Just imagine a sold out rock full of devils fans

[Guest BelieveinBrodeur]

Our "fans"

Okay, my mistake, I want to know who of our fans outta their right mind buy lower-level seats(the expensive ones) and choose not to show up.

Edited December 29, 2011 by BelieveinBrodeur

[pattyelias]

Tonight's game was a sellout. Now every seat wasn"t filled but sold out. Wanna know the dumba** that buy lower level expensive seats and choose not to show up.

those club seats are never sold. they are stupid expensive. however, the mezzanine and upper deck were completely packed.

[Colin226]

I was at the Devils vs Flyers game in Philly and they had far more empty seats for their "sellout" which they don't even need to fake since they sellout all the time anyway

[ScoreMoreThan3]

This is cool. The Devils have played 35 games, but only 15 at home. Ten of their next 15 games are at home.

[Random Poster]

Tonight's game was a sellout. Now every seat wasn"t filled but sold out. Wanna know the dumba** that buy lower level expensive seats and choose not to show up.

They're in the Fire & Ice bars stuffing thier faces. That's the problem. The people who are supposed to sit in the seats, don't. The renovated MSG is going through the same thing now. You'll see seats empty when they should have bodies in them.

[trailblazer]

They're in the Fire & Ice bars stuffing thier faces. That's the problem. The people who are supposed to sit in the seats, don't. The renovated MSG is going through the same thing now. You'll see seats empty when they should have bodies in them.

correct, all new sports stadiums have this issue now.

the game is almost secondary with all the other places to hang out.

few things i notice at the Rock.

1. people go into Acela Club/Goal Bar and sit at the bar all game. Obviously their seat isn't filled but they are in the building.

2. I always see people in Fire/Ice Lounge sit at the tables when you first walk in and not watch 1 minute of live game action.

3. Recently noticed people at the "Digital Zone" and on the iPad while the game is on.

[mmajeski06]

Glad MSG will look the same. Now those classless fvcks can see that it isnt a lack of fans, its the other places to watch the game from.

Oh, enjoy the rat turds Ranger fans.

[Marv4Life]

Maybe they should close the lounges sometime during the game and force them back to their seats. Or just make a small portion of the black seats have access to them.

[DevsMan84]

Maybe they should close the lounges sometime during the game and force them back to their seats. Or just make a small portion of the black seats have access to them.

Then there would be no justification for their high prices. No one buys the seats there for the view or because the seats themselves are more comfortable. I bet at least 90% of the people buy the seats there because of the perks like access to the lounges, free food and soft drinks and private bathroom. If you close the lounges during the game you take that away.

[Chuck the Duck]

My firm has 2 season tickets in the club sections (ice lounge side). I've taken clients to numerous games, and am always amazed at how many people are sitting at the tables and on the couches in the middle of the second period, rather than their seats. To be honest, the club seats were meant to be purchased by corporations to use for client entertainment, as evidenced by the excessive ticket prices, and the game actually is secondary for those people.

Also, there are always a number of people standing behind the last row of seats and watching the game, rather than sitting in their seats. Same is true for Yankees and Giants games now. As a prior poster already said, it's a problem with stadiums in general nowadays based upon the number of amenities and how they are designed.

[MantaRay]

They didn't cancel it , but they made it exclusive to season ticket holders only.

Really? That was a mistake. Again, I sat there once, could not enjoy the game, as I tend more to appreciate the nuances and study the game and cheer only when something good happens. But again, the section is the only thing that could rally the crowd to make each game more of an event. I love BAUMAN for this during game.

[DevsMan84]

Really? That was a mistake. Again, I sat there once, could not enjoy the game, as I tend more to appreciate the nuances and study the game and cheer only when something good happens. But again, the section is the only thing that could rally the crowd to make each game more of an event. I love BAUMAN for this during game.

What is up with Bauman? I heard different stories on why he doesn't go to games anymore ranging from financial issues to him not liking the new arena to him just not wanting to do it anymore.

[Beezer34]

Tonight's game was a sellout..

..yeah, and so was tonight's.

In fact, 4 of our last 5 have been sellouts. Not-to-mention an average of 16,000 over the last 10 home games.

..this thread is a joke.

[ohms law]

People tend to get bent out of shape over things that go on early in the season. Happens all the time.

Unfortunately, these types of stories tend to take on a life of their own and they become "the storyline". That way, they're still being talked about at this time of year, causing distractions.

[newjerseydamo]

will be going to 5 home games in March, with a friend, so will be doing my part to fill up the Rock!

[DevsMan84]

..yeah, and so was tonight's.

In fact, 4 of our last 5 have been sellouts. Not-to-mention an average of 16,000 over the last 10 home games.

..this thread is a joke.

Games between Christmas and new years always sell well due to people being off from work and school.

Also add in a caps game with ovechkin, a rags game that always sell well and niedermayer night I think the last 10 games are more the exception than the norm. To me the only stat that is important is the average over the entire season. You can bet the devils will be again in the bottom 1/3 of the league.

Edited January 2, 2012 by DevsMan84

[pattyelias]

Games between Christmas and new years always sell well due to people being off from work and school.

Also add in a caps game with ovechkin, a rags game that always sell well and niedermayer night I think the last 10 games are more the exception than the norm. To me the only stat that is important is the average over the entire season. You can bet the devils will be again in the bottom 1/3 of the league.

if the devils sold out every game they'd still be bottom 1/2 of the league.

[DevsMan84]

if the devils sold out every game they'd still be bottom 1/2 of the league.

I'm talking about average attendance based on % of the building full. They are usually in the mid to upper 80's which puts them in the bottom 10 and with an arena like the prudential center which has a capacity that is relatively small it makes the issue much worse.

[pattyelias]

I'm talking about average attendance based on % of the building full. They are usually in the mid to upper 80's which puts them in the bottom 10 and with an arena like the prudential center which has a capacity that is relatively small it makes the issue much worse.

http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/index.php/site/comments/nhl_average_attendance_since_1989_90/118-2008-09

check out this link. look at the devils attendance from 94-95 to 98-99. they won 2 cups since then and attendance has gone down. please explain that one. 17,321 in 97-98 was 7th in the league!!!!!

[ohms law]

one of the things that's always bugged me, even more than attendance, is "fans" who seem to actually hate the team.

Not that I think you really hate the team, it's just... my impression is that it's kinda "cool" to be negative about the team that you're a fan of. It's like a meme or something, and it's certainly not limited to the Devils (it just seems more widespread among the Devils fan base, to me. That's probably just selection bias on my part, but so be it). If you read, and put any stock into, blogs and comments online it'd be easy to believe that the Devils are in worse shape than the Blue Jackets or the Ducks!

I don't know, sorry for bringing this up. I'm not looking to put you down or anything. Sometimes the negativity just grates, I guess.

[Colin226]

They're in the Fire & Ice bars stuffing thier faces. That's the problem. The people who are supposed to sit in the seats, don't. The renovated MSG is going through the same thing now. You'll see seats empty when they should have bodies in them.

Flyers' club seats are actually the back few rows of the lower level, so they don't have this problem, but I guess it's weird to buy a club seat and be so far back from the action

[DevsMan84]

http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/index.php/site/comments/nhl_average_attendance_since_1989_90/118-2008-09

check out this link. look at the devils attendance from 94-95 to 98-99. they won 2 cups since then and attendance has gone down. please explain that one. 17,321 in 97-98 was 7th in the league!!!!!

I'm talking about since the lockout.

If you want to dig up 14 and 15 year old stats in a different era of the devils and nhl to prove some kind of point be my guest, but it doesn't pertain to anything here.

Also that stat from that one year has been questioned before as it was it was a sudden spike that disappeared after one season.

[Beezer34]

4 of our last 5 have been sellouts. Not-to-mention an average of 16,000 over the last 10 home games.

..this thread is a joke.

Games between Christmas and new years always sell well due to people being off from work and school.

Also add in a caps game with ovechkin, a rags game that always sell well and niedermayer night I think the last 10 games are more the exception than the norm. To me the only stat that is important is the average over the entire season.

..and yet, turnabout's fairplay.

If you're telling me that the last 10 games shouldn't be focused on, because they're circumstantial.. (Niedermayer, Ovechkin, Rangers, whatever) ..why can't I say the same regarding the overall average being lower, based on a piss poor month of October??

10 games ago, brings you to November 9th, 2011.. essentially 2 entire months of the season. (Nov. & Dec.) Our average throughout the month of October (which only had 4 home games, I might add) was a pathetic 14,000, with two back-to-back home games amassing 12,000 each.

If it's the fact that you feel the Devils should be averaging over 16,000 for the overall season.. well that's a problem that nearly half the league is facing Jack! Currently, there are 12 hockey teams in the NHL with an overall average of under 17,000.. ranging anywhere from 14,500+ to 16,500+

Furthermore.. the last 10 games may indeed include Rangers, Pittsburgh, and Washington type samples.. but they also included the Islanders, Columbus, and the Buffalo Sabres.. who neither have anyone of marketable value on their team.. but they're not competitive! (ranked 12th in the Conference)

10 games isn't a small sampling either. In an arena that holds 17,000+ ..having an average of 16,000 throughout a 2 month stretch, should be applauded for this organization.

The NEW YORK RANGERS are ranked 15th in the league in attendance!!! And that's fvcking NEW YORK! Why should I expect anything more from a 29 year old hockey franchise, in the tri-state area?!

15th but filling the place at 99.9%, can't do much better than that.

Yeah..

..and God willing, maybe in another 56 years, we'll have the same foothold foundation where we can say the same thing.

..dude, you have no fvcking idea how DONE I am with these threads. It's like people just want to complain about something.

When attendance is poor.. the fanbase gets sh!t. THEN.. when the attendance starts to pick up, the fanbase still gets sh!t, because of the ratio of fans in attendance.. and NOW, we're not even going to focus on the last few games where DEVILS fans are in the god damn arena, because it's Christmas break and/or Niedermayer night?! Get real.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Beezer34

[pattyelias]

I'm talking about since the lockout.

If you want to dig up 14 and 15 year old stats in a different era of the devils and nhl to prove some kind of point be my guest, but it doesn't pertain to anything here.

Also that stat from that one year has been questioned before as it was it was a sudden spike that disappeared after one season.

my only point is that the fans are out there. the question is how to get them in the seats. a team that hasn't made it past the first round of the playoffs in over 5 years coupled with soaring ticket prices and a sagging economy certainly hasn't helped.

[skeeter]

http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/index.php/site/comments/nhl_average_attendance_since_1989_90/118-2008-09

check out this link. look at the devils attendance from 94-95 to 98-99. they won 2 cups since then and attendance has gone down. please explain that one. 17,321 in 97-98 was 7th in the league!!!!!

I can explain the 97-98 number. It was our lone full season with Gilmour and was the last season before they really jacked up ticket prices from family friendly to corporate friendly. Not that Gilmour did much here but he had a huge effect on ticket sales. His first game here had a walk up of 1200 people. The box office was a madhouse that night.

That link is actually pretty fascinating when you really look at the numbers, especially in markets where they say have the best and most rabid fan bases. Look at Minnesota, who has pretty much sold out every game for the last decade and see them averaging 7800 one year and not breaking 14,000 before they moved. The "always" sold out Rangers with 15,000 in 90-91, and I'm sure their average fan could actually afford tickets back then. Quebec was barely drawing more than we were in the early 90s. Winnipeg drew less in the 90s than the Thrashers in the 2000s yet they're back in Winnipeg. Even the Habs drew almost 3000 less than their capacity one season. I realize those teams probably had several bad years in a row to sink to those low numbers but it still kind of takes the wind out of their sails as far as their legend goes.