News Article: Leiweke wants to free up lower level seats for "real" fans

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Why? To be honest, I can't think of a worse way to watch a hockey game.

Also, even if they don't sell any kind of concessions, would they not be required to provide security? And would the city be all that happy with a gathering of a large group of people? I imagine they require city permission when they do it In all, wouldn't it just be a money losing proposition for the Leafs?

Knowing that our mayor is Rob Ford (Leafs fan?), that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[meenamjah]

add another team or two. problem solved.

 

[wulfio*]

yes, lets tell all seasons ticket holders they need to give away tickets. honestly, do people think? most companies use the tickets as entertainment, not to get one extra sale at canadian tire. stop thinking that the common man is so hard done by. save up, share tickets with a group. then you can yell and scream all you want.

Is this the definition of irony or what? Person not realizing he's the exact reason this thread exists.

 

[BayStreetBullies*]

Yea lucky for us Burke filled the ACC and built a fan base from coast to coast which has enabled us to spend to the cap ceiling .

Not what I meant, but tell yourself whatever you want to fuel your irrational anti-Burke vendetta.

 

[The Legend]

Is this the definition of irony or what? Person not realizing he's the exact reason this thread exists.

The benefit of a free market/economic boost > giving possibly louder fans the opportunity to see the game in the regular season from up close for free.

Pretty simple.

 

[wulfio*]

The benefit of a free market/economic boost > giving possibly louder fans the opportunity to see the game in the regular season from up close for free.

Pretty simple.

Another definition of irony. Another person not realizing he's the reason this thread exists.

 

[HellasLEAF]

That was a great read.

Like the direction and above all get real fans in the best seats!!!

 

[MapleLeafs9]

Players don’t like the energy at ACC
He also added that some Leafs players don’t like the atmosphere in the Air Canada Centre during home games. It’s quite common for the platinum seats at the ACC to be mostly empty at the start of periods. There are many businesses that have Leafs season tickets and blue-collar fans have argued that it’s difficult to get tickets to support their team.

Leiweke suggested maybe it’s time to free up more tickets for those fans.

“There’s a lot of people, especially at the lower levels, you can’t teach them to cheer,†Leiweke said. “We have to think about the culture of the Leafs experience.â€

This stood out to me the most. Glad to see the players know the lower half of the ACC is awful. I really hope we can get more fans in there.

 

[showtime8]

Has the smoke left the room yet, or is it still in here?

So far since Leiweke has joined MLSE, the Leafs were able to add another 2 price points to single ticket games. Something along the lines of Super Duper Premium and Executive Premium. (obviously not the names) He's also taken down murals of historic Leaf players and raised banners of American rock bands that have played the ACC and done really well there. For the record, the ACC has only been open since 1999 and is hardly a place that can establish a real sense of history. I'm sure Leiweke thought it would be nice to be similar to Madison Square Gardens in the sense of raising banners to the rafters would be nice. But when you've only been open for under 15 years, it just doesn't have that same feel and you have to thinka bout the MSG who has seen the likes of Zepplin, Elvis and the Beatles. It just doesn't have the same ring to it. Maybe it will in a decade, but why rush something like this?

And it's also easy for him to say that TFC are going to improve. They finished 2nd last in the East. The chances are really good to move up a couple spots when they can only go down 1 to last place. Nice job TFC! Then they bring in some nerd, analytics guy that will resurrect the franchise. I look forward to going to a couple games next season!

However, I am impressed with the fact that they brought Drake in as an ambassador. Regardless of what you think of his music, he's a popular artist at the moment that relates to the age group that you're trying to target. As for the Raptors as a whole... until you get that elite superstar, they are going to be middle of the pack in the east.

 

[Confucius]

If I owned season's in the lower bowl I'd be seriously pissed right now

 

[New User Name]

There is so much wrong with what this blowhard is saying.

Really Tim, some Leafs players don't like the atmosphere? Give me a break. Tell those players (if true, I doubt it) to watch a few home games of some other teams, sheesh even the Red Wings look bad attendance wise at games I've seen.

As for wanting to be the Yankee's or the Cowboys of the NHL. First off, the Canadiens are the Yankees of hockey with their SC's and success.
And why do we want to be anyone but the Leafs, number 1 in fan support, number 1 in financial success, number 1 in loyalty.

It's those so called "quiet" fans that are helping to contribute in the neighbourhood of 20 million in revenue sharing yearly to the sad sack teams that can't give away tickets to their games.

Sorry Tim, it's not because you're American I'm saying this but you are a blow hard. And I thought Burke liked to hear himself talk.

Who the hell hired this guy?

 

[Epictetus]

Can this guy s-t-f-u already? Or better yet the media stop reporting on him? This doesn't deserve to be news and I highly doubt Leiweke would go against basic economics just to get 'real fans' into the premium seats.

If the Leaf players are upset about the 'home experience', like the article suggests, then yeah, I can see it being an interest worthy of recognition. Perhaps more important than just bigger profit margins.

So far my only concern with Lieweke is these goals he is setting. I would rather focus on one thing, accomplish it, and then move on to another thing, rather than having 4-5 things on your plate in one moment. But this seems more of a personality thing, where he is a very ambitious, 'be the headline' type of person.

 

[rojac]

If the Leaf players are upset about the 'home experience', like the article suggests, then yeah, I can see it being an interest worthy of recognition. Perhaps more important than just bigger profit margins.

So far my only concern with Lieweke is these goals he is setting. I would rather focus on one thing, accomplish it, and then move on to another thing, rather than having 4-5 things on your plate in one moment. But this seems more of a personality thing, where he is a very ambitious, 'be the headline' type of person.

Or maybe they just need different players. Without knowing which specific players are complaining, it's hard to tell whether those players may have legitimate concerns or if they are just trying to pass the buck for their own failure to perform.

 

[LeafsMonster]

I used to be pissed at how quiet the ACC was until I actually went to a game. It was louder than I expected, but even I stayed quiet for most of the time because I got caught up in the game.

I think a lot of fans are paying attention to whats happening which is why they don't scream and yell every second

 

[The Legend]

Another definition of irony. Another person not realizing he's the reason this thread exists.

Explain it to me.

 

[theaub]

I used to be pissed at how quiet the ACC was until I actually went to a game. It was louder than I expected, but even I stayed quiet for most of the time because I got caught up in the game.

Yeah I don't get the crowd stereotype.

I've been to a couple games this year and the crowd was fine. I lucked into going to a bunch of playoff games last year (G6 Bruins/Leafs, G3 Hawks/Wings, G2 Bruins/Hawks) and the crowd in Toronto was just as into the game as the other ones, often moreso

The only thing I don't get is the whole forced crowd noise thing at 90% of the stoppages. I think everyone's intelligent enough to get loud when the situation dictates as such, and even if the argument is the corporate people in the lower bowl aren't, I don't think some guy going 'HEY EVERYBODY GET LOUD ON THE COUNT OF THREE' on the screen is going to help

 

[ACC1224]

Yeah I don't get the crowd stereotype.

I've been to a couple games this year and the crowd was fine. I lucked into going to a bunch of playoff games last year (G6 Bruins/Leafs, G3 Hawks/Wings, G2 Bruins/Hawks) and the crowd in Toronto was just as into the game as the other ones, often moreso

The only thing I don't get is the whole forced crowd noise thing at 90% of the stoppages. I think everyone's intelligent enough to get loud when the situation dictates as such, and even if the argument is the corporate people in the lower bowl aren't, I don't think some guy going 'HEY EVERYBODY GET LOUD ON THE COUNT OF THREE' on the screen is going to help

I make a comment on that at the end of every season when they ask for a review.

 

[Heisenberg Blue*]

Make the seats cheaper = problem solved. Why aren't I president?

Ok.. now I make more of a profit on StubHub. how did that help the average fan that is at work when tickets go on sale?

 

[pooleboy]

i remember going to a game last season and we were in the reds.... dion killed this guy on ottawa and me and my brother went nuts for cheering and a brawl insued... everyone around us were like sit down shut up.. Get real fans in the lower bowl please... its easy to get up for a playoff game (if ur a businessman) but need more excitement in the building for regular season games.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Yeah I don't get the crowd stereotype.

I've been to a couple games this year and the crowd was fine. I lucked into going to a bunch of playoff games last year (G6 Bruins/Leafs, G3 Hawks/Wings, G2 Bruins/Hawks) and the crowd in Toronto was just as into the game as the other ones, often moreso

The only thing I don't get is the whole forced crowd noise thing at 90% of the stoppages. I think everyone's intelligent enough to get loud when the situation dictates as such, and even if the argument is the corporate people in the lower bowl aren't, I don't think some guy going 'HEY EVERYBODY GET LOUD ON THE COUNT OF THREE' on the screen is going to help

The difference in the atmosphere in the ACC for the leafs playoff games and regular season games is night and day. Completely different crowd in the lower bowl.

 

[TOGuy14]

If they want to make it for the fans they should at leat implement a program where a portion of lower bowl tickets (10-20%) are lower priced and available through a random selection process on a website

Names will be printer on the tickets and the person with that ID must present them at the door to use them (to avoid scalper use).

If you cannot make that game you can return them into the raffle pot for a different game.

 

[The Hockey Life]

Love it.

 

[theaub]

The difference in the atmosphere in the ACC for the leafs playoff games and regular season games is night and day. Completely different crowd in the lower bowl.

Meh, I've been down there for the Anaheim/Pittsburgh games this year and its been loud.

As a few people have said in every single one of these topics when I read them, having a team that wins solves a lot of the perceived problems.

 

[Patience]

Non-issue. How come no one ever seems to complain about the lack of crowd noise in Edmonton and Calgary? Forget the ACC, those are the quietest buildings in the NHL. You can hear the benches and the sounds of the game during play because there's so little crowd noise from the reserved Alberta crowds. It doesn't bother me in the least, it sounds like a hockey game. I don't get why the din of a gaggle of drunks who are barely following the play makes a game any better.

 

[jrockz]

i remember going to a game last season and we were in the reds.... dion killed this guy on ottawa and me and my brother went nuts for cheering and a brawl insued... everyone around us were like sit down shut up.. Get real fans in the lower bowl please... its easy to get up for a playoff game (if ur a businessman) but need more excitement in the building for regular season games.

I rather be in reds than the plats. My company gives me free tickets sometimes 7 rows up. It seems like I'm the only one who cheers down there.
My buddy own season tickets in the reds and I prefer those instead because people won't look at me like an idiot. In the Reds I socialize and give high fives to people around me. It's much more enjoyable up there.

As for being loud, their sound system also does a good job making fake cheers. However, the last few games that I went to like one vs oilers... the fans were phenominal. There was also a fight in the crowd that got people going. I think because we're winning,some people are not afraid to cheer anymore.