Penguins have the best fans - Forbes

[PensFanSince1989]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2012/11/28/the-nhls-best-and-worst-fans/

So, what do we win?

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[regard]

More HF hate?

 

[Buzzkiller]

More HF hate?

Is that even possible?

 

[412 Others]

i just got back from the parade.... it was awesome!

 

[theicebox]

To the main board:

 

[Jesus Vitale]

I don't see how the Leafs aren't number one. They pay more for tickets than anyone, sell out every game to see mediocrity.

 

[Captain Hook]

The Pens issue and possible relocation was always about a new arena, not the fan base. I don't think they drew horribly even in their rebuilding years in the early 2000's IIRC. They didn't draw like the Leafs have while rebuilding but the Leafs also have the benefit of a much larger market to draw people from.

I personally wouldn't put the Pens fans #1 since it's still more of a football town imo. Hockey is the clear #1 in Canadian markets.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Most of our fans are bandwagon.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I have no problem saying Toronto being #1.

 

[MonsterSurge]

It was nice before Crosby. You could actually afford to go to games. Hell, I used to sit along the sides in the lower bowl. The cheapest ticket you can find now is $60+ for an upperbowl seat.

 

[Zen Arcade]

It was nice before Crosby. You could actually afford to go to games. Hell, I used to sit along the sides in the lower bowl. The cheapest ticket you can find now is $60+ for an upperbowl seat.

Counter point: The Blueline Band

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I don't see how the Leafs aren't number one. They pay more for tickets than anyone, sell out every game to see mediocrity.

Agreed.

Meanwhile alot of the suits at Consol pay to sleep/text/chatter during the games instead of watching the 2 best players in the world that also happen to luckily be on our team.

Obviously not everyone at Consol is of the sleeping/texting/disinterested suit ilk, but the sad reality is...alot of them are. Meanwhile the true diehards (like myself or many of us here) are either not in Pittsburgh, or can't afford tickets.

It's downright sad actually.

 

[Til the End of Time]

yeah i dont think the pens have particularly amazing fans.

as mentioned, attendance was mediocre when the team was bad and the crowds at the new arena have been borderline embarrassingly quiet.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

yeah i dont think the pens have particularly amazing fans.

as mentioned, attendance was mediocre when the team was bad and the crowds at the new arena have been borderline embarrassingly quiet.

Agreed. We need to learn to be more like Jets fans. I mean they just got a new arena last season and their fans went absolutely BALLISTIC, and rightfully so. Even though their team is still essentially what....the same crappy Thrashers roster???

Meanwhile, we currently have 2 generationally elite players on our team that any of the other 29 teams/fanbases in the NHL would kill to have, we have a new arena, and we have had generationally elite players in the past. Yet alot of the time Consol is like a damn funeral parlour.

I guess we Pens fans have just been too spoiled to the point where we sort of take things for granted?

 

[Ogrezilla]

When I spend 100-200 dollars for tickets I like to sit and watch them play hockey. I'm not going to scream all game. I will get excited and cheer when appropriate, but I don't feel like any less of a fan because I don't "go ballistic" for the sake of making noise.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

When I spend 100-200 dollars for tickets I like to sit and watch them play hockey. I'm not going to scream all game. I will get excited and cheer when appropriate, but I don't feel like any less of a fan because I don't "go ballistic" for the sake of making noise.

Oh I know, I'm the same way when I've gone to OHL games. IMO there's a fine line when it comes to fan excitement. People are either overly loud for the sake of being loud (i.e. drunken idiots), or are too quiet (the crowd at CEC).

I wish the CEC crowd could find that happy medium. The fact that it always sounds like a morgue in our barn annoys me.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Oh I know, I'm the same way when I've gone to OHL games. IMO there's a fine line when it comes to fan excitement. People are either overly loud for the sake of being loud (i.e. drunken idiots), or are too quiet (the crowd at CEC).

I wish the CEC crowd could find that happy medium. The fact that it always sounds like a morgue in our barn annoys me.

Here's my comparison:

Covelli Centre (Youngstown Phantoms) = Pittsburgh
Cambria County War Memorial (Johnstown Tomahawks = Winnipeg


Most of the fans (not many) in Youngstown are not hockey fans. Most of the fans in Johnstown are hockey fans.

 

[ColePens]

This is the same thing for the Steelers, in my opinion. A lot of the fans IN the city and surrounding areas are bandwagon fans like they are for the Steelers and Pirates. Then there are the rest of us diehards who are part of every fanbase. But the trump card is our global fan base. They are everywhere and go to games. They follow the Pens even when games come on late as hell or early. That's why Pittsburgh, in general, has the greatest fans. When people leave this city, they take Pittsburgh with them. And when they have kids... they are raised to be Pittsburghers who moved away. It's truly remarkable.

A perfect example is my cousin. His parents grew up in Pittsburgh and they moved as a family when he was 7 or 8 years old. To this day (he's in his 30s), he is a diehard Pittsburgh fan. Even though the majority of his life as been in Michigan or Chicago, he's just a diehard Pittsburgh fan and it will never stop. Any time the Pens are in Chicago, he pays top dollar to see 'em.

Another example is when the Pens go to Columbus or even Game 7 of the Cup Finals. Our fans were there and made themselves be known. THOSE are the fans that earned us that top spot. The people in Pittsburgh (the bandwagon fans) just plain suck.

 

[Milliardo]

We better get e free ****ing t-shirt for this.

 

[Al Smith]

It was nice before Crosby. You could actually afford to go to games. Hell, I used to sit along the sides in the lower boThe cheapest ticket you can find now is $60+ for an upperbowl seat.

My parents had season tickets from the late 70s through 1996. Before Mario was drafted, during some games you could almost have a conversation with someone on the opposite side of the Arena, but the people there (usually about half of the Arena's capacity) were really loyal fans who loved to talk hockey (when were the Pens ever going to get a goalie; why do we trade all of our draft picks for has-beens, etc.) between periods and before the game. Mario and then success brought corporate season tickets, including guys, and especially their girlfriends/wives, who knew absolutely nothing about hockey and did unforgiveable things like coming late and then getting up to leave during play. My family gave up their C-level center ice tickets the year after Mario retired (the first time) and the team basically doubled their seat price (with a 10% discount for being a valued season ticket holder). So, we were effectively priced out of the market long before Sid came along. But I don't really mind Center Ice and my relatively large big screen.

 

[412 Others]

the crowds at the igloo in 07-08 were insane. that was my first year with a half season STH plan (bandwagon timing it appears, but really - i didn't hit my earning stride till that season!). since that year, the noise level has dropped dramatically. it's embarrassingly quiet. student rushers have been phased out, and joe corporate (and the clients he wants to impress) have been phased in. you don't need to be obnoxious, but for ****'s sake you can at least stand up when a goal is scored!!!! a live hockey game is great no matter what, but the experience isn't what it used to be.

 

[Ogrezilla]

This is the same thing for the Steelers, in my opinion. A lot of the fans IN the city and surrounding areas are bandwagon fans like they are for the Steelers and Pirates. Then there are the rest of us diehards who are part of every fanbase. But the trump card is our global fan base. They are everywhere and go to games. They follow the Pens even when games come on late as hell or early. That's why Pittsburgh, in general, has the greatest fans. When people leave this city, they take Pittsburgh with them. And when they have kids... they are raised to be Pittsburghers who moved away. It's truly remarkable.

A perfect example is my cousin. His parents grew up in Pittsburgh and they moved as a family when he was 7 or 8 years old. To this day (he's in his 30s), he is a diehard Pittsburgh fan. Even though the majority of his life as been in Michigan or Chicago, he's just a diehard Pittsburgh fan and it will never stop. Any time the Pens are in Chicago, he pays top dollar to see 'em.

Another example is when the Pens go to Columbus or even Game 7 of the Cup Finals. Our fans were there and made themselves be known. THOSE are the fans that earned us that top spot. The people in Pittsburgh (the bandwagon fans) just plain suck.

I am in Pittsburgh. I don't think I suck I also know a LOT of people who were bandwagon fans in 2005 who are now absolutely "real" penguins fans including my parents and my wife. None of which are going to go make a ton of noise at a game. Unless I'm drunk, neither will I. I really don't see how volume has anything to do with being a good fan. We are always at the Columbus games. We were in Buffalo for the Winter Classic. We've been to a few games in Philly. In fact, my wife and I set a goal to see a game in every NHL arena. But we would rather watch the game instead of hoot and holler. (except for the one game in Philly where I was totally that drunk ******* all night ) We cheer when appropriate. But I'm not going to feel like a lesser fan because I don't make noise all game long.

 

[Ogrezilla]

the crowds at the igloo in 07-08 were insane. that was my first year with a half season STH plan (bandwagon timing it appears, but really - i didn't hit my earning stride till that season!). since that year, the noise level has dropped dramatically. it's embarrassingly quiet. student rushers have been phased out, and joe corporate (and the clients he wants to impress) have been phased in. you don't need to be obnoxious, but for ****'s sake you can at least stand up when a goal is scored!!!! a live hockey game is great no matter what, but the experience isn't what it used to be.

I have never been to a game at Consol where every person (well, pens fan) in my section didn't stand up and cheer for a goal. Or even for a fight or a big hit. Maybe its just up in the cheap seats, but I have never thought a game at Consol was anything resembling quiet. People were enjoying the game and cheering and yelling. Just not that college atmosphere it was when the games were full of college kids for student rush. When I was a student rusher, I loved that stuff. I wish they had a few games a year where they really expanded the student rush tickets to get that student atmosphere again.

The funny thing is, if the group of people who were student rushing a game in the "glory days" of noisy crowds were to all get tickets to a game this year, there is no way it would sound anything like it did in 2003. I would have been screaming like the drunk ******* I was back then. I'd be going with the same friends -- and their kids. That will immediately drop my profanity and inappropriate behavior to as close to zero as I can get it. I'm sure me and my friends aren't the only student rushers who have grown up quite a bit since then.

 

[ColePens]

I am in Pittsburgh. I don't think I suck I also know a LOT of people who were bandwagon fans in 2005 who are now absolutely "real" penguins fans including my parents and my wife. None of which are going to go make a ton of noise at a game. Unless I'm drunk, neither will I. I really don't see how volume has anything to do with being a good fan. We are always at the Columbus games. We were in Buffalo for the Winter Classic. We've been to a few games in Philly. In fact, my wife and I set a goal to see a game in every NHL arena. But we would rather watch the game instead of hoot and holler. (except for the one game in Philly where I was totally that drunk ******* all night ) We cheer when appropriate. But I'm not going to feel like a lesser fan because I don't make noise all game long.

You missed the point of my post. We both live in Pittsburgh and are part of the diehard fanbase that exists in Pittsburgh. However, we are only about 50% of the fans in Pittsburgh, maybe less. The other half is what gives us the bad name and buys the majority of the tickets (for their company) because they can afford 'em. There is nothing wrong with being a bandwagon fan, but it does affect the environment at Pens games. A lot of the great tickets go to people who sometimes don't show up, who walk around most of the game, etc. They are entitled to it as they can afford it. But in a perfect world, they watch it from home and a fan moves in.

What separates us from every other city, is our global fan base. People who move away from here stay Pittsburghers in a different location. It's truly amazing.

A better example is "Steeler Nation" - How many people do you see downtown who wear the jersey, scream how good big ben is, and just get so trashed that they don't even remember the game? It's quite ubiquitous. But the other 50% are diehards who watch every play. And then our global fan base is just ridiculous and they have bars all over the earth, attend any game even close to their new home, etc.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Funny thing...The people in the upper seats are usually the real fans. I was at the Nashville game last year and they were shooting t-shirts or something. Random guy yells, "They can afford to buy that stuff down there!"

Something like that at least. If NHL games were affordable, I'd go to more. I go to minor league and junior games, and I have a better time. They play hard on every shift and it's affordable.