MSG quiet, easy to play at: Is it the chicken or the egg?

[Crease]

I think we’re below 1 at home (5-6-0). We’ve got to be a good home team and hard to play against at home.”

As many have rightfully pointed out via Twitter, it’s hard to develop a home-ice advantage and make the Garden a difficult place to play because this season, even more so in the past, the Garden has become a quiet arena. There are flourishes when the crowd gets into it during a game but that intensity never sustains. And the home team does feed off the crowd, either positively or negatively. A lot of what’s wrong - and it’s the same at many other buildings - is that the ticket prices have become so onerous that it’s mostly a corporate crowd, at least down near ice level. Now that’s a general, blanket statement. But it’s certainly not like the old days at the Garden, the 1970s, into the 1980s, when those fans were absolutely rabid 100 percent of the time.

Is it quiet because of the team's lackluster play at home? Or is it quiet because of the large number of corporate seats? Would the team play better at home in front a rabid fan base? What do you guys think.

Click to read more...

 

[Walk With Lias]

Its 100% the ticket prices. The best crowd so far this year was at the Coliseum back in October. Easily the loudest Ranger fans have been all year, and I say this as a season ticket holder who has been to every home game this year.

 

[stcatcs12]

With many seats in the upper deck exceeding $100, a lot of real fans have been priced out.

That's not to say that if you can afford expensive seats then you're not a real fan, but I think there are a good number of folks who attend the games only because they are given the corporate seats for the night.

 

[Thirty One]

I don't think a boisterous crowd has much impact on the game on the ice.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Last night's game was exceptionally quiet and exceptionally corporate.

- A team we don't see often
- A Monday
- Holiday season
- 7 pm start; many professionals can't get to the building on time to be in their seats at puck drop.

Now, it's wholly unfair to say that any person with nice clothes, a good job, and seats to match is not a "real" fan of this team. But people like that, like me, are much more likely to keep their (profanity-laced) opinions to themselves.

Quiet arenas are only written about when the play on the ice gives the crowd nothing to make noise about.

 

[OverTheCap]

Every game I go to, MSG is starting to remind me more and more of the Rock. And it's just not the fans in the corporate seats, the MSG marketing department is partially to blame - the t-shirt cannons, Pitbull songs blaring through the PA, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if they hire Ice Girls eventually.

There are a lot more distractions/in-game "entertainment" than there used to be, and I get that this is commonplace in lots of arenas across the US, but MSG used to be different. The game was enough to get the crowd going, along with the organ and some graphics/clips on the Jumbotron. I feel the same way about the new Yankee Stadium - every time I go to a game, there's always a crowd that starts "the wave" and that rarely happened 5+ years ago.

That being said, I'm not sure how much a loud arena affects on-ice play. I mean, they are a .500 team, so 5-6 is nearly reflective of their overall record. I think their play at home is indicative of their inconsistent play in general.

 

[broadwayblue]

Play well or at least hustle for 60 minutes and the crowd will get behind the team. It's unreasonable to expect that most fans are going to scream their lungs out for the entire game.

 

[Hire Sather]

Team has played fine at home the last couple seasons.

 

[JimmyG89]

Was there last night. Sat in section 104. There are suits, but there are plenty of fans there. Issue is this: the game had no flow and the team outside the first did not provide enough of a spark to get the crowd on their side. Was there for Nucks game as well. Crowd was into it. Devils game as well. Fans care about team performance. Would they rather us be really loud and boo the team beyond belief for average performances? I have to work the next day. I prefer to have a voice when I come home. Guess that makes me one of those fake fans.

 

[Ian]

They've had a better home than away record the past two years, what was the reason for that?

Yes an extremely pumped up home crowd I'm sure helps, but this current team is just extremely inconsistent and typically mediocre. Would the same if they played in front of 100k or 1.

 

[lucky13]

So now its our fault .... the fans.... for their mediocrity ??

 

[Machinehead]

MSG would be louder if we could score more than twice a game there.

 

[cjc5103]

I would say a huge reason is because of the expensive ticket prices, people want there to be a pleasant and positive experience at the Garden. A lot of casual fans want to sit quiet, cheer when there is a goal, small talk with their buddies and go home. I would say that's probably 90% of the fans. The other 10% would rather start cheers, cheer, boo and get the crowd up on their feet.

The reason why we don't have more of the 10% is that people are way to edgy about the rules when they're paying $100/ticket a game. This includes, standing up during play, coming back to your seat during play, talking loud when everyone else is quiet etc. People get irritated quickly and that prevents the Garden from becoming "lively" for most of the game.

If tickets were substantially cheaper and most people had the same crowds of STHs for every game, you would have sections cheering all the time etc. But as a result of the high prices, people cannot afford to go to every game and people sell their tickets on StubHub and nobody knows anyone when they go.

That's what was so great about the 400s in the Old MSG. Everyone knew everyone and went to all the games since they were mostly affordable.

 

[NYRFAN218]

New NHL schedule is doing no favors this year. These western conference games were always dead games atmosphere wise even before ticket prices significantly rose the past couple of years. Now thanks to the NHL, we have even more.

As pointed out above, the games at the Coliseum have a great atmosphere. Went to the one last April where the Rangers won it in OT and it was easily louder than any game at MSG that season including the playoffs.

There's a lot of reasons for the quieter atmosphere. Higher ticket prices are one for sure but I wonder how much the acoustics play in it too. I noticed it to be a lot quieter once they redid the upper bowl. Plus they probably split up tons of people when they assigned new seats in the upper bowl. Each section up in the 400s used to be a family of sorts. Now you're lucky if you recognize the person next to you.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Also I think what cjc said has some merit too. The quiet atmosphere is infectious. It's almost like people are scared to start a chant nowadays.

 

[Riverdale]

Absolutely ticket prices affect this.

 

[cjc5103]

Also I think what cjc said has some merit too. The quiet atmosphere is infectious. It's almost like people are scared to start a chant nowadays.

This is probably what bothers me the most out of everything. If you start a chant with a few buddies, everyone in the section will start looking at you with the "stop being loud" expression.

For playoff games or big time games (past sat vs van), it'll be dead unless the Rangers start piling goals.

 

[Hire Sather]

New NHL schedule is doing no favors this year. These western conference games were always dead games atmosphere wise even before ticket prices significantly rose the past couple of years. Now thanks to the NHL, we have even more.

As pointed out above, the games at the Coliseum have a great atmosphere. Went to the one last April where the Rangers won it in OT and it was easily louder than any game at MSG that season including the playoffs.

There's a lot of reasons for the quieter atmosphere. Higher ticket prices are one for sure but I wonder how much the acoustics play in it too. I noticed it to be a lot quieter once they redid the upper bowl. Plus they probably split up tons of people when they assigned new seats in the upper bowl. Each section up in the 400s used to be a family of sorts. Now you're lucky if you recognize the person next to you.

Those games should be easier for the home team to win. Crowd noise aside, a western team all the way out east at MSG. It should be easier to beat a team like the Jets, Flames, Stars etc at MSG.

 

[Hire Sather]

I don't really go to games enough to know (although I have lucked into two games in the lower bowl this year) but if its true about the crowd being quieter, it really is a disturbing trend in sports the last couple years.

Its also popular opinion that Yankee Stadium is quieter. Citi is quieter than Shea. The new Meadowlands is much quieter.

Disturbing.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

The majority of the loud fans have been priced out, thats the biggest reason.

I havent been to the Garden since well before they even started the renovations.

I went to my first Rangers game in 1989. The atmosphere between the mid-2000's and then is like night and day. With the price of the renovations and the emphasis on suites, I can only imagine how its gotten more "wine and cheese"-like

 

[Crease]

I don't really go to games enough to know (although I have lucked into two games in the lower bowl this year) but if its true about the crowd being quieter, it really is a disturbing trend in sports the last couple years.

Its also popular opinion that Yankee Stadium is quieter. Citi is quieter than Shea. The new Meadowlands is much quieter.

Disturbing.

I think team owners have figured out that a father who brings his wife and kids to the game will spend more money at the game (food, soda, memorabilia) than singles. Hence all of the family-friendly side-shows and policies at stadiums/arenas.

 

[NYRKindms]

The team is the problem.

When the team played smashmouth give it all up under torts the fans reacted to that sacrifice on the ice.

We don't have any sandpaper or grit on this team besides maybe Dorsett. Sure guys on the team hit and as some posters point out numbers wise are at the top of the league but there is no toughness to this team at all.

They are pretty easy to play against. There is no one to answer the bell when called, as a team they cannot punish you and make you pay and fight for every inch of ice. There is little or no push back when it comes to other teams getting physical with the rangers. Other teams come in to their barn and push them around and go home.

So goals are tough to come by, there is little to no physical identity to this team and they don't fight well or at all. What are the fans supposed to cheer about ?

People want to cheer goals and big hits and on some occasions fights but we dont get much of that at MSG.

 

[The Gloaming]

Every game I go to, MSG is starting to remind me more and more of the Rock. And it's just not the fans in the corporate seats, the MSG marketing department is partially to blame - the t-shirt cannons, Pitbull songs blaring through the PA, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if they hire Ice Girls eventually.

There are a lot more distractions/in-game "entertainment" than there used to be, and I get that this is commonplace in lots of arenas across the US, but MSG used to be different. The game was enough to get the crowd going, along with the organ and some graphics/clips on the Jumbotron. I feel the same way about the new Yankee Stadium - every time I go to a game, there's always a crowd that starts "the wave" and that rarely happened 5+ years ago.

That being said, I'm not sure how much a loud arena affects on-ice play. I mean, they are a .500 team, so 5-6 is nearly reflective of their overall record. I think their play at home is indicative of their inconsistent play in general.

People get more excited for the stupid t-shirt toss than they get for the game. It's hilarious to see corporate suits get so excited for a free $2 t-shirt.

Now, I also sit in the lower bowl, but that is because I haven't been a sub for very longer and downgrading can take a few years. But I'd rather sit in the first few rows of the upper bowl any day of the week.

 

[The Gloaming]

Also I think what cjc said has some merit too. The quiet atmosphere is infectious. It's almost like people are scared to start a chant nowadays.

Definitely somewhat true. When I'm in the lower bowl, I feel like chanting "Let's go Rangers!" will get 30 people looking at me like I have 5 heads.

 

[aufheben]

I have fun at the Garden, but I can't help at wonder what it used to be like. It's becoming too much like other arenas. It's almost like going to the movies these days: the tickets are expensive, the food/drinks are even more expensive, just this whole Disneyland atmosphere pervades everything..

Having a team that frequently makes scoring goals look like splitting the atom doesn't help.