News Article: Don't boo the rookies

[sabrescupchamps2099]

I don't think rookies should be booed. They're trying to work hard and keep up playing at the NHL pace and the fans aren't helping. If anyone should get booed, it should be Myers. He's young but not a rookie. I've seen good things coming from Porter, Flynn etc, this season has been terrible for Myers and he has caused many goals against.

When Ott spoke about this, I mostly agreed with him except the part about "this doesn't happen anywhere else". Steve, you haven't played in Philly or NYC.

 

[Freezerburn]

Personally I don't boo when I go to games. Not because of some bizarre moral stance, just because don't want to. The thing that strikes me as odd in this thread is that the anti-booing crowd is ignoring that professional hockey is show-business/entertainment. The point of the whole industry is to entertain people and illicit reactions.

Don't like the product, fine react with booing or however you see fit. Similarly, cheer/whatever when you like it.

The way some of these posts come off its like they are putting pro-sports on some mythological pedestal as if it stands for some higher purpose. It's a make money, results oriented, show business.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

When I pay for a ticket I take into account the possibility that I'm going to be pretty frustrated with the game. It's a gamble that is part and parcel with the purchase. I also take into consideration that young kids are around. Obviously swearing and stuff is a poor choice within earshot of them, but booing and the associated comments can be equally uncomfortable for an 8-10 year old. Booing a rival team/player is part of the fun, booing your own team is not fun, and just because I'd like to 1) the players can't hear the specific comments I'd like to say 2) my comments won't change what happens and 3) other people/kids around me might not want to hear it.

 

[RazielMoshman]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...tely-ridiculous-basically-165306013--nhl.html

“We've got a lot of young players on this team and they definitely don't deserve to be booed – they deserve to have that excitement and energy. It's definitely not their fault for the last six years of frustration that's gone on. We want to try to right the ship here. We want to continue to improve as an organization in the community and help out a lot of things. It would be awesome to have all those fans behind us 100 percent. Have that building rocking.”

His spot on, the team is getting booed for the last 6 or so years, something which is completely out of their control. Another quote:

"I don't care how frustrated anybody is. Negativity breeds negativity, and if you want to see a bad product on the ice, and [you] continue to boo, what do you expect? You're obviously going to get a negative result.

Another spot on quote, if your team is 1-1 and they have a bad shift and you boo them then it's only going to demotivate them and breed bad plays.

Anyone who disagrees with him think about this: His a professional hockey player who's played in both conferences for years. He knows better than you.

 

[vcv]

Anyone who disagrees with him think about this: His a professional hockey player who's played in both conferences for years. He knows better than you.

I guarantee there are NHL players that have no problem with booing. So... is Steve Ott automatically more correct simply because he's on your side?

I have no problem with Steve Ott's stance or what he said. He's saying how he feels and he's not trying to insult the fans who do boo, unlike some people here who insist booers are jackasses or whatever it is.

 

[RazielMoshman]

I guarantee there are NHL players that have no problem with booing. So... is Steve Ott automatically more correct simply because he's on your side?

I have no problem with Steve Ott's stance or what he said. He's saying how he feels and he's not trying to insult the fans who do boo, unlike some people here who insist booers are jackasses or whatever it is.

Booers in context are fine. If we get blown out by Winnipeg or Florida then at the end of the period/game boo the players off the ice, if they are looking lazy and listless that's fine. The point is when we are drawing or winning booing is moronic.

I'm sure there are players who don't care but it's the people who will say 'he doesn't know' or 'his wrong' I'm pre-emptively combating that, if that is not your point it isn't directed at you.

I think this boils down to the fact that many Sabres fans no longer support the team, they support the name. I'm not entirely sure (other than Regiers firing) what it will take for people to back this team and get excited, but without that this team is going no-where.

 

[JThorne]

Get out of the kitchen if you can't handle the heat.

Buffalo isn't the only place to boo.

Buffalo didn't invent booing.

If Buffalo stopped booing, it would continue on in the rest of the world.

Philly booed Santa Claus.

 

[vcv]

Booers in context are fine. If we get blown out by Winnipeg or Florida then at the end of the period/game boo the players off the ice, if they are looking lazy and listless that's fine. The point is when we are drawing or winning booing is moronic.

I'm sure there are players who don't care but it's the people who will say 'he doesn't know' or 'his wrong' I'm pre-emptively combating that, if that is not your point it isn't directed at you.

I think this boils down to the fact that many Sabres fans no longer support the team, they support the name. I'm not entirely sure (other than Regiers firing) what it will take for people to back this team and get excited, but without that this team is going no-where.

No, it's not moronic. You simply don't agree with doing it.

 

[RazielMoshman]

No, it's not moronic. You simply don't agree with doing it.

Ok, so your team is winning a game, in the case of NJD a game they have no business even competing in, and booing them for one bad shift by a group of AHL players isn't moronic? Really don't see that.

 

[vcv]

Ok, so your team is winning a game, in the case of NJD a game they have no business even competing in, and booing them for one bad shift by a group of AHL players isn't moronic? Really don't see that.

Wait, NJ had no business being in that game? If that's what you're saying, you are dead wrong.

It wasn't "one bad shift". It was a culmination of multiple bad shifts where they were hemmed in their own zone for extended periods. Finally, the 4th or 5th time it happened, they ended up stuck in their zone for a LONG LONG time and they got booed for a few seconds. As far as I recall (I was at the game), they weren't booed again, but they did get some cheers.

Don't change the narrative to fit your argument.

 

[RazielMoshman]

Wait, NJ had no business being in that game? If that's what you're saying, you are dead wrong.

It wasn't "one bad shift". It was a culmination of multiple bad shifts where they were hemmed in their own zone for extended periods. Finally, the 4th or 5th time it happened, they ended up stuck in their zone for a LONG LONG time and they got booed for a few seconds. As far as I recall (I was at the game), they weren't booed again, but they did get some cheers.

Don't change the narrative to fit your argument.

No I mean we should have been slaughtered, even this season NJD are still a force to be reckoned with.

 

[vcv]

No I mean we should have been slaughtered, even this season NJD are still a force to be reckoned with.

Ok, phew. I was really confused.

 

[Beerz]

I guarantee there are NHL players that have no problem with booing. So... is Steve Ott automatically more correct simply because he's on your side?

I have no problem with Steve Ott's stance or what he said. He's saying how he feels and he's not trying to insult the fans who do boo, unlike some people here who insist booers are jackasses or whatever it is.

Yes...you are correct... jackasses.

 

[ckg927]

Get out of the kitchen if you can't handle the heat.

Buffalo isn't the only place to boo.

Buffalo didn't invent booing.

If Buffalo stopped booing, it would continue on in the rest of the world.

Philly booed Santa Claus.

And a lot of other people and musical groups....they also cheered Michael Irvin when he was lying on the ground, motionless, after a nasty hit(and the next week, PhillyFan was sporting neckbraces).

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Eh, didn't see this anywhere else, but found this in the Buffalo News from Ted Black:

Booing and an apparent disconnect between the fans and organization.

“Fans were booing a 2½-minute shift where we couldn’t get the puck out of our zone. Those same fans all stood and cheered when we won that same game in a shootout,†Black said. “I think we’ve analyzed the boo phenomenon way too much. My guess is it was more visceral with the frustration of not being able to clear the puck for what seemed like an eternity. If it’s deeper than that, we’ll find out.

“Fans here deserve a winner more than any city I have ever driven through, read about in a book, than I can possibly imagine. Fans here are among the best and most passionate in any sport. They deserve a winner. We’re going to do everything in our power to give them a winner. The disconnect, if there is one, is because we’re not delivering that winner. I’d be more concerned if fans stopped caring.â€

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130411/SPORTS/130419803/1104

Personally, i think he is spot on. I like what he says. Always.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

RE: Blacks comments aren't true. We don't have the best fans and our arena hasn't been extremely crazy loud since 2007. More fans are on their phones texting and drinking $9 Labatts with their 40th anniversary money grab I mean third jersey on looking to be trendy. And why is it if Pegula has no care about $$ did the tickets increase so much? Don't give me to qualify for revenue sharing thing because Pegula said money is no object. Paying more to watch something much worse, no thanks I can watch the team lose on tv for free. Done with my mini packs and paying hundreds to go to our home playoff games where we choke anyway. Game 6 against Philly was the worst game ever attended, you have the game and series practically wrapped up and then they crumbled when Connolly got crushed from behind

 

[Inklings]

"... they're professional athletes, they're used to this kind of thing, it rolls right off their back!"

 

[Chainshot]

Interestingly, there was no obvious booing last night in a game that they stunk for a sustained, full 60 minutes, not just a sustained 2 minutes.

 

[RazielMoshman]

RE: Blacks comments aren't true. We don't have the best fans and our arena hasn't been extremely crazy loud since 2007. More fans are on their phones texting and drinking $9 Labatts with their 40th anniversary money grab I mean third jersey on looking to be trendy. And why is it if Pegula has no care about $$ did the tickets increase so much? Don't give me to qualify for revenue sharing thing because Pegula said money is no object. Paying more to watch something much worse, no thanks I can watch the team lose on tv for free. Done with my mini packs and paying hundreds to go to our home playoff games where we choke anyway. Game 6 against Philly was the worst game ever attended, you have the game and series practically wrapped up and then they crumbled when Connolly got crushed from behind

Wow. So to wrap up:

1) the fans are crap
2) Ted Black is a liar
3) Pegula is a tight fisted money grabber
4) The team suck.

So when do we move to Seattle? With fans like this I really hope they do.

It's Regiers job to build a winner, he hasn't for over a decade. Hell his only built a competitive team once and that was largely luck.

 

[S319R11S16]

Wow. So to wrap up:

1) the fans are crap
2) Ted Black is a liar
3) Pegula is a tight fisted money grabber
4) The team suck.

So when do we move to Seattle? With fans like this I really hope they do.

It's Regiers job to build a winner, he hasn't for over a decade. Hell his only built a competitive team once and that was largely luck.

And yet he's getting treated like a god by our organization because of a few trades he made since they came here. This team is MUCH WORSE than when Pegula took over. So if they are only judging him based on the last 2 years; thats by far more than enough grounds for dismissal.

 

[RazielMoshman]

And yet he's getting treated like a god by our organization because of a few trades he made since they came here. This team is MUCH WORSE than when Pegula took over. So if they are only judging him based on the last 2 years; thats by far more than enough grounds for dismissal.

I do agree, completely. But I also see that there really isn't much we can do and blaming Pegula I don't think is properly allocating any sort of blame. Ted Black is in charge, along with a team of advisors who are capitalists, not hockey fans.

 

[brian_griffin]

Excellent use of the word "visceral".