Does someone want to write my post lol?
I'm sure many here could, but I just want to be honest with you guys. I can't join the boycott side because I don't see the benefit of it. While I question the kinds of fans we have, regularly, I do have to say that the fans that do show up are amazing. Last year's playoff run, the emotion in the stands for the people who were there was the best I have ever experienced, maybe back to 07 Cup run, but either I am getting old and my ears are failing, but after every home game, even the one with 2K empty seats, my ears were ringing well into the night.
I love hearing goals on the road. I see more Sens fans than ever, and I rewind them over and over because I get a kick out of our fans showing up and being heard. Our diehards are phenomenal and would put them up against any fans in the league.
I am also of the opinion that if the arena was full, and not tarped, even at our prices, we wouldn't have many of the issues that we are facing right now, and unfortunately will be facing down the road. That is just plain economics. Fans can stay home in droves and try and smoke him out, but Mark Stone needs to get paid. Matt Duchene needs to get paid. And of course Erik Karlsson needs to be paid. That is the NHL and when they leave, we can continue to blame people like the owner, the arena, the fans, the in-game entertainment, parking, etc...but it won't matter. Those players will be wiped off our jerseys, our city, and we can no longer cheer for them as an extension of our soul.
If you care at all about these players being on our team, you have to go. I know people are angry. I know people hate the owner. I have stated repeatedly that I do not like him and would rather a new owner. But I have chosen to separate my dislike for the owner from the players that I cheer for and represent our city. I have to. I can't let it be personal because if I don't go, I am allowing the owner to use us as an excuse . Winter is long here and I love watching hockey, even bad hockey lol, and I want my kids to enjoy what we have, and NHL team in Ottawa.
When the day comes, and hope it doesn't, Melnyk will point to decreasing revenues and how impossible it is to sign these expensive players when the arena is a quarter empty. And other markets will laugh at us for not supporting the team , point to the playoff run, point to having a player like Karlsson and 11K people watching him. They will blame us. This city will not escape that train of thought, even in the face of a lousy owner. Numbers will be shown, heads will nod convincingly that we did a lousy job supporting our team. The principle of it will be ignored. I just feel it is a no win situation and damned if we go, and damned if we don't go.
I know people want to assign blame to this and that, and to justify their reasons. I just think that we are just hurting our own team by doing so. The owner cannot bankroll double digit losses. I know people expect him to, but he won't. He will make it close to revenue neutral. He needs to make the playoffs to make money. That is why Dorion stated they have to be in the playoffs every year. Not for us. FOR HIM. He makes money and Pierre can stick to hockey decisions. Can you imagine that scenario? I can't. But 'I'm hopeful.
I lash out at people here because I sensed what has started to happen last year. And I'm sure the empty seats spooked him , in the middle of a playoff run. I lash out because I feel that the people that don't go penalize those that do go, and kill the team's ability to retain our stars. So yeah, makes me unpopular, but I can live with that here. I am angry that cheap seats are not being bought. I cannot understand, short of economics, of course, how this is happening.
The "DrEasy" fans of this city, I truly believe there are a giant group that have lost something. I don't know if this situation will change something and realize what is possibly at stake. But it is hard to quantify what it is, and it is alarming. The Senators have to find a way to get these fans back because there are thousands who feel that way.
Probably one of the most sincere posts I have read on this forum and it struck a chord. So well done DrEasy. I will try and follow that path and be more sincere, and get these forums back to what they used to be. We all cheer for the same team!