Sabres New Ticket Sale Policy: “Hometown Advantage”

[mphs mike]

45 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

How will this system work for actual Sabres fans, from say Atlanta for example, making a road trip to Buffalo ?

That's my issue as an ex-pat that makes it up to Buffalo for a couple games a year. Frankly, it forces me to the secondary market, rather than buying direct from the Sabres. Not exactly the dynamic the team wants.

[Stoner]

Love it. A long time coming. I don't care if it's pathetic or even if it works. It sends a message, and the intended audience looks to be the players.

Still nauseated over Mike Gilbert's "we love Southern Ontario Leaf fans" quote.

[Derrico]

2 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

It’s loser stuff.

Get the STH base way back up. Make it so those STH’s don’t want to sell their most valuable tickets.

You do that by being a good hockey team, not through artificial market restraints. We’re not Florida or Tampa, ffs.

New season ticket holder here.  NFW I'm selling the leaf games.  Those are my favorite games to attend.  The energy in the building on those nights is so much fun.  

As you say, the best way for people to want to buy tickets and go to the games is putting an exciting product out there to watch, not with some BS administrative restriction.  I'm from southern Ontario and there are many Sabres fans from Ontario.  Last thing they want to do is start alienating the fanbase. 

[dudacek]

28 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Love it. A long time coming. I don't care if it's pathetic or even if it works. It sends a message, and the intended audience looks to be the players.

So much this, even if it makes things tougher for this Canadian fan to get tickets.

The Florida/Carolina stuff is a false comparison because there is volume issue here that doesn’t exist there: there are literally more Leafs fans within an hour of the game than there are Sabres fans, which creates for those Leaf games a completely different market. That won’t change if the Sabres are good and the Leafs are bad.

I don’t want those ***** in my building regardless of what it means to the bottom line of the team or that of the season tIcket holders, and I’m glad the Sabres brass at least recognizes that and agrees.

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by dudacek

[Eleven]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The Florida/Carolina stuff is a false comparison because there is volume issue here that doesn’t exist there: there are literally more Leafs fans within an hour of the game than there are Sabres fans

In 2006 you could have said the same about Sabres fans in Carolina.

[dudacek]

Just now, Eleven said:

In 2006 you could have said the same about Sabres fans in Carolina.

Maybe, but I don’t think there were 5 million Sabres fans within an hour of their arena.

This is more about geography than demographics.

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

Nah. You’re way off base here. The most important aspect of the situation is what those marginal dollars mean to the STH. Make WNY a wealthy metropolis and the STH will not be so tempted to claw back some of their money. For many, selling those tickets is probably included in their affordability calculation and that has nothing to do with how good the team is.

Way off base. Okay.

You say "For many." I think that should read "For some."

I'll stand by my original point: If you want to keep the arena sounding more like a home crowd than a visitors' crowd, then ice a good hockey team. If your team stinks or hasn't yet won back its fanbase, then be prepared for a takeover when certain teams visit.

29 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Love it. A long time coming. I don't care if it's pathetic or even if it works. It sends a message, and the intended audience looks to be the players.

I would not have expected that from you. It troubles me a bit that the players were griping. It reminded me a bit - maybe not fairly - of Terry Pegula's February 2011 overture to the Buffalo News editorial board to make their writers be nicer to the Sabres players. (Remember when TBN had Sabres writers that ownership would worry about?)

If the business office is placing restraints on ticket sales in order to address complaints from players on the team, I like this initiative even less.

27 minutes ago, Derrico said:

I'm from southern Ontario and there are many Sabres fans from Ontario.  Last thing they want to do is start alienating the fanbase. 

This is such an important consideration. I know many Sabres fans who live in places like Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls (Ont.), etc. 

Part of attendance rebounding at the arena was the re-opening of the border crossing. Border crossings on Sabre game nights don't look like they do for a Bills game, but there's generally a solid uptick.

The article reported that the restraint would be based on zip codes. So Tom from Rochester will be able to get tickets, but Gary from Welland won't? Even thought they're both Sabre fans? What horsesh1t.

[Curt]

4 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

Ticket buyers from non-local zip codes are going to the “back of the line” for Sabres ticket sales.

Per TBN, linked below.

The article twice mentions how aggravated some Sabres players were with the Leafs having a super majority of the fans in the building last year when the Leafs visited and ran out to a 4-0 lead.

This sort of policy strikes me as pathetic. Become a better hockey team and the ticketing will take care of itself.

Also, they can’t control what STH will do with secondary markets.

https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/sabres-planning-experiment-to-make-sure-their-fans-gets-first-chance-at-tickets/article_e657d1da-467a-11ee-872a-abe3a10ac2d4.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Yes, of course if the STH base was larger, and the team was better, that would help the crowd dynamics.

But regardless of how many STHers there are, I think this is a good general policy because I think it’s preferable to give local fans first chance at tickets.  

[That Aud Smell]

45 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Still nauseated over Mike Gilbert's "we love Southern Ontario Leaf fans" quote.

It may have been poorly worded, but it'd be myopic for the Sabres not to consider (the most) southern (parts of) Ontario part of their potential home market. There may be a better chance of someone from St. Catharines coming to a game than there is a chance of someone from Batavia coming to a game.

1 minute ago, Curt said:

Yes, of course if the STH base was larger, and the team was better, that would help the crowd dynamics.

But regardless of how many STHers there are, I think this is a good general policy because I think it’s preferable to give local fans first chance at tickets.  

Defined how?

[Derrico]

That really is horsesh1t.

Wont apply to me now that I’m STH but prior to this year I would be logging on right when tickets went on sale to try and grab leaf Sabres tickets to cheer on the Sabres.  As I said, the atmosphere is so fun for those games.  There are tons of Sabres fans in southern Ontario.  I would be pissed if I got blocked out because my postal code doesn’t say I live right in town yet I’ve followed and spent so much on Sabres tickets and merch over the past 30 years. 

[Curt]

1 minute ago, That Aud Smell said:

Defined how?

Closer to Buffalo > Farther Away

[Derrico]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

Closer to Buffalo > Farther Away

How are the arbitrary lines even drawn?

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

Closer to Buffalo > Farther Away

Did you read the ticket sales guy's quote? They're apparently going to define local fans by zip code. I didn't see anything there about including postal codes. So, in that event, your man in Thorold who has a vintage French Connection lunch box on a shelf in his man cave can't get a first crack at tickets, but some blomo from Pembroke can?

[dudacek]

19 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

 

 

I'll stand by my original point: If you want to keep the arena sounding more like a home crowd than a visitors' crowd, then ice a good hockey team. If your team stinks or hasn't yet won back its fanbase, then be prepared for a takeover when certain teams visit..

There will always be the fans of a visiting team; they exist in every market and it’s their only chance to see their team.

There might be 500,000 Leafs fans within an hour of Vancouver compared to 2 million Canuck fans and 5000 Sabre fans.

That’s a helluva lot different than the 2000 Canuck fans 2 million Sabres fans and 5 million Leafs fans within an hour of Buffalo. (Yes, my numbers are made up, but you get my point.)

Your stance smacks of “why can’t the poor just get a job, then they won’t be poor any more.”

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by dudacek

[dudacek]

It’s not hard to get tickets for a Leaf game because the Sabres suck, it hard because there is an extra 5 million Leaf fans competing to get those tickets.

[That Aud Smell]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Your stance smacks of “why can’t the poor just get a job, then they won’t be poor any more.”

A misplaced inference on your part. And an unfair one to boot. 

I have zero problem with the reality that some STH's will structure their STH purchase by planning to sell their primo tickets to fans of the visiting team (Leafs, Canadiens). Good on them. Those folks are probably some of the most ardent fans of the club.

Nothing I've posted above is to the contrary.

Just now, dudacek said:

It’s not hard to get tickets for a Leaf game because the Sabres suck, it hard because there is an extra 5 million Leaf fans competing to get those tickets.

I need to give this factor some more thought. It is a unique dynamic.

[Curt]

5 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Did you read the ticket sales guy's quote? They're apparently going to define local fans by zip code. I didn't see anything there about including postal codes. So, in that event, your man in Thorold who has a vintage French Connection lunch box on a shelf in his man cave can't get a first crack at tickets, but some blomo from Pembroke can?

Sounds like they will likely use zip code as a factor, but it doesn’t specify which zip codes, or if there will be any other criteria.  Article also says plans are not finalized.

I think you can hold off on the outrage until the full details are released.

[Randall Flagg]

I'd rather try to fix an untenable spectacle that is actively hostile to the Sabres fans present at those games (ask me how I know) than accommodate the 45 sabres fans from Ontario in attendance for those particular games which necessarily maintains the untenable spectacle 

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, mphs mike said:

That's my issue as an ex-pat that makes it up to Buffalo for a couple games a year. Frankly, it forces me to the secondary market, rather than buying direct from the Sabres. Not exactly the dynamic the team wants.

You could always buy tickets from season-ticket holders like me. Who are selling for only The price that it cost them. If you’re interested in seeing what I have available PM me 👍🏼

[That Aud Smell]

30 minutes ago, Curt said:

Sounds like they will likely use zip code as a factor, but it doesn’t specify which zip codes, or if there will be any other criteria.  Article also says plans are not finalized.

I think you can hold off on the outrage until the full details are released.

Fair deuce. I will reserve some of my outrage!

28 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I'd rather try to fix an untenable spectacle that is actively hostile to the Sabres fans present at those games (ask me how I know) than accommodate the 45 sabres fans from Ontario in attendance for those particular games which necessarily maintains the untenable spectacle 

45, eh?

The team has the stat’s presumably. I’m not sure they number in the 1000s on most nights. They might. Damn sure a lot more than 45.

[That Aud Smell]

In related news, the aforesaid guy from Thorold has already texted me to ask if I will be his ticket broker, if need be.

[French Collection]

Nothing to do with ticket sales and zip codes but an improving Sabres team sends those thousands home pi**ed off at their team and that they spent all that money to watch it.

[Taro T]

22 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Fair deuce. I will reserve some of my outrage!

45, eh?

The team has the stat’s presumably. I’m not sure they number in the 1000s on most nights. They might. Damn sure a lot more than 45.

There certainly are 1,000's of Sabres fans in the building most all nights from Southern Ontario (the Niagara Peninsula east of Welland particularly).  Had a little health issue yesterday (am fine now), so am still a smidge groggy and don't recall if it's 2k or 4k; but it is significant in a building that tops out at ~19k.

So, they really are most likely messing with a significant portion of the fan base by implementing this policy.

And with that said, IMHO the much better plan to remedy this issue is to ice a good to great hockey team.  They're on the way towards doing that.  Back in the Criminals and Golisano days, there were 2 large groupings of seats in the 100's and another about 1/2 their size that were owned by ticket brokers.  Probably 600 - 800 seats total that were always primarily filled with visiting fans (even for Vancouver or Atlanta (ok, well maybe not primarily filled with Atlanta fans, but there were still 50 or so there)).  And then when the Loafs, Habs, Penguins, or Bruins showed up in town there could be anywhere from 2k - 6k more of those fans in the building depending upon how both teams were doing and which night of the week it was.  And it was pretty rare for it to be up to 6k because most of the seats were STH seats and minipack seats and online secondary ticket markets didn't exist.  But though those fans were loud, they still were in the minority, and were way more a minor irritant than something to get up in arms about.

Since new ownership took over, it became way easier to sell tix on the 2ndary market and the Sabres were really bad.  Those 2 items are what's driven the increase in obnoxious Loaf fans showing up in the building.  Until they see how much of that is due to the former rather than the latter; it seems this plan is premature.  They're never going to eliminate visiting fans being in the building and they shouldn't want to totally eliminate it anyhow.  But would prefer to see how the Sabres being an exciting and good team to watch lowers how many of those invaders show up before implementing a plan that ignores that aspect of this issue.

My 2 cents.

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Had a little health issue yesterday (am fine now), so am still a smidge groggy

Glad to read that you're doing okay.

[That Aud Smell]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Since new ownership took over, it became way easier to sell tix on the 2ndary market and the Sabres were really bad.  Those 2 items are what's driven the increase in obnoxious Loaf fans showing up in the building.  Until they see how much of that is due to the former rather than the latter; it seems this plan is premature.  They're never going to eliminate visiting fans being in the building and they shouldn't want to totally eliminate it anyhow.  But would prefer to see how the Sabres being an exciting and good team to watch lowers how many of those invaders show up before implementing a plan that ignores that aspect of this issue.

I obviously agree with this. That said, I am also giving additional thought - it's more just whirring in the background - to @dudacek's point about how damn MANY Leaf (and Canadien? (and Jets? (and Canuck?))) fans there are right over the border. It's a peculiar, unique conundrum for the Sabres as a franchise.