It's not you. The atmosphere at games is terrible. Has been for years. I've been to soccer games in Ireland with 3000 people that make more noise than people in the Saddledome. Want to start a chant? People look at you like you're an idiot. Standing up to cheer a goal? Better sit down or someone may yell at you. Anything outside of GO FLAMES GO spurred on by a mascot is frowned upon.
If you want an atmosphere that actually encourages fans to get involved from the opening whistle to the final, the Flames are not the club for you. Maybe Cavalry FC can fulfill that niche for you.
People cheer at soccer games becuse they are bored. Hockey games are mostly quiet because people are intently watching the game. This isn’t just a Calgary thing.
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Roughnecks games have better atmosphere than Flames games — it’s not the people, it’s the presentation and the product.
To be fair I don't think the Saddledome has ever been conducive to being a loud building on a nightly basis. It's dark and depending on how high you are sitting you are totally isolated from the fans on the other side which to me has always made the atmosphere poor compared to a lot of other arenas. One of the great thing about 2004 was that the building was crazy loud unlike even 1989 but that was because there was excitement like we had not seen in over a decade. McMahon can get pretty loud if the games are close and the opposition's offense is on the field but it's a large open air stadium that doesn't have acoustics of the newer stadiums in Winnipeg and Regina or a dome like BC.
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I'm really not, I can assure you. This has been on my mind for the past two seasons and I have had conversations about it with Flames fans in my circle. As i said in my original post I thought I would hold off after reading that they were doing a complete overhaul on the arena presentation this year.
Unfortunately it's still not very good in my opinion. My only comparisons are Vegas and Colorado so I would love to hear what other people think that have visited some other barns.
I've been to quite a few games in San Jose, and the fans are very loud when their team scores, but if you're a rival fan, they tell you to shut up when you try to cheer for your team. Just one of those things I guess.
I haven't been to a game in Calgary in years, but I remember it being hard to get people to cheer during a game. I've been going to lots of games in Florida in recent years, and that's the only place where it's harder to get people to cheer for something. And yet, when the team is playing well, the fans are into it and the arena is loud, even if it's only half full most of the time.
In my mind, if a full Flames building is just as loud as a half full Panthers building, I think that's a travesty. Part of it is ticket price, as the most vocal fans simply can't afford to go anymore, but the other part is flat out complacency. I can hear it when I watch the games on TV. Fans just don't get excited about much anymore when it comes to the Flames.
I know winning would get the passion back in the building, but maybe the team would give more of a #### if they knew the fans had their back and weren't ready to pounce on them over the slightest mistake. If, perhaps, the fans were loud and raucous when the team needed a little boost, say after a bad goal or a bad period, then maybe, just maybe, the team would play a lot better at home.
I think it's no coincidence that the teams with the better home/away splits are the teams that receive better fan support on their home ice. It makes a difference, especially psychologically.
I think what I'm trying to say is that when the players look like they don't give a crap on home ice, it's probably a reflection of the fans not giving a crap too.
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"You know, that's kinda why I came here, to show that I don't suck that much" ~ Devin Cooley, Professional Goaltender
Give me a break. Everyone that's posting about great atmospheres are talking about teams that win more than they lose. If you're being thumped 9-1 what's there to cheer about? I was at that game and when Neal scored to make it 8-1 our section sarcastically cheered like we just won the cup, everyone high fiving and celebrating.
When the Flames are winning or losing but playing like they give a #### then the dome is lively and has a great atmosphere...but no one starts a thread about it. When the Flames beat Nashville 3-0 didn't sound so great in there.
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Roughnecks games have better atmosphere than Flames games — it’s not the people, it’s the presentation and the product.
It's probably indicative of being a 2nd tier sport, but it seems like the Roughnecks are directly out to make it a fun evening first, sporting event second. Even their tagline is "Come for the party". Add in the fact that they only seem to play on Fridays and Saturdays, and draw a more typically blue-collar crowd, it probably explains why it has better atmosphere.
Personally, I don't mind that the focus is more on the hockey at a Flames game as I'm not really a ra-ra type of guy either, but it would be nice if they could inject a bit more passion and drama into the evenings. I'm not sure it's something you can just manufacture, but "make some noise" doesn't really cut it.
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It’s not just about winning (although that helps). It’s about the performers caring. If you went to watch a show and the actors didn’t give a #### it wouldn’t be very good either.
You can tell they don’t care because they don’t stand up for each other, don’t put in the full effort, don’t hit, don’t fight, and generally speaking seem emotionless. Most NHL players today are like this. It’s destroying the product.
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It kills me to put this out. I live in Victoria and see a lot of Flanes games in Vancouver. Their sh*t fans are way louder and supportive than any crowd iv ever seen at the Dome. I think the whole thing is part of the culture problem in Calgary...or a result of it.
Give the fans something to cheer about. 2004 and 2015 the fan support was the best in the league.
The best part of the games is the bloopers reel . They should play them every stoppage
1.5 minutes of film clips of people, often children, getting legitimately hurt, or a highlight reel of stuff that could've been put out by player safety as examples of 20 game suspensions.
Nothing pumps a crowd up like Shayne corson highlights from the 80s habs!
HIT THE SANDSTORM, WILLY!
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At least NBA games play music during the game which is nice. Not sure how that would translate to a hockey game but I did like it when I went to a Bulls game a few years ago.
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People cheer at soccer games becuse they are bored. Hockey games are mostly quiet because people are intently watching the game. This isn’t just a Calgary thing.
You got me, soccer is super boring while hockey is nothing but sheer entertainment. People are simply watching the game. That's why the atmosphere in Nashville is so bad. Also in Montreal, and Philadelphia, and Chicago, and Boston, and San Jose, and Tampa.
Hockey fans in Europe must be intently watching the play as well, right?
If you think people aren't bored watching the Flames since Hartley left, I think you need to give your head a shake. That the Saddledome is nicknamed "The Library" should be an embarrassment to the Flames fanbase. Hey, the atmosphere is bad in Edmonton as well, so maybe that will give Flames fans a false sense of achievement.
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