(NHL Playoffs) Rite of Spring 2017: can't go on, no, I'll go on

[monkeypower]

I mean look at the Ducks. Located in a vacation hotspot with lots of transplants and they haven't blocked ticket sales, to my knowledge.

 

The organization and fans (for the most part from what I can tell, someone can tell me different) seem to welcome the visiting fans.

[Unocal]

Man, I can't imagine how much less vitriol there would have been in this thread had the Cup Final been Ottawa/Nashville

[Cosmic]

4 hours ago, The Six said:

Who cares about names? What makes the Stanley Cup great is that an untold number of human beings have left various bodily fluids in it, not the least of which is urine, and it still gets passed around and kissed as a holy chalice.

Silver has antimicrobial properties.

[Red Wolf]

39 minutes ago, SabresRule7361 said:

Man, I can't imagine how much less vitriol there would have been in this thread had the Cup Final been Ottawa/Nashville

For some, it would have been roughly the same. And some people would have eventually turned heel against one or the other. Plus, one of them winning would have meant a whole bunch of people moaning and groaning next year if they went on another deep run. 

[IceCap]

11 minutes ago, Red Wolf said:

For some, it would have been roughly the same. And some people would have eventually turned heel against one or the other. Plus, one of them winning would have meant a whole bunch of people moaning and groaning next year if they went on another deep run. 

SabresRule would have complained about that one too. 

His SOP is to bitch about everything when the marquee teams are in it. When two Cinderella teams make it? He complains about how there's no "sizzle."

 

His whole bit is to complain, regardless of what happens.  

[The_Admiral]

3 hours ago, Bradbury said:

All the "negative" national press was just gravy on top of locals happy not to endure morons making Nashville their weekend drink-away.

 

Perds fans brag to anyone in earshot about what a great scene Broadway is for drinking before, during, and after games, and then get mad when anybody else does, especially when they're from Chicago. 

[MiK]

5 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Another thing I like about the Stanley Cup is that the first person to hold it every year is the captain. Who gets the Lombardi Trophy first? The owner.

 

As an owner of the Packers, can confirm I did not get to hold the Lombardi trophy before Rodgers in 2011.

[The Six]

Damn, the Nashville Predators really have Blackhawks fans traumatized.

[HedleyLamarr]

8 minutes ago, the admiral said:

 

Perds fans brag to anyone in earshot about what a great scene Broadway is for drinking before, during, and after games, and then get mad when anybody else does, especially when they're from Chicago. 

First-hand experience, or hearsay from Chicago fans looking to pump their own tires?

[Still MIGHTY]

3 hours ago, monkeypower said:

I mean look at the Ducks. Located in a vacation hotspot with lots of transplants and they haven't blocked ticket sales, to my knowledge.

 

The organization and fans (for the most part from what I can tell, someone can tell me different) seem to welcome the visiting fans.

 

I don't know about welcome visiting fans, but more of, like, accepted our lot in life as a vacation hotspot with a lot of transplants.

 

Sure the Ducks or Kings could try to block non-SoCal zip codes. The problem is the visiting fans also tend to live here. Hell, I've known plenty that are Ducks season ticket holders and Ducks fans until their team comes to town and they put on their hometown colors.

[YELDARBfield]

4 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

You kind of sunk your entire point in the last quarter there. 

 

Have confidence in your fanbase. "We won't sell to those meanies from out of town" comes off as "we're afraid to trust the free market because if we do we can't fill the building." 

 

As far as "morons" coming into town goes? Welcome to the economy of tourism.

 

1 hour ago, the admiral said:

 

Perds fans brag to anyone in earshot about what a great scene Broadway is for drinking before, during, and after games, and then get mad when anybody else does, especially when they're from Chicago. 

 

It may have been about "confidence" at some point, but it sure isn't now. Just check out the difference in ticket prices this postseason between Nashville and their opponents' cities.

 

I know firsthand how obnoxious *some* visiting fans can be, just as I'm sure *some* Nashville fans who have shown their butts on the road. It just so happens that the Nashville police reports are littered with Illinois ZIP codes the morning after a Hawks game. Much more than any other opponent. Visiting fans are welcome, but there's a difference between enjoying the game and being a drunken a-hole in public.

 

That said, you're all still talking about a ticket policy of all things. Papers in Chicago still put out pieces about a ticket policy every season, sometimes more than once per year. Safe to say the Preds have long won this stupid PR battle from the exposure alone. And if you guys are really so concerned about getting tickets in Nashville, let me know. I'll gladly help you acquire tickets and even go to the game with you, schedule permitting. Just promise not to make an appearance in the police reports.

[twi]

1 hour ago, HedleyLamarr said:

First-hand experience, or hearsay from Chicago fans looking to pump their own tires?

I see a lot of complaining in here about things that I've never seen mentioned anywhere...but here when people complain about them. Interesting phenomena. 

[IceCap]

27 minutes ago, Bradbury said:

Safe to say the Preds have long won this stupid PR battle from the exposure alone.

I'm not sure "team is insecure about fanbase's ability to fill the stadium so they have to literally make it impossible for opposing fans to show up" qualifies as "good" PR.

 

27 minutes ago, Bradbury said:

And if you guys are really so concerned about getting tickets in Nashville, let me know. I'll gladly help you acquire tickets and even go to the game with you, schedule permitting. Just promise not to make an appearance in the police reports.

1) When are the Leafs coming to town?

2) Will I be able to enter the arena in a Leafs sweater? I ask because I'm legitimately not sure if the "visiting fans" being "welcome" claim you made is entirely factual. 

[YELDARBfield]

19 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

I'm not sure "team is insecure about fanbase's ability to fill the arena so they have to literally make it impossible for opposing fans to show up" qualifies as "good" PR.

 

100.3% capacity for a team that played like garbage for a good chunk of the season, just sneaking into the playoffs. If they were truly insecure about "filling the stadium," why would they turn away fans from anywhere? Just an asinine argument.

 

Quote

1) When are the Leafs coming to town?

2) Will I be able to enter the stadium in a Leafs sweater? I ask because I'm legitimately not sure if the "visiting fans" being "welcome" claim you made is entirely factual. 

 

1) We'll find out soon.

2) Legitimately not sure? I had multiple Pens fans sitting near me at Game 6. But let's talk about Nashville being insecure...

[IceCap]

5 minutes ago, Bradbury said:

But let's talk about Nashville being insecure...

They are. Or at least the team is.

 

5 minutes ago, Bradbury said:

100.3% capacity for a team that played like garbage for a good chunk of the season, just sneaking into the playoffs. If they were truly insecure about "filling the stadium," why would they turn away fans from anywhere? Just an asinine argument.

I said they were insecure. I never said it was justified.

The shot of the crowd in downtown Nashville for game six is enough to convince me that the Preds won't have a problem filling the arena with their own fans if they trusted the free market. If just a fraction of the people who turned out became hooked as lifers? The team's in good shape when it comes to having a healthy long-term fanbase.

 

They don't need the ticket policy they have. Yet they keep it. That's insecurity. Even if it isn't justified. 

Insecurity rarely is.

[HedleyLamarr]

11 minutes ago, twi said:

I see a lot of complaining in here about things that I've never seen mentioned anywhere...but here when people complain about them. Interesting phenomena. 

It's called "bullshat".

 

@Ice_Cap, you wouldn't have any problems wearing opposing team's gear.  The only time I've seen some issues is when a fan (or group of fans) have been over-served and got aggressive in their support.  (On both sides, not just the Nashville fans.)  On the whole, they're pretty cool towards the visiting fans, even Detroit fans.

[YELDARBfield]

6 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

They are. Or at least the team is.

 

I said they were insecure. I never said it was justified.

The shot of the crowd in downtown Nashville for game six is enough to convince me that the Preds won't have a problem filling the arena with their own fans if they trusted the free market. If just a fraction of the people who turned out became hooked as lifers? The team's in good shape when it comes to having a healthy long-term fanbase.

 

They don't need the ticket policy they have. Yet they keep it. That's insecurity. Even if it isn't justified. 

Insecurity rarely is.

 

Once again, the only insecurity present here is the Preds' concern about a secondary market profiting off of their product. It's all about control of where tickets go, not what fans come to the game. It's about not letting some broker in California buy up hundreds of hot tickets and selling them for 3-4x the face value. That actually would prevent people from going to the game. Instead, they give the best rates for playoff games to renewing STHs.

 

Since you clearly ignored it earlier, I'll repeat the fact that they push concert promoters to use credit card entry for shows at Bridgestone Arena. It requires the person who initially bought the tickets to show up to the event, preventing the StubHub effect and ensuring the money goes to the building and promoter.

 

I don't have the story handy, but I recall some articles about the Preds (along with Ticketmaster) lobbying the TN state legislature to protect their product from scalpers and sites like StubHub. At no point have they petitioned to ban Blackhawks fans from wearing red in the state. That's called spin, which you've bought hook, line & sinker.

[IceCap]

4 minutes ago, HedleyLamarr said:

It's called "bullshat".

Not so sure. admiral said Preds fans brag about the options for drinking downtown and then complain when Blackhawks fans drink downtown. Then a Preds fan complains about out of towners drinking downtown. 

It's a "two sides to every story" sort of thing but there does seem to be some animas felt towards the fans of other teams on the part of the Preds faithful. 

 

4 minutes ago, HedleyLamarr said:

@Ice_Cap, you wouldn't have any problems wearing opposing team's gear.  The only time I've seen some issues is when a fan (or group of fans) have been over-served and got aggressive in their support.  (On both sides, not just the Nashville fans.)  On the whole, they're pretty cool towards the visiting fans, even Detroit fans.

That is legitimately nice to hear. 

My own experiences in Tampa are a mixed bag. On one hand there's enough transplants here that an opposing team's sweater won't raise too many eyebrows. 

On the other hand you also get the...enthusiastic...local can who goes "what are ya doin' wearing that?" as he points to my Leafs sweater. Well I would think the answer's obvious, wouldn't you?

 

Full disclosure. Most of my Lightning games have come courtesy of my Habs-crazy transplanted extended family or through my boss, who has season tickets.  And out of respect for the local fanbase and the people who've invited me along? I wear a Lightning sweater (an old "storm" alternate, for those wondering) and pull for the Bolts if the Leafs aren't in town. That just seems neighbourly. 

 

 

[IceCap]

edit-

@Bradbury

 

I need to stop engaging in these regional dick measuring contests.

You guys have a great fanbase down there, and I legitimately feel like what happened a few days ago will make you all stronger.

[HedleyLamarr]

37 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

Not so sure. admiral said Preds fans brag about the options for drinking downtown and then complain when Blackhawks fans drink downtown. Then a Preds fan complains about out of towners drinking downtown. 

It's a "two sides to every story" sort of thing but there does seem to be some animas felt towards the fans of other teams on the part of the Preds faithful.

Admiral says a lot of things about Predators fans.  Most, if not all, come from whatever message board or website where Chicago fans like to jerk each other off.  I wouldn't put much stock in a guy constantly referring to a team's home games being a Klan rally.  He's not exactly a beacon of knowledge when it comes to being at a Predators game or knowing anything about how Nashville hockey fans assert themselves.