Sabres have 35% Drop in Viewership

[Kong]

35 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I will chip in for this if it becomes a thing and we tag Sabrespace on it lol

Any more? Let's do this!

[nfreeman]

12 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Before I buy tickets, I need to see positive moves which I deem correct.  If the coaching, line-up, and farm team look acceptable, I will get tickets and take my risks.  I am still a fan, after all.

You can question my character, intelligence, or whatever all you want.  The stress relief of just being just another fan for 3 hours for 40+ times instead of an n-word, towel-headed terrorist, a deliberate spreader of the China virus, destroyer of America, or being deemed unamerican because it is only the country of my birth (depending on the year, context, and situation) is worth a couple grand to me.  It beats the hell out of bursting into a rage or into tears because of all the discrimination, finger-pointing, angry looks, or flat out threats I deal with then I leave the house.

Wow.  You seem like a good guy — I never would’ve guessed you did all those things!

[LabattBlue]

At one point I would have been happy to contribute to an airplane banner or a billboard.  Now....not worth it.  It would have no impact on these clueless owners.  There is clearly a major disconnect between ownership and the fans.  
 

To those who still want to defend them, good for you.  For the rest of us, there aren’t enough rosaries, candles, wishing wells, etc...  in the world that would change them into competent owners. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by LabattBlue

[triumph_communes]

They were impossible to watch until Granato took over 

[Kong]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

At one point I would have been happy to contribute to an airplane banner or a billboard.  Now....not worth it.  It would have no impact on these clueless owners.  There is clearly a major disconnect between ownership and the fans.  
 

To those who still want to defend them, good for you.  For the rest of us, there aren’t enough rosaries, candles, wishing wells, etc...  in the world that would change them into competent owners. 

 

I hope you reconsider. If there's one thing the Pegulas don't like, it's to be embarrassed or humiliated. A 5 second clip of this would go national on ESPN, TSN, etc. perhaps world-wide. It would be humiliating because it would have everyone laughing at the Pegulas.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Every year I pay for NHL TV on a month to month basis. I usually shut off right after Xmas so I end up saving cash every year when they are eliminated for the playoffs. 

[Brawndo]

The drop in viewership is going to effect their ad revenue next year, that will get their attention more than a rant on the radio or billboard 

[LabattBlue]

34 minutes ago, Kong said:

 

I hope you reconsider. If there's one thing the Pegulas don't like, it's to be embarrassed or humiliated. A 5 second clip of this would go national on ESPN, TSN, etc. perhaps world-wide. It would be humiliating because it would have everyone laughing at the Pegulas.

If being the laughingstock of the NHL for the last decade hasn’t humiliated and embarrassed them, nothing will. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by LabattBlue

[OverPowerYou]

There were nights I had nothing better to do and STILL didn’t watch the Sabre’s 

[#freejame]

17 hours ago, YouDigg said:

If you’ve lived outside the market “for a number of years” and don’t have plans to ever move back to Buffalo, why haven’t you started following the NHL team in the city where you now live?  Literally any other NHL team is better than the Sabres. 

I haven’t lived in an NHL city in eleven years and the StingraySpace forum just doesn’t do it for me. 

[I-90 W]

I’ve always lived in upstate NY my whole life, but if I were ever to move, I’d take my teams with me. That’s what most people do. You can’t just switch allegiances, that would be weird. As far as the Pegula’s keeping the team but just signing checks, I don’t think they can help themselves unless there is structure in place forcing them. I admit I want them to sell the team. 

[inkman]

13 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

I’ve always lived in upstate NY my whole life, but if I were ever to move, I’d take my teams with me. That’s what most people do. You can’t just switch allegiances, that would be weird. As far as the Pegula’s keeping the team but just signing checks, I don’t think they can help themselves unless there is structure in place forcing them. I admit I want them to sell the team. 

Where do you live where you had to say Upstate NY rather than WNY?

7 hours ago, I-90 W said:

A boycott on tickets and tv ratings will be even more effective, long lasting, and free. If it goes deep enough a boycott would make even more media attention.

Has there been a successful boycott of a

North American sports team ?

[I-90 W]

26 minutes ago, inkman said:

Where do you live where you had to say Upstate NY rather than WNY?

Has there been a successful boycott of a

North American sports team ?

Just north of Albany. I don’t know if a boycott has ever been done on a professional team but it’s better than our fan base just slowly fizzling out a long and painful death. Something has to give.

[Scottysabres]

8 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

Just north of Albany. I don’t know if a boycott has ever been done on a professional team but it’s better than our fan base just slowly fizzling out a long and painful death. Something has to give.

35% viewership drop, I'd say the boycott is in full swing.

[I-90 W]

3 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

35% viewership drop, I'd say the boycott is in full swing.

Yes and no, right now it’s an apathetic fizzling out. I’m talking abstain from attendance and tv viewership and be vocal about it on social media. I wouldn’t fault anyone for not wanting to do this of course but just thinking of someway to change course. Not going to pretend like another rebuild or FA are going to fix this. Long as Terry and Kim are running things I don’t think we’re getting out of the cellar. I use to think it was just a series of unfortunate events and I really appreciated the Pegula’s, but I finally think it is them now.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

I haven’t lived in an NHL city in eleven years and the StingraySpace forum just doesn’t do it for me. 

Are you in the Charleston area?  I lived in N. Charleston for a couple years in the late 80s. Off of Montague by the circle. 

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, I-90 W said:

I’ve always lived in upstate NY my whole life, but if I were ever to move, I’d take my teams with me. That’s what most people do. You can’t just switch allegiances, that would be weird. As far as the Pegula’s keeping the team but just signing checks, I don’t think they can help themselves unless there is structure in place forcing them. I admit I want them to sell the team. 

I agree that most fans who move keep their hometown allegiances.  I’ve additionally done what I think a good number do, which is adopt some or all of the new city’s teams as secondary allegiances.  

[Eleven]

23 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I agree that most fans who move keep their hometown allegiances.  I’ve additionally done what I think a good number do, which is adopt some or all of the new city’s teams as secondary allegiances.  

NYC teams are trash.

[#freejame]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

Are you in the Charleston area?  I lived in N. Charleston for a couple years in the late 80s. Off of Montague by the circle. 

Yeah I’m off Dorchester right on the border of N. Charleston and Summerville. Did they have you at the Air Force base?

[triumph_communes]

What do you want them to do?  They went and signed a league MVP and went backwards then fired all involved. Now they’re going to trade away the entire core. Let them do it

[Marvin]

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Wow.  You seem like a good guy — I never would’ve guessed you did all those things!

Thank you.  Seriously, every little bit of support matters.

Last year, when the pandemic began, my mother was diagnosed with cancer.  She had 6 months at most.  She was of Chinese descent.  When I was getting her food, drink, and medicine to help her, I would get grabbed, pushed, jostled, etc.  People would just start yelling at me about how I was trying to kill every American.  When I, in my turban, light beard, etc., commented that I was a native-born citizen, the MAGA-hatters would tell me that's not a real American.

You can not imagine the problems I have had.  And it's better now here than it was in Columbus, Ohio in 1998 -- and from Sikhs I know there, it is far worse now than it was then.  The worst part is that there is no concept of working towards "the common good".  The world is changing too fast for some people and not fast enough for others and no one is willing to adjust or compromise.

$50 per Sabres game is cheap compared to another trip to BryLin.

[7+6=13]

There's a substantial difference between a boycott and being disinterested.   The reason, IMO, for the drop-off is we should have been better and weren't.   

There are legitimate reasons though if we take a step back.  That's why I'm against a so called boycott but respect they need to earn viewership.

I get that we feel that there's seemingly little to feel hopeful about but there's plenty. 

[Scottysabres]

2 hours ago, #freejame said:

Yeah I’m off Dorchester right on the border of N. Charleston and Summerville. Did they have you at the Air Force base?

I used to TAD to the AFB there while waiting for the ships to depart the naval base. Then fly out to them.

Spent some nights on Dorchester, local gin mills. 

[Hank]

6 hours ago, #freejame said:

Yeah I’m off Dorchester right on the border of N. Charleston and Summerville. Did they have you at the Air Force base?

No, it predates my time in the army, I joined Nov 91. Went down there after Hugo hit to help my sister-in-law rebuild. Worked construction until I left, mostly on isle of palms. 

[Mango]

Pet of the issue is accessibility. I live in the capitol region and steal a cable log in for apps to watch some live stuff on my firestick. There is no MSG app. So I can’t get anything. I think TNT will do a better job.