Kevin Freiheit: Flashback: 10/6/06

Kevin Freiheit: Flashback: 10/6/06
- KevinJames

Watching the replay of the Avalanche - Sabres game on NHL net, christ our crowds are so muted. Were winning 1-0, playing well and this was during a winning streak and the 18,690 people sounds like 1500 people. Are we so trained to expect failure in this town that its really affected us that bad? Or do only lame asses go to Sabres games while the real fans are at home?

Watching the replay of the Avalanche - Sabres game on NHL net, christ our crowds are so muted. Were winning 1-0, playing well and this was during a winning streak and the 18,690 people sounds like 1500 people. Are we so trained to expect failure in this town that its really affected us that bad? Or do only lame asses go to Sabres games while the real fans are at home?
- Buffalo--Sabres

It was louder in 05-06 when there were 11,000 people in the stands before January. Compared to Hockey Heaven these days, it's quite embarrassing.

The penalties that the Sabres received were all questionable, and the referees seemed to be favoring the Canadiens.
- KevinJames

Isn't this always the case when playing the Habs?

Watching the replay of the Avalanche - Sabres game on NHL net, christ our crowds are so muted. Were winning 1-0, playing well and this was during a winning streak and the 18,690 people sounds like 1500 people. Are we so trained to expect failure in this town that its really affected us that bad? Or do only lame asses go to Sabres games while the real fans are at home?
- Buffalo--Sabres

everytime i go to a game i see alot of people just sitting on their hands. buffalo should bring turn the bad seats in the 300 sections into party decks. i gurantee that would crank up the volume. like the 2 out of the 4 corners in the 300 section. raise the price of the tickets but turn the seating into 3 roys of picnic tables like how they do at bisons games. make the other 2 sections family sections that way families can be far away from the rowdyness of those sections.

I was at that game/ Playoff type atmosphere. People partying in the parking lots & honking their horns after the game like we just won a seven game series.
Hab fans dejected.
It was awesome!

The fans that go to games these days are too busy discussing Muffy's latest pap smear & Biffs prostate exam. Most of those people never even go to their seats.

Hopefully we get back to the way it was. It seems most of the real fans end up at the Party in The Plaza now.

everytime i go to a game i see alot of people just sitting on their hands. buffalo should bring turn the bad seats in the 300 sections into party decks. i gurantee that would crank up the volume. like the 2 out of the 4 corners in the 300 section. raise the price of the tickets but turn the seating into 3 roys of picnic tables like how they do at bisons games. make the other 2 sections family sections that way families can be far away from the rowdyness of those sections.
- joshs

example would be coca cola fields heron's landing party deck. i would pay extra to sit there even in the 300s

The lack of crowd reaction is due to the lack of things to react to. We can't score like we did in 05-06 and 06-07. We don't hit and fight like we did in the Ray, May, Barnaby days. And Miller is a good goalie, but has none of the flair and flash that Hasek had/has.

It's a boring team. We need something to cheer for. I think Ott goes a long way towards fixing it. Don't add fireworks, or kiss-cams, or happy wheels or why guys. Just fix the on ice product and the crowds will be back in a second.

Eff the Hab's !

I was at that game/ Playoff type atmosphere. People partying in the parking lots & honking their horns after the game like we just won a seven game series.
Hab fans dejected.
It was awesome!

The fans that go to games these days are too busy discussing Muffy's latest pap smear & Biffs prostate exam. Most of those people never even go to their seats.

Hopefully we get back to the way it was. It seems most of the real fans end up at the Party in The Plaza now.
- cowmad152

i think its just because party in the plaza is a party atmosphere where sabres games seem less and less like a party atmosphere. thats why i say make 2 out of the 4 corners in the 300 section into party deck seating (3 floors of picnic tables) like they do at herons landing party deck at the bisons games. obviously you are gonna lose a few seats but those are hard to sell anyways. lets try to bring the fun back into the stadium.

The lack of crowd reaction is due to the lack of things to react to. We can't score like we did in 05-06 and 06-07. We don't hit and fight like we did in the Ray, May, Barnaby days. And Miller is a good goalie, but has none of the flair and flash that Hasek had/has.

It's a boring team. We need something to cheer for. I think Ott goes a long way towards fixing it. Don't add fireworks, or kiss-cams, or happy wheels or why guys. Just fix the on ice product and the crowds will be back in a second.
- keptupl8

Those are all good points. There is basically nothing to cheer for these days. Add that to the cost increase in season ticket prices, which have priced more of the "hardcore" fans out of the games and filled the seats with "waiting list" types who like to go because it's a place to be seen and you've got zero atmosphere in the building on any given night. My $10 per seat seasons have increased every year and they're now $25 per seat; that's a 150% price increase in 7 years.

Regarding the atmosphere, I am hoping that Ott, Kaleta, Scott, Foligno, McCormick really turn on the juice in the first month of the season and get things rocking again in that place.

Is that a Gazoo avatar?!?!?!

The lack of crowd reaction is due to the lack of things to react to. We can't score like we did in 05-06 and 06-07. We don't hit and fight like we did in the Ray, May, Barnaby days. And Miller is a good goalie, but has none of the flair and flash that Hasek had/has.

It's a boring team. We need something to cheer for. I think Ott goes a long way towards fixing it. Don't add fireworks, or kiss-cams, or happy wheels or why guys. Just fix the on ice product and the crowds will be back in a second.
- keptupl8

Very true. Also, we are assaulted with noise, music, ads and the like. When the noise ends the crowd is just sitting there, numbed by the audio assault. We are so used to the speaker system making noise for us that we often don't.

The 6-0 win over the Briuns had more of the feel of an Aud game. The organ played more often, the fans got into it, it was great.

Kevin Freiheit: Flashback: 10/6/06
- KevinJames

all these flashbacks are giving me acid.

Very true. Also, we are assaulted with noise, music, ads and the like. When the noise ends the crowd is just sitting there, numbed by the audio assault. We are so used to the speaker system making noise for us that we often don't.
- Terrier13

Sometimes I feel like they've got a format in place that they're going to follow no matter what when it comes to the audio assault at home games. It seems like the few times that fans are into it, cheering "let's go Buffalo" and what not, they're immediately drowned out by the fake noise, ads, jumbotron nonsense, etc., as soon as there is a stoppage in play. There's no spontaneity anymore.

The lack of crowd reaction is due to the lack of things to react to. We can't score like we did in 05-06 and 06-07. We don't hit and fight like we did in the Ray, May, Barnaby days. And Miller is a good goalie, but has none of the flair and flash that Hasek had/has.

It's a boring team. We need something to cheer for. I think Ott goes a long way towards fixing it. Don't add fireworks, or kiss-cams, or happy wheels or why guys. Just fix the on ice product and the crowds will be back in a second.
- keptupl8

I agree with this. I think the enthusiasm was created in the 05 to 07 seasons, but the game just isnt close. There isnt enough players with spark to get fans up. I remember when Afinegenov(not spell checked) would skate of the ice with the puck it brought people to their feet. You would hear the roar of the crowd build up. I hate to say this, but I think our fans have watched to many Ryan Miller games. I like Miller and think he is a great goalie, but when he fails, he fails in the same exact way every time. We've all seen pucks smoke over Miller's shoulder a Million times and he does the "turn" his head over his shoulder and look up to the rafters like WTF just happened??? Then of course when he's hot and has a killer shut out, we score 1 goal at the other end.

I think the Ott thing is huge as well. Also Foligno and a few others are going to bring a new element to this team.

Those are all good points. There is basically nothing to cheer for these days. Add that to the cost increase in season ticket prices, which have priced more of the "hardcore" fans out of the games and filled the seats with "waiting list" types who like to go because it's a place to be seen and you've got zero atmosphere in the building on any given night. My $10 per seat seasons have increased every year and they're now $25 per seat; that's a 150% price increase in 7 years.

Regarding the atmosphere, I am hoping that Ott, Kaleta, Scott, Foligno, McCormick really turn on the juice in the first month of the season and get things rocking again in that place.
- The_Inkwell

I could not agree with this more. I know there are a lot of great fans at the games, but I think there are a lot of dead ducks there too. I think everyone who likes the Sabres and bought a ticket has a right to be there, but I just think its more about being "the place to be" then about love of the Sabres and hockey.

My annoying fan list.

1) Sabre stalkers. Girls who love the Sabres, I mean they actually love the men. Everyone from the 14 year old girls holding up thier "Marry me Pomminville" signs to the 20 year olds who hoped Derek Roy would get them in to Soho later. Its not that I have a problem with these people, but there are too many at the games and they dont know crap about hockey = No atmosphere
2) Hyperactive children. I get it, you want to bring your kids to a Sabres game, or maybe a few games. But it seems these days when people buy seasons, instead of getting a sitter, they literally buy seats for the kids. Kids have a place at the games, but when they make up 19% of the crowd, you cant shout "REF THATS TOTAL BULLCRAP!" = No Atmosphere
3) Fans that only cheer when Ryan Miller covers up the puck, after the other team has possesed it non stop for minutes and just rifled off 11 shots. Sure your chearing for Miller, but we do nothing all night, then applaud our team for getting totally embarrased out there and bailed out by Ryan Miller yet again.

Watching the replay of the Avalanche - Sabres game on NHL net, christ our crowds are so muted. Were winning 1-0, playing well and this was during a winning streak and the 18,690 people sounds like 1500 people. Are we so trained to expect failure in this town that its really affected us that bad? Or do only lame asses go to Sabres games while the real fans are at home?
- Buffalo--Sabres

IMO the building is too much of a family atmosphere now. Not enough rowdy fans to start chants and make noise.

IMO the building is too much of a family atmosphere now. Not enough rowdy fans to start chants and make noise.
- Rally_Shots

Word. I can watch the game at home with Rick Jeanerette(all 82 games this year ), watch in high def, swear up a storm and not be judged, and it costs me nothing. I still enjoy going to games and go to about 10 a year, but I'm tired of being "that guy" you can hear trying to start chants and not enough people joining in.


I'm off my high horse now. Proceed.

IMO the building is too much of a family atmosphere now. Not enough rowdy fans to start chants and make noise.
- Rally_Shots

Tell that to Steve Ott...

He's been talking about our building aptnosheper like we're the second coming of the Montreal Canadians...

And another thing...


I'd put an offer sheet in front of Evander Kane all day!

Lock this kid up in Buffalo and build around him... He's the second coming of jerome Iginla, and he's worth four 1st rd picks!


The perfect compliment to Grigorenko!!!

4 1st rounders for evander Kane........uh, nope

4 1st rounders for evander Kane........uh, nope
- twistedwrister9

I think that the only way 4 first round picks would be used as compensation is if the player's average salary was over $7,835,220.00. If the Sabres offer sheeted Kane let's say a 5 year $30M contract, it would cost them a first, second, and third round pick.

So the question begs- would you offer sheet Evander Kane that would pay a first, second, and third round pick as compensation?

I think that the only way 4 first round picks would be used as compensation is if the player's average salary was over $7,835,220.00. If the Sabres offer sheeted Kane let's say a 5 year $30M contract, it would cost them a first, second, and third round pick.

So the question begs- would you offer sheet Evander Kane that would pay a first, second, and third round pick as compensation?
- mhp

Yea....I knew it was astronomical to have to pay 4 1sts, why I wouldn't do it. But id give serious thought to and probably do it if it cost a 1st, 2nd & 3rd. Although the perceived attitude issues kinda concern me.