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

[jaydub74]

Not alone.
I'm as big a hockey fan as they come, but I don't watch the games. I know that sounds pretty odd but there is no entertainment value there for me, maybe there will be but I don't have 3 hours to waste on poor efforts and losses.

I'll stick to listening to the fan960, twitter, reading posts online, and watching and reading the headlines.

[Wiggum_PI]

I'm still a big Flames fan, but I have fallen asleep during games quite a few times this season.

[ignite09]

Been around since '85. I've seen worse. Fully support the franchise both by attending games and watching all 82.

[FaFaFlamey]

You're not alone. I do get excited to watch games (on tv), but it's getting tougher and tougher. I honestly thought we would be a contender this year, and now I'm bewildered. It's been like this for years and years and I just don't see an end in sight. These guys spoke of a five year plan, and I think it just hasn't worked out. Unfortunately, I believe the owners need to clean out management and start over with a new group. I doubt it'll happen this year, but it's gonna happen at some point. I thought Bennett would be a star, I was hoping Jankowski would become something too (and he still might), but things look grim. I hope I'm wrong. I just don't think I can sit through another two, three, or four years of this. The Oilers looked like fools with their lotto picks and finishing last, but at least now they have lots of talent now. I don't really know what we have at this point. It's obviously way tougher than it looks to rebuild successfully. But one thing we do have is great fans who are patient.

[Keselke]

My thoughts have always been that a team has to earn your support, through either success or an exciting product. To blindly follow a team through thick and thin, when they generally have zero care for you, is a waste of time and effort. Or worse yet supporting a team just because your from the city.

The Flames in my lifetime (86 birth) have been generally bad, average or below. With almost no consistent run of success. At this point I will only follow them if they are winning, or exciting.

As a viewer we have so many options for teams, sports and individual games that can be accessed. Why would I waste my precious time on a floundering team that constantly frustrates me. People wear the "loyalty" to the team as a badge of honor. Sorry you have to earn my time and money.

I will move on to the hot, exciting team, when they're run is over, on to the next one. This is typically called being a bandwagon fan

Guilty.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by Keselke

My thoughts have always been that a team has to earn your support, through either success or an exciting product. To blindly follow a team through thick and thin, when they generally have zero care for you, is a waste of time and effort. Or worse yet supporting a team just because your from the city.

The Flames in my lifetime (86 birth) have been generally bad, average or below. With almost no consistent run of success. At this point I will only follow them if they are winning, or exciting.

As a viewer we have so many options for teams, sports and individual games that can be accessed. Why would I waste my precious time on a floundering team that constantly frustrates me. People wear the "loyalty" to the team as a badge of honor. Sorry you have to earn my time and money.

I will move on to the hot, exciting team, when they're run is over, on to the next one. This is typically called being a bandwagon fan

Guilty.

A franchise does more then just win and lose games. It represents the city, does tonnes of charity work, employes locals etc. Being angry with the on ice results is one thing, but supporting them only when it suits a person is something I find distasteful personally.

[Badgers Nose]

Me too. Was at the game, hated it. Other than some Johnny excitement, it was a poor product.

Watching Hartley's team lose was never this painful.

[Nammer403]

Full support from me win or lose.

[Johnny Rotten]

Disappointed, yes! Frustrated with start? Absolutely! But I'll still take this team and its young players-both in Calgary AND in Stockton- over the years between 2010-2013- when the Flames had so few young prospects, and an aging team with little hope of accomplishing anything.

[Keselke]

Originally Posted by ignite09

A franchise does more then just win and lose games. It represents the city, does tonnes of charity work, employes locals etc. Being angry with the on ice results is one thing, but supporting them only when it suits a person is something I find distasteful personally.

The flames are a for profit business

every corporation donates, creates jobs, employs locals. Etc

We make choices where we spend our money and time, rationally in other sectors, based on a variety of factors. I treat hockey no different

[Bunk]

I'm invested, I love them. Much to the detriment of my emotional health and better judgement.

[Dion]

I was a STH from 1980 until the mid 90's. Hockey back then was so much fun to watch. You had the Oilers and all those great Battle's of Alberta or the battles with the Jets. Add to that the price of a ticket was a heck of a lot cheaper than it is today.

My passion for the Flames is still there but it's not on the same level as it was in the 80's. Less teams in the league and more games against your hated rivals made the game much more enjoyable to watch back then. Now the league is diluted with too many teams and too many games that lack the passion I witnessed back in the 80's.

[Coach]

If the games were exciting, I'd watch. That 2014 team was a bottom feeder, but they were still fun to watch.

If it's on and I'm home, I'll watch. But I'm not going out of my way if this is the garbage theyre going to pull.

[ah123]

Not alone. As I get older, I find myself less interested in sports in general. I still enjoy watching a good game, but if the game is boring, I will turn off the TV and find something else to do.

[tvp2003]

I've been thinking about this topic recently -- not becoming a fair weather fan, but what it actually means to be a fan. In the moment, it's cheering for goals and wins, plays by Johnny Hockey, etc.

But in the long run? Aside from a handful of plays here and there, I don't really remember much from 2006 to 2014. On the other hand, the 2004 run and more recently the 2014/15 season/playoffs is where I have a lot of really good memories. Last year was okay (record notwithstanding), but this year will be pretty much forgotten unless they can really turn it around. Hard to get excited about the season thus far.

[cracher]

I became a fan during the Young Guns era. This is child's play.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I wouldn't call me a fairweather fan, but my interest is certainly starting to wain. I don't find this years' games entertaining in the least, and have no excitement to go to the rink anymore or watch on tv. It's almost a chore to drag myself down to the Saddledome. pretty much already given up on this seaso. That's pretty bad.

[flamesforcup]

Ya during the 14/15 run and last year all i used to do all day was read about the flames watch flames games and always be reading this forum and HF. But today when i looked at the score i ddnt really care. This years teams too boring and no effort.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by cracher

I became a fan during the Young Guns era. This is child's play.

Agreed.

There were some dark years during the Young Guns era. If the team went down 2 goals in the first period you knew the game was over because they weren't going to score 3.

A lot of nights the only reason to go to a game was to get nachos and hope Sandy McCarthy beat someone up.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Wiggum_PI

I'm still a big Flames fan, but I have fallen asleep during games quite a few times this season.

We have definitely got more caught up with PVR programs on game nights.
Gulutzan's version of the Flames have not earned full attention from several fans.