Is it time to stop watching?

[Roof-Daddy]

I stopped watching long ago.

I scoreboard watch, or sometimes I just wait until I know the game is over and come here to see the title of the PGT.

I have no hope for this team to win anything important anymore.

Honestly, if I wasn't addicted to this site I would probably only follow the Flames and hockey casually, like I do with most other sports.

The only thing I really look forward to is the draft, trades and player signings etc. So basically the off season, because at that point I usually have a little bit of hope that maybe "this" year will be different.

Once they start playing the games though, it never is. Just the same ole same ole Flames, average at best, and what we saw tonight at worst.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I refuse to watch boring AND losing hockey.

Fix this #### Flames management. You are close to losing some long time fans.

Yup, give me the cardiac kids again. This isn't even entertaining.

[Jiggy_12]

I’ve never really been at a point like this where I just don’t care anymore. I’m sure I will again at some point. I don’t know if it’s Covid, the fact I can’t attend games, or just watching the same directionless team limp through another season. I really don’t know. I can definitely stomach a bad team, a losing team, and have many times. It’s the lack of direction that turns me off.

I think on top of that all, the Flames don’t really play a style of hockey I enjoy watching, and haven’t for a few years now.

There’s just a competitive fire that’s lacking. And they simply aren’t very good.

[Buff]

I will not spend a dime on merchandise until significant changes are made. I doubt they'll miss my money. They'll just have their heads in the sand and chalk it up to pandemic anyway.

Where do I direct an email? Not that it would matter any way. They don't give a #### about me of their fans. They haven't really shown that they care about us anyway. Have they?

I'm mad and frustrated. I'm back to the years where I was embarrassed to be a Flames fan. Being a Flames fan has been a huge part of my identity and I'm embarrassed to be me.

[Igottago]

I find the Calgary market incredibly soft. People say its brutal but I don't really think so. A lot of the media are total homers and afraid to criticize the team. Fans keep supporting the team and even in times like this it takes a lot for people to admit maybe the coach needs to go, and its actually stunning how little criticism has been aimed at Treliving at this point. People are mostly satisfied with what has happened the last 5 years. Stopping watching is probably a good idea for your individual time management but I'm not sure when the organization feels pressure to do anything differently.

[Gunkle]

When such apathy is in such vivid detail, I think to myself, ‘if team doesn’t mind losing, why do I?’
We all seem to care more than this perennial experiment in mediocrity.
We can speculate as to the reasons, but the results are painfully inarguable.

[djsFlames]

If you say yes, your actions better be congruent.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I find the Calgary market incredibly soft. People say its brutal but I don't really think so. A lot of the media are total homers and afraid to criticize the team. Fans keep supporting the team and even in times like this it takes a lot for people to admit maybe the coach needs to go, and its actually stunning how little criticism has been aimed at Treliving at this point. People are mostly satisfied with what has happened the last 5 years. Stopping watching is probably a good idea for your individual time management but I'm not sure when the organization feels pressure to do anything differently.

Softest media market in Canada. Dowbiggin was probably the last to be critical of the organization. Nothing but softballs from the media since he left the market.

[Prufrock]

Tough season so far... In my apartment the Flames have been relegated to the computer off to the side whilst playing 2k or Raptors games have taken over the TV.

Watch the throne, Flames.

[Moneyhands23]

I would say yes to not watching day games if the golf course is open

[Goriders]

I’ve learned from watching the Riders for a few decades. This team rivals some of the horrors I watched the other team churn out.

I PVR games and start watching and hour late. A game like tonight’s is on the 3rd fast forward bar by the middle of the second period.

That will be my coping strategy for the rest of the season. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a less consistent team. I’ve definitely seen worse teams. But not less consistent.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I watched this last game against Ottawa on delay. Normally I tough it out, even if the team is down, but this time after the 2nd Ottawa goal, I just knew there was no way they were going to win. I shut it off after the second goal. The exact words out of my mouth were, "There's no way I'm watching the rest of this ####."

But more to the point, I knew there was no way I was going to enjoy watching the rest of that game. This team might be the most boring and listless team I have EVER seen play hockey. It's awful, just in terms of entertainment value.

I can watch boring hockey if it leads to wins. I can stomach losses if there's entertainment along the way.

I refuse to watch boring AND losing hockey.

Fix this #### Flames management. You are close to losing some long time fans.

My friend--this matters not...so long as that arena is full.

I want to be clear that I write this next part with no emotion--especially no anger--only resignation.

Over the past decade, I've learned to become a "fair-weather fan", investing myself only when worthwhile. Since the playoff sweep by Colorado, I also only watch games on TV past the first ten minutes, if they seem interesting. (And, FWIW, I watched ZERO minutes of the summer's "return to action"...because it was summertime, man!! Time to be outside!!)

I am a STH who bought in during the early 2000s when the whole "Save The Flames" campaign occurred. It was a dire time inside the arena, as attendance was sporadic at best, but the benefits of holding tickets were many, including being able to purchase tickets anywhere in the arena at that section's season ticket price!

However, while the season and playoff run was amazing, once 2004 hit, all of our previous STH "perks" were unilaterally eliminated.

Know why?

Because they could. Suddenly, sellouts were routine. They didn't "need" guys like me anymore.

In recent years, I have reduced my share of the seats to five games per season, because I just can't justify spending so many evenings (five!!) per winter watching this team live. There are so many more important things I can be doing. Sad, because between the years 1985--2004, my passion for the team was as high as anyone's. So, given my progression from die-hard, to STH hopeful, to STH, to disinterested member of the public, I wish the team would understand my progression and that of fans like me.

But they won't.

Because for every disillusioned long-time fan like me (or you), there are dozens of people just waiting to take over the "privilege" of being an STH. So long as that arena sells out, our collective disinterest simply doesn't matter.

If it weren't for the fact that so many friends and family rely on me for tickets at this point, I'd gladly step aside and sell my ownership to someone who has the passion that I once had. The most optimistic amongst us deserve to watch games live.

Until, of course, that time comes when they, too, have their passion ripped away...

[Burning Beard]

I stopped watching the last half of Gulutzan but then started back up when they axed him. Somehow Ward's hockey seems even more boring to watch.

[mrdonkey]

Whether you watch or not is a matter of personal taste and how much you value your time. The Flames are terrible entertainment value and have been for years, so you might as well use that time to pursue other interests. This brand of hockey in particular is probably the worst it's ever been.

But one thing's for sure, Murray Edwards will not be shedding any tears over this situation. The Flames don't give a single, solitary **** about any of us or what we do.

[DJones]

I always start watching, only finished about half the games lately.

I can tell by the second if its a waste of time.

[Hackey]

I was watching at the start of the year because you always have that hope that a new year will be different but gradually my interest has faded. I watched the entire Oiler game when we got blown out but since then I've watched maybe 5 minutes. This team isn't entertaining and they aren't doing anything about it. I've said it before and I'll say it again...this is the Iginla era repeating itself. The team can either be proactive and start rebuilding with assets or just wait a few more years until they fizzle out and they are forced to do it. At least there would be some hope if we started building for the future. Right now what do you really have to look forward to? Maybe they get hot for a game or two and draft 13th? Worst spot to be in and feels like we were just here not long ago.

[Vinny01]

I pvr the early games and watch them after I get my daughter to bed. I hit the fast forward button pretty early tonight so glad I didn’t waste my time

[Azhouse]

I usually give them the first half period to see if it’s worth watching the full game. I’ve seen very few full games this year...

[direwolf]

I'll still watch the games if there's nothing else on. But these days I'm nowhere near as invested in this team as I used to be. If we win, great. If we lose it's kind of expected, so meh...whatever.

At this point they'd have to go on quite a run to get me fully reinvested again. Like if they somehow managed to string together 6 or 7 wins in a row, I might believe they've actually turned a corner. But I'm certainly not expecting that from this current roster and coaching staff.

[Mr.Coffee]

The team does not care so they should not and can not expect the fans to.