Return of the Blue Roof: Panthers Unveil The Tarps

Remember after Hurricane Wilma how just about everyone in South Florida had blue tarps covering their wind-damaged roofs?

The Florida Panthers are bringing that look back for the 2010-11 season.

Here's a picture (courtesy of floridapanthers.com) showing what the tarps will look like.

As reported earlier this summer, the Panthers are 'downgrading' the capacity at The Billboard this season, covering up more than 2,000 upper deck seats with tarps.

According to the team, the "22-piece tarp system sponsored by Party City will cover the last six rows of seats located on the terrace level.''

This coverage will not be for all games -- but for almost all of them. When Montreal or Pittsburgh comes to town the tarps can be removed. They will also not be there for concerts and the like.

When the team moved from Miami Arena in 1998, seating capacity went from 14,823 in Miami to 19,250.

They obviously don't need that much room.

“Our building is just too big,'' team president Michael Yormark said back in May. “It would be too big for a lot of teams in the league.''

The Panthers are not the first to do this, in fact, it seems to be a trend in Florida.

A few years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars covered up almost 10,000 seats to try and keep NFL television blackouts at a minimum.

The University of Miami reduced seating at Joe Robbie Stadium last season by covering sections in the upper deck and club level with UM branded tarps. The Marlins also limit seating at JRS, although for the 1997 and 2003 playoffs, all available seats were open.

The Miami Heat's balcony at AmericanAirlines Arena seats over 3,000 fans. When the balcony is closed, the downtown arena has an official capacity of 16,500.

The Tampa Bay Rays also have covered seats at the highest levels of Tropicana Field.

With the upper deck tarps, the Panthers will play in the third smallest arena in the league – just larger than Edmonton (opened in 1974) and Long Island (1972).

Both of those cities are in talks to get replacement arenas.

Maybe they should bring in the Marlins brass to get a deal done.

Comments

[11 yr old kid]

George,

That stupid comic book looking "Panther" is showing up on everything!! Be honest..is THAT gonna take over the tradional leaping panther? If so...THAT SUCKS!

[rexx8]

The tarps are so sad. Let's try to find some players that fans would actually want to see and sell the seats. Try making the playoffs. No tarps needed.

[Matt]

Canadian teams don't need no stinkin tarps!

[The Huds]

I love what the Panthers are doing. They are ganing a soft spot and becoming my #4 or #5 team the league. Watch out for the Panthers (or whatever they are called) in the next few years.

[Bill T]

When you cover seats with tarps, you artificially create a greater demand for tickets. This does NOT work for the Florida Panthers. It is phony and sure to backfire.

[season ticket holder since day one]

another way for Yormark to get more advertising.

Enough already, when is too much way too much.

Spend the energy on producing a winner instead of on ways to con the people and make more money.

The new joke is that I went to the BAC and an event broke out.

The new sponsor of the arena in the swamp is TV Land, the arena already has more advertising then any network

[eddieg]

Yormark is leading the team into the toilet. When will people realize this guy is the problem. As soon as he left Tampa, they won the Cup. Him and his brother destroy everything they touch. All they care about is the money they're making and how much they can suck out of their owners and sponsors.

[rexx8]

I agree that Yourmark IS the problem. I do not understand why the owners do not see that.

[NYIFC]

Unlike the Marlin brass under a man who relocated one team and pockets his money with a bottom payroll, Charles Wang actually does everything he can without going bankrupt to build a winner in New York (not Long Island) at the Nassau Coliseum.

[zeroG]

the owners don't see or don't care because he brings in $. it's a business after all.

not that i disagree - he's a turd.

[No Hope Without a Change]

Pretty soon Yormark will use one of his other two marketing ideas. Either each fan will get a stamp on their ass with a different sponsor every game night. Or he will turn the Panthers jerseys into NASCAR firesuits with all the advertisements.

[Ex Season Ticket Holder]

Dear Mr Tallon: welcome to The Florida Yormarks. First in corporate lies, first in cheating the fans but last in the NHL Eastern. Winning hockey team? Who needs it? Yormark has his concerts to make money for the owners. Look over that hill in the distance Dale. It's Hamilton ON future site of the Panthers.

Ex-Season Ticket Holder
from the law firm of Dewey - Cheatem and Howe (isn't that the yormark family mantre.

[Bill]

Panthers have the potential to make a playoff run this year but we'll see