Sabres' brass LOVES Leafs fans at FNC

[Weave]

I wholeheartedly object to any disciplinary action threatened against PA on the basis of this thread.

 

Do I think it's a stupid thread? Maybe :P

 

But I don't see any reason it shouldn't exist. And the only person who has been out of line in here is LGR. Has he been warned?

 

I have to admit, I didn't foresee Liger going with a homophobic insult.  I guess stress brings out our true selves.....

[...]

PASabreFan, on 31 Jan 2016 - 6:58 PM, said:

I've been warned by chz that if I continue to be the poster that I am -- which I've been since 2005 -- I will be "limited," whatever that means. I'm not changing, and I don't feel like being "limited." (I can't stand to lose any.) So I guess this is it. It was a nice run. To be clear, none of my posts were removed. So it is what it is. The regulars will have to decide if they like the direction the management of this board is going. I knew this topic would be a hot one. Got a little too close to the fire, I guess!

 

You have to be kidding me.  Warned over this?  I think someone  has been a mod too long.

[Stoner]

I didn't lock the thread, but since I can unlock it, I just did. Let's stay on topic though. I think pieces have been said.

[That Aud Smell]

ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!

 

Oh, right: Stay on topic. Sorry.

[darksabre]

I understand your complaint here. You want fans to take better ownership over their turf and you think it should start with the team setting an example. I disagree, but I think that's your angle.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I completely agree that this thread and discussion should not have been locked.

 

That said, I agree with d4rk's angle.

 

Management should not be advertising that the arena is open to out of towners and all that jazz that goes along with it.

 

Makes me think that they are focused on money, when the owner himself proudly stated that it was all about (reason for existence, blah, blah, blah ...) was to win cups.  If he wanted to make money he'd just ...

[That Aud Smell]

Management should not be advertising that the arena is open to out of towners and all that jazz that goes along with it.

 

Makes me think that they are focused on money, when the owner himself proudly stated that it was all about (reason for existence, blah, blah, blah ...) was to win cups.  If he wanted to make money he'd just ...

 

Rather than type it again:

 

Something to bear in mind: It's fecking reality that Buffalo lacks the corporate base that anchors pro sports franchises. (Yes, yes - drill another well - but, look, he can't rightly run the franchise as a money pit!)

Marketing to southern Ontario is a huge and essential part of the Sabre's, the Bills', and Buffalo's economic future.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

 

 

 

Rather than type it again:

 

 

I understand all that and appreciate that they will market these to the outsiders, but maybe the approach should be to target out of town Sabre fans and not Leaf fans.  That I would be OK with, as it does not smack of $ making schemes.

 

Leaf fans will be coming anyway.

[That Aud Smell]

I understand all that and appreciate that they will market these to the outsiders, but maybe the approach should be to target out of town Sabre fans and not Leaf fans.  That I would be OK with, as it does not smack of $ making schemes.

 

Leaf fans will be coming anyway.

 

Copy that. And I tend to agree. Why should the Sabres FO openly court the fans of an opponent? A rival?

 

Yes. Even in the context of a puff piece, travel article.

 

It's a more than fair question.

[woods-racer]

Well, here comes more free consulting for the Sabres. If I ever apply to them for a job, I should mention Sabrespace...

 

No one will argue with, or "blame", the Sabres FO for marketing to the Southern Ontario market. The issue is how they do it. If they're going to market there use this as the mission statement: "we love hockey fans from Southern Ontario, and we love it when they come to our games. Our goal, every time they're here, is to turn them into Sabres fans if they're not one already..."

 

Boom. Done. Every time they mention a house packed with fans of the enemy team, they say that the goal is to convert them into Sabres fans.

They could have a lot of fun with a campaign like "come to the blue and gold side, it is your destiny..."

Good stuff! Asking them to come and adding fuel to the rivalry. 

 

I'm with PA and Sizzle on this.

 

Court the SO fans as hockey fans. Don't court Toronto fans.

 

Quite honestly a bush league PR campaign by a multi billion dollar company.

 

Edit:

 

Finished reading the thread. I've been busy. First time to get a read through of the forum.

 

This is the best and most thought provoking thread going in the last week. It took place during the All Star break where John Scott won the MVP. The irony of it all.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Woods-Racer

[shrader]

I understand all that and appreciate that they will market these to the outsiders, but maybe the approach should be to target out of town Sabre fans and not Leaf fans.  That I would be OK with, as it does not smack of $ making schemes.

 

Leaf fans will be coming anyway.

 

How do you differentiate between the two from a marketing standpoint, specifically when you're talking to a market that is going to have both?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

How do you differentiate between the two from a marketing standpoint, specifically when you're talking to a market that is going to have both?

 

You probably can't so it's best just to send out the ads saying ... attention our of town Sabre fans we want you ... or something like that.

[darksabre]

You probably can't so it's best just to send out the ads saying ... attention our of town Sabre fans we want you ... or something like that.

Yeah, but that's not who they want. They want the fans of opposing teams. I reckon we could extend this beyond just the Leafs. 

[That Aud Smell]

Yeah, but that's not who they want. They want the fans of opposing teams. I reckon we could extend this beyond just the Leafs. 

 

Hmmm. That's a thought-provoker. Yet ... I don't like it.

 

I think I don't like it.

 

Like, will the Bills be pushing weekend travel packages to Jets fans? Charter an entire JetBlue flight, put them up at Canalside, with shuttles to the stadium?

[Patty16]

This has been one of the most overblown threads in a long time. He said he 1)loves SO fans and noted, correctly,  and 2) that Leafs fans take up 30-40%..... 

 

this some way turns into open courting? advocating for visiting fans?  

 

What's he supposed to say? that he dislikes SO fans? many of whom support the sabres?  Isnt that the one the reasons the sabres got themselves on SO tv back in 2013? 

 

or 2) stating a correct fact? 

 

Leafs fans wouldn't be able to take up that much if SABRES fans wouldn't sell their tickets. It has nothing to do with marketing or this silly article. 

[Claude_Verret]

This has been one of the most overblown threads in a long time. He said he 1)loves SO fans and noted, correctly, and 2) that Leafs fans take up 30-40%.....

 

this some way turns into open courting? advocating for visiting fans?

 

What's he supposed to say? that he dislikes SO fans? many of whom support the sabres? Isnt that the one the reasons the sabres got themselves on SO tv back in 2013?

 

or 2) stating a correct fact?

 

Leafs fans wouldn't be able to take up that much if SABRES fans wouldn't sell their tickets. It has nothing to do with marketing or this silly article.

Overblown? From PA? Nonsense!!

[Patty16]

Yeah, but that's not who they want. They want the fans of opposing teams. I reckon we could extend this beyond just the Leafs. 

 

 

what is this based on? 

[Stoner]

This has been one of the most overblown threads in a long time. He said he 1)loves SO fans and noted, correctly,  and 2) that Leafs fans take up 30-40%..... 

 

this some way turns into open courting? advocating for visiting fans?  

 

What's he supposed to say? that he dislikes SO fans? many of whom support the sabres?  Isnt that the one the reasons the sabres got themselves on SO tv back in 2013? 

 

or 2) stating a correct fact? 

 

Leafs fans wouldn't be able to take up that much if SABRES fans wouldn't sell their tickets. It has nothing to do with marketing or this silly article. 

I guess it must be easy to read over the phrase "Leafs fan" in Gilbert's quote.

 

To give the benefit of the doubt: 1. Misquote? 2. Maybe a one-off comment. Is there other evidence of a concentrated marketing campaign targeting Leafs fans?

 

It's something to watch.

[darksabre]

what is this based on? 

Because it's literally what Gilbert said. 

[...]

Again, the Sabres must market to Southern Ontario, and it's rational and reasonable to do so.  Of course no one is saying the opposing teams' fans should NOT be in our barn.  It does make for an energetic environment here, and we would not want Sabres fans to be dis-allowed at away games.  The latter two points are so obvious, it's pretty ridiculous I feel the need to point that out at all.

 

The issue is the Sabres INVITING the opposing teams' fans here.  It's bush-league.

 

"Oh, well, we like Toronto fans here because, honestly, our fans don't fill the seats even though we sell out our season tickets every year."

 

"Come on down, Leafs fans, and fill the First Niagara Center, our team isn't good (yet, we hope), and yours ain't either, but it's a lot cheaper for you to come here and we have decent food and donuts."

 

"You Southern Ontario hockey fans, come down and watch your favorite Canadian team when they visit the Sabres....we don't mind it when the cheers for Canadian teams are louder than for the Sabres when the Sabres are scored against at home.  No problem. We'll just shut up and take it because we need the money...no, no don't add that, that's not part of the copy."

[That Aud Smell]

To give the benefit of the doubt: 1. Misquote? 2. Maybe a one-off comment. Is there other evidence of a concentrated marketing campaign targeting Leafs fans?

 

It's something to watch.

 

Agreed.

Finally got around to reading the piece, and for those who were saying this sounded like a press release, I thought the same thing when I read lines like these (the bolded pieces especially):

 

With the opening of the Harborcenter sports and entertainment complex directly connected to the NHL arena, and the stunning outdoor ice skating rink at Canalside directly across the street, Leafs fans can turn what was once a single game outing into an all-inclusive, two-day cross-border getaway, enjoying an array of restaurant options, unique locally owned retail shops, overnight accommodations and a one of a kind ice skating experience practically under one roof.

 

By the time the final horn blows to end the game, a good night's sleep is probably what you're thinking of most. Marriott hotels have you covered with not one, but two locations steps from the FNC. The Courtyard Buffalo Downtown/Canalside is a skip away, while attached to the arena itself is the brand new Buffalo Marriott Harborcenter, providing an unparalleled experience in hotel comfort and convenience.

 

That said, my take is that Visit Buffalo Niagara was the entity that made something like this happen -- possibly initiating the contact and writing the press release.

[LTS]

"Hey Leafs fans, our location in Buffalo is great for you.  We have all kinds of hotels and food not to mention hockey. Blah Blah Blah"

 

Sabres marketing to local business owners:

 

"Hey, check it out, we are working to draw in more out of town fans to help boost your business.  Care to advertise with the Sabres?"

 

I'm struggling to imagine just how people seem to be getting so worked up over nothing.

[Taro T]

"Hey Leafs fans, our location in Buffalo is great for you.  We have all kinds of hotels and food not to mention hockey. Blah Blah Blah"

 

Sabres marketing to local business owners:

 

"Hey, check it out, we are working to draw in more out of town fans to help boost your business.  Care to advertise with the Sabres?"

 

I'm struggling to imagine just how people seem to be getting so worked up over nothing.

You new here?

[Patty16]

I guess it must be easy to read over the phrase "Leafs fan" in Gilbert's quote.

 

To give the benefit of the doubt: 1. Misquote? 2. Maybe a one-off comment. Is there other evidence of a concentrated marketing campaign targeting Leafs fans?

 

It's something to watch.

 

Again, lets not be purposefully obtuse PA.    I included the Leafs fan part of the quote.  He stated 30-40% fill the arena when TO is in town. This is true.  That is not advocating Leafs fans over sabres fans. 

 

Its the Hamilton paper doing a piece on people driving down to Buffalo for games. Not a press release by the team recruiting Leafs fans. It talks about the scene and then the Sabres VP of comm relations says 30-40% fill the arena when TO is in town.  He also says he loves SO, ya know the area that has tons of Bills and Sabres fans who fill both arenas.  

 

What would you propose as a better response?  Don't come if you aren't a Sabres fan?? 

 

Because it's literally what Gilbert said. 

 

Literally he did not. He stated what percent come to games. That does not mean he wants Leafs fans over Sabres fans, like you said. 

 

 

The team got the Sabres on TV to generate more fans from SO, not to recruit more Leafs fan. 

 

There's a lot of willful misreading of that article going on here. 

 

 

Again, wouldn't sabres STH be more responsible for Leafs fan attendance since they are the ones who directly facilitate it? 

"Hey Leafs fans, our location in Buffalo is great for you.  We have all kinds of hotels and food not to mention hockey. Blah Blah Blah"

 

Sabres marketing to local business owners:

 

"Hey, check it out, we are working to draw in more out of town fans to help boost your business.  Care to advertise with the Sabres?"

 

I'm struggling to imagine just how people seem to be getting so worked up over nothing.

 

 

It's the same cast of characters using the usual nonsense. 

[darksabre]

Literally he did not. He stated what percent come to games. That does not mean he wants Leafs fans over Sabres fans, like you said.

 

Let's talk about willful misreading. If that's what you think I said then you're reaching.