Greiss: Pens arena ‘pretty dead’

[JTG]

I always thought the exodus after games would be better when there is a proper "Arena District" built with things to do after games. Instead of trying to beat traffic (which is the only thing to do where Consol is located), people would be more inclined to stick around if they knew they were going to just be walking over to somewhere after the game.

I say this, completely believing it's inexcusable for fans to leave like Pens fans do before the game is over.

And another thing that's funny is EVERYONE *****es about the Consol atmosphere, but nothing changes.

 

[Winger for Hire]

One of the commandments my father handed down to me...

Never leave a game early. You never know what you can miss, even in a blowout.

 

[mynameisnick4]

I was at the game last night. Paid over 100 per ticket for 223. That's not something I'm going to do often. Maybe once every other month unless I find cheaper. There's also no pulse for the game as some put it because at times our team didn't give us any. When there were points in the game to respectively ooh and aah at the correct times and most I've heard did that. When we were buzzing (rarely) it definitely got progressively louder. When we scored it was also pretty loud.

Everyone did start to leave around 4 or so minutes left in the game which is the main thing I found ridiculous.

I'm guessing you either bought them from ticketmaster/penguins or resale very early on because they were no where near that price a few weeks before the game. I had to sell our two extra seats in 234 for $46.

The sell out streak must be in jeopardy because my buddy just told me he got a text for 50% off tickets tomorrow. Just checked ticketmaster, upper bowl seats are as low as $35 and lower bowl as low as $85 for tomorrow. I don't think I've ever seen a regular season ticket that low still coming from the pens and not second hand. Those prices are below season ticket holder prices, by a decent amount in some cases.

 

[SirBrad]

I'm guessing you either bought them from ticketmaster/penguins or resale very early on because they were no where near that price a few weeks before the game. I had to sell our two extra seats in 234 for $46.

The sell out streak must be in jeopardy because my buddy just told me he got a text for 50% off tickets tomorrow.

Big time jeopardy. Thursday night isn't a Monday night. It's the second game of the season after 5-6 months of no hockey. Pirates season is done. No Steelers game. If people aren't going tomorrow that's pretty bad.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

One of the commandments my father handed down to me...

Never leave a game early. You never know what you can miss, even in a blowout.

My father taught me the same. It's a good rule.

 

[Dick Sledge]

I'm guessing you either bought them from ticketmaster/penguins or resale very early on because they were no where near that price a few weeks before the game. I had to sell our two extra seats in 234 for $46.

The sell out streak must be in jeopardy because my buddy just told me he got a text for 50% off tickets tomorrow. Just checked ticketmaster, upper bowl seats are as low as $35 and lower bowl as low as $85 for tomorrow. I don't think I've ever seen a regular season ticket that low still coming from the pens and not second hand. Those prices are below season ticket holder prices, by a decent amount in some cases.

My friend bought them off the site as soon as they went on sale.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Again, I'm sure things wouldn't be so blase or quiet if the team wasn't such a giant turd on the ice night in and night out.

 

[tom_servo]

Again, I'm sure things wouldn't be so blase or quiet if the team wasn't such a giant turd on the ice night in and night out.

And it's been trending downward since 2009. Each year more disheartening than the last.

Regular season games have felt hollow for a long time. They foreshadowed nothing for a while, then they foreshadowed futility. And now, they're not even good. No foreshadowing needed.

 

[meangene]

Are we pretty much in agreement that it's not so much the arena itself but more so the in-game experience? I've read stuff saying the way Consol is built isn't conducive to amplifying sound, but I'm not an engineer so I can't really comment on that one way or the other.

If anyone watches It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, it reminds me so much of Sudz, the cheesy new bar they to in "The gang tries to win an award". Loud music, bright artificial colors, constant bombardment on stuff on the jumbotron, etc, with no subtlety or organic feel whatsoever. There's so many distractions during the game that going just to watch and cheer is pretty much impossible.

Not to mention the fact that regular season Penguins games haven't meant a damn thing since 2012, and the team has become so predicable the last two years that the team on the ice is often times the LEAST entertaining thing about going to the game.

Oh yeah, 10th highest ticket prices in the league too.

 

[ChrisKuuuunitz]

I blame the terrible alternative music constantly being shoved down our throats, like do people actually like half this garbage?

 

[Coastal Kev]

I think this plays a significant part. The PA level is ridiculous. I've noticed people repeatedly get drowned out by it when trying to cheer, start a chant, etc. After a while they just kind of sit there in a noise induced isolation that carries over into when play resumes.

You shouldn't have to go mouth to ear every time you want to talk to the person next to you. It isn't a concert, believe it or not. I also think the whole thing is overproduced. Focus more on the product, which is actually hockey, and less on the constant bombardment of gimmicks for the ADD crowd. Maybe people will be more involved in the game if there are less distractions.

The CEC is a great building though.

Same here. One of my best hockey memories is being near a guy who heckled Dino Ciccarelli for the entire game. That man was on a mission.

Hmmmm... If the guy was wearing a Tocchet jersey that could have been me.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Beating the traffic might be more of a priority than following this poorly coached team, for a reason.

 

[Jacob]

We aren't a physical team and there's a lot less fighting in general which a lot of yinzers probably enjoy.

 

[JTG]

That is one thing I've noticed about the CEC crowd - Mellon was generally louder throughout the course of the game, where as CEC is more quiet, but when good stuff happens, the crowd quickly shifts back to how it was across the street. Walking through there a couple nights ago, wayyy too many shirts and ties.

It's a catch 22 though - no shirts and ties, we probably aren't spending to the cap every season.

 

[MrBurghundy]

If the team starts giving the fans things to cheer about again, I think the place will be loud again as well.

 

[DanielPlainview]

Did they stay more to the end last night? Maybe it's a "got to get beat the traffic so I'm not getting to bed a midnight on a Tuesday" type of thing during the week.

 

[cygnus47]

That is one thing I've noticed about the CEC crowd - Mellon was generally louder throughout the course of the game, where as CEC is more quiet, but when good stuff happens, the crowd quickly shifts back to how it was across the street. Walking through there a couple nights ago, wayyy too many shirts and ties.

It's a catch 22 though - no shirts and ties, we probably aren't spending to the cap every season.

If the team was exciting every night and it was still quiet I'd be worried. Sucks that the fans are a bit fair weather, but the team hasn't deserved a raucous crowd in a long time, players' fault or not.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Let's be honest, half the crowd doesn't give a rat's ass if Sid and Geno aren't doing anything.

 

[Shady Machine]

One of the commandments my father handed down to me...

Never leave a game early. You never know what you can miss, even in a blowout.

Yup. I was at the Rangers game last year when the players left the ice after shootout goal only to come back out after it was determined to be a 'two shot' goal. Half of the arena was empty when Sutter went down and won it for the Pens.

 

[meangene]

I blame the terrible alternative music constantly being shoved down our throats, like do people actually like half this garbage?

That's what happens when you have awful radio stations like 105.9 the X as your flagship network.

 

[titaniumexpose]

Yup. I was at the Rangers game last year when the players left the ice after shootout goal only to come back out after it was determined to be a 'two shot' goal. Half of the arena was empty when Sutter went down and won it for the Pens.

Ahh I remember that incident. Anytime I go to a game I stay until it's over. I'm sorry but if you don't like traffic move to BFE or something. I've only been to one game at CEC a few yrs back last home game of the season vs. NJ, tbh can't remember whether it was loud at all from the upper bowl. Things are just weird with this organization right now imo.

 

[Corvidae]

That's what happens when you have awful radio stations like 105.9 the X as your flagship network.

What, you don't like new rock alternative, like Alice In Chains and Staind? At the cutting edge of today's musical culture, they are.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yup. I was at the Rangers game last year when the players left the ice after shootout goal only to come back out after it was determined to be a 'two shot' goal. Half of the arena was empty when Sutter went down and won it for the Pens.

to be fair, that game looked to be legitimately over. Not "we can't come back so screw it" over, but "the teams are off the ice" over. I won't blame people for that one.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

What, you don't like new rock alternative, like Alice In Chains and Staind? At the cutting edge of today's musical culture, they are.

Hey now, Layne Staley era Alice In Chains is great stuff.


The CEC needs more metal playing a la Pantera or old Metallica or Slayer however.

 

[Indiana Pittsburgh]

They have definitely hit the ceiling on the ticket prices. You are lucky to get face value for tickets now. Just look at ticket exchange, pretty much all of the upper bowl tickets are set at or below face value.

Actually this season resale tickets seem to be really cheap. I just bought a ticket for the game tomorrow night for $39. Seems like there are a ton of tickets in the 30-50 range for every game.