When your team is cruising towards a cup berth, you can expect the entire city and surrounding area to be buzzing. Just about everyone is supporting their team with jerseys, car flags, T-shirts, etc.
The team is buzzing, the fans are buzzing, the city is electric ,and the owners are just beaming with padded wallets. What happens when the franchise isn't doing so well?
When you ask people in cities with not-so-good franchises, it is hard to find someone with intimate knowledge of the team, or people walking around with team jerseys—no one really cares about how well or bad the team is doing.
No one knows the position of the team in the standings. No one knows who is leading the team in goals or PIMs. However, there are still those die-hard fans that show up for every game, know everything there is to know about the team, and can hold their own in a discussion about what the team needs.
The problem is that there are very few of those die-hard fans. Not every city has fans like Toronto, where no matter how good or how bad the team is, the entire city is beaming with Maple Leaf envy.
Of course, the NHL will let everyone know that attendance is up from a couple years ago. Then again, if you think about it, with the parity of the league these days and teams still heavy in the hunt for a playoff spot until the final week, it is no doubt as to why the league has more fans in the seats.
Still, in many markets you find a plethora of empty seats, as, simply put, no one cares for a losing team!
When I was growing up in Calgary, I saw the rise and fall of sports in terms of attendance and revenue. Simply put, no matter how crazy things are now with the "Red Mile" in Calgary, the city's fans, just like any other, are only as good as the team's performance.
In the late '80s when the Flames were a Cup contender, including their '89 Cup-winning season, the city was burning with Flames fever. However, it couldn't last forever!
Players started to slowly leave, and the team became a perennial golfing team come the postseason. From 1995 to 2003, no one was cheering for the Flames. They became an afterthought, long-since removed from the late '80s.
The team was on the verge of leaving the city and no one seemed to care. There were no fans in the seats, and very few sales of merchandise.
The team owners set a deadline for a minimum amount of season tickets to be sold, one that was eventually pushed back a couple of weeks to meet the deadline. So the team wasn't going anywhere, at least not yet. There were still very little fans in the seats and the team wasn't doing much better in the standings.
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No one in the city knew who anyone on the team was. For the die-hard fans, times were not great, but tickets were cheap and easy to get. It was very rare to see Flames fans in the city.
Enter the 2003-04 season, and it was time for the team to make a great run. Once the team was in the playoff hunt, the fans were still hesitant to purchase tickets or merchandise. They had seen something similar a few seasons earlier—agreat first half of the season, only to drop out of the playoffs by the end of the season.
Once it became apparent that the Flames would make the playoffs, out came the bandwagoneers, much to the despise of the die-hard fans who started to have problems trying to get tickets.
The owners, on the other hand, saw the Saddledome sell out every single game, and merchandise was impossible to keep on shelves.
The entire playoffs saw the city buzzing for the Flames, and as they progressed further into the playoffs, Canada was behind their last hope of a Cup. The season ended with the Flames falling just short of hoisting their second cup championship.
The city was upset, annoyed and felt betrayed. Bandwagon fans were tossing jerseys, car flags, any sort of merchandise they could out onto the streets. No longer a Flames fan, just a regular Calgarian. Once again it became hard to find a Flames fan.
Every season since, once the Flames were in the playoff hunt, tickets became hard to find and merchandise was hard to keep on the shelves. Early first-round exits found Flames merchandise out on the street once again, and no one was a Flames fan. At least not until the Flames were in the playoff hunt.
The only truly happy people were the owners of the Flames, padding their pocketbooks with every season that comes about.
I thought at first that it was just a Calgarian thing to do, but after talking with fans from other cities (Anaheim, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa) it become rather apparent that it is a growing trend that has been around for ages. Something that I thought I would never see in a "Hockeyville" mecca like Montreal.
When I moved to Montreal two years ago, I was enthusiastic to see what the hockey season was like in Montreal. I was disappointed to see a very similar scene here as I did in Calgary for many years. Although I must admit that the Habs' fans are WAY more die-hard, much more knowledgeable, and possess a higher level of insanity.
With over a century of hockey history in Montreal, including the story that hockey started there, the people who grow up in Montreal grow up Bleu, Blanc and Rouge. From the late 19th century 'til today, Montreal has been crazy about it's the Canadiens.
Looking at the footage of the famous Richard Riot of the mid '50s and/or the first-round riot of 2008, it becomes quite apparent that the fans here are nuts!
The problem is that they also have the Bandwagon bug. I have listened to people at the beginning of the 2008 season state that Montreal doesn't deserve a team. That same person was sporting a Habs jersey come the playoffs.
The entire city was on the edge of its seat when Canadiens battled for first overall in the East, and were incensed when they clinched the conference title for the first time in 19 years. The Canadiens were front page news of every newspaper during the season, and especially the playoffs.
Once the playoffs started, reporters were asking Guy Carboneau what they would do when they win the Cup. Everyone was a Habs fan in the "Nation" of Quebec, from the oldest person alive in Quebec to the youngest.
Once the Canadiens exited from the playoffs, no one was a Habs fan anymore. Very few were sporting Habs paraphinalia, and no one was watching hockey anymore. Merchandise went on super sale (up to 80% off in some stores), but no one was buying anything. Other than me of course!
It is hard for any die-hard hockey fan to accept that bandwagon fans are what keep the teams a float, but it is something that we all have to live with. When you support your team through thick-and-thin, you often find yourself teased when your team isn't doing so well, and just a face in a crowd when the team is charging into the playoffs.
There is no reward other than watching your team hoist the Cup!
Nothing makes me angrier than watching a bandwagon fan pretending to be a die-hard fan. Especially when so many die-hard fans are shutout when it comes to trying to get playoff tickets.
The bottom line is that you won't get many sponsors if there are no bums in the seats for every home game. Bandwagon fans bring a ton of money into the team and create an atmosphere that you just don't find during bad seasons.
Fans who support the team through thick-and-thin get the team through the hard times, but the "I only cheer for a winning team" fans are the ticket to bringing in better players, better sponsors, and upgrading arenas.
So as much as it pains me to say, "Long Live the Bandwagon fans!" If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have a team!
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3 months ago
great post, once again!
it also kills me to see fans going from "the Habs tatooed on the heart" to "hang this guy on the public place". I mean, one day the Habs are stanley cup winners, another day they are a bunch of loosers who do figure skating. especially when it comes to special spot like the Captain or the goalie or such ...
3 months ago
Exactly, it pains me to read in the paper about how they want their Captain hung from the rafters for not public speaking French. They forget that people come from other cultures and places where French is not a language. If I remember correctly he speaks 3 languages already, why add another?
I know that it is really hard to grasp that the Habs wont win every season like they did in the original 6 days, but its really hard to imagine how the Canadiens are the spotlight of everything inside of Quebec to a trash day pickup on the curb. It is such a drastic change that boggles my mind. The fans of Montreal are WAY too critical of their team, and don't realize of what a great run they had! To go from expected 14th in the east to 1st in the east is a something to be proud about! Often I see how fanatical the sports shows here are about the habs, going through everything single action on and off the ice with comments about everything from the color of the skate laces to prospect signings. It is no wonder how a goalie like Theodore can go from hero to zero back to hero in no time flat!
from 3 months ago
theodore is definitely a great example.
Price too ... luckily for the kid, he is a good goalie. otherwise he is going to be another name trashed in the bell center garbage can.
when the guy came to Montreal, he was the new "Ken Dryden", the new Patrick Roy and so on. then, after 10 goals in two games against the Bruins in the playoffs, that is it, the boy is a big mistake and get booed in his own arena. then a shutout in game 7, we are going to win the Stanley Cup coz Price is there. then, after the playoffs, we are talking about too much pressure on the kid and the mistake of trading Huet.
I guess it is just that people are never completely happy. it is just the way it is ...
3 months ago
Well the habs have had what 6 starting goalies in the last 6 seasons? It just goes to show that you can never be too sure about being a starting goalie in Montreal. I guess after having arguably the best goalie in the history of the NHL, it is hard to live up to expectations. It does remind me of when the Habs would trade away their captain at the drop of a hat (just ask Damphousse). Which magically ended with Koivu, oddly enough, the one guy they complain about the most, they don't trade.
As for Price, it is never easy for a guy his age to be compared to the likes Roy or Dryden is a death sentence, especially in a town like Montreal. It is exactly the same situation for a lot of talented youth. You look at guys like Malkin, Ovechkin or Crosby and they excel despite their comparisons. While some still have a great career while not living up to the hype (a.k.a. Eric Lindros).
If Price gets booed out of town he will be greatly received in another city!
from 3 months ago
yup ...
is that the reason why players do not want to come to Montreal? It seems to me I have heard that the fans and the taxes actually scare the NHL players from coming to Montreal!
thankfully, it has been a great whatsoever and despite what the so-called die hard fans think of it! and still thankfully, the years to come do not look so bad (unlike the previous ones!) so maybe the players will have a break and be respected.
But I am always amazed by one thing though, no matter how the end of a season looks like, the Bell Center is always full the next September! :p
3 months ago
Well that is the story for Briere, hard to bring in stars when the a home grown talent doesn't want move back home theres something wrong! Taxes are pretty bad for sure, probably the worst in North America by quite a bit!
That the big key between Montreal and most other cities, there are enough die hard fans to fill the seats and then some! The unfortunate side would be the crazy fans that believe in destroying the city after a first round victory over Boston... I mean its Boston and its the first round... COME ON! It did make walking to work a little more entertaining then normal though!
If there is ever a time for them to bring in a big named player, it would be this off season. They may even been able to bring in 2 or 3 if they play their cards right. I doubt it but wouldn't be surprised either!
from 3 months ago
yeah, the first round celebrations were kind of really ridiculous! that is how somehow I kinda felt a bit relieved that they did not go further. the entire city would have burnt and we would all have been homeless before even the cup finals.
still, agreed, this is right moment to get some big names. they worked hard enough to get the stats and the medias for the team, now it is payback time.
the big names, they know that if they dont match the high expectations, they will be eaten alive in Montreal.
still, hopefully, there are some players in the league who actually believe Carey Price will be the phenom of the next years and will be willing to play with him in a strong and young team.
pretty complicated ...
3 months ago
I'll add (and admit) that most Caps fans are bandwagoners - but I think that trend is about to change.
The Caps resurgence in the last season coupled with the upcoming failings of the Redskins could lead to record numbers for the Caps.
Or at least I'll keep telling myself that.
3 months ago
Well thats why living on the south shore is better! Its a nice buffer zone and the river would block the destruction to the Island!:)
Some times being a hockey mecca actually hurts your team more then not! Same reason why people don't want to play in Toronto, other then the team is in complete disarray, if you mess up once you will become the fans scapegoat for life!
It's not a matter of it they will believe Price will be a phenom, its whether they believe he will be one in Montreal or not!
As for Washington, you will definitely see a rise in attendance and merchandise sales, but as I said in my caps article, they need to re-sign Huet or a solid replacement for him or they will be toast next season. You need to continue to grow and prosper then you run into the problem in Detroit. No one shows up anymore unless they are in the cup finals:) They have a good team, not a great team, but they have the building blocks for a great team!
3 months ago
Amazing article!
It's so true that people do bandwagon. When the Habs were not doing so hot during the late 90s and into the 2000s, the attendance was dwindling. But after Gainey came in, the team has finally had a transformation and Canadiens fans are in love with their team again.
Same with the Oilers and Flames, once they made their runs to the finals, people were ecstatic and even though the Oil didn't make the playoffs, the city still loves their Oilers.
However, I cannot ever see a city fall in love with their hockey team in the US, besides the major hockey markets of Detroit, Boston, Philly, Chicago, New York, Buffalo, etc., like Canadian fans fall in love with their teams.
3 months ago
Chicago only loves their Blackhawks until the Bears start their season. I was talking with my cousin when he was playing for the Blackhawks and he said that the window of Chicago's admiration for the Blackhawks is very very small. Which is very true seeing how they haven't had a good team in quite some time.
The big problem in the states is that they have every major sport known to man and hockey only started their recently, long after all the other sports like baseball, basketball, football, collegic sports etc. Although, in the northern states College hockey is a major spectacle often out performing the NHL in the same market. Even drawing huge numbers on Maple Leafs TV in the Ontario region.
I don't think hockey will ever do well in the southern states. There is just too much competition compared to up in Canada. You look at markets like Edmonton where the Oilers are really the only sport they have other then their NLL team and CFL team, so the Oilers are the only major sports franchise they have. If you have ever been to Edmonton they have the Oilers and a really big mall and nothing much else. No offense to Edmontonians by any means!
The big thing that the Canadiens did was appeal more to their major market, which is the Quebecois, bringing in more home grown talent is a major topic with Montrealers. They don't want to see Ovechkin, or Iginla, or Thornton, they want to see Crosby (not from Quebec but speaks french and played in the QMJHL), Martin St. Louis, Brodeur, Lecavalier! If you ever watch hockey on RDS they only talk about Habs players and french players from other teams! When Gretzky played his last game here no one really cared, they clapped for him but not much else. When Lemiuex played his last game in Montreal for the Penguins, the crowd gave him a standing ovation because he is a Montrealer! On a small side note Lemieux means the best when translated into english!
3 months ago
Boo....I do not agree with your take on Calgary fans at all...true there were the years when the few fans you saw in the seats were the die hards....but being a fan myself through the thick and thin with this team, I was happy to see the team get recognition, and see the city light up once the team returned to winning form....The truth is that the new fans that were found during the cup run in 2004 were a young hip crowd that hung out in bars and restaurants along 17th. Avenue which became the Red Mile...the city found a new market for its team, and took it to the bank, now the team is not in a financial slum, and the Flames are setting attendance records...the only way a team can survive is if the seats are full, so I find it silly of you to think that old die hards did not like bandwagon hoppers....a true die hard would not want to see there city lose its team...
3 months ago
and tossing merchandise out onto the streets, ok bud, I lived in the city too during this time, this very far fetched....there was an article about Edmonton fans who burnt all there Flames merchandise they had bought to support there neighbour, but that was it......if they through everything out into the street how do explain that the Saddledome has sold out every game since 2004, and every seat is full of a red Jersey, not just a shirt a JERSEY....truth be told the person who wrote this article is a Canucks fan...
from 2 months ago
Then you must have not gone outside after each exit from the playoffs where fans were ejecting their merchandise out their windows. Trust me I know this as I used to work at the Saddledome! I saw the piles of jerseys being picked up from the stampede grounds and shoveled into the loading dock of the Saddledome. Most of them were cleaned and donated to charity which is great!
Plus you must not have read my article as I stated that when the team is doing well, the fans are in the seats, but when they are not, the team struggles to put bums in the seats! It goes for just about every franchise out there. You look at Pittsburgh right now, they are selling out like crazy, but a couple years ago you couldn't give away tickets as no one would want them. It was so bad that Lemieux was looking to sell the team. People were saying that it was because he had no interest in being an owner anymore, and wanted to just retire to his home, but he is still around and loving every minute of it!
Now that the Flames are doing fairly well, ya of course there are going to be fans in the seats, just like back in the late eighties! Once the team has a bad season though, you'll find that the crowds will slowly die off. The worse the Flames do, the less attendance there is. Its just common knowledge to anyone who has followed the Flames for more then a couple of years!
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