Post by 50yardfan on Feb 24, 2012 23:12:49 GMT -5
www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/24/1838879/fever-adds-500-new-season-ticket.html
KENNEWICK -- If Tri-Cities Fever owner Teri Carr had her way, she'd have just one simple goal this season: No orange seats seen in the Toyota Center.
If that happened, that would mean every seat would be purchased for the team's games.
"That's the ultimate goal," said Carr, who is preparing for the team's season opener at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Toyota Center against the Everett Raptors. "So if I can give myself a more attainable goal, if I saw a 50 percent increase in attendance from last year, I'd be happy. But you just don't know what your walkup will be."
The Fever, which finished 13-5 last season and lost to Sioux Falls in the Indoor Football League title game, got a little boost in season tickets.
As of Thursday, the Fever had almost 1,500 season tickets. The team had 1,000 in 2011.
IFL Commisioner Tommy Benizio likes hearing that.
"I would love to see all of our teams draw well, in terms of number of fans at games, and teams to individually become more profitable," said Benizio. "Attendance is always a great indicator of truth to success in a league. It all starts with having a good product."
Benizio thinks the league is there.
By contracting from 22 teams in 2011 to 16 in 2012, then shrinking roster size from 30 players a team to 25, the number of players employed in the IFL this season dropped from 660 to 400.
Coaches have had to be more selective, grabbing the best players out there because jobs are so limited.
"The league has become more stable, and 2012 is going to be absolutely the best yet," said Benizio. "It seems that every year, this league gets better players."
* * *
Fever coach Adam Shackleford had to make some tough decisions Thursday when he had to get the team's roster down to 25 players by midnight.
To do that, he let OL Adrian Brown, WR Markeith Summers, LB Allen Walker and RB Leon Wright-Jackson go.
"I've only got 25 spots this season," Shackleford said.
With starter Dennis Kennedy on the roster, Shackleford just couldn't afford to keep two running backs on the team roster at this point. So Wright-Jackson, a Pasco High graduate, was odd man out.
"We may sign Leon Wright-Jackson next week, if he'll have us," said Shackleford. "But I had to get the roster number down."
KENNEWICK -- If Tri-Cities Fever owner Teri Carr had her way, she'd have just one simple goal this season: No orange seats seen in the Toyota Center.
If that happened, that would mean every seat would be purchased for the team's games.
"That's the ultimate goal," said Carr, who is preparing for the team's season opener at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Toyota Center against the Everett Raptors. "So if I can give myself a more attainable goal, if I saw a 50 percent increase in attendance from last year, I'd be happy. But you just don't know what your walkup will be."
The Fever, which finished 13-5 last season and lost to Sioux Falls in the Indoor Football League title game, got a little boost in season tickets.
As of Thursday, the Fever had almost 1,500 season tickets. The team had 1,000 in 2011.
IFL Commisioner Tommy Benizio likes hearing that.
"I would love to see all of our teams draw well, in terms of number of fans at games, and teams to individually become more profitable," said Benizio. "Attendance is always a great indicator of truth to success in a league. It all starts with having a good product."
Benizio thinks the league is there.
By contracting from 22 teams in 2011 to 16 in 2012, then shrinking roster size from 30 players a team to 25, the number of players employed in the IFL this season dropped from 660 to 400.
Coaches have had to be more selective, grabbing the best players out there because jobs are so limited.
"The league has become more stable, and 2012 is going to be absolutely the best yet," said Benizio. "It seems that every year, this league gets better players."
* * *
Fever coach Adam Shackleford had to make some tough decisions Thursday when he had to get the team's roster down to 25 players by midnight.
To do that, he let OL Adrian Brown, WR Markeith Summers, LB Allen Walker and RB Leon Wright-Jackson go.
"I've only got 25 spots this season," Shackleford said.
With starter Dennis Kennedy on the roster, Shackleford just couldn't afford to keep two running backs on the team roster at this point. So Wright-Jackson, a Pasco High graduate, was odd man out.
"We may sign Leon Wright-Jackson next week, if he'll have us," said Shackleford. "But I had to get the roster number down."