Blackhawks Chair Rocky Wirtz yesterday said that the team for any Stanley Cup Final games at United Center "will not respond in kind" to the Lightning's policies aimed at limiting ticket sales to opposing fans, according to Mark Potash of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Wirtz: "A few years ago it didn’t matter if this was Chicago or Tampa Bay -- we were lucky if we had 3,000 fans ... It’s a fine compliment to our fans that we have this many that will go on the road." He added, "If there’s anyone from Tampa that wants to come to Chicago, we have a great city. You’re welcome to our city. You can spend (your) money in our city." Potash notes Wirtz "did not criticize" the Lightning for "going to great lengths to keep Blackhawks fans out" of Amalie Arena (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/4). In Tampa, Matt Baker notes the Lightning's policy "doesn't seem to bother" NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He said prior to last night's Stanley Cup Final Game 1, "I believe that the Lightning are attempting to create as good a home ice atmosphere as possible. ... The interesting thing is they apparently have the luxury of knowing that the building is sold out even if they try to limit tickets." He added that the secondary market "doesn't restrict ticket sales by location, and fans who buy tickets at the arena aren't subject to the policy." Baker notes there were "pockets of red Blackhawks jerseys throughout Amalie Arena" last night (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/4).
NO SIR, I DON'T LIKE IT: In addition to the ticket policy, the Lightning also prohibit fans from wearing opponents' merchandise in several sections of the arena, and in Orlando, George Diaz writes the Lightning's policy is "bush league." Diaz: "How about letting the market dictate the look and size of the crowd, instead of the jersey color? ... If the team is close to 100 percent capacity for its games, then WHY do this in the first place? To attract bad publicity?" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/4). ESPN's Michael Wilbon also called the policy "bush league" and said the NHL "needs to be bigger than this." ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: "This is small-minded, this is provincial, this is anti-free speech, I believe it’s anti-American, it’s total censorship. It just makes the people in Tampa look like complete rubes” (“PTI,” ESPN, 6/3). N.Y. Daily News’ Frank Isola said the policy “comes across as so petty, childish." Isola: "It’s immature. ... If people from Chicago want to fly into Tampa and go to the game, let them go. I think it's so small time for Tampa Bay to think like that.” The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan said, “This whole thing reeks of expansionism. This is the kind small-minded thinking that nouveau riche cities come to thinking." ESPN's Bomani Jones noted the Lightning's effort is "not the first time someone has done this." Jones: "Stadiums all over the place have to try to find a way to stop the other team from taking over ... so I understand where they're coming from, but it's just a little bit whack.” He continued, “A lot of these Sun Belt teams got these teams on the idea that there would be fans in their city from other places that would build up the place as they got more interest in hockey. You took people’s money then who rooted for other teams, now you don’t want it?" (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/3).
