RIO RANCHO, NM – What a mess. The 2008-2009 CHL campaign has brought yet another in a string of futile efforts on and off the ice for the New Mexico Scorpions and their dwindling number of fans.
In twelve seasons in either the WPHL or the CHL, the Scorpions have teased and tormented their fans with teams that seemed on the verge of fulfilling their promises. The inaugural season in the WPHL was one. A stacked, loaded and paid for team failed in the first round because they lost the switch to turn on the juice again.
Then it was losing in the finals to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in a series that showed how players can give up on the team and their coach (Tony Martino). That team was solid but clearly packed it in for the finals.
And who can forget the Scorpions being penalized 35 points for salary cap violations and missing the playoffs by a single victory in the standings. That was another of Martino’s gifts to the fans of the Scorpions.
Ownership parade
All of these issues were steeped in the stew of owners owning more than on club. Michael Plaman owned the Mudbugs and the Scorpions and thought it cute to wear a golf shirt made of both logos during the playoffs. All to the constant refrain that both were his children and he loved both. Please.
Then, when Plaman decided he loved the ‘Bugs more, the fans in New Mexico were “rescued” by Doug Frank from the Corpus Christi area. Frank rode into New Mexico to run the Scorpions.
Yup. “Run” it right into suspension following the 2004-2005 CHL season. A conflict between the owner and the fairgrounds coliseum management left the fans in New Mexico without hockey for one full season. But not before Frank purchased the IceRayz of Corpus Christi and declared his love for both franchises. I think we see where this is going (did go).
“What business model permits a business to go dark for a year and expect it to survive,” Bill Sommers, Pro Hockey News’ Director of Marketing said. “How can you expect fans and support to be maintained with no product for a year.”
Dave Ellett, the new principle owner of the Scorpions, led a group from Phoenix when they purchased the Scorpions in 2006 and moved into the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. For the time being the team was in good hands, a group with hockey pedigree. Ellett has been visible at home games for two and half years and only recently has his visibility begun to wane. The economy cannot be discounted for this drop off.
Front office and coaches turnover
An ineffective general manager in the first two years was more cheerleader than front office, team managing staffer. For the third season of the “new” New Mexico Scorpions a new general manager was brought in from Canada with experience in the junior system there and promised a new environment for fans including better entertainment and a competitive product on the ice.
Meanwhile first-year head coach Ray Edwards took a young team to the playoffs and squeezed every bit of talent out of the squad and challenged for the Southern Conference title in the first year. Rumors of conflict led Edwards to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL.
Edwards was followed by one of the franchise’s most popular players, Randy Murphy, who promptly picked up where Edwards left off and fashioned a competitive team in his first year but fell short in the conference quarter finals. The current on-ice product is a disaster. Only a major infusion of talent can save the season.
What was that number?
This year the Scorpions are drawing just north of 2,500 fans a game. That’s about where many other clubs in North America are beginning to say “hey if we close our doors we lose less money.”
But so many are comparing the numbers from the Santa Ana Star Center with those from games in Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque. The last year of Tingley was reported as north of 4,200 fans a night. Unless those in attendance were leaving the arena and coming back through the turnstiles at least twice then it is difficult to see how that number was real. That 4,200 number may well have made the sale to the Phoenix group possible though. It is hard to conceive that the current ownership was not sold a bill-of-goods in 2006.
Overcoming the inertia
The front office has worked tirelessly to overcome the farce of 4,200+ fans in the seats. But the inertia of a year off has been exacerbated by the failure of the city of Rio Rancho to support the franchise in the building or outside the building. It has been offered that as few as 4% of the fans attending the Scorpions games come from the 87124 or 87144 zip codes (Rio Rancho).
That’s the kind of local support that engenders the kind of loyalty the current owners are showing to the suburb of Albuquerque.
More importantly, as Mitch Cooper, Pro Hockey News’ CHL Editor-in-Chief says, “The (Rio Rancho) City Center is the only city center with no city around it.” Now four plus years since ground breaking on the arena there is only city hall and no supporting infrastructure to grace city center. Dust and scrub brush is evident for as far as the eye can see.
The mayors and city council members in Rio Rancho have seemingly made this a political football and fumbled away the progressiveness of the city for the sake of personal opinions. In fact, at least one council member has been reported to say they would prefer to see the arena closed to become an art gallery. Isn’t that special?
The fan perspective
Fans across North America have been left to twist in the wind with the loss of their franchises in Augusta and Fresno. Other clubs are close to closing or will go dark after this season. And New Mexico is not off the sheets for closing after this season either. And the fans here in New Mexico are not happy. To a person, there is disgust at the situation.
When asked if the Scorpions will survive the current chaos there was a 100% agreement (n = 12) that the franchise will go dark. Asked why they felt this way the responses to a survey were straightforward.
As for the “fun” that was to be instituted and the new intermission entertainment one fan said he was unimpressed.
“I believe that stadium management has been the most influential when it comes to the “fun” aspect, and they have blown it. Whether my team is doing well or not doesn’t change my desire to go to a game, but being in a stadium with a semi-enthused crowd doesn’t foster the experience I am seeking. Stadium management also does not seem to understand that they are in the entertainment business, nor do they recognize that they are also in a service industry. Not only do you need to provide an entertaining experience, but also see to the needs of the patron who are there for an experience. Poor environmental conditions make it difficult to watch an event when you’re shivering. Poor event promotion and lack of proper follow-up make it difficult to raise attendance at the stadium. Obnoxious promotions throughout the game by a person with a microphone who is too loud and at the same time incomprehensible makes it difficult to focus on the game.”
Similarly, another fan responded to the survey by saying, “ It seems they’ve geared most of the “fun” aspect toward families at this point, which is fine as a marketing tool for people with young families I suppose. I think that this season’s marketing slogan has it exactly backwards though…..I don’t come for the “Fun”, I come for the Hockey.”
Yet another said, “Come for the fun…” is a catchy slogan but there has been absolutely no delivery of fun. Most nights the concourse is deserted-that is where I expect to find some “fun.”
One responder was more direct, “The intermission efforts are now just a joke. After watching for six seasons I say they lost their way. (Gary) Gelinas said he would bring more entertainment to the intermissions. He either lied or has no idea what entertainment is.”
When asked what might be done to reverse the current conditions there was no shortage of recommendations.
“Hire a coach who can teach defense. Hire some defensemen. Advertise the team as if I cared about it. Actually show up at the games. The owner has obviously lost all interest in Scorpions hockey. In seasons past he hardly missed a game. This year I have seen him only once.”
Another fan had some direct suggestions for management of the facility including, “Service training for all guest contact employees. Rather than going through the motions, the VIP attendants who service the season ticket holders need to develop a rapport with their clients in order to not only enhance the experience but also foster sales for future events.”
Other suggestions culled from the survey included:
“Better media relations and outreach to improve the local press and television/radio coverage in any way possible. Go schmooze the local media, talk to them and get them on your side.”
“Implement a lot more “fan friendly” activities into the mix including give-aways of signed pucks and sticks at the end of each game,”
The most distressing responses (for the franchise and arena) to the survey came from the question How do you think the Scorpions can survive these financial issues?” One fan replied saying, “ There is an apparent disconnect between the stadium management and the team. While the stadium cannot control the quality of the sports product nor can the team control the quality of the stadium experience, neither seems compelled to work with each other toward their common goal of entertaining their clients while maximizing their revenue opportunities.”
Several responses simply stated, “No they cannot.”
When asked why they continue to come to Scorpions games 60% said “Because we already paid for the tickets.”
What was clear was that an improvement in the on-ice product was not a factor in the success or failure of the Scorpions. That should cause major stomach acid for the franchise.
A familiar mantra from many “fans” has been that the arena is too far away and too difficult to get to. That simply does not fly. Access to the arena requires neither a GPS unit nor a Sherpa guide. This past weekend’s Home Show at the arena was crowded with visitors.
When asked, one visitor said “It was easy to get here; two or three turns and you’re here.”
There are certainly limitations to the survey including the small sample size of 12, survey offered during an emotional time line and only season ticket holders were included. But the survey reflected responses from suite, loge and lower bowl season ticket holders. Responders were from throughout the Albuquerque metro area and central New Mexico.
Conclusion
A Scorpions’ representative has said that this season was the best for season ticket holder sales. That fact alone should tell a great deal about past numbers for attendance. Every time the Tingley feline population whelped another litter the attendance figures for Scorpions games went up accordingly. In other words, the numbers were doubled with each kitten born.
This has been a season characterized by the perfect storm of poor economy, flagging ownership involvement, waning fan support and the failure of the ‘burb of Rio Rancho to support the team at the gate or around the arena. Good luck with that art gallery!
The Arizona SunDogs were recently sold to a group from the northwest who have experience in the juniors. The Scorpions are said to be for sale or open to local investment.
It is difficult to see a way clear of these issues and effectors. The economy will not reverse course until maybe 2010. By then the Scorpions franchise will be a footnote in the CHL record books along with how many other clubs in the league and North America.
The core Scorpion fan base will suffer but as Bill Sommers has said “How can you go dark and not expect interest to fade?”
This time the fade may be permanent washout.
Unless……………………
Contact the author at lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com . Next: Business; response to Scorpions distress Want to take the survey? CLick here.
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