 2004, and Palace Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Tom Wilson "cited the economy as the main reason for [the] streak's end." Wilson: "It was coming. We knew that at the beginning of the year with the economy being what it is, we knew it was coming. We didn't know how long we could get through." Last night's official attendance was 21,720, 356 short of the Palace's 22,076-seat capacity. Previous games "may have looked like non-sellouts with many empty seats," but Wilson said that "all tickets were sold and fans just didn't feel like paying the extra costs of things like parking and concessions." The Pistons have lost nine of their last 13 games and have a 26-21 record. Wilson: "Now we have a hell of a target to shoot for down the road" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/5). Wilson added, "We are still leading the league (in attendance) which is great, but the last few weeks have been really tough." In Detroit, Chris McCosky reports the Pistons have led the league in attendance five straight years, and Wilson said that he "expects they will again this season." Wilson: "The tickets have been sold. But I think more and more, people are making the decision not to come (to the arena). If our record was better it probably would have prolonged the streak" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/5).