Checking the Fan Damage

[MechaMarleau]

I'm glad that the season is returning and that there may in the future be changes I'd like to see (realignment, some obvious rules changes like no-touch icing). The last lockout brought lasting change, and in most cases it's been good for the game, or in the case of things like the shootout, not a terrible detriment.

I don't feel betrayed or wronged by the process that has gone on since summer. Everything we buy, every service we use has ugly, unfair business attached to it. The NHL has to do it with more public scrutiny than most. Hockey is a career for the players, and they should work to maximize their advantage, as all their work throughout their life could end at any moment, in any game.

In the past two years I've become an avid watcher of the Sharks on TV- getting season tickets or going to a bunch of games has simply not made sense given the cost. Since we live in one of the most hockey starved metro areas (no major junior, no high school or college, and no AHL), the Sharks are needed and it's hard to make due without them.

I haven't been substituting sports much. I watched somewhat more college football than I otherwise might have. Hockey remains the only sport that is appointment TV viewing.

 

[hockeyball]

Sadly Hockey is the only sport I enjoy, period. Which is why I never made the claim that I was giving up the sport or anything, it's my only sport, how could I? The players already did enough damage to themselves (money wise), and I don't blame the owners a whole lot in the first place, so I really don't feel there is anyone I need to punish.

So my answer is I am thrilled hockey is coming back and I'm going to try to forget any of this crap happened so I can enjoy the game.

 

[Grave]

I'm somewhere between 1 and 2, I've always have had different interests but my main sport is and will always be Hockey. I'm just happy the lockout is over and I don't have to listen to people talk about Basketball/Football constantly. (HURR DUR UR SPORT ISNT EVEN PLAYING LOLZ)

All in all I was up at 3am when it was announced so obviously I'm a sheep. Baaaa

 

[Lebanezer]

Will watch, will purchase center ice, but with the window creaking shut on Los Tiberones and the sun shining ever so brightly over Los Gigantes, the Sharks will be regligated to the filler team until baseball and not vice versa as it'd been the last 10 years.

Pitchers and Catchers report Feb 12th!!

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

I am excited for the season to start, but the lockout let me concentrate on school a bit more. I'll definitely watch and hang during the GDTs though.

 

[norcaltactics]

when will be the first game @ the tank be? my espn app tells me all the games are away??

 

[Squeeven]

I am definitely not as excited as I was before. I will still watch a lot of games and pay attention to hockey but it will be hard to get very excited about a half season. In fact I don't think I want to see the Sharks win the cup this year because its a half season and then we'd get bashed that we won it on a half season and we didn't have to work as hard and all. I want us to do good but I don't wanna see a cup this season because I'd rather us win the cup in a full season.

 

[Grave]

Will watch, will purchase center ice, but with the window creaking shut on Los Tiberones and the sun shining ever so brightly over Los Gigantes, the Sharks will be regligated to the filler team until baseball and not vice versa as it'd been the last 10 years.

Pitchers and Catchers report Feb 12th!!

I'm curious if there will be some massive discount on the CI Package.. I hope so.

 

[Lebanezer]

I'm curious if there will be some massive discount on the CI Package.. I hope so.

I'm assuming there has to be - except of course for us Time Warner subscribers who will, as per usual, have to forgo wining and dining and well, you know, like, big time.

 

[Led Zappa]

I am definitely not as excited as I was before. I will still watch a lot of games and pay attention to hockey but it will be hard to get very excited about a half season. In fact I don't think I want to see the Sharks win the cup this year because its a half season and then we'd get bashed that we won it on a half season and we didn't have to work as hard and all. I want us to do good but I don't wanna see a cup this season because I'd rather us win the cup in a full season.

60% of the season will be played and all of the PO's. I'll take that Cup should it happen.

 

[ChompChomp]

It did, you proved it right there. Granted, the 94-95 lockout came with less theatrics, hence I feel the games lost didn't impact the NHL severely. However with the 2012-13 lockout, this whole mess was a complete disaster of a charade, one that I believe will be referred to and recapped for quite some time.

Simply mentioning that the NJ Devils won the 95 Cup did not prove that there is an asterisk for that year's Cup. Never have I ever heard anyone in the hockey world ever suggest that the Devils 95 was not legitimate or worthy of an asterisk. I'm not sure how saying that the Devils won the Cup in 95 proves anything about an asterisk.

(Even for the Sharks, 94-95 is referred to as the year with the Ray Whitney double OT winner, not a lockout shortened season)

 

[SJGoalie32]

After the MLB strike in 1994, I implemented a self-imposed 2-year boycott from the league.

However, as a Sharks season ticket holder who splits a package with others, they have my money already, so I can't afford a full-on boycott. And if I drop my share next season, that will just create a big financial burden on my partners/friends. I'm not willing to leave my buddies on the hook for extra thousands of dollars, so I will be going to games this year. And truth be told, I still do want to go to a couple anyway.

But unlike in past years where I would go to as many games as I could and readily take on more tickets when others couldn't go.....not this time. I'm going fire sale on my tix this year. Gonna sell off as many tickets as I can and will refuse to pick up any extras.

I've made lots of efforts over the last 20 years to go to as many games as I could. I've worked my schedule around games I wanted to see, skipped out on or left early from family/friend gatherings to get to games, and made several sacrifices of other things in my budget so I could afford to go to games. I did that mostly because I love hockey, but also because I wanted to support the Sharks and the NHL.

Not anymore. I'm still going to go to a handful of games per season because I love the Sharks, but not with the same vigor or zeal. I'm not going to make those same compromises to my schedule or finances that I used to. I'm still going to watch and attend, but I'm going to put far less effort into going to games, far more effort into avoiding tickets, and far more effort into avoiding concessions and merchandise (Already had an NHL-free Xmas holiday this year, going to try to do it again for 2013 at least).

So that'll be MY version of a boycott. It's not a full one, the NHL will still get my money, but it's going to be quite a bit less of it. Where the league once had a staunch defender and advocate in myself, I will now strive to do as much as I can to purposefully damage them financially.

I still love hockey at the highest levels, but now I can't stand the NHL. Hockey is still the greatest sport in the world, but it's clear to me now that the NHL is the biggest joke of a professional sports league in NA sports, and it fully deserves to be treated and ridiculed as such.

 

[WineShark]

After the MLB strike in 1994, I implemented a self-imposed 2-year boycott from the league.

However, as a Sharks season ticket holder who splits a package with others, they have my money already, so I can't afford a full-on boycott. And if I drop my share next season, that will just create a big financial burden on my partners/friends. I'm not willing to leave my buddies on the hook for extra thousands of dollars, so I will be going to games this year. And truth be told, I still do want to go to a couple anyway.

But unlike in past years where I would go to as many games as I could and readily take on more tickets when others couldn't go.....not this time. I'm going fire sale on my tix this year. Gonna sell off as many tickets as I can and will refuse to pick up any extras.

I've made lots of efforts over the last 20 years to go to as many games as I could. I've worked my schedule around games I wanted to see, skipped out on or left early from family/friend gatherings to get to games, and made several sacrifices of other things in my budget so I could afford to go to games. I did that mostly because I love hockey, but also because I wanted to support the Sharks and the NHL.

Not anymore. I'm still going to go to a handful of games per season because I love the Sharks, but not with the same vigor or zeal. I'm not going to make those same compromises to my schedule or finances that I used to. I'm still going to watch and attend, but I'm going to put far less effort into going to games, far more effort into avoiding tickets, and far more effort into avoiding concessions and merchandise (Already had an NHL-free Xmas holiday this year, going to try to do it again for 2013 at least).

So that'll be MY version of a boycott. It's not a full one, the NHL will still get my money, but it's going to be quite a bit less of it. Where the league once had a staunch defender and advocate in myself, I will now strive to do as much as I can to purposefully damage them financially.

I still love hockey at the highest levels, but now I can't stand the NHL. Hockey is still the greatest sport in the world, but it's clear to me now that the NHL is the biggest joke of a professional sports league in NA sports, and it fully deserves to be treated and ridiculed as such.

You brought the baseball strike up (another D. Fehr production interestingly). That's when I gave up on baseball and found San Jose had been given an NHL franchise. I've never gone back to being a baseball fan, unless being a fan means watching the Giants or A's only when they are in the playoffs. I found hockey players were more accessable to fans, the game hadn't had a ton of labor unrest and my players on my team would stay for long periods. 20 years later hockey is just as bad as any other sport and the players already with the third highest salaries in pro-sports with a much smaller revenue base, wanted more. Just like the baseball strike in the early 90's.

I'm still a hockey fan and not a baseball fan.

 

[LEN]

I'm glad its going to start. Doubt ill make it to a game though. Just start already.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Nothing has changed on my part. Still love the Sharks, but as usual with my timezone it's hard to catch the games live, if I wish to keep a normal sleeping rhythm.

 

[Sharks4Life]

This poll isn't really fair to STH's. While I'm still a little PO'd, I have tickets and I'm not gonna pretend that as soon as I get to the tank I'm not gonna be right back where I was as a fan at the game.

No, selling my tickets is not an option and they may not be as easy to sell as usual anyways because I am sure there are many who are gonna punish the league in one way or another even if they remain fans and then we'll have the ones we won't ever get back.

I'm disgusted by the situation but I can't quit hockey. It's like some woman you're madly in love with. Even if she pisses me off every day, I'm still gonna wanna crawl into bed with her at the end of the night.

I am stuck between these two examples.

 

[Wedontneedroads]

The last lockout was easier to handle because I didn't pay much attention to the business side of things, and when they came back I had such high expectations of the Sharks, and was ready for them to seriously contend for a SC.

This lockout could not be more different. I paid attention to all the business crap and am furious with all greedy players and owners involved. Couple that with the very disappointing season last year, and there is not much to be excited for if you ask me.

When I was younger I really connected to the scrappy underdog nature of the Sharks. Now when I look at this team I don't feel anything close to that connection. It really sucks because I want to be excited about hockey's return. I want to feel those goosebumps I used to as a kid when I walked into the Tank for game 1 of a new season when anything was possible and "This is the year" talk throughout the arena. Unfortunately all I feel is anger that it took so long for these millionaires to finish arguing about how many extra millions need to go into their pension plan so they can retire comfortably.

Every time I think about these NHL players I can't help but scream in my head:

You are getting paid MILLIONS to do what you love! What the hell is wrong with you?!

 

[aldo2121]

Im all in....Same as before. Im a freaking junkie and just need my Sharks fix.

 

[Lazyking]

I'm really excited for hockey.. I can't go to games so I'm not effecting the bottom line..I just want to watch some good NHL hockey.

 

[MetropolisPt31]

I'm ALL IN and am dying for the season to start. I don't feel wrong or betrayed or anything of the sort, simply because I've never been emotionally invested in the NHL in that way. It's a sport but it's also entertainment.

 

[Alwalys]

I'm on board and ready to watch some Sharks hockey

 

[ramstoria]

Third lockout since I've started following hockey. The NHL and Sharks aren't getting a dime of my money this year. Not buying tickets, merchandise, and will make every effort to avoid watching them on TV and the NHL network in general. I told my wife and friends that if the Sharks get to a Stanley Cup clinching game then I'll watch.

I'll root for the Sharks, I hope they do good, I'll sport my already purchased Sharks gear during the shortened season. But I won't be buying tickets for games or watching games regularly until next season. The only way to send a message to the NHL is hit their bottom line. By the looks of this thread, that's not really going to happen.

 

[Brokencow]

I'll be watching but as embarrassing as this is to admit I'm currently feeling very "fair weather" about the Sharks. I've been watching 70+ games (less blackouts) for almost two decades now but it's hard to get excited at this point. The owners could have easily come to the current agreement before the season started but were already planning to cancel half the season. Then once half the season ended they magically 'caved' on all their 'hill we die on' issues. Zero respect for anyone.

If the Sharks stink it up this year I'm just going to stay at home and leave the TV off. Don't feel like wasting my time giving them ticket or ad revenue for an asterisk season.

 

[bob330i]

Still a ticked off 15 yr+ STH, first by the increase and repricing of seating which increased my seat prices by 15% and then to add insult to injury, the extended lockout. I missed the shortened 94 season so it didn't have much of an impact as at that time, I was only going to a couple games a season as a casual fan.

Because they have my money and the fact that even if I could bail, I wouldn't in fear of losing my seats. Whomever wins the cup this year, my memory will have that shortened season asterisk even if the Sharks somehow pull it off. Thought it was odd to have the RR award go to someone who scored 30-something goals that season.

I suppose I'm happy to watch high level hockey again (Bulls games are fun), but will likely be ticked off for a while.

 

[Oppa]

Their reasoning: If they're selling out every night, the tickets are too cheap.