The Hockey News:Get excited, Sabres fans

[Bufftp]

Ryan Kennedy, a fellow THN staffer and generally good guy, and I make a trip (or two) to Buffalo every year to take in a Sabres game and collect quotes and info for various stories.

During our last trip – as Kennedy detailed in his roundup column (http://thehockeynews.com/articles/28779-The-Straight-Edge-Going-back-to-Buffalo.html) – the energy in HSBC Arena, which was so rampant and almost palatable in seasons past and made taking in a Sabres game such a special experience, had dropped like Max Afinogenov’s 2008-09 production.

It wasn’t just a one-game anomaly, either. THN correspondent John Vogl suggested in his Jan. 11 issue (http://thehockeynews.com/articles/30509-This-Week-in-THN-Jan-11-2010.html) team report that a distance has been created between the team and the fans as a result of free agents leaving town coupled with disappointing on-ice results.

“The arena, though near capacity, is often lifeless,” Vogl wrote. “There are just as many doubters as diehards. The Sabres must inspire their fans again.”
link (http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/30934-THNcom-Blog-Get-excited-Sabres-fans.html)

[Ebenezer]

I've been excited since the start of the season...I just have no time to go to the games.

[DMBcrew36]

Thanks for posting that story. I've been to a few games this year and I'll definitely agree with the lack of energy in the crowd.


This link to a video on Tyler Myers was also in that story:
http://profile.thehockeynews.com/mediadetail/1670874

[YardRat]

Disappointing on-ice results?

[G Wolly]

Maybe it's because most of the fans filling up the seats are fairweather fans there to see Miller and Pominville because they're 2 of the most popular players on the team.

[DMBcrew36]

Maybe it's because most of the fans filling up the seats are fairweather fans there to see Miller and Pominville because they're 2 of the most popular players on the team.

I think that it's just a hangover from being let down the past two years, while having arguably the most pathetic football team in the NFL.

If the Sabres keep it up after the Olympic break, fans will definitely begin to turn up the energy as we approach and enter the playoffs.

[DrGraves]

I think that it's just a hangover from being let down the past two years, while having arguably the most pathetic football team in the NFL.

If the Sabres keep it up after the Olympic break, fans will definitely begin to turn up the energy as we approach and enter the playoffs.

I think you're exactly right on this one! I'm a huge die hard fan (definitely not fair weather) but the past few years of sabres and bills letdowns have kept me very cautious this year...

Once we start heading down the home stretch Sabres nation will be in full force... saving that energy for the playoff run!!!!

[SabreEleven]

I think all of Op's relatives are going to the game.

[JD]

I'll tell you what it is.

It's fans not getting their hopes up. Not getting overly excited, because we've been let down so many times in the past. After all, this IS Buffalo and all gods are against us.

Send that to your pal.. its the truth. :up:

[rbochan]

The lower bowl seems to be [mostly] filled with corp. owned seats and most of the people in them are too busy on their blackberries to watch the game.

[DMBcrew36]

The lower bowl seems to be [mostly] filled with corp. owned seats and most of the people in them are too busy on their blackberries to watch the game.

Lower bowl is all corp. owned seats? LOL, Buffalo has enough corporations to have that?

I'm sure quite a few of 'em may be company seats, but the people aren't in suits and ties coming from work. These are normal people here - hearty Buffalo people - this isn't Toronto. The lower bowl used to go nuts, just as the upper did.

It's just a different feel after you've been let down for the past two years, while also having the worst football team in the NFL. It'll change when the playoffs roll around.

[RockStar36]

I'm sure it's a different feel, but I didn't notice anything out of the norm at the game I went to. It was quiet when the Sabres were half assing it on the ice, the minute they started playing it seemed like the crowd was very loud. Maybe it was just me though.

[Dr. Lecter]

Maybe it's because most of the fans filling up the seats are fairweather fans there to see Miller and Pominville because they're 2 of the most popular players on the team.

They have 14,500 season ticket holders - hardly fair weather fans.

[DMBcrew36]

I'm sure it's a different feel, but I didn't notice anything out of the norm at the game I went to. It was quiet when the Sabres were half assing it on the ice, the minute they started playing it seemed like the crowd was very loud. Maybe it was just me though.

I think it's noticeably different compared to '05-06 and '06-07. There used to be an electricity in the building. You could feel the excitement among fans. Now it's just kinda dead.

But as I've said, playoffs will be like steroids for energy in the building.

[OpIv37]

I think all of Op's relatives are going to the game.
Nah- my relatives live in South Jersey and they're all drunken Irish/Italian Flyers fans.

[DMBcrew36]

Nah- my relatives live in South Jersey and they're all drunken Irish/Italian Flyers fans.

I'm sorry.




:snicker2:

[SabreEleven]

Nah- my relatives live in South Jersey and they're all drunken Irish/Italian Flyers fans.

Maybe you should join them so my team can win the Stanley Cup.