Fan Etiquette - our experience in sec 202 tonight

[ChrisULM]

I'll preface this by admitting that I am a noob when it comes to the sport of hockey. My wife and I moved to Nashville a few years ago, and had never been to an NHL game before we started watching the Preds. We try to make it to a few games every year, but we usually stick to weeknight games and get the cheap seats in the 300s (don't have tons of dough).

Tonight was a special treat as my workplace was nice enough to give us the company tickets in row 1 of section 202, the best seats we've ever had. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for 90% of the game until we made a terrible mistake. The Predators had just successfully fended off a 5 on 3 power play, the entire stadium was roaring, and we decided to stand and cheer along.

The wonderful group of people sitting in rows 2 and 3 behind us angrily yelled at us telling us to sit down (not asking nicely). We turned around and were greeted with angry looks. When I asked why we couldn't stand we were given several different answers - "people in the first row shouldn't stand", "In the upper bowl, you never stand while the puck is in play", "we're twice as old as you are and don't want to stand, you need stay seated". The group threatened to call an usher if we stood again.

I've been to a ton of different sporting events. I'm aware that it's usually common courtesy not to stand the entire time like a jackass, but I've never been yelled at for literally standing up 1 single time during a pivotal moment in a game.

TL;DR: Can you stand at hockey games during moments when the 90% of the crowd is standing/cheering? I know you shouldn't get up from your seat or move around when the puck is in play, but can you not stand up during key moments?........ Or am I an *******?

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[JamestheSame]

I'll preface this by admitting that I am a noob when it comes to the sport of hockey. My wife and I moved to Nashville a few years ago, and had never been to an NHL game before we started watching the Preds. We try to make it to a few games every year, but we usually stick to weeknight games and get the cheap seats in the 300s (don't have tons of dough).

Tonight was a special treat as my workplace was nice enough to give us the company tickets in row 1 of section 202, the best seats we've ever had. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for 90% of the game until we made a terrible mistake. The Predators had just successfully fended off a 5 on 3 power play, the entire stadium was roaring, and we decided to stand and cheer along.

The wonderful group of people sitting in rows 2 and 3 behind us angrily yelled at us telling us to sit down (not asking nicely). We turned around and were greeted with angry looks. When I asked why we couldn't stand we were given several different answers - "people in the first row shouldn't stand", "In the upper bowl, you never stand while the puck is in play", "we're twice as old as you are and don't want to stand, you need stay seated". The group threatened to call an usher if we stood again.

I've been to a ton of different sporting events. I'm aware that it's usually common courtesy not to stand the entire time like a jackass, but I've never been yelled at for literally standing up 1 single time during a pivotal moment in a game.

TL;DR: Can you stand at hockey games during moments when the 90% of the crowd is standing/cheering? I know you shouldn't get up from your seat or move around when the puck is in play, but can you not stand up during key moments?........ Or am I an *******?

This is an issue that gets brought up at any sporting event. Some people will agree and some won't.

Personally, you are at a sporting event to cheer for the team. I see nothing wrong with standing and cheering for a minute or two. Just dont stand for fifteen minutes straight.

If they don't like people standing and cheering for a couple minutes they can get different seats or watch on tv. This is a sporting event, not the theatre.

 

[Enjoy i24 Traffic]

I'm sorry, you're not alone, I feel this pain too. This happens at either preds games or shows at the ryman. People are just whiney *****es. If I were there I would tell those people to **** off.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Ha! trying going to a Vandy sporting event where there is a constant fear of an explosion due to the oxygen required by the geriatric fan base. I usually sit down if asked nicely, but I often forget when I get excited. It happens and they can get over it.

 

[Dave is a killer]

Geez, that sucks ... you should have told them to go pound sand

 

[ChrisULM]

Ha! trying going to a Vandy sporting event where there is a constant fear of an explosion due to the oxygen required by the geriatric fan base. I usually sit down if asked nicely, but I often forget when I get excited. It happens and they can get over it.

I'm pretty much the same way if I'm asked politely. If I have "Sit Down!" yelled my way in a get off my lawn tone, I tend to push back a little.

I imagine that they're season ticket holders in that section and just figure they set the rules. We were given a sharp "hope you enjoyed your free tickets" jab as we left. Just irritating and completely different from any experience I've ever had at a Predators game.

 

[triggrman]

Geez, that sucks ... you should have told them to go pound sand

I've seen the pound sand thing a few times lately, growing up we always said pound salt.

In the salt mines the worst job was the guy that had to pound big rocks into little rocks. Or that's what I was told long ago

I have no idea were pound sand came from. .

 

[Armourboy]

I've seen the pound sand thing a few times lately, growing up we always said pound salt.

In the salt mines the worst job was the guy that had to pound big rocks into little rocks. Or that's what I was told long ago

I have no idea were pound sand came from. .

Trying to be as polite as I can, they probably come initially from the same place. Pounding sand though has more to do with shoving said sand in your butt area.

For me, it is perfectly acceptable for you to stand when something major is happening, its a freaking sporting event. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong though, I have never seen any rule posted about not being able to stand. They are my tickets ( no matter where they came from) and as long as I'm not doing anything against the rules of the arena they could kiss my ass.

In fact I would send an email to the Preds and see if you can get some clarification, if they say its fine I would print it out, put it in my back pocket and the next time they *****ed I would hand them a copy. I would also have an extra copy available to hand the usher so he could see what his bosses have to think about it.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

You should've called them on their bluff and let them go get an usher. At least then you can calmly explain to the usher what happened and possibly have other fans around you backing you up instead of trying to reason with people that yelled at you to sit down.

 

[glenngineer]

The standing O is usually during a TV timeout so there shouldn't be an issue. I'm front row in the upper bowl and stand and when play resumes I sit back down. If you were standing during play I'd understand their complaints but otherwise they were off base and I would've told them to rudely F off. That's just the New Yorker in me.

 

[Byrddog]

The standing O is usually during a TV timeout so there shouldn't be an issue. I'm front row in the upper bowl and stand and when play resumes I sit back down. If you were standing during play I'd understand their complaints but otherwise they were off base and I would've told them to rudely F off. That's just the New Yorker in me.

Agree with this. The issues with fans moving while the puck is in play has never been worse than this season. And is a topic I spoke with to Cigarran's right hand man last week. The standing topic is not as prevalent as people being allowed to move to or from seats during play. The ushers are doing particularly bad in this area. I was told that the topic would be covered in pregame meetings with the usher staff but the lightning game and last nights I saw no improvement.

Not a poke at the OP at all but there are a lot of new fans in the barn this year and it will take some time for them to pick up on the dos and don'ts. I would hope as a fanbase we could be civil to each other and work little things out like this. But like anything else there are donkeys in every group.

 

[pekkaslap]

Yeah. Team is good, lots of first timers (or not many more games than that). They will pick it up eventually. Just hopefully people can be more civil about it. We want to keep growing the fanbase, well at least I do.

 

[HoptownPred]

Section 202. Rows 2 & 3.

I look forward to seeing them Saturday. I'm sorry that happened. You did nothing wrong.

 

[bdub24]

The problem with 200 level seats, and that is where I have my season tix, is you get a mix of people who are there for the game, people who are there to be seen at the game, and people who are there to continue business meetings at the game. Sounds you like you got seated in front of a bunch of the second and third types. Again assuming you weren't standing through the end of the play and into the next puck drop, etc. Their parting shot to you just shows what ****** bags they are. I would think anyone who is a fan of the team would be delighted to see new faces as it means the team's popularity is on the rise.

 

[deanwormer]

I sit in the front row in 222; had those seats for last 9 seasons. I'm conscious of not standing while the pucks in play for this very reason and I *NEVER* do when the pucks in play. Yep - was on my feet after the 5-3.

Point, OP, you were fine, and the folks behind you kinda' uncivil donkeys. Yes, it's hockey, we stay seated, but it's a sporting event, we're gonna' celebrate "big" occurrences on the ice - as long as you're not standing for every thing on the ice you're fine and just ignore them, IMHO.

 

[ChrisULM]

I sit in the front row in 222; had those seats for last 9 seasons. I'm conscious of not standing while the pucks in play for this very reason and I *NEVER* do when the pucks in play. Yep - was on my feet after the 5-3.

Point, OP, you were fine, and the folks behind you kinda' uncivil donkeys. Yes, it's hockey, we stay seated, but it's a sporting event, we're gonna' celebrate "big" occurrences on the ice - as long as you're not standing for every thing on the ice you're fine and just ignore them, IMHO.

I agree with you, and I myself have been a little annoyed if I have someone standing up for extended periods in front of me at a game. If that had been the case, I would have taken the criticism and apologized.

I do not exaggerate when I say we literally stood up a single time after the 5-3. My wife is 8 months pregnant and it was all she could do to waddle up to the stadium, much less stand and cheer for extended periods


Thank you for the kind words and reassurance everybody

 

[LCPreds]

There is nothing wrong at all with what you did. Our entire lower bowl section was standing during that and I didn't hear a single person crying about it.

 

[Marty Party]

Standing up and cheering a killed 5 on 3 for a few seconds. Gasp. What? Did they really need to see the 5 on 4 and a possible goal scored on us that badly that they couldn't wait for you to stop cheering?

Section 202 also has a lot of seats that aren't used by STH's. Therefore they probably see hockey etiquette at its worst and have turned into miserable, arm crossing a holes because of it.

 

[Nashville Transplant]

I'm in the second row of a 200's section, and think it's completely inappropriate when someone in the first row decides to stand each time a Pred receives a pass and crosses the blue line en route to a (usually meaningless) shot. We have very few season seat holders that show up game in and game out, and the turnover is stupid. More than a couple games this year I've been the lone Preds fan within a 20-30 seat radius around me. That being said, I'm also the guy that witnessed (Tuesday) almost 3 whole rows that did not even stand during the anthem... so, I guess it's always a coin toss.

 

[utkpred]

Here's what you all need to understand. We're playing hockey in a football state. If Pekka makes a fabulous save you better believe I'm going to be standing up applauding. We are passionate. You passive hockey fans make me sick. If you tell me to sit down when the team just did something that deserves applause I will politely tell you to kick rocks. I paid to be here just as much as you.

 

[Adz]

OP I think was well within rights to be standing at that time. No foul in my opinion. However, I'll admit to a certain level of annoyance when I'm trying to see the action and someone decides to stand up to go to the concourse and doesn't scoot on out or just stands there taking off a coat or whatever during play. I paid for MY ticket, too, and as my daddy used to say "You make a better door than you do a window". That said, I get annoyed when people have big heads and ball caps blocking my view, too.

And even with that level of annoyance, it's not a problem (for me) when everyone is standing to cheer, or even if you want to stand to cheer a great play for a few seconds.

 

[LCPreds]

I figure I'd rather someone stand up and cheer from time to time as long as when they sit down they're not leaning forward... !

 

[cleangene63]

I would be asking them, "why weren't YOU standing?" As much as I get involved with each game, make that each play, these folks would be calling an usher on me once every period. THANK YOU for being a real fan, ChrisULM .

 

[adsfan]

I am a hockey fan going back to 1964. As a Milwaukee season ticket holder who sits in the second row from the glass, I have run into this a few times.

Last season I yelled at a guy who kept standing up during the game. I yelled at him to "sit down" when he stood up during a breakaway. I never saw the last 4 seconds and didn't see the goal even though the net is about 15 or 20 feet from my seat. Previous to that, I didn't say a word, even though the guy had jumped up maybe 5 times in less than 10 minutes. I wasn't the only person yelling at the guy. The big problem was him standing up during play and staying up for 10 seconds or more. One time the play was back down at the other end of the ice by the time he sat down.

I appreciate enthusiastic hockey fans. I don't appreciate looking at some guys butt for 5 or 10 minutes of a game. I paid for my seat. I got this seat for the extraordinary view.

 

[predfan98]

I have 4 seats in front of me owned by a company. It's a constant barrage of customers who frequently stand up and don't sit down when the puck is in play. It's very annoying.

There's a balance.........

Has nothing to do with being a football state, it has to do with courtesy. In hockey, people sit during the play so everyone can see the game. That's polite.

Sorry they were rude. They could have just been rude, or there has been a lot of that in front of them all season...

I have kind of a 10 second rule...........if the person in front doesn't sit down, I'll ask nicely after that.... (unless it's a Hawks fan)

I do love to give people the "stare and glare" when they don't stand during the military appreciation salute.