Disappointing first visit to HSBC

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Went to game sat against Tampa. What a boring game, terrible second period, terrible cough up by Lalime, terrible Rivet and Connelly but what disturbed me the most was how UN into the game the fans were. What total lack of energy by the fans. I hate to say it it was like attending a funeral. After many games at the RBC ( Canes ) I was expecting the home sabres fans to be much louder. Seems like at the RBC they try to get the fans roaring more than I saw at HSBC. Maybe it was back to back games but from what I have heard watching this year just seems that the fans have as little energy as 3 of our 4 lines.

[sabres1970]

Well, let's face it. The Sabres play a very boring style of hockey, and when you start the season like they have, it turns into a funeral like atmosphere. Don't criticize Sabre fans for sticking with a bad and

un-entertaining team.

[Iron Crotch]

Went to game sat against Tampa. What a boring game, terrible second period, terrible cough up by Lalime, terrible Rivet and Connelly but what disturbed me the most was how UN into the game the fans were. What total lack of energy by the fans. I hate to say it it was like attending a funeral. After many games at the RBC ( Canes ) I was expecting the home sabres fans to be much louder. Seems like at the RBC they try to get the fans roaring more than I saw at HSBC. Maybe it was back to back games but from what I have heard watching this year just seems that the fans have as little energy as 3 of our 4 lines.

 

I brought my wife to her first Sabres game last year (we watch most games on Center Ice) and she was amazed by how "dead" the crowd was. We have partial season tickets to the Predators in Nashville and as much as it pains me to say it, the Nashville crowd has much more energy and is much louder than the Buffalo crowd on most nights. I have vivid memories of the Aud absolutely rocking when I was a kid... so I'm not sure what the deal is now...

[Derrico]

I'm surprised to keep reading these posts. I only get to one to two games a year (being from T.O.) but they always seem to be loud and roudy. I was at the game against Washington last Sat and the crowd seemed to really be in the game. If I had one complaint it would be there is too many opposing fans in the crowd. Never found the crowd uninterested or boring though.

[Marvelo]

boring team=bored crowd

[SabresGameNight]

They could be like Boston and pipe crowd noise through the PA system. At least they aren't that bad.

[frisky]

I remember my last visit to HSBC. I ate the nacho cheese and didn't get to see much of the rest of the game from the second period on. I did get an appreciation for the bathroom in my section though.

[biodork]

I remember my last visit to HSBC. I ate the nacho cheese and didn't get to see much of the rest of the game from the second period on. I did get an appreciation for the bathroom in my section though.

 

lol :sick:

 

I think it depends very much on where you are sitting in the arena -- I live about 6 hours away and generally only get to one game a year, but I've been to some where the crowd was totally into it and some where I felt like I was getting dirty looks for cheering too loud. The last two years the games I went to stunk, so I can't really blame anyone there. And the opposing fans do get annoying... it doesn't seem to matter which part of the 100 section I sit in or who the opponent is, I always seem to be one or two rows away from some obnoxiously loud fans of the visiting team. Doubly unfun when the home team doesn't give them a reason to sit down and STFU. :thumbdown:

[Claude_Verret]

They could be like Boston and pipe crowd noise through the PA system. At least they aren't that bad.

 

People have accused the Canes of doing the same, but I don't buy it. I do think that they crank up their PA system louder for music and effects though. And they do have that annoying fat guy blowing on his horn constantly right at ice level. Also, the roof is so much lower at the RBC than HSBC and other arenas I have been in and I feel that has to contribute to the louder atmosphere.

[Weave]

IMO the crowd changed when the venue moved from the Aud to HSBC Arena. I was a season ticket holder at the Aud right up unitl the last season there. Alot of those games were crazy, especially when Boston was in town. I noticed that the crowd was much tamer in the very first game I attended at HSBC Arena (not first game overall, I dumped my season tix). IMO it has alot to do with the increase in ticket prices at the new venue. I think the upper deck sitters tend to be the loud fans. And the folks that could afford Orange seats (or SRO) suddenly found that equivalent seats were almost twice as expensive so they stayed home.

 

The ticket prices for 300 level seats came down alot in price over the ensuing years, but that coincided with a drop in the area economy and IMO the type of folks that used to sit in the orange seats still don't buy very many tickets today. The crowd today seems to reflect to me a more upper middle class bringing kids along kind of vibe. And those folks aren't prone to making alot of noise. I think the Jumbotron antics help further the squeaky clean family freindly feel too.

[Stoner]

The crowd today seems to reflect to me a more upper middle class bringing kids along kind of vibe. And those folks aren't prone to making alot of noise. I think the Jumbotron antics help further the squeaky clean family freindly feel too.

Kids usually don't have a problem exercising their lungs. Unless mom and dad are imploring them to use their "inside voice."

[X. Benedict]

IMO the crowd changed when the venue moved from the Aud to HSBC Arena. I was a season ticket holder at the Aud right up unitl the last season there. Alot of those games were crazy, especially when Boston was in town. I noticed that the crowd was much tamer in the very first game I attended at HSBC Arena (not first game overall, I dumped my season tix). IMO it has alot to do with the increase in ticket prices at the new venue. I think the upper deck sitters tend to be the loud fans. And the folks that could afford Orange seats (or SRO) suddenly found that equivalent seats were almost twice as expensive so they stayed home.

 

The ticket prices for 300 level seats came down alot in price over the ensuing years, but that coincided with a drop in the area economy and IMO the type of folks that used to sit in the orange seats still don't buy very many tickets today. The crowd today seems to reflect to me a more upper middle class bringing kids along kind of vibe. And those folks aren't prone to making alot of noise. I think the Jumbotron antics help further the squeaky clean family freindly feel too.

 

I really agree. The crowd has become gentrified. Weekday games are much better than the Weekends in terms of fan vocalizing IMO.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

People have accused the Canes of doing the same, but I don't buy it. I do think that they crank up their PA system louder for music and effects though. And they do have that annoying fat guy blowing on his horn constantly right at ice level. Also, the roof is so much lower at the RBC than HSBC and other arenas I have been in and I feel that has to contribute to the louder atmosphere.

Claud it seems like the Sabres fans at the RBC are much roudier and louder but I also think RBC seems alot louder

[Claude_Verret]

Claud it seems like the Sabres fans at the RBC are much roudier and louder but I also think RBC seems alot louder

 

I agree that the RBC is a lot louder. I'm just not sure there aren't some tricks at play there since the building is never more than 2/3 full even when they play the Sabres and the rowdy horde that they bring.

[CallawaySabres]

Rule #1 is the rule I strictly adhered to in my ticket draft. NEVER invest in the 2nd game of a back to back.....

[X. Benedict]

Rule #1 is the rule I strictly adhered to in my ticket draft. NEVER invest in the 2nd game of a back to back.....

 

Usually it makes for bad first period hockey, IMO.

[nfreeman]

This is just speculation, but I kinda think Sabres fans still feel a bit betrayed by management, both since Black Sunday and since management didn't bother to improve the top 6 last summer, and they just don't believe in this team yet. They aren't going to go crazy for a team that they don't really believe in. I think that a good winning streak (especially a home winning streak) would go a long way, but I don't really expect the crowd to bring it every night until this team wins a round in the playoffs.

[Weave]

This is just speculation, but I kinda think Sabres fans still feel a bit betrayed by management, both since Black Sunday and since management didn't bother to improve the top 6 last summer, and they just don't believe in this team yet. They aren't going to go crazy for a team that they don't really believe in. I think that a good winning streak (especially a home winning streak) would go a long way, but I don't really expect the crowd to bring it every night until this team wins a round in the playoffs.

 

I can't disagree with any of these points. There is a sense that the team is mired long-term in mediocrity, like it is the 1980's all over again.

[TheChimp]

Went to game sat against Tampa. What a boring game, terrible second period, terrible cough up by Lalime, terrible Rivet and Connelly but what disturbed me the most was how UN into the game the fans were. What total lack of energy by the fans. I hate to say it it was like attending a funeral. After many games at the RBC ( Canes ) I was expecting the home sabres fans to be much louder. Seems like at the RBC they try to get the fans roaring more than I saw at HSBC. Maybe it was back to back games but from what I have heard watching this year just seems that the fans have as little energy as 3 of our 4 lines.

HSBC is a Chet, Muffy, and the kids kinda place, and they wait for the team to do something good before they get loud, and even then it only lasts until Muffy passes the brie and soda crackers. HSBC is ######. Been saying this for years.

[X. Benedict]

HSBC is a Chet, Muffy, and the kids kinda place, and they wait for the team to do something good before they get loud, and even then it only lasts until Muffy passes the brie and soda crackers. HSBC is ######. Been saying this for years.

 

I say, let's not disparage Chet, he's a swell old chap.

[repster]

I've usually go to about at least 10 games a year. This year I'm only going to 6 for various reasons including my lack of faith in the team. Aside from all that, I've noticed that in the last 2 or 3 years, the temperature inside the arena is noticeably colder. My wife actually wears mittens inside HBSC. I don't know if this is something the team has decided to do to improve the ice conditions which have always been bad (and still seem to be with pucks bouncing around more than I see at other arenas), or if this is a league-wide change (which I thought I heard from somewhere the other day). The fact is, with a colder arena, maybe the fans don't have as much energy as in years past when the product on the ice was better as well. Obviously there's been a buzz in terms of quality hockey until 2007, but I wanted to post about the temperature and see if anyone else who goes to games noticed this change a couple/few years ago. I think it used to actually be warm when your sitting in the stands and now it can border on cool.

[Stoner]

I've usually go to about at least 10 games a year. This year I'm only going to 6 for various reasons including my lack of faith in the team. Aside from all that, I've noticed that in the last 2 or 3 years, the temperature inside the arena is noticeably colder. My wife actually wears mittens inside HBSC. I don't know if this is something the team has decided to do to improve the ice conditions which have always been bad (and still seem to be with pucks bouncing around more than I see at other arenas), or if this is a league-wide change (which I thought I heard from somewhere the other day). The fact is, with a colder arena, maybe the fans don't have as much energy as in years past when the product on the ice was better as well. Obviously there's been a buzz in terms of quality hockey until 2007, but I wanted to post about the temperature and see if anyone else who goes to games noticed this change a couple/few years ago. I think it used to actually be warm when your sitting in the stands and now it can border on cool.

 

Rick mentioned it the other night. The Toronto game, I think.

[R_Dudley]

I've usually go to about at least 10 games a year. This year I'm only going to 6 for various reasons including my lack of faith in the team. Aside from all that, I've noticed that in the last 2 or 3 years, the temperature inside the arena is noticeably colder. My wife actually wears mittens inside HBSC. I don't know if this is something the team has decided to do to improve the ice conditions which have always been bad (and still seem to be with pucks bouncing around more than I see at other arenas), or if this is a league-wide change (which I thought I heard from somewhere the other day). The fact is, with a colder arena, maybe the fans don't have as much energy as in years past when the product on the ice was better as well. Obviously there's been a buzz in terms of quality hockey until 2007, but I wanted to post about the temperature and see if anyone else who goes to games noticed this change a couple/few years ago. I think it used to actually be warm when your sitting in the stands and now it can border on cool.

 

Watching with my CI package either HNC or NHL network I heard the announcers(can't re call who) talking about the NHL requesting or suggesting that drop in temperature for all the teams rinks in an attempt to improve overall ice conditions.