In Portland, Allan Brettman notes with the Trail Blazers expecting a sold-out game for tonight's regular season home finale against the Clippers, this season's average attendance will be “less than 1 percent lower than last season's average” of 19,819. There are two factors at work that “could account for a playoff-bound team averaging 79 fewer butts in seats per game" compared with a team that finished the '12-13 season by losing 13 games. Trail Blazers VP/Analytics Vincent Ircandia said, “We consider this a positive story mostly because we've restricted the amount (of seats) sold to brokers by 850 seats a game.” Blazers officials said that this restrictive approach “also kept prices higher on the secondary market … and protected the value of pre-season package prices season ticket holders paid.” The franchise at mid-season also “removed 700 seats" at Moda Center (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/16).
TED'S EXCELLENT VENTURE: Milwaukee businessman Ted Kellner said of speculation he may invest in the Bucks, “If there is a local investment group, I have no knowledge of that.” Kellner: “I don’t want to make any comments on that, I really don't. All I've been focusing on is getting a suitable site for the Bucks to get the arena done.” He noted that he has been “working with a Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce arena task force to “find a financing plan and build an arena” for the Bucks (JSONLINE.com, 4/15).
LOOKING FOR RELEVANCY: In Detroit, Terry Foster wrote the Pistons are “out of sight and out of mind -- the worst spot you can be in as a professional sports franchise.” It is why Michigan State’s Tom Izzo could be “considered a candidate to be the Pistons’ next coach” and also why Pistons Owner Tom Gores “consulted with legendary coach Phil Jackson about his team.” Gores is “trying to put the Pistons back on the map in their own backyard with star power.” He “must understand that Pistons fans are fragile,” as they “ride the bandwagon harder than anybody.” But when they “jump off, they are hard to find” (DETROIT NEWS, 4/15).
