Sabres' brass LOVES Leafs fans at FNC

[Stoner]

 

"We love Southern Ontario Leafs fans," says Michael Gilbert, VP of public and community relations for the Buffalo Sabres. "When the Leafs are in town, thirty to forty per cent of fans holding tickets are from Southern Ontario," he adds.

http://www.thespec.com/living-story/6255194-shuffle-off-to-buffalo-to-watch-the-leafs/

 

Why do the Sabres love enemy fans in their building? Because they'll stay at the Marriott and buy donuts the next morning? The linked article is a very thinly veiled press release from the Sabres about what to do before and after a game (hint: you don't have to leave Pegulaville).

 

That sound you just heard is one more of the million things you do to win a Cup getting flushed down the toilet. You don't do anything to see your home ice advantage get hurt, let alone actively encouraging it. WTF! What's next, taking a couple of games to Hamilton each season? I mean, why not? It would do wonders for future attendance in Buffalo, and Timbit sales.

 

Smell, please spare me your tired "Pangloss/prescriptive tendency" routine. For a franchise that bragged that "Starting today..." there is no defending this statement by one of the team's vice presidents, who I presume is speaking for the franchise itself. Speaking of which, I wonder where Terry comes down on this. Meddling? On the business side, on something that impacts the team, hell yes. He can't possibly love Leafs fans in the building in droves, can he, being the fanatic superfan that he is?

[TrueBlueGED]

Have you been to Leafs game recently? They're fun.

[Taro T]

http://www.thespec.com/living-story/6255194-shuffle-off-to-buffalo-to-watch-the-leafs/

 

Why do the Sabres love enemy fans in their building? Because they'll stay at the Marriott and buy donuts the next morning? The linked article is a very thinly veiled press release from the Sabres about what to do before and after a game (hint: you don't have to leave Pegulaville).

 

That sound you just heard is one more of the million things you do to win a Cup getting flushed down the toilet. You don't do anything to see your home ice advantage get hurt, let alone actively encouraging it. WTF! What's next, taking a couple of games to Hamilton each season? I mean, why not? It would do wonders for future attendance in Buffalo, and Timbit sales.

 

Smell, please spare me your tired "Pangloss/prescriptive tendency" routine. For a franchise that bragged that "Starting today..." there is no defending this statement by one of the team's vice presidents, who I presume is speaking for the franchise itself. Speaking of which, I wonder where Terry comes down on this. Meddling? On the business side, on something that impacts the team, hell yes. He can't possibly love Leafs fans in the building in droves, can he, being the fanatic superfan that he is?

Umm, is the answer because the guy doing the talking is head of PR & he's speaking to a TO based reporter doing a piece for a Hamilton newspaper? :unsure:

 

You know how you can tell when a marketer is lying? Yep, when the gums are flapping. (And that one works regardless of the audience.) ;) The October Loafs game had a lot of empty seats IIRC. The guy in charge of getting butts in those seats is trying to do his job. Obviously he'd prefer (one would hope) to see '06 level fan distribution for that game (the blocks of ticket broker seats being the location for the vast majority of B&W short bus helmet wearing patrons), but it is pretty clear that until the Sabres get good again, it's not happening. At least not as long as PTR (& others) can get 4 times what he paid for the tix by selling to a B&W short bus helmet wearer. (And that is regardless of what the Sabres list the window price at.)

[apuszczalowski]

Actually, the PR guy never said anything about Leafs fans, he said people from Southern Ontario, it's the writer from a Hamilton Newspaper who wrote the article advertising the game experience in and around the rink for Leafs fans.

 

What he left out was the fact that buying tickets is as easy as finding a Sabres fan with season tickets who will gladly sell his Leafs tickets for a profit to pay off his season tickets and then whine and complain that the arena is like a morgue or the arena is taken over by the enemy.

[darksabre]

I like it when the Leafs fans come down. It's fun being egged on by their fans.

[Stoner]

Actually, the PR guy never said anything about Leafs fans, he said people from Southern Ontario, it's the writer from a Hamilton Newspaper who wrote the article advertising the game experience in and around the rink for Leafs fans.

 

What he left out was the fact that buying tickets is as easy as finding a Sabres fan with season tickets who will gladly sell his Leafs tickets for a profit to pay off his season tickets and then whine and complain that the arena is like a morgue or the arena is taken over by the enemy.

Read the quote again.

[That Aud Smell]

Not a good look.

 

This isn't PA being PAngloss.

 

Gilbert is a bit of a tool.

 

I too like the Leaf-Sabre atmosphere at our arena. But for a senior FO member to embrace them like that? A little weird.

 

Anyway. I don't place much significance in this relative to the goal of winning a Cup. That goal is almost entirely on the hockey side of ops. The investment in facilities and amenities is, if anything, helping that cause. The atmosphere that Canadian fans create for all visiting Canadian franchises, and especially the Leafs, is fun and energizing for everyone, players includied.

[darksabre]

Not a good look.

 

This isn't PA being PAngloss.

 

Gilbert is a bit of a tool.

 

I too like the Leaf-Sabre atmosphere at our arena. But for a senior FO member to embrace them like that? A little weird.

 

Anyway. I don't place much significance in this relative to the goal of winning a Cup. That goal is almost entirely on the hockey side of ops. The investment in facilities and amenities is, if anything, helping that cause. The atmosphere that Canadian fans create for all visiting Canadian franchises, and especially the Leafs, is fun and energizing for everyone, players includied.

Aren't they technically part of our market? Why not embrace them?

[Stoner]

Umm, is the answer because the guy doing the talking is head of PR & he's speaking to a TO based reporter doing a piece for a Hamilton newspaper? :unsure:

Nope, try again. Man, you come off as arrogant.

[Eleven]

It's a travel article...

[Stoner]

Aren't they technically part of our market? Why not embrace them?

Leafs fans? The idea is to have Canadian fans who are cheering for us.

 

It's like death by a million pin pricks. I can't stand this site anymore, I swear.

It's a travel article...

Thanks.

 

Canada's a separate country too!

 

WTF is going on.

[That Aud Smell]

Aren't they technically part of our market? Why not embrace them?

Fair.

 

But why call them Leaf fans? The FO should credibly say they want the building filled with Sabre fans, wherever they're from. Plenty of Sabre fans from Southern Ontario, BTW.

 

Man, you come off as arrogant.

Disagree. Who peed in your Cheerios? Edited January 30, 2016 by That Aud Smell

[LTS]

The Sabres want butts in seats.  Butts in seats spend money which in turn makes money.  This is a business.

 

If the Sabres fans are going to sell their tickets to Leafs fans then the Sabres brass has no choice BUT to embrace those fans because they are the one's who are spending their money.

 

I suppose Gilbert could go the other way.

 

"No, we hate Leafs fans.  We despise our season ticket holders selling their seats to them. We need to crack down on that and constrain the season ticket holders from selling their seats somehow."

 

The problem is the season ticket holders.  I hate seeing so many Leafs fans at games but it's a hell of a lot better than empty seats.  The season ticket holders are the ones who create the problem.

[Stoner]

Like Taro T. doesn't deserve/can't take a little tweak.

[Eleven]

Writer: "Hi, I'm a travel writer for the Hamilton Spectator.  Care to comment on Toronto fans coming to your city to watch hockey?"

 

PR guy for a team whose owner also owns a nearby hotel, restaurant, and donut shop:  " 'em.  We hate them.  Stay in Ontario."

 

Yeah, that's gonna happen.

[Taro T]

Like Taro T. doesn't deserve/can't take a little tweak.

As Qwk would say: whatevs.

[darksabre]

Fair.

 

But why call them Leaf fans? The FO should credibly say they want the building filled with Sabre fans, wherever they're from. Plenty of Sabre fans from Southern Ontario, BTW.

 

Why say you don't want Leafs fans?

[Stoner]

The Sabres want butts in seats.  Butts in seats spend money which in turn makes money.  This is a business.

 

If the Sabres fans are going to sell their tickets to Leafs fans then the Sabres brass has no choice BUT to embrace those fans because they are the one's who are spending their money.

 

I suppose Gilbert could go the other way.

 

"No, we hate Leafs fans.  We despise our season ticket holders selling their seats to them. We need to crack down on that and constrain the season ticket holders from selling their seats somehow."

 

The problem is the season ticket holders.  I hate seeing so many Leafs fans at games but it's a hell of a lot better than empty seats.  The season ticket holders are the ones who create the problem.

Think about the children! Seriously, think about them. What do Eichel and Reinhart and the others think about the arena situation? About the Sabres wanting it to be ACC South. I would hope as pros it doesn't matter, but they're human beings too. I wish someone like ROR would speak out against it.

 

Yep, LTS, that's exactly what I want Gilbert to say. I wish Terry would say it. The template was laid when Terry said things like he'd drill another well or there's no salary cap on scouting and such. If Leaf fans start staying away and the season ticket holders who sell their tickets take a bath, great. Whatever effect that has on my wallet, probably minimal, would be a small price to pay if I was a multibillionaire who loved the Sabres.

 

My God, can we not get behind anything on this board? Who can be in favor or more Leaf fans in our building? Or is it Obama telling the Republicans he's opposed to gay marriage and the Republicans saying, "Come to think of it..."

[Eleven]

Fair.

 

But why call them Leaf fans? The FO should credibly say they want the building filled with Sabre fans, wherever they're from. Plenty of Sabre fans from Southern Ontario, BTW.

 

 

Because that's what the article is about.  It is a travel article about Leaves fans coming here to watch hockey.

[darksabre]

Think about the children! Seriously, think about them. What do Eichel and Reinhart and the others think about the arena situation? About the Sabres wanting it to be ACC South. I would hope as pros it doesn't matter, but they're human beings too. I wish someone like ROR would speak out against it.

 

Yep, LTS, that's exactly what I want Gilbert to say. I wish Terry would say it. The template was laid when Terry said things like he'd drill another well or there's no salary cap on scouting and such. If Leaf fans start staying away and the season ticket holders who sell their tickets take a bath, great. Whatever effect that has on my wallet, probably minimal, would be a small price to pay if I was a multibillionaire who loved the Sabres.

 

My God, can we not get behind anything on this board? Who can be in favor or more Leaf fans in our building? Or is it Obama telling the Republicans he's opposed to gay marriage and the Republicans saying, "Come to think of it..."

You get upset about the dumbest stuff.

 

Go take a walk. Watch the birds. There's more to life.

[Stoner]

Writer: "Hi, I'm a travel writer for the Hamilton Spectator.  Care to comment on Toronto fans coming to your city to watch hockey?"

 

PR guy for a team whose owner also owns a nearby hotel, restaurant, and donut shop:  "###### 'em.  We hate them.  Stay in Ontario."

 

Yeah, that's gonna happen.

Did you read that dreck article? Dollars to doooonuts it's slightly rewritten copy provided by the team. The Sabres initiated the contact, I'd guess, because as Taro said Leaf fan attendance seems to be on the wane. And we can't have that.

[Eleven]

Look, I'd be pissed if Murray or Rolston 2.0 were saying it to a sports reporter.  A PR guy saying it to a travel writer?  Not so much.

Did you read that dreck article? Dollars to doooonuts it's slightly rewritten copy provided by the team. The Sabres initiated the contact, I'd guess, because as Taro said Leaf fan attendance seems to be on the wane. And we can't have that.

 

Now you're out of your mind.

[Stoner]

You get upset about the dumbest stuff.

 

Go take a walk. Watch the birds. There's more to life.

When I don't get upset about a team vice president encouraging Leaf fans to populate our building, I will hang em up and do just that.

 

This has Brandon written all over it. I remember Ted Black on a number of occasions remembering how much he hated out of town fans coming to Pittsburgh. I think he also said the same about the Leaf fans. The bottom line was there wasn't much he could do to stop it. But to encourage it? Ick.

Look, I'd be pissed if Murray or Rolston 2.0 were saying it to a sports reporter.  A PR guy saying it to a travel writer?  Not so much.

 

Now you're out of your mind.

I still don't think you've read it. Does it read like a travel piece to you?

[Taro T]

Did you read that dreck article? Dollars to doooonuts it's slightly rewritten copy provided by the team. The Sabres initiated the contact, I'd guess, because as Taro said Leaf fan attendance seems to be on the wane. And we can't have that.

Purely out of curiosity, how did you find this article?

[Eleven]

 

I still don't think you've read it. Does it read like a travel piece to you?

 

"Lorne Opler is a travel writer based in Toronto."

 

Have YOU read it?

 

Also, there's a quote from someone from Visit Buffalo Niagara.

 

​Yes, it's a travel piece.