Zeilensport: Wenn der Puck streikt

Die NYTimes beschäftigt sich heute ausführlich mit den Konsequenzen des Spielerstreiks in der NHL, der die Saison bis dato lahmlegt: “Lockout in NHL puts Businesses on the Brink”

Zur Erinnerung: zwei Seiten prallen aufeinander. Die Spieler die ein größeres Stück vom Einnahmekuchen haben wollen und die Clubs die sagen, es gäbe keinen Kuchen zum Verteilen und mit Gutachten belegen wie finanziell schlecht es der Liga geht. Gutachten die widerum nicht nur von der Spielergewerkschaft angezweifelt werden.

Bruce Weber schildert im Artikel die “Kollateralschäden” des Streiks, die insbesondere die kleineren, Eishockey-fixierten Städte treffen. Hallen die leerstehen und nur Kosten produzieren, Sportsbar die mangels ausbleibenden Publikum vor dem Kollaps stehen.

Schätzungen in Detroit gehen davon aus, dass eine Red Wings-Saison der Stadt 10 Mio US$ an direkten Einnahmen (ÖPNV, Parkgebühren etc…) und 85Mio US$ indirekte Einnahmen bringen.

Indeed, Detroit is like a lot of places where the financial hardships of the hockey lockout are focused on specific neighborhoods, but the other frustrations are widespread. This may be especially true in Buffalo, where there are some 65 ice rinks in and around the city – “They’re like 7-Eleven’s,” said Thomas Kucharski, president and chief executive of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, a regional development organization – and hockey runs in the local blood.

“The lockout does tend to temper aspirations for economic development around the waterfront,” Mr. Kucharski said. “But at this point if you ask me, ‘Are you dying without hockey?’ I’d ask you, ‘Emotionally or economically?’ Emotionally we’re all dying.”

In fact, people here said that as the lockout continues, the emotional and economic difficulties it has engendered are melding into a widespread disgust.

Noch kann der Dampf unterm Deckel gehalten werden, da bis in den Januar hinein die NFL spielt. Aber spätestens danach wird es im basketball-losen Norden (Buffalo, Kanada) zappenduster.

In addition, […] in the generally bitterly cold and snowbound months of January and February, the [Buffalo] Sabres have traditionally been the one thing able to lure people out of their houses and downtown. Even on a snowless evening in December, Bernard Brown, who manages four parking lots around the arena, could look at his vast, nearly vacant empire and declare, “It’s a ghost town.”
[…]
That is one reason resentment among fans is so strong; it is as if the Sabres are suddenly a drag on the city’s potential prosperity.

“I have my business perception and I have my personal perception,” said Steve Calvaneso, who owns three restaurants and a men’s store in downtown Buffalo and who is contemplating a run for mayor. One of his restaurants, City Grill, is only a few blocks from the arena, and he said he was losing $1,500 to $4,000 in sales every game night, which could add up to, he said, $100,000 for the season.

“My business perception is, yeah, there’s an effect,” Mr. Calvaneso said. “My personal perception is that owners and players, who feed off the working-class people of this city, are complaining about their meager salaries of $3 million. I’d like to see them sit out the whole year, let the whole league dissolve and start over again. Let them get back in touch with the fans.”

Nur zur Erinnerung, dass es eben nicht “nur” Sport ist.