Does winning matter?

[RangerDave]

In a recent discussion, a few people opined that winning doesn't matter to Mr. Pegula.  I could not fathom this, as he was pretty emotional when he purchased the team about wanting to win a Stanley Cup.  He seemed to be a genuine fan of the Buffalo Sabres.

Now, I received a survey from the Sabres organization asking about game day experience.  There were a few questions about the team's performance and how much that matters regarding whether I attend a game or not.  But there were also several questions about what I call the "entertainment experience."  Things like the music, or the food, or the entertainment on the ice betweens periods, or... whatever.  I started thinking about a game I went to last year where there were 4 guys seated behind us.  All they talked about during play was the bets they had placed on things like the score at the end of the period, who would be winning, or whatever things people bet on nowadays.  After the period ended, the 4 guys left and never returned to their seats.  But, they had purchased tickets for the game.

This has me thinking:  Is it more important to entertain the people in the stands (or watching on TV) than it is to satisfy the actual hockey fans who care whether the team wins or not?  Is there more money to be made by attracting casual fans who need to be "entertained" by things other than the game and its results?  Do actual "Sabres fanatics" matter anymore?  Between casual fans and fans of the opposing teams, it seems like more seats are filled by them than actual Sabres fans.

The NFL seems to be aware of this, too.  Halftime entertainment, music, food options, 6-hour pregame shows, scoreboard clips in between play, etc.

The Super Bowl is widely regarded as no longer being a football contest pitting the two top teams, but rather a "mega event" that attracts A-list celebrities.  Is that happening to all sports and at every game now?

[msw2112]

This is an interesting topic.  I have a mixed response.  Having grown up in Buffalo, when it comes to the Bills and Sabres, it's all about the product on the field/ice.  I don't care at all about the rest of the entertainment experience (provided I can do the simple things like get a beer or take a leak during the game without missing 30% of the game waiting in line).  I always arrive prior to kickoff/puck drop and stay until the game is over, regardless of the score.  Even in a blowout, it's interesting to me to see how the backup QB performs or if the rookie winger scores a goal.

That said, I have lived outside of Buffalo for quite some time now and have lived in big cities with most/all of the major pro sports teams.  I have no interest in season tickets, but frequently come across tickets to games.  For those games, I'm just as interested in the food, entertainment, music, betting, cheerleaders, and hanging out with the people I'm at the game with, etc. (or more) than the game itself.  I have no problem arriving late or leaving early.  For example, I went to an Arizona Cardinals-New Orleans Saints game.  I really didn't care who won the game, but made a small internet wager on the game, just for fun.  Whether I won my bet was more interesting to me than the game itself.  Having a comfortable seat was important to me.  If I'm at a Bills game, I hardly use the seat.  I've been to NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB games around the country and enjoy the event as a whole, but usually don't really care who wins.  Every been to a mid-season NBA game?  They're snoozers until the last 5 minutes.  Or a MLB game before the pennant races start heating up?  I find it hard to focus too much prior to the 8th or 9th inning.

Over the years, I've turned down many free NFL tickets (mostly Cardinals and Bears) so I could watch the Bills on TV.  I'm just not invested in those teams, yet don't want to miss a minute of Bills action.  The tailgate/pregame (and/or postgame) is often more interesting to me than the game itself.

[PerreaultForever]

Winning is all that matters. 

[mjd1001]

I think the NHL believes, maybe its true, that winning is NOT all that matters.  Toronto is a great example.  The 'everday' fan has been mostly priced out of the games.  Yeah, there are some, but a lot of the crowd seems to be from a higher 'social-economic' class.  And do they want the team to win? Sure they do, but it also appears for them its more about a 'night out', its about bragging they were at the game, its about the food, the entertainment.  

Then look at other cities. Kids days games are popular, and do the kids want the home team to win? Again, sure they do, but many times they are just as happy  with the music they can dance to between commercials, the games on the ice between periods, and they are happy to cheer for the home team when they score 3 goals, even though the opposing team scores 5.

Personally, I don't go to many games anymore. As a fan, I think I can see more, interact with others more, just get a better experience as a 'fan of the game' at home than I do in the Arena. But the few times I go to the arena, I want to be entertained.  Again, I can see the on-ice product just as well at home, maybe even better, so if I'm going to the game, you better give me good food, good entertainment, stuff I CAN'T get at home.

So yeah, I think the NHL, most sports leagues, and even the Sabres are going to lean into the entertainment aspect of the gameday experience.  Maybe not so much to get more people to come out (winning will do that, but the marketing dept can't fix that) but to find out what people are into and see how they can extract more money from the people that do show up.

[PerreaultForever]

Oh the NHL doesn't care who wins (usually) and they are most definitely in the entertainment business but that league view is different than a team's view. The league just wants things it can sell, be that McJesus or other superstars or even Rat Kings. They will market whatever is going. A team however needs a winning culture and a belief that the team is doing all it can to try to win.