Attendance usually doesn't accompany success. It follows success. A good exciting season leads to more season ticket sales for the next season.

Additionally, while the economy is very strong, discretionary spending is crimped by the gas prices. The upper middle class and the well to do will still go to games but regular folks will stay home. I've got two kids. To take a family of four to a game you shell out over a hundred bucks between parking, tickets, food, etc. And that's just the nosebleed seats. No thanks.