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Game day experience


RonHextallsShoulderPads

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I’m an out-of-towner who attended the Bruins game this weekend. I’ve been to four Sabres games in the last two years in DC and Raleigh. I haven’t been to a home game in probably 7 years. 

After attending, I have a few questions: 

What the hell was that?

What happened to the game day experience?

Why is no one cheering? We were UP a goal! 

Why is it whisper quiet during play? I could hear the Sabres communicating with each other from the 300s  

Why is there a DJ treating the fans like they don’t know how to view a hockey game? “Come on Sabres fans, let ‘em know you stick by your team and let me hear you cheeerrrrrr!!”

why is sabretooth leading a section in a “let’s go buffalo” chant that extends maybe five rows before dying out?

why are there at least 25% Bruins fans?

when did it become so kid oriented? It felt like the circus rather than hockey. As if the game was a minor inconvenience between T-shirt guns and blimp coupon drops.

somehow $13 beers were the least shocking part of the night. 

We didn’t earn hockeytown on Saturday. 

 

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1 hour ago, RonHextallsShoulderPads said:

 

when did it become so kid oriented? It felt like the circus rather than hockey. As if the game was a minor inconvenience between T-shirt guns and blimp coupon drops.

This is the part I’ve gotten fairly cynical about. I’m totally for a few kid oriented things in a game, something to help junior remember his or her first experiences with hockey as a fun time with family but yeah... the “family friendly” focused kinda drives me bananas. We don’t need wasted, vile epithet spewing idiots hollering like elephant seal bulls on the beach (just go to a Bills game for that I hear) but everything is just so... cartoony. I want style, not bubble letters. One “aww” moment a game where some dude interviews a shy kid who accidentally scream mumbles into the mic. Not every damn break.  Let the kids enjoy a hockey game for hockey, not distract them with games every 30 seconds. So marketed to. Sabres, the app! Now streaming! They can’t even afford those 13 dollar beers yet! Wonder if that’s something that’ll improve as we do. 

 

I’ve been thinking about this topic in general since I went to my first Bandits game last Friday. That old college hockey feel was there. That place was pretty well attended and the crowd was FEELING it. It was also “family friendly” but boy... it didn’t feel pandering. Maybe it’s the constant music. Even had a couple f bombs in there! Oh no protect the kids! (Who were so into it and calling for blood like the little thunderdome initiates they are). The stop start of hockey music (does anyone know why, btw? Not like lacrosse guys can hear any better than hockey players on ice) kinda jolts you in and out if the play is lacking, so they string it together with Disney-esque cute factor. 

Dunno. I’ve never disliked being at a game, but after the constant roar of the NLL game (which took me totally by surprise) I see the lacking more and more. 

Are other NHL teams so kid focused? It seems pro teams have become geared for the family and the college teams is where you go for a more uh... adult/traditional/old school piss on Eddie shore hockey feel. 

Edited by josie
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Yeah its a shame how awfully quiet Sabres games are. Its like everyone's in a mausoleum & are afraid to make a sound. In years past with how dreadful our teams were, it kinda made sense. Perhaps if our team keeps winning people will have more to cheer about? I dont know.

I do know from a dj's & music perspective, the tracks they play at the arena are a bit embarrassing at least to me. For instance cotton eyed joe shouldve stopped being played 20 years ago lol

Perhaps the Sabres PR team could help promote crowd noise more. By making a public push to create more fan noise. Maybe even making some contest for a cheap Sabres related prize to the section that makes the most noise during the game?

The big thing I guess is that the culture around here just needs to change & for that its gonna take a whole lot of winning & a bunch of time. A new arena wouldnt hurt either ?

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One of the things I've noticed is how from the time you arrive until the time you leave, cameras are sweeping the crowd and you could be on the video board at any given moment. Your ticket authorizes the Sabres to do it, but it's really too much. If you wanted to temper crowd behavior, it's certainly one way to do it. Big Brother etc. Not sure the Sabres are bright enough to have figured that out though. Imagine if cameras had been recording everything during Bruins games at the Aud circa 1988.

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I've only been to one so far this season, but it seemed improved over last season. There was organ music and not a bunch of eXtreme alt / hip hop being blasted at me; the crowd definitely was into it (Casey scoring a minute in didn't hurt), and I didn't notice as many ads/games/Sabretooths, etc.

On visiting fans:  Keep in mind that a lot of Southern Ontarians have Sabres tickets.  And a lot of them are Bruins fans because Bobby Orr stopped in their town to take a dump in 1973 or whatever.  I've never been to a Sabres game where there wasn't some significant group of opposing fans, because someone knows the brother-in-law's cousin of some player on the other team.  25% seems a lot for a Bruins game, though.

 

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10 hours ago, MillerVaive said:

Yeah its a shame how awfully quiet Sabres games are. Its like everyone's in a mausoleum & are afraid to make a sound. In years past with how dreadful our teams were, it kinda made sense. Perhaps if our team keeps winning people will have more to cheer about? I dont know.

I do know from a dj's & music perspective, the tracks they play at the arena are a bit embarrassing at least to me. For instance cotton eyed joe shouldve stopped being played 20 years ago lol

Perhaps the Sabres PR team could help promote crowd noise more. By making a public push to create more fan noise. Maybe even making some contest for a cheap Sabres related prize to the section that makes the most noise during the game?

The big thing I guess is that the culture around here just needs to change & for that its gonna take a whole lot of winning & a bunch of time. A new arena wouldnt hurt either ?

It was so embarrassing in front of these Bruins fans to basically have the DJ holding our hands in how we should cheer and/or support the team. I've been to TD a bunch of times and it's (putting it lightly) hostile to visiting team fans. I was ready for at least some rousing from our fans, but these guys were starting their own chants, threatening our fans and laughing at our atmosphere. Tough pill to swallow. 

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It's amazing that we have had a version of this thread every season for as long as I can remember. It can't be that hard to recognize what other teams do well in arena atmosphere and just copy that. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but it sure as hell would be a lot better than the crap we've been getting for years. I'm not asking for Nashville or Vegas level fun, but lets at least be on par with the rest of the league.

I worry that the executives for the Sabres have been insulated by the season ticket and attendance consistency that they haven't felt the need to improve the game experience. 

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21 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

It's amazing that we have had a version of this thread every season for as long as I can remember. It can't be that hard to recognize what other teams do well in arena atmosphere and just copy that. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but it sure as hell would be a lot better than the crap we've been getting for years. I'm not asking for Nashville or Vegas level fun, but lets at least be on par with the rest of the league.

I worry that the executives for the Sabres have been insulated by the season ticket and attendance consistency that they haven't felt the need to improve the game experience. 

It has Kim Pegula's prints all over it. This is the atmosphere they want to build with the teams (I'm not saying it's necessarily bad), but they want approachable, non-threatening, soft, fun. It's orchestrated to be family forward. Almost to the point that it's A.D.D. inducing. The second action stops it's cut away to kids dancing, giveaways, giveaways, giveaways, more kids dancing, more yelling DJ, puck drop, absolute silence. I used to make fun of the Carolina Hurricanes crowd for feeling like a Disney on Ice crowd and now we've entered that territory. 

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24 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

It's amazing that we have had a version of this thread every season for as long as I can remember. It can't be that hard to recognize what other teams do well in arena atmosphere and just copy that. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but it sure as hell would be a lot better than the crap we've been getting for years. I'm not asking for Nashville or Vegas level fun, but lets at least be on par with the rest of the league.

I worry that the executives for the Sabres have been insulated by the season ticket and attendance consistency that they haven't felt the need to improve the game experience. 

The Sabres ARE trying to alter the experience - thus the DJ that the OP hated so much.  They do have more organ music than past seasons as well.  They  are trying to copy what works elsewhere.  They just still aren't very good at it.

And the crowds are louder this year than they've been in a LONG time.  There will be at least 1 and probably more like 4 - Let's go Buf-fa-lo chants happening SPONTANEOUSLY each period.  There's been weeks during the past few seasons that that didn't happen.  

We're getting the 1-2-...-n, we want n+1 chants going.  This thread derided the 0, we want 1 chant last game.  But after that goal got scored, the chant became 1, we want 2!

Baby steps.  These fans were spoiled the 1st 42 years of the team's existence.  We got used to having a truly competitive team, season in season out, even though it rarely was championship caliber.  Not positive where their historical winning percentage was right prior to the tank, but considering they were most always top 3, would be shocked if they weren't top  5 at that point.  We've had a really bad, and worse, non-entertaining team for the past ~7 years.  That the fans are as into it as they are is a positive, IMHO.

And remember, this rink was built to have better acoustics for concerts than for creating loud crowds.  The roof is very high up, and the seating bowl isn't very steep.  It'll never be as loud as the Aud was.  But it's been loud enough.  It's getting back to that.

 

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The building has been horrid for years, but that was when the team sucked.

My theory is that far too many people are there for something to do on a crappy Tuesday night in the WNY winter, not watch a hockey game with interest.

The camera always shows fans closeups and you see folks looking at cell phones.

Then you have all the noise on the PA system, the absurd "goal song", the music blasting...

In the good old days in the Aud you knew you were at a hockey game; hockey fans there to watch hockey; no annoying crap over the microphone; organ playing; no TV screens for replays so you had to pay attention; it was unique to be at a hockey game and it was cool.

I hate the flavor of these things now.

Caveat: it is much better in most buildings come playoff time; it's been so long since we had playoff games, you tend to forget that in a Sabres context.

 

 

 

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52 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

The building has been horrid for years, but that was when the team sucked.

My theory is that far too many people are there for something to do on a crappy Tuesday night in the WNY winter, not watch a hockey game with interest.

The camera always shows fans closeups and you see folks looking at cell phones.

Then you have all the noise on the PA system, the absurd "goal song", the music blasting...

In the good old days in the Aud you knew you were at a hockey game; hockey fans there to watch hockey; no annoying crap over the microphone; organ playing; no TV screens for replays so you had to pay attention; it was unique to be at a hockey game and it was cool.

I hate the flavor of these things now.

Caveat: it is much better in most buildings come playoff time; it's been so long since we had playoff games, you tend to forget that in a Sabres context.

 

 

 

Don't get me started on the goal song. But then again other teams have bad goal songs too. I would be good with just the horn. I did sort of like when they'd play Rick's goal call over the speakers. I heard that from the broadcast a few times over the years.

Also, is your caveat true? I feel like the changes that have happened to the crowd are recent. Do we get the same energy after an eight-year hiatus? Maybe because tickets will be so expensive it'll price out families? 

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The goal song is awful.  I hate it almost as much as the annoying train whistle at the Bills games.

If the game is good though, I think the 'gameday experience' will be good.

The problem is....the Sabres are just starting to be a decent team..and they still have too many 'bad games' at home.  And I don't mean just losses...they just score too few goals to be all that exciting.

With that said....the building itself isn't that great.  I have now been to quite a few of the newer Arenas around the league....they aren't just better than what we have here...they blow it out of the water.  The general appearance of the places...comfort of the seats...ease in getting around (concourse width and entrances/exits), food choice and quality....the list goes on and on....it is just more 'fun' in a lot of other arenas to spend a couple hundred dollars for 3 hours than it is in our building.

Edited by mjd1001
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6 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

The building sucks.  It was built as cheaply as possible at the time and it shows all over the place.  I've said it several times, the Wells Fargo Center in Philly is of the same vintage as KBC.  It was better from day one and they have put significant money and effort into it since then.

IMO, if Buffalo is building a new ANYTHING sports facility wise it should be a new hockey arena. It makes for a much better ROI than a football stadium does.

Is there any way to improve the existing building in an economically feasible way? i agree the building itself sucks, but it seems the current location is about as perfect as it gets and has been integrated into the Harborcenter in a way that Terry & Kim aren't going to want to give that up.

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