Panthers Tickets on Sale Friday: Changes Coming to Home Games ... Bill Murphy OUT (Kinda)

The Panthers announced on Thursday that single game tickets to the 2010-11 season will go on sale Friday at noon.

And they are quick to point out that "fans are encouraged to purchase tickets now,'' what with the new dynamic pricing structure and all.

Remember, a few months ago the team announced that not only was it putting tarps on the top six rows of the upper deck to reduce capacity to just 17,040, but that -- like airlines -- prices of tickets would fluctuate depending on the demand to various games.

Let the Panthers do the explaining (because I don't feel like getting into it:

Under the dynamic pricing structure, all Panthers games will be classified in one of four categories: bronze (least expensive and below 2009-10 prices), silver, gold and platinum (most expensive).

However, as demand increases for specific games, its pricing structure will increase as well, allowing games that begin under the bronze, silver or gold classification to move all the way up to platinum should sales demand it.

Pricing structure classification cannot decrease, so to get the best value fans are encouraged to purchase season ticket packages now, or buy single game tickets as soon as they are released tomorrow.

So there you are. Do with this information what you will. I'm just relaying the message.

-- The team also announced that it's going to have a number of different promotions, from everything to Bill Torrey Tribute Night (Oct. 23 vs. the Islanders) to Power 96 after parties and postgame concerts on Friday nights.

The Panthers will also have a 'Thanksgiving Feast' for the three Thanksgiving games (duh), Holiday Spectacular (Dec. 27 vs. Boston and Dec. 31 vs. Montreal), Family Fitness Day (March 6 vs. Washington), Throwback Nights (red jerseys?) and Fan Appreciation Night (April 9 vs. Washington).

-- Other big changes coming including a total revamping of the in-game experience with popular public address announcer Bill Murphy being reassigned. From how I hear it, he's going to roam around and do stuff on the video board during timeouts and such.

Randi Ross is out as the in-house personality as well, but there will be another young lady taking her place. The music of Brian Lenihan has also been scrapped as he has been replaced too. 

So who's the new voice of the Panthers in Sunrise?

South Florida radio personality Mitch Phillips -- the voice of the 'Have you been drinking tonight, sir?' DUI ads that run just about every three seconds.

You can also hear Phillips' voice on the new '72 Dolphins radio spots airing on 560-WQAM.

Anyway, I know some of you all could care less about this stuff -- but there are some of you who do.

So there you go.

Thoughts?

Comments

[Adam]

Guarantee loss against Washington on Fan Appreciation Night. Get the confetti ready!!!

[Justin]

The Florida Panthers - Pissing off fans for 17 years! I am not going to any home games this year. Thank goodness they play thrice in Tampa

[Sebibis]

Bill Murphy is God.

[Justin]

it's Mitch Phillips btw...

[Big Slap Shot Bob]

I don't even think I'll get Center Ice so I can watch the Panthers this year. They better call that urology center to get ads back on the urinal fresheners because they aren't going to be selling too many tickets.

[Gregg]

Glad Randi Ross wont be screwing up her lines anymore...but I liked Bill Murphy. Will we still do the "Panthers...Goal" thing after a goal? Or will the goals be so few and far between that it wont matter?

[Johnny B]

So, the Panthers have changed the one thing that didn't suck about game presentation (that being Bill Murphy)? Typical. Idiots.

[No Hope Without a Change]

Why don't they consider these two theme nights? Panther Jersey Bonfire Night and Michael Yormark in a Dunktank with Sharks Night!!

[ed]

Better yet....Yormark getting his ass thrown out of Sunrise so hockey fans can have hope again.
Hey, Cliff, wake up before you're down another $30 million.

[my name is Earl]

pretty low to piggy back on something that happened a hundred years ago...never mind a different sport (again). Joe Robbie is rolling over in his grave while mike, bernie & jordan are laughing all they way to the bank @ michaels expense. They need direction baaaaad! next promo will have a free papa pizza in there... lol or even a 13 saying laces out. who ya gunna call? your-a-phony!!!

[my name is Earl]

pretty low to piggy back on something that happened a hundred years ago...never mind a different sport (again). Joe Robbie is rolling over in his grave while mike, bernie & jordan are laughing all they way to the bank @ michael's expense. They need direction baaaaad! next promo will have a free papa pizza in there... lol or even a 13 saying laces out. who ya gunna call? your-a-phony!!!

[Eric]

GR, how does Bill feel about this??

[Rab]

Seriously, they moved what was arguably the best part of the game?

Or maybe they're just assuming that this will allow Murphy to be used more than he would be if we actually had to wait for a Panthers goal to hear him.

[JM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pulQVGFux80
seems to me they made good moves... believe it or not in arena presentation is important... you want to have an attention demanding voice that sounds cool...bill murphy is cool but it was time for change..glad they kept him though...randy ross was just straight up annoying her voice is too high pitched for in arena host and she screwed up almost every night..it is also cool they are using power 96 i always wondered why didnt they use a real radio station that has the most listeners in south florida...

[season ticket holder since day one]

of course they moved Bill because it is about corporate sponsorship and not joe fan.

Now Bill can go around and say this break is brought to you by the Shark cleaning system, it cleans up the mess better than a vacuum.

Now it can clean up the business side, where we need professionals like we finally have on the hockey side.

As far as the ticket prices, I see that they changed the plan real fast. When first introduced, they said the price is dictated by demand, now it is dictated only if there is high demand.

Airlines sell their seats at a cheaper rate closer to the flight because once that plane leaves the gate they can never recoup the money lost by not selling that seat.

Mr. Yormark, once the game starts it doesn't matter the price of the ticket an empty arena means less consession sales which is where real organizations make there money not solely on corporate advertising.

Leave the organization and let someone that cares about hockey, the fans and the team run the business side to put fans in the stands.

Making a profit by concentrating on advertising and on the building is good for the owners but it is bad for people that want to see a real NHL caliber team. Owning a team is a community service as well as a business venture.

[Eric]

..and POWER 96!? So now home losses will be followed by a Stevie B concert???....I'd rather confetti.

[Puckbubba]

Throwback Nights (red jerseys?)

Red jerseys should be every night. Get rid of that horrid blue embarassment.

[Jaded Blue]

"Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets now"...I think there might be just a few tickets available from season ticket holders considering they gave us 2 free lower level seats for every game for the 2 we renewed.

[Dave]

Ya know, there are a lot of downers posting on this news and it's a shame. Seriously, If you're going to criticise every little thing the team does in a negative way, why not just go watch some other team or sport? They have a new owner, a new Vise Pres and GM, some new coaches, new scouts, new players, a great prospect pool and although I was a fan of Murph, we have a new in-arena Voice of the Panthers, get over it. Randi Ross was embarassing, so I am happy to see her go, but why can't people just have some optimism with this team? They did everything us true DIE-HARD fans wanted, in front office changes and trimming the fat off the roster, so can't we just pretend to be at least somewhat satisfied with the present situation with our team and the way things have changed for the better??

GO CATS, GO!

[GR FAN NO.1!!!]

DAVE - thankyou for putting into words exactly what i have always felt, some people calling themselves 'fans' need a to get a life and stop criticising every single little thing the franchise does.
I for one will support the panthers no matter what, and i think more of you should be doing the same and showing a bit more support than you are at the moment.

[Eric]

Unfortunately, we have very little to talk about. If we didn't complain, things wouldn't get done....and GR would have way fewer posts on his blogs;)

Hey, I trust Tallon and hopefully in 2 years we will have a team to be very proud of. Countless playoffs misses, sour trades and GM/coach changes have taken their toll. They say they want to honor the die-hards, so they change their jerseys to Jet Blue colors instead of red. Instead of out of town scores, we get Celcius drink promos with Randi Ross. We pee on Panther logo urinal advertisements. We want Potvin, they give us Power 96. We have ushers take away noise makers. They give away free tickets to games, then give us Heineken for $11. The entire offense spends more time on the greens than practicing on the ice and we shower them with confetti like they came back from the moon (oh I forgot that was a 'thank you' to the fans...cough cough Party City.

Until we see results, there will be complaining.

GR, keep up the good work--I really hope they surprise us this year.

[Ex Season Ticket Holder]

What a minute, hold everything. Yormark you idiot. It's Bill Lindsay you have to get rid of NOT bill Murphy. You can't even do that right, PT Barnum.

[Puckbubba]

I second getting rid of Bill Lindsay! Worst color commentator of all-time. However I would settle for getting rid of the blue jerseys and going back to original red.

[PuckHead]

Here we go again...."rebuilding"...."restructuring"...."fresh new bold faces and ideas".....One of these days somebody is going to start talking about playing hockey and winning games. Until then, we the fans, will go to the games and drink overpriced beer-flavored water. And once in a while we will get a magnetic calendar.....

[Drew]

I find it amazing that they are trusting the guy who couldn't get it right the first time to be responsible for re-building their image.

If I hire a contractor to replace my kitchen (no.. not that Kitchen) and he screws up and does a horrible job I'm not going to hire him AGAIN to fix his own problem. I'm going to call someone else.

Bottom line, this team has an image problem. Even if they look like they're trying to make it right on the ice you'd have to know a bit about hockey to realize that. Most people will only see the stories in the paper or the ads on TV or Billboards and they're all the same after 17 years. And they still have that look and feel of desperation, that look of distracting you with everything but Hockey, that feeling that you're getting bamboozled if you buy tickets. 17 years is WAAAAY past the allowable time for gimmicks, this is not a new team anymore.

Somebody needs to take Yormark out into the swamp and introduce him to the Gators/Pythons/Wild Boars/Panthers/Komodo Dragons and maybe then he'll get the message that Florida isn't the place for him and he needs to take his greasy self back up north.

[Clash]

For the people who say, you have to be all "Rah Rah" for this team because of the "changes" they've made, I've been chased off numerous message boards since 2005 for being correct about the direction of this team. There are two types of fans. ONe is the blind follower who doens't know any better and wants to live in a fantasy world. The other is a realist, who says it like it is, irregardless of how it may sound.

I for one am a realist. But while I think with the change in managing partners (no change in ownership), the change in GM, a solid draft followed by some A singular decent move, there is hope presently for the organization, but its slight and marginal at present. Tallon says the Panthers are further along than the Hawks were? I disagree. The Hawks had a nice chunk of their team from last season already in the pipeline when Tallon took over, and I don't see that same talent in the Panthers' system prior to this past draft.

There's a glimmer of hope, but nothing to be "rah rah" about yet. After ten years, you should expect people to be negative, not positive. Especially after all the overblown P.R. and unsettling results to the seasons past.

[Just Curious]

I don't see why anyone needs to rush out & buy tickets since STH are gagging on all the extra tickets that were foised on them in an effort by the organization to massage their attendance figures. If you really want to know what Panther tickets are worth stand around & watch all the scalpers & STH trying to give away tickets at the BAC before any game.

BTW, if anybody is interested in buying tickets, send me a PM. I'm one of those STH :).