I know this seems as though this blog is focused on negative aspects of some things. This may be true but also I find myself having a hard time to focus on the good. Watching live hockey is always great. Weather you are cheering for a team that is on a winning or losing streak as a fan you are still there to support the team. Weather you are there to be one of the loudest fans chirping the other team or the fan that just sits there to have an experience of entertainment. Are you getting entertainment value for the cost of admission? Are you excited to be there to watch the team check players into the boards and fight? Are you entertained by the atmosphere that surrounds you in all aspects? These are things that all fans must answer for them self.
Now let’s take this back a notch. Let’s say you are a long time fan of twenty plus years and have been there to support the team. You have been part of building out the history and atmosphere of the arena establishing your team chants, when to do these chants, how loud you chirp the other team. You are a fan who has promoted the team through the years in a winning or losing record and when the season is over you are counting down the days until the next season starts. Yes I am that fan. I am a fan of the team and the boys on the ice. I am the fan who has been there for the team from day one. I have seen many owners through the years and how they have either embraced or disgraced the history and traditions the team has built on over the years. I have seen many great things added to these traditions. I have also seen many things that has been changed and as a fan voiced concern about not taking this away and bring us back to our traditions and history.
I am at a crossroads and not alone trying to deal with rookie ownership. For the first time in over thirty years of attending minor league hockey games and twenty one years with my team that I have felt such a slap in the face from the team’s ownership and office staff that I left a game before the end. That’s right I have never left a game I was in attendance prior to the final player coming off the ice win or lose. And I have seen many games where the last period was painful to watch. But to support the boys I have always stayed until the last player was off the ice from the home team. They deserve that. They deserve to have the home crowd cheer them on. I do feel bad about not being able to stomach how the new ownership cares so little about the loyal fan base. You give them positive feedback they are your friend all day long. You give them any negative feedback they run and hide from you like little children.
The only way a team can be truly successful is with a loyal fan base that wants to come back year after year. A fan base that wants to buy your merchandise and wear it proudly. A fan base that feels engaged through the season. A fan base that wants to bring new people to experience the game day and the atmosphere. As a team owner do you not want to provide this? Do you not want to succeed? Do you not want the fans who care about the team and support them and every aspect of what they have accomplished? Most teams will honor milestones for the team and make a big deal about this. Not leave it to the fans to beg for an opportunity to ensure these players have the recognition they deserve for breaking records or hitting large milestones. I have never seen a team leadership group so clueless about anything around the sport they are running than I have seen this year. A team of twenty years should be more on top of their game and not run like a first year team tripping over their own feet as they find their way. And when you are having issues finding your way you should be open to feedback both positive and negative. Not just focus on the positive and expect a cardboard cookie thinking you are doing a good job. These actions will lead to your fans not returning in the coming years which as we have all seen will lead to the team closing shop or moving to another market because of your actions. Is this what the real end game is?
Remember as always fan your way.
