Are you a reactive or proactive fan? (crowd noise)

[Rob]

So recently the radio play by play announcer for the Leafs chastised Leaf Fans for being too quiet. In particular when they were down a goal with two minutes left to play.

"Give the team energy when they need it..not sitting down waiting to be reactive. The players can't say it but I will tonight's crowd was VERY DISAPPOINTING."

We will set aside the question about whether or not he is right. But do you find yourself to be a reactive or proactive fan?

I'm definitely reactive. Load as most when my team scores but am concentrating on the play too much in those tense situations to give a "go team go" chant.

Click to read more...

 

[Regal]

Reactive. But I feel like there should be drinking and non drinking options

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Inactive

 

[BB79]

When I was younger, more proactive. Today, more reactive. I barely go to any pro sports games anymore. I put a lot more effort into cheering my kids on in their sports than professional teams.
It's funny how your points of view change so much with age and life experience

 

[Rude Dog]

NHL fans downplay soccer crowds, but give me 20K people chanting and singing all game long over a forced noise prompt any day.

 

[WillardJFredricks]

Reactive. It's pretty easy to be proactively loud in a big playoff game (I mean the couple of minutes before the game when the lights go down and the players come out, etc.) and to maintain it the first couple of minutes, but if nothing much is happening (or bad things are happening to your team) I think it's only natural to be reactive.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

What does yelling shoot on the power play count as?

 

[BB79]

What does yelling shoot on the power play count as?

Annoying to everyone around you

 

[Machinehead]

Definitely reactive.

It's always a bit of a spectrum. You usually come to the arena fired up. Most people, unless it's a tank job that year, expect to win. That's proactive.

I stop being fired up real quick if the product is shit. I never understood the mentality that the team is owed support. I'm the customer. I'm owed a performance.

 

[Machinehead]

NHL fans downplay soccer crowds, but give me 20K people chanting and singing all game long over a forced noise prompt any day.

Soccer crowds are great but there comes a time where I'm not in the emotional state to give support.

I'm a huge Liverpool fan, and most Liverpool fans would strongly disagree, but that team can f*** themselves in a fire this year. They're losers. They have a few games left -- my season is over. I'm too old for nonsense. I have a career and other interests. I will stop watching it and come back next year.

Call me a bad fan. I'm not on the payroll. Anything I give is charity.

 

[I am not exposed]

Depends how much alcohol I had consumed. But never when the arena announcer wanted me to.

The forced noise prompt is why I don't bother going to live games.

Let's make some noise!!!

Urgh, the noise should be made by the play on the ice, not by some lame announcement.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Reactive

 

[Rob]

I just wanted to add that I don't believe that it is the crowd's job to create energy for their team. Especially millionaires.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I'm proactive but tickets are also 300$ so you bet I'm gonna act a complete fool when i do get the opportunity to actually go to a game. I'm getting my money's worth and yelling chirps to everyone on the ice. Behind the goalies is where I've done my best work

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

As an away fan most of the time at Scotiabank Arena or the Bell Centre, I am a bit more reactive. Only major events (big hit, fight, huge save or goal) gets me out of my seat and cheering.

On home ice, I spent 4 hours straight of a 2OT playoff game cheering and whistling for the Caps.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Proactive, after going to games in Europe, it's clear NA fans just don't cut it. Being loud and making noise with 10-20k other people I'd a blast. No matter how the team is playing.

 

[Sol]

I just yell at the random transplants. Especially Edmonton fans who have no business being in So-cal

 

[WillardJFredricks]

What does yelling shoot on the power play count as?

There used to be a guy at the local OHL games here who would always, with perfect timing, yell out "pass!" to the home team while all the other fans were screaming for a shot. It was pretty funny.

 

[biturbo19]

Depends on level of drank.



But in terms of NHL games? Can't afford to be proactive. So reactive i guess.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Definitely reactive, when I was younger definitely more proactive, but Canucks hockey has grinded me down. (nvm life lol)

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I’m a Swedish hockey fan

I stand up and sing, chant and applaud throughout games, even when the team’s brutal, we support them. Even when they’ve soiled their britches in a series deciding playoff loss, we stay and thank them for the season.

But the tickets are like $10, and the best seats I don’t think are that more expensive than $50, usually. Attending an NHL game would be something I’d do just once or if I became rich, and I understand that people who’ve paid NHL kinds of ticket prices won’t bring the most atmosphere. Swedish sports also have the aspect of the fans/members owning 51% of the clubs, and thus carry some weight in how our teams are run. We’ll throw fits if the organization tries to hike up prizes and the alike.

That being said, my best memory of live hockey was when I flew up to Luleå for game 3 of the 2022 finals. I wasn’t in the standing section but instead got a prime seat, wanting to be able to see as much of the action as possible. The sitters aren’t usually that loud, they join in on the chanting from time to time. The game was great, Färjestad came back to tie a 4-1 deficit in the third period, and you went into despair. The most punchable face in hockey Theodor Lennström got away with (riling up the opposing crowd can render suspension) a subtle taunt against the people in my section as he went in to celebrate the tying goal with his teammates, and we flew onto our feet, flipped him… reciprocated the hand gestures and called him a real jerk, yeah.

But with the game tied, the entire arena was standing up and singing “Oh Luleå, we’re winning the championship this year, we’re walking the entire f***ing length, no half measures Luleå” into overtime, where the most unlikely of heroes emerged, fan favorite Einar Emanuelsson who inexplicably had gone from 13 goals, 27 points the year prior, to a single goal and an assist on the season, scored the winner on a breakaway and the roof blew off the damn building.

If you’re in Europe during the hockey season, I recommend attending a league hockey game.

 

[Rob]

If you’re in Europe during the hockey season, I recommend attending a league hockey game.

I've been to soccer games in Europe but never a hockey game. It looks like the fan culture is the same for both.

 

[MikeyMike01]

There’s a difference between being reactive in like the second period of a regular season game and inactive during the final few minutes of an important playoff game

 

[JMCx4]

Considering the inspiration for this thread, I'm going with radio-active.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think it’s really a two-way relationship between the players and the crowd.

Obviously you’re going to be cheering when they kick ass. Obviously you’re going to be quiet (or worse, booing) when they’re getting smoked.

Most of the time it’s somewhere in between, and it becomes more of a give-and-take. When a player makes a rush up the center lane, the crowd will pipe up in support. When a player throws his body around, the crowd will cheer. Technically that’s reactive, but it’s also the crowd proactively urging the players to play bold, aggressive hockey.