Key Bank Center upgrades coming…

[LabattBlue]

https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/buffalo-sabres-keybank-center-new-scoreboard-2024-hockey-season/article_055f6402-4285-11ee-94e2-4b1f1843e36a.html

Edited August 26, 2023 by LabattBlue

[Zamboni]

Obvious Red meat for the haters …

 

Roth said. “I think the appetite to do a massive, massive board like some other places is probably not there, and that’s more a ‘Terry aesthetic’ thing. But you’re looking at a major upgrade. Ultimately, he’ll decide what he likes and how much he wants to spend. These things aren’t cheap.”

[Zamboni]

Some good improvements mentioned overall. Not ALL improvements they have planned were mentioned in the article. So I expect others besides those. Albeit small changes, but changes nonetheless. Keeping Delaware North is unfortunate. But it is what it is.

[Derrico]

Looking forward to seeing what they roll out.  My biggest complaint (same with bills) is the length of lines and time spent waiting at concession stands.  Sounds like they are aware and working on this major issue.  Will be interesting to see how much these ideas improve that experience this season. 

4 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Some good improvements mentioned overall. Not ALL improvements they have planned were mentioned in the article. So I expect others besides those. Albeit small changes, but changes nonetheless. Keeping Delaware North is unfortunate. But it is what it is.

Agreed on Delaware North.  How long is their deal with Sabres and Keybank?  Perhaps losing the Bills contract may be a wake up call and result in a better product for Sabres?  Maybe just wishful thinking…

[pastajoe]

At 6’3” sitting in the seats is a painful experience. I have to turn my legs to the side to fit.

[Taro T]

Glad that they will finally be fixing the sound system.  Have taken to putting in ear plugs when going to the rink because it is so loud at our seats.

Saw that they'll be, in theory, improving the food in the rink.  Wonder if they'll address the lack of consistency of quality from one stand to another?  That's nearly as big an issue as the food in general being subpar.

They're going to have a 1,000 member fan food council?  They haven't had the 20 or so member regular fan council meet in over a year.  Get that active again before moving on to this other thing.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

“I think the appetite to do a massive, massive board like some other places is probably not there

Good.  It's large enough as it is.  And it's the least of the problems.

It was pretty awesome when the scoreboards were in the corners and you could see clear across the arena.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Eleven

[PASabreFan]

This I pledge to you, a better beef on weck.

Hear it in the voice of JFK. You're welcome.

14 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Good.  It's large enough as it is.  And it's the least of the problems.

It was pretty awesome when the scoreboards were in the corners and you could see clear across the arena.

Was that when the Tron crashed?

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, PASabreFan said:

 

Was that when the Tron crashed?

Yep.  Of course, I had much better eyesight then...maybe I wouldn't like it so much now.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Eleven

[Zamboni]

16 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Glad that they will finally be fixing the sound system.  Have taken to putting in ear plugs when going to the rink because it is so loud at our seats.

Saw that they'll be, in theory, improving the food in the rink.  Wonder if they'll address the lack of consistency of quality from one stand to another?  That's nearly as big an issue as the food in general being subpar.

They're going to have a 1,000 member fan food council?  They haven't had the 20 or so member regular fan council meet in over a year.  Get that active again before moving on to this other thing.

I agree. I’d love to be a part of the fan food council 👍🏼
 

One thing I don’t understand why they don’t advertise… Is you can get a hot tea. You just have to ask for it at concession stands and they have tea bags in a cabinet located under the coffee makers. It’s funny because half the concession staff don’t even know this. Many times my wife and I would have to tell them to look under the coffee makers in the cabinet to find the teabags 😂

”ohhhhh I didn’t realize we do tea” 

yes, you do… And it should be advertised right underneath the Tim Hortons coffee. But it isn’t. 

[PASabreFan]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Glad that they will finally be fixing the sound system.  Have taken to putting in ear plugs when going to the rink because it is so loud at our seats.

Saw that they'll be, in theory, improving the food in the rink.  Wonder if they'll address the lack of consistency of quality from one stand to another?  That's nearly as big an issue as the food in general being subpar.

They're going to have a 1,000 member fan food council?  They haven't had the 20 or so member regular fan council meet in over a year.  Get that active again before moving on to this other thing.

The forks of a thousand mennnnnnn.

[PASabreFan]

2 hours ago, Zamboni said:

Obvious Red meat for the haters …

 

Roth said. “I think the appetite to do a massive, massive board like some other places is probably not there, and that’s more a ‘Terry aesthetic’ thing. But you’re looking at a major upgrade. Ultimately, he’ll decide what he likes and how much he wants to spend. These things aren’t cheap.”

I'll put some ketchup on it and bite. Terry's ho hum style shouldn't be the deciding factor. He should give the people what they want. To his credit he let Kim give the players a fancy new lockerroom when at the time he said, "If it was up to me they'd get dressed out here (in the pavilion)." Paraphrase

To the obvious larger point, he should have always been thinking about giving us the best teams all the time and not subjecting us to his "aesthetic" of patience and continuous improvement and the meek shall inherit the earth (literally) after 35 years of trying, and the oldie but goodie Only One Team Can Win The Cup.

How did I do?

Edited August 26, 2023 by PASabreFan

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

I agree. I’d love to be a part of the fan food council 👍🏼
 

One thing I don’t understand why they don’t advertise… Is you can get a hot tea. You just have to ask for it at concession stands and they have tea bags in a cabinet located under the coffee makers. It’s funny because half the concession staff don’t even know this. Many times my wife and I would have to tell them to look under the coffee makers in the cabinet to find the teabags 😂

”ohhhhh I didn’t realize we do tea” 

yes, you do… And it should be advertised right underneath the Tim Hortons coffee. But it isn’t. 

Thanks for the info.

I am a tea drinker and never seemed able to get one at KBC. I was at the WJHC in Buffalo last time it was held there and I had to bring in a cup from Tim’s every time I wanted one.

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, Zamboni said:

Some good improvements mentioned overall. Not ALL improvements they have planned were mentioned in the article. So I expect others besides those. Albeit small changes, but changes nonetheless. Keeping Delaware North is unfortunate. But it is what it is.

Delaware North's contract expires in two or three years. I know, through a source, that PSE is expecting Delaware North to really step up their game in Key Bank and the present Bills stadium in order to hold onto the Sabres contract. Essentially Delaware North doesn't want to lose both of its home town contracts which is now very possible.

[mjd1001]

6 hours ago, pastajoe said:

At 6’3” sitting in the seats is a painful experience. I have to turn my legs to the side to fit.

I know where you are coming from...but its actually better than some other places. Try going to a show/concert at Sheas...or take in a game at Fenway park.  If you are over 6'0", they can actually be painful.

[mjd1001]

6 hours ago, Eleven said:

Good.  It's large enough as it is.  And it's the least of the problems.

It was pretty awesome when the scoreboards were in the corners and you could see clear across the arena.

I'm not a huge scoreboard type of person.  I agree.

I think there are major issues in the Arena. Its 'good enough' to watch a game, but it is miles behind other new (and renovated arenas.) As has been brought up many times here, the Atrium could be better utilized, the concessions are bad (food quality and how they are setup). Restrooms can be in issue. Seats are in bad shape with many broken, more/better entertainment could be available besides the game...etc, etc.  However of all those things I agree with, I never looked up and said "we need a newer/better scoreboard with better video".

[LTS]

I don't think the arena would work with some of the larger scoreboards found in other arenas. The building just is not big enough.  There's no getting around the exterior walls of the structure, that dictates what you can put inside.

Still, the scoreboard is terrible so an upgrade would be nice.  How about an on-ice projection system while you are at it?

I have no doubt they are going to move to ordering displays to eliminate congestion at the stands and to adjust staffing required.

[Goldseatsaud]

8 hours ago, pastajoe said:

At 6’3” sitting in the seats is a painful experience. I have to turn my legs to the side to fit.

Seats are way to small in the lower section

[Eleven]

15 hours ago, LTS said:

How about an on-ice projection system while you are at it?

They used to have one.  They may even have been the first to have one.

[PASabreFan]

11 minutes ago, Eleven said:

They used to have one.  They may even have been the first to have one.

1989ish The Aud? Or I might be thinking about lasers.

[Eleven]

12 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

1989ish The Aud? Or I might be thinking about lasers.

No, the current arena definitely had an on-ice projection system at some point in the 2000s.

Edited August 27, 2023 by Eleven

[Zamboni]

12 minutes ago, Eleven said:

No, the current arena definitely had an on-ice projection system at some point in the 2000s.

Yes they have one. It’s still used at every home game. 👍🏼

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Yes they have one. It’s still used at every home game. 👍🏼

I haven't seen it recently--I think I haven't seen it in ten years.  And I've been a STH within the last ten years.

[LTS]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

They used to have one.  They may even have been the first to have one.

Hmmmm

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Yes they have one. It’s still used at every home game. 👍🏼

They do?  How come I don't recall seeing it.. I don't mean little graphics in face-off circles..  I mean full on..  like the Predators

https://blog.rossvideo.com/ice-projection-technology

[...]

They definitely used to have one. They hardly used it when I was buying mini-packs circa 2017. Trying to recall if they used it last season but I went to only one game.