2013 Winter Classic .... Red Wings vs Maple Leafs

[401don]

There are going to be issues played whether it's going to be at Comerica Park or The Big House.

At Comerica Park it's going to be a tiny audience; the seating there is bigger than the JLA but for the actual seated audience there, it's going to be puny. BUT it will be in downtown, have a great background to it and it will also net Illitch a boatload of cash as Comerica Park is one of his properties.

At The Big House in Ann Arbor, I see a few things bad such as lousy parking, no beer and no real association with Detroit or have anything historically with the Wings or the NHL. It will be the spectacle though just because of the venue.

Now if you truly want to think out-of-the-box and super innovative- let's think about a way to have the game played ON the Detroit River. Huh huh? Is that nuts or am I really wanting to take it back to real POND hockey. I have no idea of how it could be done logistically or have it accessible to a larger audience but what if there was a way to guarantee a section of the Detroit River and have the teams play on the "pond"? What about the area between the city and Belle Isle and have seating on both sides? Have them play outdoors and in nature. And if not the Detroit River [[which would truly make it outdoors and as close to international as possible) what about some other body of water?

Let's admit it. It's a novelty game at best so why not take it one step further? I'm not making light of the players, their skills and the competition but the venue shouldn't take away from that.

This is a league event. The home team gets a set fee from the league regardless of the venue. The only benefit to it being downtown for Ilitch is the anxillary revenue from parking, Hockeytown Cafe, etc.

[Thruster315]

This is a league event. The home team gets a set fee from the league regardless of the venue. The only benefit to it being downtown for Ilitch is the anxillary revenue from parking, Hockeytown Cafe, etc.

Isn't that what I said when I mentioned that Ilitch was going to make bank from having the event held at Comerica Park as opposed to Michigan Stadium? Let's not forget that his Ilitich Holdings, Inc. runs Comerica so he's obviously going to make money INSIDE the venue as well as outside the ball park.

[Downriviera]

Now if you truly want to think out-of-the-box and super innovative- let's think about a way to have the game played ON the Detroit River.


Love that idea. I could watch the game from my table at Coach Insignia while eating a filet and sipping Manhattans.

[401don]

Isn't that what I said when I mentioned that Ilitch was going to make bank from having the event held at Comerica Park as opposed to Michigan Stadium? Let's not forget that his Ilitich Holdings, Inc. runs Comerica so he's obviously going to make money INSIDE the venue as well as outside the ball park.

Ilitch will not get money from inside the venue. The league pays the equivalent of average home gate revenue from their normal venue [[JLA). No more, no less.