via Micael Ozanian of Forbes,

Among the four major sports in the U.S., hockey is the most dependent on ticket revenue. During the 2010-11 season the typical NHL team relied on gate receipts for half of their revenue. Last year the average team in the NFL, which has the richest national television deals (divided equally among all teams), gets less than 25% of its revenue from ticket sales. The comparable figures in the NBA and MLB are 33% and 25%, respectively.

Following the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the fans came back quickly. During the 2005-06 season 25 of the 30 teams had an increase in attendance from the 2003-04 season. Moreover, the cost (tickets, concessions, parking) for a family of four rose from $256 in 2003-04 to $283 at the start of the 2007-08 campaign. The latest figures from Team Marketing Report show the average cost at $323, a 50% increase in just seven years.

So rabid hockey fans (myself included) should not point fingers at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman or NHLPA boss Donal Fehr. We are to blame. Instead of punishing them after the last lockout we rewarded them. Why should we have expected better treatment this time around?