PromoTheRobot Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 So I've been away for a week or so. No doubt the Sabres have been busy signing those veteran free agents that Darcy said would be more available in the off-season. So who did we get? PTR
inkman Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 So I've been away for a week or so. No doubt the Sabres have been busy signing those veteran free agents that Darcy said would be more available in the off-season. So who did we get? PTR This post is disingenuous, cliche, unoriginal and not funny. I expected slightly better from you Promo.
PromoTheRobot Posted July 13, 2010 Author Report Posted July 13, 2010 This post is disingenuous, cliche, unoriginal and not funny. I expected slightly better from you Promo. I thought it rather clever and biting. It's true that I look here in vain thinking I'll see something, still hearing Darcy's post-trade deadline words echoing in my mind. PTR
inkman Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 I thought it rather clever and biting. It's true that I look here in vain thinking I'll see something, still hearing Darcy's post-trade deadline words echoing in my mind. PTR It's eternally frustrating but we are the powerless. We can all stand atop our soapboxes and preach but we are preaching to the choir. Most here know of the problems of the team but this message is either not heard or not understood by those that can make change. My frustration has quelled and it's turned into apathy. I will root for them as they are my team but I know they are flawed and ultimately not built for success.
PromoTheRobot Posted July 13, 2010 Author Report Posted July 13, 2010 It's eternally frustrating but we are the powerless. We can all stand atop our soapboxes and preach but we are preaching to the choir. Most here know of the problems of the team but this message is either not heard or not understood by those that can make change. My frustration has quelled and it's turned into apathy. I will root for them as they are my team but I know they are flawed and ultimately not built for success. A good barometer of fan interest in a team is ticket sales, and even more telling is prices for these tickets on Stub Hub. While the Bills have not sold out any games yet, and their resale market is very depressed, the Sabres seem to drawing some impressive prices on the resale market. That means despite the frustration over Darcy, etc, most Sabres fans dig we won the division and are ready to fill HSBC for another year. PTR
inkman Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 That means despite the frustration over Darcy, etc, most Sabres fans dig we won the division and are ready to fill HSBC for another year. PTR You would be correct. The average fan does not post here. I interact with these people daily. They are oblivious to most things hockey but rather concentrate on the awesomeness of Thomas Vanek. A part of me loathes these people as I can't understand their naivity but a part of me envies them as they can simply enjoy being a Sabres fan and not be bogged down by the percieved ineptness of the players, coach and front office.
WannabeGM Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 You would be correct. The average fan does not post here. I interact with these people daily. They are oblivious to most things hockey but rather concentrate on the awesomeness of Thomas Vanek. A part of me loathes these people as I can't understand their naivity but a part of me envies them as they can simply enjoy being a Sabres fan and not be bogged down by the percieved ineptness of the players, coach and front office. Amen to this, I'm tired of explaining the Sabres to the average fan who think's they will win the cup every year. They are usually the same people who are amazed that Atlanta and Tampa Bay have a team.
darksabre Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Amen to this, I'm tired of explaining the Sabres to the average fan who think's they will win the cup every year. They are usually the same people who are amazed that Atlanta and Tampa Bay have a team. The average fan is the reason we even HAVE the Sabres.
WannabeGM Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 The average fan is the reason we even HAVE the Sabres. That's the same reason we have the Bills too. They don't know any better either. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we can maintain two professional franchises. I'm still worried long term for that.
darksabre Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 That's the same reason we have the Bills too. They don't know any better either. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we can maintain two professional franchises. I'm still worried long term for that. So long as the constant threat of the teams being sold and relocated hangs over fans heads, these teams will remain no matter how mediocre. Buffalo's sports fans have tried the "don't go to games" tactic before and it never earns them a better team, only cries of "the [bills] are getting sold to Toronto!" or "the Sabres are moving to Seattle!". We the fans are completely at the mercy of the teams and so long as we want them to stay here in this city, there is nothing we can do about it.
Stoner Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 So long as the constant threat of the teams being sold and relocated hangs over fans heads, these teams will remain no matter how mediocre. Buffalo's sports fans have tried the "don't go to games" tactic before and it never earns them a better team, only cries of "the [bills] are getting sold to Toronto!" or "the Sabres are moving to Seattle!". We the fans are completely at the mercy of the teams and so long as we want them to stay here in this city, there is nothing we can do about it. Attendance at Bills games was horrible in the early to mid 80s before the turnaround, but I'm not sure it was a case of Ralph looking at 18,000 people in there and deciding he had to do something. Probably more a case of team sucks, fans leave, top picks pan out, fans return. The fact that nothing close to the success of the 88-94 era has followed since then makes it look very much like Ralph fell into Bill, Marv, Jim, Bruce, Thurman and Andre and came out smelling like a rose -- for a while. As for the Sabres, I can't think of a time when fans "voted with their feet." Attendance was pretty poor early in the Bowman Era, but that had more to do with the local economy (Bethlehem Steel closing, national recession) than with the team, which was pretty decent up til 85 or so.
WannabeGM Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 We the fans are completely at the mercy of the teams and so long as we want them to stay here in this city, there is nothing we can do about it. Ain't that the truth. Love 'em or hate them (isn't it almost the same at this point?) they are ours.
static70 Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 So I've been away for a week or so. No doubt the Sabres have been busy signing those veteran free agents that Darcy said would be more available in the off-season. So who did we get? PTR We signed Doughty, Towes, Ovechkin, Kopitar, Getzlaf and Perry all for entry 1 millionl dollar contracts at 10 years each :thumbsup: They all said they wanted to come play for a winner <_<
ntjacks79 Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Amen to this, I'm tired of explaining the Sabres to the average fan who think's they will win the cup every year. They are usually the same people who are amazed that Atlanta and Tampa Bay have a team. This works in reverse too. Right after the lockout, I could easily see the Sabres "had something". Yet the "average fan" was staying away until virtually the playoffs that year, completely oblivious to the fact that these Sabres were now "different". What kind of crowds did the Sabres get that year, maybe averaging like 10,000 until February-March or so? Now that 2006, 2007, and a phantom division championship in 2010 are in the "average fans minds", they think the Sabres are annual Stanley Cup contenders. The big problem the Sabres face is that if they continue down the path of "doing nothing every summer", unless their drafts pan out there will be a run of big-time losing in the very near future. Once the "average fan" starts to feel "the Sabres stink", it's all over for Quinn and his Boys - until the Sabres get to the Finals or something and turn perception around again.
ntjacks79 Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Attendance at Bills games was horrible in the early to mid 80s before the turnaround, but I'm not sure it was a case of Ralph looking at 18,000 people in there and deciding he had to do something. Probably more a case of team sucks, fans leave, top picks pan out, fans return. The fact that nothing close to the success of the 88-94 era has followed since then makes it look very much like Ralph fell into Bill, Marv, Jim, Bruce, Thurman and Andre and came out smelling like a rose -- for a while. As for the Sabres, I can't think of a time when fans "voted with their feet." Attendance was pretty poor early in the Bowman Era, but that had more to do with the local economy (Bethlehem Steel closing, national recession) than with the team, which was pretty decent up til 85 or so. I don't have numbers in front of me, but I think your facts are wrong on the Sabres. I had season tickets before the lockout, and I remember MANY games in those days (around 2002-2003) where the arena was half-empty. That's how I upgraded to get such good seats.
spndnchz Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 I don't have numbers in front of me, but I think your facts are wrong on the Sabres. I had season tickets before the lockout, and I remember MANY games in those days (around 2002-2003) where the arena was half-empty. That's how I upgraded to get such good seats. You drive from Minneapolis to see the games?
Stoner Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 I don't have numbers in front of me, but I think your facts are wrong on the Sabres. I had season tickets before the lockout, and I remember MANY games in those days (around 2002-2003) where the arena was half-empty. That's how I upgraded to get such good seats. "Voting with your feet" means staying home to protest the state of a team. I wasn't suggesting attendance hasn't suffered at times. 02-03 was the ownership crisis season and that was reflected in the attendance. It was more the uncertainty than the fact the Sabres were without Dom and below .500. Dom was gone the season before, and the team was mediocre, but the Sabres still averaged 17k+. The worst attendance year at the Aud, after they raised the roof, was in 82-83 (12,894). Phil Housley was a sensation, the Sabres were above .500 and ended up sweeping Montreal in the playoffs and taking Boston to a Game 7.
Stoner Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 This works in reverse too. Right after the lockout, I could easily see the Sabres "had something". Yet the "average fan" was staying away until virtually the playoffs that year, completely oblivious to the fact that these Sabres were now "different". What kind of crowds did the Sabres get that year, maybe averaging like 10,000 until February-March or so? Things were really rough at the gate until that long winning streak in November. That, plus the holidays, had the building filled on a regular basis by Christmastime.
Sabre Dance Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 We the fans are completely at the mercy of the teams and so long as we want them to stay here in this city, there is nothing we can do about it. Lat season, the arena was full (or nearly so) every game, but the silence from the stands was deafening. THAT should speak volumes to the ownership. "We love and support our team, but their play is underwhelming. I'll start cheering when the team plays like they mean it..."
darksabre Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Lat season, the arena was full (or nearly so) every game, but the silence from the stands was deafening. THAT should speak volumes to the ownership. "We love and support our team, but their play is underwhelming. I'll start cheering when the team plays like they mean it..." Tommy couldn't hear the silence over the sound of how much money he's making.
inkman Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Lat season, the arena was full (or nearly so) every game, but the silence from the stands was deafening. THAT should speak volumes to the ownership. "We love and support our team, but their play is underwhelming. I'll start cheering when the team plays like they mean it..." Perhaps I'm in a foul mood because of a ###### work day but this is fool hardy. How many games did OSP attend last season? I'm sure it was few. There is no chance anyone notices "the silence" or attributes it to anything other than the bogus noise meter being off.
Stoner Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 Perhaps I'm in a foul mood because of a ###### work day but this is fool hardy. How many games did OSP attend last season? I'm sure it was few. There is no chance anyone notices "the silence" or attributes it to anything other than the bogus noise meter being off. But if LQ is as smart as a lot of people portray him, he should be picking up on the apathy. He might ignore it, but he at least should be aware not all is well in Sabreland.
static70 Posted July 13, 2010 Report Posted July 13, 2010 But if LQ is as smart as a lot of people portray him, he should be picking up on the apathy. He might ignore it, but he at least should be aware not all is well in Sabreland. As long as the cash flow is positive why should he care at all.
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