AIR CANADA CLUB AT TORONTO PEARSON AIRPORT -- Stranded here in the Great White North where I hope to be headed south in a few more hours of fun at Pearson Airport.
Special thanks to USAir for stranding me; honest thanks to Air Canada for stepping in and putting me on a flight to Miami.
Anyway, big news around the Panthers today is that they have agreed to a multi-year deal with FSN Florida with the regional sports network agreeing to cover 70 games next season.
The contract only called for 65 this year, and that's what FSN plans to give you.
So, more games and likely more of Goldie, Denis, Craig, Frank and Allison.
Hope the Panthers got some money for this. Not like there was much competition.
-- Thursday's game goes on at 7:30, BCS game or not. You have to think the Panthers could have changed the time on this to 6:30 or 7 to at least not put itself in direct competition with the college
football championship being played right down the road, but Michael Yormark told me they didn't want to do that.
The Panthers should have never scheduled this game in the first place. The BCS championship game was going to be a bigger draw even if it didn't have an in-state team playing for the title. I'm thinking the team forgot there was a second 'Orange Bowl' game and didn't plan on needing to ask for the day off.
Regardless, this is probably a lost home date for the Panthers. Over/under on actual attendance tomorrow? I'm setting the bar at 8,000. Let me know if I'm high or low. I'm betting it's lower.
-- Since FSN dumped television coverage of tomorrow's game (because of the BCS conflict, duh), I will be going LIVE! from the Big Billboard sometime around 7. We'll talk hockey, a little football and whatever else comes to mind.
What, you thought I was going to bail on the Panthers because of some college football game? For shame.
-- Craig Custance, former Thrash beat writer and longtime friend to The Pond, put together a number of ways the NHL can save the All-Star Game for The Sporting News. Check them out here. And tell him G sent ya...
-- Frozen Poll Time!
George,
I think we are looking at 10,000+ tomorrow. Any news about the Panthers trying to resign JBo? Thanks again for all your hardwork on the road. Have a safe flight home.
Posted by: flpanthers10 | January 07, 2009 at 02:56 PM
They had an afternoon Montreal game opposite the Dolphins on FSN, that was odd. Had to switch back and forth.
Posted by: Bo | January 07, 2009 at 03:19 PM
George,
One more inquiry on the status of Bouwmeester, by the looks of how his first half stats match up league-wide, he is going to get a huge contract from someone. What are the panther's going to do?
Posted by: Rob Smith | January 07, 2009 at 03:20 PM
I think we might fare well tomorrow i mean we always get a lot of fans when we play carolina. Plus tomorrow is a very big game for us
Posted by: Stephen | January 07, 2009 at 05:26 PM
I think you hit the nail on the head (as always). Yormark's ego wouldn't allow him to consider that the NHL is 2nd fiddle to any type of football in this town and rather than work around that, he would see yet another empty building.
Of course, being as he is a "toilet is half-full" kind of guy, I'm betting in his delusional state he'll let himself believe that it is just a "late arriving crowd" or perhaps it will rain and he can blame the "inclement" weather.
This is a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 8 years and rather than work on pushing community outreach and getting name recognition for everyone on the club (not just of a few young guys that will be gone by the time their contract had 2 years left on it) he would prefer to wallpaper the universe with logos and slogans of 2nd rate companies. (Saveology Saves? Seriously? Maybe we can Rite-Aid tissues to sponsor the "snot rocket of the game"...)
And since I am on a rant about marketing (or the complete lack thereof) maybe Yorschmuck can explain why the LED boards at the front entrance and off of Sawgrass have been covered in a crappy Heinekin wallpaper...
I swear to god, this world class putz simply refuses to settle for anything less than bush league!
Posted by: Gimmie a Break | January 08, 2009 at 12:15 AM
George:
The real question is real bodies in seats or the announced attendence which includes the tickets they give to the bars to hand out
Posted by: season ticket holder since day one | January 08, 2009 at 08:14 AM
Hardly anyone is going to the game tonight. Football is king in South Florida. Too bad the Cats won't be on TV again. I was looking forward to switching back n forth between them and the Gators!
Go Cats!
Go Gators!
Go George Richards! Have a safe flight home.
Posted by: EJ | January 08, 2009 at 08:25 AM
I say less than 6,000 in the seats, which is so pathetic, but quite the norm. Go Sooners! Nothing is better than when the Gaydors lose. Thank you Ole Miss!
Posted by: canefinmavcubray | January 08, 2009 at 12:55 PM
i think you'll see true panther fans tonight!! Go Cats!!
Posted by: Stephen | January 08, 2009 at 01:32 PM
you guys can catch the game online at ATDHE>NET
it sucks you guys are getting the gamed bumped, that is one thing that always ticks me off. save the link above, the guy carries almost everygame everynight, ive never missed a canes game since i found it.
good luck tonight guys,
GO CANES!!!
Posted by: CB canes fan | January 08, 2009 at 05:12 PM