Talons sign 5 year contract to play at BOK Center

[MichaelC]

From Tulsa World

quote:The Tulsa Talons will pay more to play at the new BOK Center, but the higher rent will more than be made up by $22,500 per game in guaranteed premium seat revenue, officials announced Monday.

Talons co-owner and general manager Henry Primeaux said the five-season contract that begins in 2009 benefits both his arena football team and the city.

"We're all going to prosper from this," he said.

The team is the first announced tenant to sign a contract to use the 18,000-seat, $178 million arena, which is set to open next September.

The Talons, who captured the 2007 af2 championship, will pay the venue $10,000 to $15,000 per game in rent, depending on which day of the week they play.

That's compared with the $2,500 per game the team pays at the Tulsa Convention Center.

But the club seats, loge boxes and suites will provide the team secured revenue. The Talons also will receive all regular ticket and team merchandise sales and 20 percent of concessions, as they have at the Convention Center.

Under the agreement, the BOK Center is providing the team with new turf, goals, dasher pads, goal netting and dressing rooms with wooden lockers, hydrotherapy and a players lounge.

There also will be a locker room for game officials, along with office space for two coaches, a trainer and an equipment manager.

A $3 million scoreboard system and a video monitoring system throughout the concourses in the new arena are expected to enhance the fan experience at games.

Primeaux said the team is looking forward to moving into the state-of-the-art facility.

"Let's just say the Convention Center is used," he said with a chuckle. "We've had guys kicking balls and knocking some of the ceiling down. We're looking forward to getting in there and hope to be known as its anchor team."

BOK Center General Manager John Bolton said Monday's announcement was the first of many still to come.

"It's wonderful to have a national championship team as a resident team," he said. "There will be many exciting things for people to look forward to at this new venue."

A deal with the Tulsa Oilers hockey team should be announced soon, Bolton said.

Mayor Kathy Taylor said she's glad the Talons will be calling the arena home.

"I hope we see more championship rings here in Tulsa in years to come," she said.

The Talons will continue to play in the Convention Center during the 2008 season, which begins in the spring.

That only became possible recently when city and project officials decided to change the Convention Center's $50.5 million renovation plans to keep the existing arena intact.

The team had been hunting for another venue for 2008 and was in jeopardy of having to sit out a season or possibly move out of town.

[swake]

And now some of the choice comments from people on the TW website:

Yep. More fans = More panhandling opps! Goooooo, Talons!

Talons and Primeaux are both jokes!!! Talons attendance has steadily dropped since the first season...It's Mickey Mouse football and they'll be playing in PeeWee's Play House!!

1500 fans in a 18,000 seat facility, "Only in Tulsa"!!! Great experience for the fans and team. And guess what The Day Care Center for the Homeless is still next door!!!

I hope Kathy keeps those TV cameras inside the arena. If the nation gets a preview of downtown Tulsa (bums falling into pot holes), they're likely to think all of Tulsa county offers the same. That would do great damage OK's stream of tourism (gun shows and Kansans heading to Texas).

The Talons what a joke.

[MichaelC]

Those are pretty bad.

I can't believe that this is going to end up being such a good deal for the Talons.  I really thought they'd lose something in the move, figured it would cost too much.  For the Convention Center, outdated and uncomfortable, they have great attendance.  One of the best averages in AF2.

And Primeaux, that guy knows how to market.  I don't know if it's still the same, but in OKC, tickets for their AF2 team have an extra tier where the tickets are cheaper.  I bet the Talons can keep a respectable (by AF2 standards) attendance at BOK.

[RecycleMichael]

The arena football team agreed to play in the arena...

Where else would they play?

[cannon_fodder]

Average attendance for the Talons is way over 1500, probably more like 4,000.  Not that it makes it world class or filling in the BOk center... but at least give it the credit due.

And you can call it "mickey mouse" football if you want, but its fun.  Go check out a game before you complain about it.  Its entertainment, its not expensive, and its a championship caliber program.

[USRufnex]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

The arena football team agreed to play in the arena...

Where else would they play?

dunno... the UMAC-arena?.... hey macarena...?

http://beta.arenafan.com/statistics/?page=attendance&league=2

I understand the lower bowl in the new arena is configured to make a good atmosphere for Oilers' hockey and AFL2 football... still...

...makes about as much sense as building a 40,000 capacity new stadium for a soccer team that would draw half of that... []

[YoungTulsan]

So for events like Oilers and Talons games, they could just use the lower bowl and darken the upper decks to make it seem like a full arena?

If so, that shouldn't be too bad.  They could even try to fill the whole place up for a big game (such as a championship game).

I'll probably have to go once it opens just to check out the atmosphere.

[MichaelC]

Yeah, it's cool that it can be reduced.  But, I wouldn't be surprised if Primeaux comes up with marketing strategy to put at least 12K people in the stands, a couple games a year.  It's versatile, that's great.

I'll likely be there more often.  My big problem with the current Convention Center is that it seems very uncomfortable, very outdated.  It's like they squeezed too many seats in there, and they're all for short people.  And it's nearly as uncomfortable midfield on the floor, as it is in nose bleed end zone.

[MichaelC]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=11&articleID=071031_1_A9_hTheB60366

Martin's raising a small stink.  He seems to be the only one though.

[sgrizzle]

The unmentioned question is who bought the equipment they use at the convention center?

[Kenosha]

You can watch Martinson grandstanding on TGOV...Urban and Economic Development committee... he is being an arse.