TBN piece on sagging attendance, enthusiasm in arena

[Stoner]

When I was there in 2006 (a few weeks after the Sabres got Hitchcock fired), they did it for the Flyers starting line-up, too.

But, boooooo, they are bad fans, not like the GREATEST FANS IN THE WORLD.

[beerme1]

Goals will get the arena loud. Goals and wins. Enthusiasm returns when those products do.

Last night had a good vibe and decent volume after we scored. That one time.

[Iron Crotch]

At my age, I don't like to read about anything "sagging."

 

:(

[MattPie]

It really is goals. GOALS. Here in the Sabre fandom %1ers, we seem evenly divided whether a closely played 2-1 game is some great hockey or a 5-4 shootout is great hockey. The casual fan doesn't see it that way, they want to see goals, fights, and hits. If fights and hits need to be toned down for the safety of the players, there better be goals to make it up. Right now, the casual fans aren't getting any of it.

[drnkirishone]

The nhl game is just not that exciting anymore. The whole concept of pass back to the point and wrist/slap a shot on goal for a deflection/screen does not make for entertaining hockey. The simple answer is make it easier to score goals. That alone may not fix the problem of unexciting hockey thou

[nfreeman]

This.

 

That Capitals team? Fairly fearsome.

 

Am I to believe that the Buffalo fans can't hoot and holler like a D.C. hockey crowd? Talk about your Chet and Muffy corporate scene.

 

We're also chasing our tails a bit. I've heard it various ways: Casual fans bring down the vibe; casual fans bring up the vibe; overly invested fans bring down the vibe; heavily invested and attentive fans are needed to create atmosphere; etc.

 

I've been in that arena when the team was rolling. I look forward to doing so again.

Goals will get the arena loud. Goals and wins. Enthusiasm returns when those products do.

Last night had a good vibe and decent volume after we scored. That one time.

 

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

 

The fans, savagely and cruelly burned too many times already, aren't going to buy in emotionally until they believe that the payoff is coming in return.

[TrueBlueGED]

TrueBlueGED, and anyone else who was at the game, what was the crowd like yesterday, in general and when Jack scored? And in any other game, is it louder when Jack scores than when other players do?

Qualitatively people appear a little more excited when Jack scores, no clue if that translates to noise. I will say the entire nature of the crowd changed after his goal. It went from morgue to playoff-like for the rest of the game (until Detroit took that late lead).

The nhl game is just not that exciting anymore. The whole concept of pass back to the point and wrist/slap a shot on goal for a deflection/screen does not make for entertaining hockey. The simple answer is make it easier to score goals. That alone may not fix the problem of unexciting hockey thou

This is where I'm at. Even the good teams regularly produce a pretty bland product.

[qwksndmonster]

Qualitatively people appear a little more excited when Jack scores, no clue if that translates to noise. I will say the entire nature of the crowd changed after his goal. It went from morgue to playoff-like for the rest of the game (until Detroit took that late lead).

 

Playoff-like, really?

[TrueBlueGED]

Playoff-like, really?

Exaggeration, of course. But there were dueling chants between Sabres and Wings fans. It was a legitimately good atmosphere.

[qwksndmonster]

Exaggeration, of course. But there were dueling chants between Sabres and Wings fans. It was a legitimately good atmosphere.

Neat. Glad to know we can break the mold every now and again.

[WildCard]

Goals will get the arena loud. Goals and wins. Enthusiasm returns when those products do.

Last night had a good vibe and decent volume after we scored. That one time.

Exactly. That place was buzzing when we scored, and when we had scoring chances in a close game. But after the 3-1 lead, everyone just died. Not their fault, they've seen for the last 4 years