How was the crowd?

[Tarrytown]

I watched on Center Ice - the horrible Pittsburgh feed (gosh those 'burg announcers are horrible!) any way - it sounded like a Pens home game when Crosby scored...my first reaction was either thousands of Pens fans flocked to Buffalo for the game or FSN cranked up the volume to exagerate the goal.

 

Thoughts? I wasn't at the game (of course) so I am curious to know what our crowd reaction really was.

[Hawerchuk]

Sabres said it was a sellout.

 

And yeah, The Pit announcers, Bob Eerry was one of them are just awful! Bunch of hosers.

[deluca67]

The game sold out early in the year because of Crosby.

 

I like how WGR tried to spin it that it was sold out becuase of the Sabres play. Maybe it would have. But it was sold out, or close to, before the run.

[blugold43]

those pgh. guys are something aren't they? something awful!

 

plus, whoever produces the penguin broadcasts should be fired...for years, the pens broadcasts have had a "quiet" feel to them that, combined with poor ol' mike lange's call, puts you to sleep!

 

anyway, it sounded like a typical sabre/pgh crowd- way too many pens fans cheering way too loud :( . and it is always embarrassing when the away team has a such a vocal presence in our building. at least we didin't choke up the game.

[Tarrytown]

I knew it was a sellout but what I couldn't understand was why the Pens fans were so much louder than the Sabre fans. Bills fans were louder at the football game last night ... and that is sad.

 

The Minnesota Wild fans were loud all game long... and they are a mediocre team playing the Habs.

[Stoner]

Tarrytown, quiet hockey crowds in Buffalo is a longstanding tradition, whether the Sabres are winning or losing. It must be in our genes. I mean, if this team doesn't get folks out of their seats, nothing will.

[LabattBlue]

I think several thousand of the fans came down from Canada to cheer for Crosby and the Pens. It was nice to see all the seats filled, but made for a lackluster atmosphere.

[LabattBlue]

Tarrytown, quiet hockey crowds in Buffalo is a longstanding tradition, whether the Sabres are winning or losing. It must be in our genes. I mean, if this team doesn't get folks out of their seats, nothing will.

This was never the case in the 70's and 80's when the Aud was always rocking. I'm not sure what happened over the last 20 years, but I believe a lot of the enthusiasm disappeared when they moved out of the Aud.

 

PS Once again when the Sabres scored last night, the number of people standing and cheering were the minority. Go figure.

[Tarrytown]

i agree, if these team doesn't get the fans out of their seats - no team will. Back in the '70s and '80s and the Lalala/Mogilny days there were no problems either. Seems so odd - we have plenty to scream about at Bills games (bad or good) - but nothing with our Sabres.

 

What I would give to live up there and have season tickets for this team.

[Taro T]

This was never the case in the 70's and 80's when the Aud was always rocking.  I'm not sure what happened over the last 20 years, but I believe a lot of the enthusiasm disappeared when they moved out of the Aud.

 

PS Once again when the Sabres scored last night, the number of people standing and cheering were the minority.  Go figure.

I don't think it's the enthusiasm that necessarily dropped by leaving the Aud, but the ambience definitely decreased. The new rink is MUCH bigger (I'd guess 2x the volume of the old Aud) but only holds ~2,500 more people. The building never seems as loud (unless the music is blaring) as the Aud did because it isn't. In the Aud it was a lot easier to get a cheer going because an individual "instigator" could be heard throughout ~1/2 the rink. I still remember being in the Aud and hearing the individual jeers at Jacques Richard come from all over the rink. The "intimacy" of the Aud is definitely missing in the new building.

 

As for people staying in their seats when a goal is scored or something "big" happens, I think that falls back to the "feel" of the building. The place seems so quiet, I'm guessing that some people don't stand because it doesn't "feel" right. Me, I'm out of my seat a lot, but I'd say only about 40% of the fans join me.

[LabattBlue]

 

As for people staying in their seats when a goal is scored or something "big" happens, I think that falls back to the "feel" of the building. The place seems so quiet, I'm guessing that some people don't stand because it doesn't "feel" right. Me, I'm out of my seat a lot, but I'd say only about 40% of the fans join me.

It's puzzling because Buffalo fans go nuts at RWS, but HSBC can be funeral home like at times. I went to many games at the Aud throughout the 70's, 80's & 90's and I just wish that it was like old times.

 

I had a guy and I believe his daughter(in her 20's) next to me last night. They didn't stand up, cheer or even clap once during the game. WTF are you even doing at the game? :angry:

 

 

As the playoffs draw closer, hopefully the fans will get more into it.

 

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Stoner]

This would court a PR disaster, but what if one of the well-respected veterans, say Jay McKee or Chris Drury, stood up and called out the fans? "Hey, fans, thank you. We appreciate your support yada yada yada, but you're some of the quietest fans in the league. We need you to make noise and get behind us. Look at the Dallas game. When you were into it just a little, it made a huge difference to us. Imagine if you were into it a lot. Let's work together and win together." I would maybe even make the tone of the statement even harsher to get the attention of the fans and maybe piss some of them off.

 

The organization could also take steps that would help: lose the horn and canned music after the goals. Just let the fans cheer, and if they are not cheering, let them be embarassed. I've always thought people don't make more noise at games because they don't have to! The machines do it for them.

 

Thoughts?

[jp...]

There were tons of Pens fans there, that's why it wasn't that crazy...in general, sabres fans are o.k when it comes to noise...when the sabres were on there run in the late 90's, the place rocked...if this team keeps winning and makes the playoffs, fans will get into it...i'm a season ticket holder, but don't blame the fans for not showing up at the beginning of the season...now that the team is exciting to watch and winning, fans need to support the team.

[Eleven]

Just my $0.02: 1. The building does lack ambience; it's a beautiful facility, but sterile and somewhat generic.

 

2. I think the blaring music / Pizza Hut promotions / look what the stuffed tiger is doing now / etc. hurts, too: you have to wait until the game restarts to actually get a chance to talk to the folks with whom you go to the game.

 

Note to HSBC staff: Your taste in music usually sux ('cept for the pre-game Stones), and in any event, I don't need to be assaulted by noise, even if I like the tunes. Pizza Hut is gross. The "kiss cam" was played out in 1996. The "noise meter" fools no one over the age of 12, and the kids are too busy playing with Tigger anyway. Try to refocus on the game a bit.

 

Cranky tonight....

[Saber61]

As for people staying in their seats when a goal is scored or something "big" happens, I think that falls back to the "feel" of the building. The place seems so quiet, I'm guessing that some people don't stand because it doesn't "feel" right. Me, I'm out of my seat a lot, but I'd say only about 40% of the fans join me.

hmmm everytime ive been to a sabres game in last 3 years... everyones been standing when we score a goal... i look around and see a bunch of happy sabre fans standing and cheering... i don't see this sitting around as you guys make it out to be... im also up alot... especially when an outrageous penalty is called or a huge save is made or a goal came so close but was pulled back be the goaltender or obviously a goal... doesn't matter what kind of goal im up at least a foot in the air when we score.

[Saber61]

Just my $0.02:  1.  The building does lack ambience; it's a beautiful facility, but sterile and somewhat generic. 

 

2.  I think the blaring music / Pizza Hut promotions / look what the stuffed tiger is doing now / etc. hurts, too:  you have to wait until the game restarts to actually get a chance to talk to the folks with whom you go to the game.

 

Note to HSBC staff:  Your taste in music usually sux ('cept for the pre-game Stones), and in any event, I don't need to be assaulted by noise, even if I like the tunes.  Pizza Hut is gross.  The "kiss cam" was played out in 1996.  The "noise meter" fools no one over the age of 12, and the kids are too busy playing with Tigger anyway.  Try to refocus on the game a bit.

 

Cranky tonight....

the rolling stones aren't the only band in the world... youth and there music is taking over... and theres nothing anyone can do about... not to start a war... but saying there taste is music sucks is based on what exactly? your opinion or some statiscial analysis of a survey thats been done in the hsbc... cuze i think they do a great job of at least trying to build atmoshpher... if theres no one there to particpate then thats not there problem... they do everything they can... things like the kiss cam are just fun little games they play on tv breaks to keep the fans interested... would you rather sit around and stare at a bunch of players coasting to and from one end of the bench to the other... there making an effort... at least.

[Eleven]

the rolling stones aren't the only band in the world... youth and there music is taking over... and theres nothing anyone can do about... not to start a war... but saying there taste is music sucks is based on what exactly? your opinion or some statiscial analysis of a survey thats been done in the hsbc... cuze i think they do a great job of at least trying to build atmoshpher... if theres no one there to particpate then thats not there problem... they do everything they can... things like the kiss cam are just fun little games they play on tv breaks to keep the fans interested... would you rather sit around and stare at a bunch of players coasting to and from one end of the bench to the other... there making an effort... at least.

Of course it's based upon my opinion--and I consider myself to be young.

 

I would rather spend the time talking to my friends, as I wrote earlier. Because it's too noisy in between whistles, I have conversations during the game. That's what adds to the perceived lack of excitement among fans: We're too busy socializing, since we can't do that when play stops.