TBN piece on sagging attendance, enthusiasm in arena

[Stoner]

“Whenever I have a game to go to I’d rather just give it away to someone else,” said Hamburg’s Chris Schmidt, who splits a season-ticket package and picked five games. “So far I have given away two of them to other family free of charge because I felt like there were better things to do.”

http://sabres.buffalonews.com/2015/12/23/despite-sabres-upgrade-in-talent-attendance-levels-lagging/

Edited December 31, 2015 by PASabreFan

[Eleven]

I've given away three so far.

[Weave]

I do find it interesting that long term mediocrity has not affected the Bills quite the same way it has affected the Sabres.  The only difference I can think of is the tailgating experience.

[darksabre]

I do find it interesting that long term mediocrity has not affected the Bills quite the same way it has affected the Sabres. The only difference I can think of is the tailgating experience.

That's pretty much it. Being able to get drunk as f*ck with your buddies is definitely the only thing that keeps people going to Bills games.

[Eleven]

That's pretty much it. Being able to get drunk as f*ck with your buddies is definitely the only thing that keeps people going to Bills games.

 

Notably, I haven't been to one of those in about 5 years.  The only way a live NFL game is entertaining is if you're drunk as , I think.

[darksabre]

Notably, I haven't been to one of those in about 5 years. The only way a live NFL game is entertaining is if you're drunk as ######, I think.

I haven't been to a Bills game since 2004. It was fun. But the whole point was parking lot drinking. The game was a side show.

[SwampD]

That's pretty much it. Being able to get drunk as f*ck with your buddies is definitely the only thing that keeps people going to Bills games.

It's also only 8 times a year.

[WildCard]

I've given away three so far.

I'm always here if you feel like giving away more  :ph34r:

[Stoner]

The one quote about how the guy felt excited to be going, then the excitement just drained away once he got to the arena, rang a bell with me. I often feel this way. Look at the picture. Depressed, bored, slouching people. Maybe a culling of these people from the stands would be good. Why go if you're that miserable?

 

Anyway, maybe what MODO says happens in Swedish arenas could help here. Each section has a captain or captains to get things going.

[darksabre]

The one quote about how the guy felt excited to be going, then the excitement just drained away once he got to the arena, rang a bell with me. I often feel this way. Look at the picture. Depressed, bored, slouching people. Maybe a culling of these people from the stands would be good. Why go if you're that miserable?

 

Anyway, maybe what MODO says happens in Swedish arenas could help here. Each section has a captain or captains to get things going.

It'll never happen. People don't go to Sabres games to cheer and have fun. They go to say they went.

[Claude_Verret]

This quote I think has more to do with it than anything specific to the Sabres.

 

 

 He’s attended two Sabres games this season, a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay and a 3-2 loss to Nashville, and he walked away unimpressed by the sport itself.

“Both of them were just incredibly boring,” he said. “The whole time I was sitting there I was like, ‘Why am I here?’ It’s more of a displeasure with the actual NHL product rather than the Sabres.”

 

[Stoner]

It'll never happen. People don't go to Sabres games to cheer and have fun. They go to say they went.

Well, something's going to change. This is hitting the suits and bean-counters now. Look out. Someone might even tell Terry about it.

 

Can we add Kim's re-envisioning of the arena atmosphere as one more example of how terrible these people are at owning these teams? Set the mission, fund it, hire good people, get out of the way. These teams don't exist for the glorification of their massive egos.

Edited December 24, 2015 by pASabreFan

[SwampD]

The problem is that for years, RJ has been making awful hockey actually sound exciting at home. Now that we are seeing better hockey in the arena, but without his play-by-play, it seems boring.

 

Solution - pump in RJ's play-by-play into the arena.

[dudacek]

The bit about not being vested in the outcomes rang true to me.

The tank may be over, but too many of us trained ourselves to not die with every loss, and to not expect much this year.

I like watching the team this year, but pure joy and anger haven't been common.

I really think it will take a playoff race, or some sustained Echel Magic - preferably both together - to bring it back.

[Stoner]

This quote I think has more to do with it than anything specific to the Sabres.

Theres's a very odd logical disconnect to that statement though. Kind of how we all rail against low scoring games but love it when the Sabres win four of five, allowing seven goals.

[darksabre]

Well, something's going to change. This is hitting the suits and bean-counters now. Look out. Someone might even tell Terry about it.

 

Can we add Kim's re-envisioning of the arena atmosphere as one more example of how terrible these people are at owning these teams? Set the mission, fund it, hire good people, get out of the way. These teams don't exist for the glorification of their massive egos.

I think the arena experience has gotten better. I really enjoyed my preseason visit. But it's the people and the underperforming team that are sucking the air out of the place.

[Samson's Flow]

This quote I think has more to do with it than anything specific to the Sabres.

In the four games I have gone to this year, my experience was similar to the quote you provided. I think that my enthusiasm for the Sabres is in the top 5% of the Buffalo population, and there were even times where there were limited scoring chances and nothing really happening where I thought - why did I buy a ticket for this?

 

The $25 Kerfuffle concert tickets were a way better value than the $30 Sabres tickets in terms of entertainment level. That's a problem.

Theres's a very odd logical disconnect to that statement though. Kind of how we all rail against low scoring games but love it when the Sabres win four of five, allowing seven goals.

I'd much rather see lots of back and forth scoring and a loss than a 1-0 Sabres win snooze-fest. In the 5-3 Sabres loss, I have three times where I get to watch a quality play that led to a goal, where I can then stand and cheer and high-five my friends. 

 

The current product just doesn't have enough opportunities to cheer quality play. This is a league-wide problem, save for a few teams like the Stars this year.

[Eleven]

I'm always here if you feel like giving away more  :ph34r:

 

Where were you last week when I started a thread about how I couldn't use my Thursday tickets?

[Weave]

In the four games I have gone to this year, my experience was similar to the quote you provided. I think that my enthusiasm for the Sabres is in the top 5% of the Buffalo population, and there were even times where there were limited scoring chances and nothing really happening where I thought - why did I buy a ticket for this?

 

The $25 Kerfuffle concert tickets were a way better value than the $30 Sabres tickets in terms of entertainment level. That's a problem.

I'd much rather see lots of back and forth scoring and a loss than a 1-0 Sabres win snooze-fest. In the 5-3 Sabres loss, I have three times where I get to watch a quality play that led to a goal, where I can then stand and cheer and high-five my friends. 

 

The current product just doesn't have enough opportunities to cheer quality play. This is a league-wide problem, save for a few teams like the Stars this year.

 

The hockey I long for is from the days of Lafontaine and Mogilny.  I haven't paid for a ticket to a Sabres game since the mediocre team with a great goalie was on the ice.  And I'll continue to watch at home until the product is entertaining enough to justify the price for me to drive out, park, eat, and drink, in addition to the price of admission.  Given the recent decisions of the board of governors, I don't see that happening any time soon.

[Stoner]

I think the arena experience has gotten better. I really enjoyed my preseason visit. But it's the people and the underperforming team that are sucking the air out of the place.

Examples of a better experience?

 

It's the little things. They often play "Shake it off" after the opponent scores. That would irk the crap out of me if I was a player. It just reeks of people who don't have a sense for the game making that decision and I'll leave it at that. And please stop announcing the opponent's goal three minutes after play has resumed. Do it before the faceoff. Who wants to be reminded you got scored on after it's already being put away in your head? Stupid. The organist's musical choices are atrocious. And, oh yeah, Doug Allen shouldn't be the anthem singer, whether or not 47 people shout "oooooggggieeeee" before he starts.

[WildCard]

Where were you last week when I started a thread about how I couldn't use my Thursday tickets?

Waist deep in Finals unfortunately. I really wanted to take you up on that too

[SwampD]

Examples of a better experience?

 

It's the little things. They often play "Shake it off" after the opponent scores. That would irk the crap out of me if I was a player. It just reeks of people who don't have a sense for the game making that decision and I'll leave it at that. And please stop announcing the opponent's goal three minutes after play has resumed. Do it before the faceoff. Who wants to be reminded you got scored on after it's already being put away in your head? Stupid. The organist's musical choices are atrocious. And, oh yeah, Doug Allen shouldn't be the anthem singer, whether or not 47 people shout "oooooggggieeeee" before he starts.

Other than Doug, all of those things happen at every arena (at least the ones I have been to). 

 

I wonder if there is any correlation between NHL fan enthusiasm and the decline in fighting. If players don't care enough about the game to get mad enough to fight, why should the fans care?

[LTS]

I'll got to a game or two a year if I can.  If I get offered tickets I'll do my best to go.  I don't avoid it because of the product on the ice or the arena atmosphere.  It's simple economics and time. Especially living in Rochester.

 

Do I want fans to be cheering and such when I am there? Sure.  Do I care that much? No, not really.  I love hockey, all kinds of hockey at all levels. So I will be entertained enough. I can do without all the music between breaks.

 

 

The game of hockey is methodical now.  It's all systems and covering the ice.  You can look at analytics and say that it probably had quite a bit to do with it. The creative player is less creative because the system says they should do X or Y most of the time. Wide open hockey played on the brink of scoring with wild chances just does not exist anymore.  I don't think it has anything to do with ice size, player size, goalie equipment, etc. I think it has to do with players being worried about their position in the lineup and coaches and GMs looking at the door wondering how risky they can play it before they end up out of a job.

 

You see at times wide open play in the game.  Players are up and down the ice and it's crazy.  Fans love it.  But coaches and GMs are going to tell you that the team shouldn't be playing that way.

 

This is perhaps where the fluid nature of hockey actually hurts it. Players are a bit more cautious because one mis-step and things go the other way too quickly.  Better to be safe than sorry I suppose. 

 

Who knows.. I could be completely off my rocker here too.

[DirtDart]

The one quote about how the guy felt excited to be going, then the excitement just drained away once he got to the arena, rang a bell with me. I often feel this way. Look at the picture. Depressed, bored, slouching people. Maybe a culling of these people from the stands would be good. Why go if you're that miserable?

 

Anyway, maybe what MODO says happens in Swedish arenas could help here. Each section has a captain or captains to get things going.

We'll need something, it's embarrassing to be the only one screaming like an idiot.

[dudacek]

I'll got to a game or two a year if I can.  If I get offered tickets I'll do my best to go.  I don't avoid it because of the product on the ice or the arena atmosphere.  It's simple economics and time. Especially living in Rochester.

 

Do I want fans to be cheering and such when I am there? Sure.  Do I care that much? No, not really.  I love hockey, all kinds of hockey at all levels. So I will be entertained enough. I can do without all the music between breaks.

 

 

The game of hockey is methodical now.  It's all systems and covering the ice.  You can look at analytics and say that it probably had quite a bit to do with it. The creative player is less creative because the system says they should do X or Y most of the time. Wide open hockey played on the brink of scoring with wild chances just does not exist anymore.  I don't think it has anything to do with ice size, player size, goalie equipment, etc. I think it has to do with players being worried about their position in the lineup and coaches and GMs looking at the door wondering how risky they can play it before they end up out of a job.

 

You see at times wide open play in the game.  Players are up and down the ice and it's crazy.  Fans love it.  But coaches and GMs are going to tell you that the team shouldn't be playing that way.

 

This is perhaps where the fluid nature of hockey actually hurts it. Players are a bit more cautious because one mis-step and things go the other way too quickly.  Better to be safe than sorry I suppose. 

 

Who knows.. I could be completely off my rocker here too.

Good coaches have got the game figured out. Winning teams have good players playing the game the right way.

And the right way doesn't want unpredictability and artistry. It's not smart hockey, as Jack Eichel is learning.

 

It's why a radical change is needed; the machine has swallowed the joy.