Actually Boycotting the NHL

[Lucy Brown]

I havent gone to a game since the first lockout. Thats going on 17 years now. It just cost way to much money to go to game. I moved from NJ to PA and lost the ability to watch the Rangers on MSG. I refuse to buy the center ice package. Screw them. I'll watch the odd game when its on and always follow here on hockey fights but thats my extent of supporting the NHL. I will not go out of my way or spend any extra money to watch a hockey game. If its on cable I'll watch. If not to bad. There is plenty else to watch or do. It's not like the old days when I would not miss a single game during the season. I went close to 15 years were I wouldnt miss a game. That ship has sailed. No more. I'm pretty down on all sports though. You cant go to any games without taking out a loan. I've been wanting to go to Pittsburg to watch my Steelers play. You cant get a ticket for under 3 or 4 hundred bucks on stub hub. Its ridicuous. I was looking to go with 3 other people. For the 4 of us with gas, hotel, tickets and food it would have been over 1500.00 bucks. Thats criminal.

[FistofFury]

I will $trike back the best way I can. NHL gets no money from me for as long as I can possibly hold out. Imagine the power fans would have if we all did the same.

[nilan30]

I think I am going to do the same. Not buy anymore NHL merchandise. I've only been to 6 games in my 32 years of living so boycotting going to games for me means nothing. Only thing is I'll probably still watch games on tv because there is not too much else for me to do in winter once the kids are in bed and the driveway is shoveled. Won't get Centre Ice, but will watch HNIC, TSN etc. How can I do that without giving the NHL money. Boycott their sponsors I guess. Drink Labatt's products instead of Molson. No more Tim Horton's bagel BELTs. Continue to not buy Tremclad paint.

Obviously all these measures are drops in the bucket but what else can you really do.

[D Y B FLYERS]

Originally Posted by Phila26Flyers

I don't think the number is that high. There's definitely going to be a lot of people who don't give another dollar to the NHL. Surely, some of those people will watch games on their local network because they don't have to pay anything, but some have been so soured by this whole thing that they're going to find other leagues to follow. Or, maybe I am that .1%. Personally, I'm going to start following the Reading Royals of the ECHL. I've been to a few games in the past just for fun when the AHL Phantoms were still in Philly, but now that the Phantoms are gone, Reading is the closest minor pro team. They were entertaining as hell back in the day and while I don't know too many of the players right now, it's not hard to pick up on stuff like that. I won't miss the NHL; talk about a product getting worse and worse every year anyway....

I understand your point, and the 99.9% was just me throwing out a number, but moreso to the people (pretty much the same posters) who continuosly post over and over again that they're done with the NHL yet each season they're right in the mix...I don't even think FBC is one of those guys.

Since you and I live in the same general area, I am fairly close to the Reading Royals/Hershey Bears as well. While I think going to a Royals game is something to do on a week night, or a weekend with not much going on,..the level of play/atmosphere of the arena pales in comparison to the NHL. Obviously if you're sitting at home watching NHL on your TV the atmosphere doesn't matter. I've been to probably 10 or so Royals games, and while fun, the level of play and speed of the game can be almost boring. And as for exciting, the ECHL to me atleast, as transformed into more and more of a developmental league than the antics of the past. I don't believe I have seen more than a few fights. To me, the play was similar to that of the NHL, just at a much slower speed.

I won't say I disagree with people who decide to turn their back, personally I just can't do that. I agree prices are out of control, but what am I going to do? The prices have been getting out of control now starting from about 20 years ago. While the idea of fans boycotting to bring prices back down is nice, it won't ever happen. Fans of all the other sports have been saying the same thing. We all bitch and moan and threaten to quit watching and buying stuff, yet each year their is profits and sold-out arenas. I make it to 3-5 Flyers games a year, and that won't stop. I don't know if I am part of the problem in keeping the prices high or not since I only go to a few games,..but they are a blast each and every time I go.

[Kid Roberts]

DYB - The Western ECHL teams are a lot tougher. However, that has changed a bit this year. Reading wasn't much of a fighting team last year. I have attended two ECHL games with two fights, but one was called a rough.

[Phila26Flyers]

DYB, leagues like the ECHL, AHL, OHL, etc are development leagues first and foremost. So that is to be expected. But I think I know what you mean...that playing physical and taking care of business takes a backseat to skating and puck handling. I can't argue one way or the other since I haven't watched the ECHL closely in a while. However, it could also just be a reflection on the Royals and the Eastern Conference opponents. As KidRoberts touched on, 8 of the top 10 teams on the FM leader board last year were Western conference teams.

To each his own though. Flyers-Pens/Bruins games are hard to ignore, but I won't be watching many games other than that. Maybe when the Flyers make the playoffs I'll jump on the bandwagon and watch, as I'm still a Flyers fan whether or not I like or the league as a whole.

[RayzorEdge]

It isn't the bench clearing brawl ECHL of the past, but make no mistake, physical play and fighting are still very much alive and well. Can't say that about the NHL anymore. It all comes down to the team, but those who have enforcers actually play them. It's like the NHL was 10 years ago in nearly every aspect. Yeah, the speed is a bit slower, and the atmosphere is hardly electric, but everything else about the ECHL is far better than the NHL.

[JKidd]

EDMONTON -- The owner of the Edmonton Oilers, feeling the heat from fans for threatening to move the NHL team to Seattle, apologized Saturday in full-page newspaper ads.

"I took for granted your support and your love for the Oilers," said Daryl Katz in the open letter.

"That was wrong, and I apologize.

"The simple fact is that the Oilers need Edmonton, and Edmonton needs the Oilers."

Per TSN

For you, Flex.

[vznyisleszv]

Originally Posted by mikebflorida

This is what owners do. Before we got a baseball team, the San Francisco Giants claimed they might move to St Pete, leverage to get a new stadium built and it worked, they got a new stadium, a beautiful waterfront park.

The Chicago White Sox did the same thing and they tore down old Comiskey Park and built a beautiful new stadium after they threatened to "leave".

Then we got the Devil Rays in expansion and they play in an outdated stadium and attendance is atrocious despite them being a pretty damn good team so the current owners are starting rumors that they will leave unless a new stadium gets built here in the Bay area. They want it done with taxpayers money, of course. My thoughts? Take your baseball teams and your hockey teams and shove them up your ass.

Sure, it's fun to go to a game once in a while but even on my salary, it's cost prohibitive, it's a total rip off. It cost me over $100 to take my wife and son to one game this year and we sat so far away in the outfield, we couldn't see anything! Hockey games cost even more and football is a joke too.

These owners want to make money, we get that, but they have priced themselves out of the reach of regular, middle class people. The cost for a family of 4 for tickets, hotdogs, sodas, 2 beers, a t-shirt or 2, and 2 programs is over $400.00 for ONE NFL GAME. For 3 hours of "entertainment" and don't even factor in dad's $500.00 bet on the game. LOL

Sports have become cost prohibitive unless you're super rich, where $20-$40K a year for tickets is no big deal.

I feel your pain FBC but I can watch on TV, I don't have to wear their merchandise, I look just as sexy in a regular t-shirt as in a hockey jersey. LOL

I'm done giving these millionaires and billionaires any money, they get tons of it from TV and revenue sharing already, when they sell tickets, food, parking, and merchandise at the games, it's mostly all profit so they can choke on it for all I care, it's on TV and when they finally go to pay per view, I will watch something else, it really isn't that important and I'm a lifelong sports fan who started reading the sports section of the newspaper and knew what a box score was when I was 3.

They've lost me.

the problem is, no one in tampa or florida for that matter cares about baseball. its a fact. tampas been winning the past few years and still, they have the lowest attendance in the entire league and thats a bloated stat becuase MOST of the tickets bought are by fans of other teams.

ya, owners need money, its a business. however they made their own bed when they bought a franchise in such a bad area.

[flex_buff_chest]

Unlike most of you guys I have stayed strong. I haven't watched a single game yet.

I don't know if I will make it til the end of the year but as of now my resolve is really strong. I am also pissed about all this tax money going to an arena.