Fans at the Arena?

[Samson's Flow]

I think this problem has always been the old management pandering for the family/upper middle class crowd. When you get a lot of promotions and jumbotron events that are geared towards the family market you are inherently pricing out and eliminating the hockey-knowledgable and louder fans. It's a combination of a whole lot of factors that make it so that the fans that want to make noise are either not there or surrounded by so many families/yuppie businessmen that they feel out of place making any noise.

 

When you get dirty looks and nobody joins in when you cheer even the rowdiest fan will get discouraged and sit on their hands. Unless they are very drunk and don't care either way :beer:

[Hephaestus]

Well, we have an ownership regime that's willing to hear these points made. Let's not take that for granted and be armchair critics. From a marketing standpoint it makes sense on one hand, get younger fans into the team early and you have a fan for life. However on the other hand, I see how dead the crowd is, and don't want to spend my money on a ticket and travel to Buffalo to attend a game when I can make plenty of noise with my friends in my living room where the beer is much cheaper.

[Sterling Archer]

I think this problem has always been the old management pandering for the family/upper middle class crowd. When you get a lot of promotions and jumbotron events that are geared towards the family market you are inherently pricing out and eliminating the hockey-knowledgable and louder fans. It's a combination of a whole lot of factors that make it so that the fans that want to make noise are either not there or surrounded by so many families/yuppie businessmen that they feel out of place making any noise.

 

When you get dirty looks and nobody joins in when you cheer even the rowdiest fan will get discouraged and sit on their hands. Unless they are very drunk and don't care either way :beer:

 

This is the problem in a nut shell. Although the last time I started cheering and got a dirty look, I told the guy to go F### himself. I'm not gonna let my fun be ruined by some wet blanket. Probably the reason why I love Bandits games so much. You can sit near someone who has kids with them and get their kids to do the cheering for you.

[Samson's Flow]

This is the problem in a nut shell. Although the last time I started cheering and got a dirty look, I told the guy to go F### himself. I'm not gonna let my fun be ruined by some wet blanket. Probably the reason why I love Bandits games so much. You can sit near someone who has kids with them and get their kids to do the cheering for you.

I'm glad you keep bringing up the Bandits games Xander - I don't have season tix but I go to every game so I jump around sections a little bit, and I have noticed that I am quieter when I sit in the 300's since up there nobody stands when they score or really chants any of the PA driven cheers. When I'm in the lower bowl my cheering is re-enforced by those around me and I can even start my own "let's go bandits" or "hit em' again" chants.

 

I'm the same guy in two different atmospheres and the difference is night and day. I don't want to go to sabres games because it is a constant battle to get anyone to join into the cheering and enthusiasm that makes games enjoyable for me.

[nobody]

I'm glad you keep bringing up the Bandits games Xander - I don't have season tix but I go to every game so I jump around sections a little bit, and I have noticed that I am quieter when I sit in the 300's since up there nobody stands when they score or really chants any of the PA driven cheers. When I'm in the lower bowl my cheering is re-enforced by those around me and I can even start my own "let's go bandits" or "hit em' again" chants.

 

I'm the same guy in two different atmospheres and the difference is night and day. I don't want to go to sabres games because it is a constant battle to get anyone to join into the cheering and enthusiasm that makes games enjoyable for me.

 

 

I've seen this brought up in other threads - how other arenas do have PA driven cheers. Perhaps this is something the Sabres need to do?

 

Of course PA never goes to the games. Oh - that is a different PA :)

[Samson's Flow]

I've seen this brought up in other threads - how other arenas do have PA driven cheers. Perhaps this is something the Sabres need to do?

 

Of course PA never goes to the games. Oh - that is a different PA :)

I think it was me and Xander that keep referencing the Bandits experience ;) If you haven't experienced that you should and then you can see how the atmosphere and the right PA guy can make all the difference in fan involvement and noise levels.

[McJeff215]

I think this problem has always been the old management pandering for the family/upper middle class crowd. When you get a lot of promotions and jumbotron events that are geared towards the family market you are inherently pricing out and eliminating the hockey-knowledgable and louder fans. It's a combination of a whole lot of factors that make it so that the fans that want to make noise are either not there or surrounded by so many families/yuppie businessmen that they feel out of place making any noise.

 

When you get dirty looks and nobody joins in when you cheer even the rowdiest fan will get discouraged and sit on their hands. Unless they are very drunk and don't care either way :beer:

 

I'm not certain gearing towards the "Family Market" is a bad idea, for a few reasons. (Note, this isn't your standard "say nice words so we don't damage our kids" post).

 

1. From a business point of view, a family of four is probably more likely to spend extra cash at the arena than a given 30 something male. Two beers, hot dogs, pop for kids, popcorn, a jersey, maybe some shirts. It's an event.

2. From a kid's perspective, they remember days at the arena. Bringing them in is a *good* thing for the sport and the local hockey market. My daughter loves to go see the sabres when they're in town (Atlanta).

3. On any given day, the standard 30 something male crowd probably out numbers that additional family segment anyway.

 

I think someone nailed this one a bit ago. Buff has a seriously high season ticket base. Going to games just isn't as exciting when it's the same working set of attendees, minus 30%. Having more turn over would probably help a whole lot. It's the difference between "Oh, the goal horn again" and "HOW F*@#$# EXCITING!"

[Eleven]

Except that many media members in attendance have talked about how dead the arena has been the last couple of seasons.

 

The "mix" argument doesn't make sense. The arena sounds plenty loud at times. It sounded loud when Hasek got his ovation. During the Ottawa game it was loud at times.

 

I really hope over the summer the producers and technical people on the broadcast go to Ted Black and get the very best audio equipment installed.

 

One by one, from Darcy and Lindy to the arena, let's remove all of the excuses once and for all.

 

If it sounded loud during the Hasek ovation but not otherwise, than the mix is definitely the problem. That was not at all the loudest point of the night last night.

[McJeff215]

I'm not certain gearing towards the "Family Market" is a bad idea, for a few reasons. (Note, this isn't your standard "say nice words so we don't damage our kids" post).

 

1. From a business point of view, a family of four is probably more likely to spend extra cash at the arena than a given 30 something male. Two beers, hot dogs, pop for kids, popcorn, a jersey, maybe some shirts. It's an event.

2. From a kid's perspective, they remember days at the arena. Bringing them in is a *good* thing for the sport and the local hockey market. My daughter loves to go see the sabres when they're in town (Atlanta).

3. On any given day, the standard 30 something male crowd probably out numbers that additional family segment anyway.

 

I think someone nailed this one a bit ago. Buff has a seriously high season ticket base. Going to games just isn't as exciting when it's the same working set of attendees, minus 30%. Having more turn over would probably help a whole lot. It's the difference between "Oh, the goal horn again" and "HOW F*@#$# EXCITING!"

 

If you want to see a dog crowd, go to a Thrashers home game. Makes HSBC look like the Ralph during a playoff game.

[Weave]

I think this problem has always been the old management pandering for the family/upper middle class crowd. When you get a lot of promotions and jumbotron events that are geared towards the family market you are inherently pricing out and eliminating the hockey-knowledgable and louder fans. It's a combination of a whole lot of factors that make it so that the fans that want to make noise are either not there or surrounded by so many families/yuppie businessmen that they feel out of place making any noise.

 

When you get dirty looks and nobody joins in when you cheer even the rowdiest fan will get discouraged and sit on their hands. Unless they are very drunk and don't care either way :beer:

 

We were talking aobut this while watching the game on the tube at a house party lsst night. Back in the Aud days they used to let you bring in air horns and those big plastic horn things. Noise was expected and appreciated. I don't think I've seen anyone with a big plastic horn at a Sabres game in the current barn (although a few Canuck fans had them during the WJC).

 

The crowd buying the tickets is a sterile crowd. And I am pretty sure back in the early HSBC days the arena staff discouraged rowdy-ism that used to be the norm in the Aud.

[Weave]

I've seen this brought up in other threads - how other arenas do have PA driven cheers. Perhaps this is something the Sabres need to do?

 

Of course PA never goes to the games. Oh - that is a different PA :)

 

I think it was me and Xander that keep referencing the Bandits experience ;) If you haven't experienced that you should and then you can see how the atmosphere and the right PA guy can make all the difference in fan involvement and noise levels.

 

I HATE the PA driven cheerleading at Bandits games. It seems so corny and contrived to me. And IMO doesn't fit with hockey. IMO hockey cheering needs to be organic. I think the easiest way to get cheering back at the arena is with a return of the organist. Yeah, it wasn't exactly organic cheering but it sure was alot less corny that some dude yelling over the PA system.

[PASabreFan]

I think I'll make the suggestion to lose the horn. Why cheer or yell when the horn is doing it for you? If people could hear how quiet it is otherwise, they might be shamed into cheering. (Or maybe a horn that doesn't just obliterate the building.)

[wjag]

I think I'll make the suggestion to lose the horn. Why cheer or yell when the horn is doing it for you? If people could hear how quiet it is otherwise, they might be shamed into cheering. (Or maybe a horn that doesn't just obliterate the building.)

I think I'll make a suggestion to keep the horn. Hopefully that will cancel out your suggestion. :nana:

[nobody]

I think they should replace the horn with cowbell.

[Samson's Flow]

I think they should replace the horn with cowbell.

 

We need more cowbell! :thumbsup:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mie9hhQTUM