I'm becoming a fair weather Flames fan. Am I alone?

[Canehdianman]

Realistically, I've always been a fair weather fan. I can't fathom paying $100 or more to attend a Flames game. I've never bought a ticket, and I likely never will (barring some sort of Lotto Max win). I honestly think most season ticket holders are insane :P

I used to watch them on TV whenever possible, but without a doubt, this season I am finding it very easy to decide to do something else instead of committing 3 hours of my life to watching a team play frustrating hockey.

[activeStick]

Im still sitting down to watch the start of the games, but I'm catching myself getting distracted more and more during the games because of poor play and uninspired hockey.

It's concerning because this probably leads to skipping games altogether.

Boy have things changed fast!

[Da_Chief]

I find hockey to be very boring the last few years. I watch nothing outside the Flames, not even playoffs. Even the Flames this year I'll watch a period here and there.

It's really not a great product. 5 on 5, suffocating defensive systems, bad passing. You'd basically have to watch 10 games to get 1 decent game and maybe one really nice play in that decent game.

I really enjoy the open ice 3 on 3. 4 on 4 is not bad but even that is being coached now. 3 on 3 allows players to be creative.

I don't care what the traditionalists say, those are dying off anyways. To keep the interest and bring in new fans NHL better move over to more open ice, 3 on 3.

I want to see breakaway, post to post saves, end to end rushes. I don't if the scoring increases or not but chances and creativity has to.

[Jimmy Stang]

I rely a lot of my PVR, avoid the score, and play catch-up. It does save me a lot of time being able to skip ads and intermissions. This season I have found myself multi-tasking a lot more during the games, and I'm trying to spin that into a positive. For example, I need to change my tires over on my car, so I am looking at the hockey schedule so I can listen along in the garage as opposed to setting that time aside to sit on the couch and watch.

Even before this season began, I had already committed myself to being more productive during Flames games. It may sound strange to some, but take 82 games at 2-3 hours a pop (depending on how efficient I am at my commercial skipping!), that's a lot of time to "waste".

All of that being said, I used to get really annoyed if I'd see the score by accident, or have a friend spoil it. This season, however, it has saved me a few hours by allowing me to cut my losses early!

I still have my game pack and couldn't miss a televised game entirely, but I do build my schedule around hockey a little less than I used to.

[Otto29]

The wife and I start watching game but sometimes turn it off half way through. Im not a "fairweather" fan...I love the flames but I don't think being a fan means to need to tourture yourself watching one of the sub-par games. Frankly I am frustrated with the lack of toughness and the total inconsistent play. How the refs seem to turn a blind eye bothers me. I don't like going to the games anymore. The costs are ridiculous for food and drink and honestly I find many fans in the lower bowl to be stuffy. Try to start the wave and it ALWAYS dies at the club seats. I know many of you are season ticket holders and im sure you cheer you brains out but when you do that do you ever get "looks" from some old rich guy like you are doing something wrong?

[burn_baby_burn]

Honestly, I envy fair weather fans. I wish I could be one, I really do. But I'm obsessed with the Calgary Flames and Kansas City Chiefs. Sometimes I worry, that I'm dooming my poor son (age 9) to the same heart breaking fate as myself, blowing countless hours and money to follow perennial crappy teams. How many hours have I wasted driving between Calgary and Red Deer over the 12 years I have been a season ticket holder? It's insane, I should be in therapy.

[Tyler]

The Flames are so bad right now that I'd rather watch the Raptors game tonight then see them play the Coyotes

[CroFlames]

Well well well. Should we rename this thread I've become a bandwagon Flames fan?! Haha.


I wanted to revive this thread because of an incident last night. Many posts in this thread touch on the wussification of hockey these days, and I actually agree. Last night's contest was a great game by the Flames, albeit against a crappy team.

However, many fans complained that it was boring. What was missing? I contend it was missing some hate, intimidation and physicality. No, Johnny getting smacked in the face doesn't count.

I was really pissed off the linesmen broke up the fight between Gio and Iggy. Two willing combatants, non-staged, spur of the moment, full of energy, and two good scrappers. I sincerely believe that would have pumped some life into that game.

I'm happy with the win, but from purely an entertainment standpoint, I believe the NHL needs a little more of the rough stuff. Rough stuff leads to hate, and hate leads to energy filled games.

[Frequitude]

To be honest, I'm not sure what the NHL needs more of to boost my live viewership. I hate the fact that this is the case, but I'm just not that entertained by the product these days.

It's not a Flames thing. It's a hockey thing. I feel the same way about the World Juniors. I freakin' chose to do some work in the office last night instead of watching either the Flames game or the Canada game...

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Well well well. Should we rename this thread I've become a bandwagon Flames fan?! Haha.


I wanted to revive this thread because of an incident last night. Many posts in this thread touch on the wussification of hockey these days, and I actually agree. Last night's contest was a great game by the Flames, albeit against a crappy team.

However, many fans complained that it was boring. What was missing? I contend it was missing some hate, intimidation and physicality. No, Johnny getting smacked in the face doesn't count.

I was really pissed off the linesmen broke up the fight between Gio and Iggy. Two willing combatants, non-staged, spur of the moment, full of energy, and two good scrappers. I sincerely believe that would have pumped some life into that game.

I'm happy with the win, but from purely an entertainment standpoint, I believe the NHL needs a little more of the rough stuff. Rough stuff leads to hate, and hate leads to energy filled games.

At least the Flames weren't diving all over the ice like Team Canada in the World Junior game.

[GioforPM]

I think it's a function of the time of year and the season. The holdiays are over and everyone is back at work. The season isn't fresh but the end isn't in sight. So these are just games. Warrener was speaking of this, and so was GG.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I'm still nowhere near into hockey as I was say 5 years ago. The game just kind of bores me now. I'll always be a Flames fan and watch most of their games, but i'm never just going to watch an NHL game for the hell of it anymore like I used to. Not sure why, but if I had to say, it would be ongoing shift from a hard, physical game.

I honestly believe with the switch from the physical game to what is being played now, the NHL strongly needs to look at having Olympic size ice to recreate some excitement.

[TheScorpion]

Like I said in the GT, two points sure as hell aren't boring to me.

[loob job]

I think that the older we get, the more things that happen in our lives (kids, etc.), the less important the NHL is to us. It was everything to a 20 year old me but the 40 year old me is like, well I'm not going to stay up to watch or even go to a game because i'll be up at 530 with the kids and there's so much stuff to do tomorrow, blah blah blah. It sucks but it's the truth.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by loob job

I think that the older we get, the more things that happen in our lives (kids, etc.), the less important the NHL is to us. It was everything to a 20 year old me but the 40 year old me is like, well I'm not going to stay up to watch or even go to a game because i'll be up at 530 with the kids and there's so much stuff to do tomorrow, blah blah blah. It sucks but it's the truth.

Technology has helped me enjoy the games on my time, plus you can skip through commercials and all the blah, blah, blah during intermission (I do realize it's a live show and they need to fill time). Having kids has made the experience of being a fan even more rewarding for myself. Since my son turned five (the age where he would actually watch the game and not whine) he has been my soul companion attending Flames games. We have a routine and I find it a great way to spend time together.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by loob job

I think that the older we get, the more things that happen in our lives (kids, etc.), the less important the NHL is to us. It was everything to a 20 year old me but the 40 year old me is like, well I'm not going to stay up to watch or even go to a game because i'll be up at 530 with the kids and there's so much stuff to do tomorrow, blah blah blah. It sucks but it's the truth.

This.
I think this basically is the crux of it all.
As we get older our lives get far more complicated and interesting and there are many things that pull at our interests.
When I was a teen nothing mattered to me more than the Flames. A slump would keep me up at night.
Now? They are WAY down the list of things I'm actually concerned about.
They are an enjoyable distraction and something fun. But no longer appointment viewing - not because of how the sport has changed but more because of how I and my life has changed.

[Weitz]

I just think the NHL game is more boring than ever now.

I'll go to games live as its a good time, but I never plan my days around watching a game on TV.

[TheScorpion]

See, I'm quite a bit younger than most of you guys. As a student, my life outside of hockey is generally pretty boring, and so hockey games are a highlight of my day -- but mostly since I have very little else to worry about.

Once I get out of school and get a job which I really love to do, I feel like the Flames won't be at the centre of my day. Unless, of course, I get a job in hockey, in which case...

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

See, I'm quite a bit younger than most of you guys. As a student, my life outside of hockey is generally pretty boring, and so hockey games are a highlight of my day -- but mostly since I have very little else to worry about.

Once I get out of school and get a job which I really love to do, I feel like the Flames won't be at the centre of my day. Unless, of course, I get a job in hockey, in which case...

Yeah, but I think you (and we) would love hockey even more if it had at least 50% more rough and tumble. A tilt between Gio and Iggy last night would have been awesome.

Remember how excited we all were watching Ferly hit everything that moved? Obviously goals and rushes are the pinnacle of hockey entertainment, but physicality and intimidation lead to a much more entertaining game between goals and rushes.

[dino7c]

pretty sure this was started when the Flames were getting destroyed on a nightly basis and the games seemed meaningless

Their play of late has made the games far more interesting