In S.F., Scott Ostler writes attendance for Padres-Giants yesterday was "announced as 28,584, but there were acres of empty seats" at Oracle Park. Giants fans, "optimists that they are, appear to be saving their money for next season, when four or five big stars will fall from the sky, into the team’s dugout." Barring some kind of "surprising run by the Giants, they will put up a record-low season attendance" this year (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/11).
SOPHOMORE SLUMP? In Las Vegas, Alan Snel noted during last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, fans "packed" Golden Knights practices at City National Arena. However, the bleachers at practices at the team’s Summerlin HQ were "not filled to capacity both Monday and Tuesday" as the Golden Knights prepared for their first-round series against the Sharks. Not only was there "plenty of open seats to watch" the practice this week, the team had "not sold out its T-Mobile Arena suites for Sunday Game 3 and Tuesday Game 4 home contests" (LVSPORTSBIZ.com, 4/9).
READY FOR CHANGE: In Edmonton, Terry Jones noted results of a recent survey show that local hockey fans "want a complete and total house cleaning of the entire Oilers organization." The Edmonton Sun's annual year-end "You Be The Boss" survey netted 9,250 responses. When asked, "Should the Oilers fire their executives?", 51% "voted to fire everybody." Another 38% voted to fire just "some of them." Additionally, 81% were in favor of letting CEO & Vice Chair Bob Nicholson go (EDMONTONSUN.com, 4/10).
