Back on topic, I can see why fans aren't attending packing the seats every night, for all of the reasons mentioned--High ticket/food/parking prices that get worse every year, the bad location, the lack of public transportation (if you don't drive, you're pretty much screwed), the list goes on and on. If I could afford it (and hadn't taken up night classes), I would have been at a lot more games. But I can't. It doesn't make me a bad fan if I dont' want to fight through rush-hour traffic after a long day at work just to sit through heavy Turnpike traffic, go through almost $20 in tolls/parking, and in most cases have to trek through that long, cold, infernal walkway. Then comes the thrill of having to pay high prices for lukewarm, stale, fatty food and settling in to an uncomfortable seat with my fellow section-mates kicking my seat and practically breathing down my neck. Ugh.
Once the game starts it's all about the game, but most days I'd rather be in the comfort of my living room in my Devils gear and sweats, watching the game on our beautiful big screen and enjoy much better food. I can do any damn thing I want in my own home and save money doing it. I could dance around and even watch the game naked if I were so inclined.
That said, it was a disappointment to say the least when we finally walked into CAA (bad ticket agent experience) just before the first period ended on Thursday night and saw all of those empty seats. I noticed a few people leaving after the first, apparently having given up on their team. When I go to a game I always stay until the very last second. I really don't see the need to leave early at all--if you're going to a weekday game that starts at 7, you know for a fact that the game won't end at 8:30 or 9:00. That's what pisses me off the most, not the non-attendance but the half-heartedness when people actually do.