Speaking of the Aud . . .

[ParkMeadow]

Thanks for all the wonderful vignettes - what a great Thanksgiving thread!

I also have many memories from the old Aud, from taking the #13 bus at age 10 with my 12 year old brother at night to see the Bisons (definitely a different time then) right up through seeing the Dead in concert shortly before I moved away from Buffalo in 1978.  Neo is spot on - it was certainly more than just a building.

The smoke used to be so thick that the upper level was shrouded in a haze before they changed the rule to allow smoking only in the concourses.  I remember my dad, may he Rest In Peace, would smoke his cigar between periods and leave it on top of the fire alarm so that he could go out and finish it at the second intermission!

Favorite games?  Two come to mind right away.  First was the Bruins game in Schoenfeld's rookie year when he had THREE fights, taking on Bobby Orr, Cashman (they broke open the zamboni door and continued whaling away off the ice), and finally Carol Vadnais.  And we won the game to boot.  Second was the last game of the Sabres second or third season when Gerry Meehan scored late to beat the Flyers and knock them out of a playoff spot.  The place went nuts, and it was foreshadowing of a couple of great seasons to follow.

I have only been back to a couple of games in the replacement building, and while it seems nice and fairly modern, it does not have the character or personality of the Aud, which can never be replicated.

[JJFIVEOH]

I must have been about 5, I went to a game and our tickets were right next to the room for the organ player. He saw me watching and he picked me up and put me on his lap and I watched him play for like 15 minutes. This was back in the day when there was no music so he filled the void in between every face off. 

[Thwomp!]

On 11/21/2018 at 2:35 PM, Let's Go B-Lo said:

Me!  I remember going to a Blue/Gold game in like 1984 as my first time.  I used to call in to WBEN sports trivia during the John Murphy show as a kid so I could win tickets and make my father take me.  I'd win about once a season.  I remember going to playoff games as a high school kid in 1993.  I went to game 3 v. the Bruins and games 3 and 4 v. Montreal.  I sat with a buddy of mine in the 2nd row of the oranges for Montreal, we had SRO tickets for Boston.  SRO was sooo much fun, it was an excuse to be loud and obnoxious.  Awesome. 

I was at Sabres/Devils game 6 that went way into the night.  I couldn't drive yet and my Dad drove me to the game and dropped me off.  The deal was he would come back at the end of the game and pick me up outside.  Of course this was before ubiquitous cell phones etc.  And then the game didn't end and kept not ending.  The way my Dad tells the story he was sitting outside in the car listening on the radio from halfway through the third period until about 10 minutes before the winning goal.  He knew I wasn't going to come out on my own and he got fed up with waiting so he walked into the building, by which point was totally unmanned at the entrances, and was working his way up to the oranges to physically remove me from the building when Hannan potted the winner.

I remember going to Disney on Ice as a little little kid.

I remember having my Senior Prom in the Aud Club in 1995. 

I remember seeing arena football in the Aud and busting Don Postles' balls outside the arena on the way in.

I remember seeing Smashing Pumpkins at the Aud the summer before my family moved out of WNY.

I remember the smell of that place.  I remember the big Buffalo medallion that hung in the lobby that now lives in some contractor's rec room.  I remember the Sabres ticket booth with the manual lettered sign telling you who they were playing next.  I remember how it always felt like hockey even if you were there for something else.  I remember the dark crowded hallways and horrible bathrooms.  I remember the seemingly endless walk through a labyrinth to get to the oranges.  I remember how exciting it was to finally get to the top and then fearing for my life walking down the steepest set of stairs on Earth.  I remember looking at the banners in the rafters and wondering what all the cigarette butts were for.

I loved that place and I seriously miss the atmosphere that was generated there. 

Great post.  Bolded: Summer of '96?  I was there in the oranges, high as a kite, with 3 great friends.  Felt like I was gonna fall to my death the whole time, but had a blast.  Still a great memory from my younger days.

[Stoner]

Is there a reason modern arenas can't have those sightlines? I've heard it said modern building codes and HVAC systems make it impossible.

[SwampD]

13 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Is there a reason modern arenas can't have those sightlines? I've heard it said modern building codes and HVAC systems make it impossible.

Upper level in Washington is like that. 

[ParkMeadow]

43 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Is there a reason modern arenas can't have those sightlines? I've heard it said modern building codes and HVAC systems make it impossible.

I think the old Bawston Gahhhden had the best upper level.  It felt like you were looking directly down at the ice (or court).  And the acoustics were such that leather-lunged patrons in the upper deck could be heard everywhere, even on the ice.  Funny memory was being at a Celtics game in the late '80s and Jimmy Rogers was their coach.  Boring game (I know, redundant when referring to the NBA) and some guy in the nosebleeds yells something derogatory about Rogers, calling him, "Hey, Poodlehead...",  referring to his ridiculous looking perm.  Well, the whole arena starts laughing!  I still chuckle at the memory.

 

Edited November 23, 2018 by ParkMeadow

[elcrusho]

Memorable games from me:

- Seeing Mogilny hit the crossbar and have the puck bounce down and hit the goal line in OT in a game against the Devils - 3/6/1991
- Seeing the San Jose Sharks play for the first time in the Aud October 25th, 1991
- The Calgary flames brawl game  December 8th, 1991, and I remember the crowd going bonkers when we found out that Norwood kicked a FG in OT to beat the Raiders
- Seeing the Smashing Pumpkins in 1996 at one of the if, the last event at the AUD

 

[Stoner]

A nice collection of Aud photos from near the end: https://ballparks.smugmug.com/The-Aud-Pt1-demolished-Buffalo-New-York/

I am not remembering those exterior steps at all.

[TheAud]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

A nice collection of Aud photos from near the end: https://ballparks.smugmug.com/The-Aud-Pt1-demolished-Buffalo-New-York/

I am not remembering those exterior steps at all.

They were on the side of the building. I don’t think those doors were used for entering but we used for fast exits at the end of the game.

[nfreeman]

Awesome thread.  

My dad had a share of tickets for a while in the blues — we could see the ice under the overhang but not the scoreboard.  Then we moved down to the golds in the corners about 5 rows up from the ice, which were not built in and always kinda rickety.  You couldn’t see much when the puck was in the other end, but it was an incredible view of the action in the end that we were in.  

My memories are not so much of specific games but rather the sensations — the cold, slushy walk from the car to the game and vice-versa, the crowded hallways, the sounds of the skates and the sticks on the ice, the intensity of the crowd, the feeling that everyone was in tight on top of each other and on top of the game, Milt Ellis on the PA, the tension of the PK, the explosion when the Sabres scored, how bright and clear everything looked compared to seeing it on TV, the countdown of the last few seconds of a win, the 3 stars afterwards, and the freezing walk back to the freezing car.

And the players — The French Connection, Luce-Ramsay-Gare, Schony, Korab, Playfair, van Boxmeer, Ramsey, Virta, Tucker, Cyr, Andreychuk, Edwards, Sauve, Lindy, Seiling, Foligno, Barrasso, Howie...

The new buildings are more comfortable, but the older ones were better.  

[nucci]

On 11/21/2018 at 2:03 PM, I Remember Imlach said:

I'm just curious as someone who attended the first Sabre home game in '70 (we lost to Montreal):  how many posters here in the Aud Club remember going to a game in the Aud?

My father bought season tickets in the 2nd year in the Oranges...went to many games in the Aud. Got tickets for Christmas in the first season for 1 game. Sat in the Greys for that game

[nfreeman]

4 hours ago, SwampD said:

Upper level in Washington is like that. 

It’s steep but miles further away. 

[Cheektorado]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

A nice collection of Aud photos from near the end: https://ballparks.smugmug.com/The-Aud-Pt1-demolished-Buffalo-New-York/

I am not remembering those exterior steps at all.

I remember those steps being a place to buy and sell tickets. 

 

Here is a link to pictures from "Forgotten Buffalo" before they tore the Aud down.

For those interested "Forgotten Buffalo" has a lot of interesting trips down "Amnesia Lane".

 http://www.forgottenbuffalo.com/forgottenbflofeatures/insidetheaud.html

[Jacque Richard]

I had seasons back there, sections 35 in the golds. Loved them seats.

[nfreeman]

As for concerts:  the great Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Springsteen, Rush, the Police and Journey come to mind.  The Aud was included on just about every big rock tour.  I don’t know how good or lousy its acoustics were, but it was just as small and packed in for concerts as it was for sports.  I sat 3 rows from the roof for Springsteen and it was great.  All of the concerts were awesome experiences.

[DirtDart]

On 11/21/2018 at 3:44 PM, New Scotland (NS) said:

I seem to remember going to a Stallions game, or two, as well.

I forgot about the Stallions, went to quite a few of those games.

I loved walking into the Aud and checking the leader boards as soon as you came through the gates. I will never forget walking past the line of smokers as you walked up the ramps. 

Edited November 24, 2018 by DirtDart

[Trey]

Yeah, I used to go to games in The Aud.  My father had season tickets in the orange seats for several years.  He hated the traffic, so we would hang out for a while after the game.  I would go row by row setting up bear cups and stomping on them to make that loud popping sound.  Once I fell a few rows, scared the crap out of my dad and I, lol.  It sure was steep up there.

Later on we didn't have season tickets any longer, but my dad would be taken by salesmen.  That's when we would sit in the golds, and sometimes go to The Aud Club.  I hated having to wear a sport coat at that place, punk kid and all.  They let me borrow one the first time, then my father bought me one the next day.  It was probably only used 3-4 times, but I'll never forget it.

I went to a few games in HSBC Arena as well before I moved away.  It is Buffalo, so it is still loud, but nothing will beat The Aud...especially during the playoffs.

[Tondas]

My first memory of the Aud was to see the Harlem Globetrotters (not sure of the year) as a kid.  And they also had a WNY based basketball Tournament with Canisius, Niagara, St. Bona that my dad took me to.  My first hockey experience was the Red Army game in 1976.  What I remember most was that Jerry Korab was just crushing people and the crowd was roaring.  I got season tickets in the 80's to see the Housley, Andreychuk and Cyr era.  Section 32 in the oranges.  I remember after the Sabres scored, organist Norm Wullen would play the Lone Ranger theme, yelling "Harris is a bum" to ref Wally Harris, yelling Housley to "hit him with your purse"  ?.  Good times!

Have to add: There was a guy in the first row of the Golds just above the glass height, I think his name was Rich Ryan, who would yell things to Seymour Knox during the game: Priceless.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Tondas

[Jacque Richard]

Rich Ryan sat across from me, near punch I believe.

[Cooperstownfan]

Back in the 70’s it was difficult to get tickets to Sabres games. Their farm team in the AHL at that time was the Cincinnati Swords. In 1973 the Swords were displaced from their home arena during the Calder Cup finals. They played in the Aud and won the championship. I remember my cousin and I making a spur of the moment decision to go to the game. The atmosphere was amazing!  I think Rick Dudley and Bill Hajt were on the team that year. I remember leaving the game and people celebrating as if it were the Sabres winning the cup. It was an awesome night!

[Stoner]

 

[Stoner]

The intro to that video is great! A young Robert DeNiro.

[Stoner]

DO NOT MISS THIS VIDEO! It's as close to a Cup win for Buffalo as we've gotten. (And at the very end... Seymour Heinie.)