Casino Connection Atlantic City

Hockey Hopes

The void left by the departure of the Bullies may soon be filled

by Dave Bontempo

An empty feeling awaits area hockey fans in October. For the first time in five years, Atlantic City lives without the Bullies. Fans absorb the sadness after the club lost $5 million here in a four-year period and relocated to California. The exodus perpetuates the stereotype that teams can't draw here. Pinched on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and beset by small inland population pockets, Atlantic City has become a graveyard for minor-league sports. But this goodbye may not be permanent. Greg Tesone, the assistant general manager for Boardwalk Hall, expects a 2006 tenant. "We're talking with a couple of groups who are both serious about bringing hockey here and making it work," Tesone says. "We are into the financial terms now. I would say (as he did six months ago) that it still looks like a 75 percent chance of having a team here next season." Tesone understands the pitfalls that squelch deals that are even more than 90 percent done, but his optimism is understandable. The sparse population theory ought to implode at some point. Nearby towns offer jam-packed stores via new malls. Atlantic City itself presents the Walk, the Quarter and the incoming Pier at Caesars, none of which existed during the Bullies' era. If someone connects fall shopping with sports in a city drawing millions of tourists, new ownership could prosper. Tesone already discards the population-base theory regarding hockey. "I know people think it's the low population base, but I think the biggest thing to hurt the Bullies last year was absentee ownership," Tesone says. "When your owners are in Charlotte and New Orleans, it's hard to be on top of things here. "We tried to get them involved with the core of businesses, but they did not reach out enough to businesses or people. We have ideas to help any new owner market a team here." While Boardwalk Hall seeks to court an aggressive marketing owner, obstacles and creative solutions await the next hockey franchise. Parking remains a problem with limited spaces and high prices, but fans could register for a Trump Player's Club card and park for $4. Some consider ticket prices too high for minor-league sports, although casino employees enjoy $6 admission on Wednesdays. Another barrier has been the age-old assumption that casino sponsorship would solve all problems. That philosophy never works and did not for the past four years, either. New owners must avoid the temptation to be penny-wise and dollar-foolish regarding key elements like advertising. As they lost ground, the Bullies would not spend money in order to make it up. Some analysts believe the Bullies compounded their problems by making a bad decision regarding concessions and secondary revenue streams like merchandising. Tesone says the Bullies "did not have the absolute best (tenant) deal in the league, but they were in the top half. When you consider their on-ice product, it was a shame they did not draw more people. There were still a good number of people who never knew a team was here." Sadly for the Bullies, this problem occurred while they produced an excellent team. The Bullies reached the playoffs every year of their existence and captured the Kelly Cup in their second season. They displayed an exciting, disciplined style and drew well in the second half of every campaign. Put those numbers across year-round and this team would have remained. A new owner may beat the bushes and produce the fans. Or, the city can find another Frank Boulton. [SURF REMAINS SOLVENT] No better situation exists than that of the Surf. Its owner, Frank Boulton, founded the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Boulton also owns the revenue-rich Long Island Ducks, who earn about $4.5 million a year playing to a much larger market than Atlantic City. The Ducks are one of the most successful minor-league franchises in the country. Boulton needs teams like the Surf to remain alive and fill the Sandcastle stadium. As long as the Surf avoids extensive losses, Boulton remains content. Though the Surf has never made money in its eight-year history, the losses are low enough to be considered expenses for Boulton. The Surf displayed an ability to prosper during July, when it topped 5,000 fans three times and passed a big test by jamming 5,820 into the high-profile Atlantic League All-Star game. Its overall losses will probably range between $100,000 and 200,000. The summer performance supports the contention that under the right conditions, this team will draw fans. While the months of May and September cripple the Surf, and a proposed shortened season for smaller-market teams has been tabled for at least one year, the team does maximize on summer traffic. The Surf has averaged just fewer than 2,100 fans per game entering September, up 5 percent from 2004.

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