"Yard" Sale?

Brant James at the St. Pete Times continues the trend of hockey related posts by the local papers post-CBA-Resolution by talking a bit about marketing and how some teams are happy for the new opportunity while others dread it.

I had to chuckle at this one:

The Panthers have taken to the streets with their efforts to re-energize South Florida's fickle populous. Office Depot Center and team employees have been supplied with election-style yard signs, cling decals and sunscreen packs with the slogan "Florida Panthers: There's a Cold Front Moving In" as the first wave of an aggressive marketing campaign.

Yard signs? I suppose it's an idea seeing the South Florida populace is suburban and the Office Depot center is only visited by those willing to drive (read: suburbanites)... But it still feels like a desperation reach more than a marketing reach.

That's not to say that the Panthers aren't going to be trying to put a face on things, as the article goes on to say... but still... Yard signs?!

And further more for a Lightning angle on this story:

The Lightning will sell 3,000 upper bowl seats per game at $19, the cheapest for those seats in the St. Pete Times Forum's history.

According to Campbell, the Lightning has sold more than $2-million worth of season-ticket packages since reports on July 7 indicating a settlement was near. The team sold more than $500,000 worth Friday, Campbell said.

Well, at least this year the nay-sayers can't spin the $19 deal as a sign hockey in Florida just doesn't work. Remember the playoffs hub-bub about having 200 seats sold for 8 bucks each?