The Buffalo Sabres escaped last night with a win, but if the crowd at the First Niagara Center is to be believed, it wasn’t very much fun. Check out these Tweets from the locker room after the game.
Rolston says crowd has been negative ever since he’s been here & its something they have to deal with. (On booing when caught in their end)
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) April 8, 2013
Miller on fans: “They want to see better but sometimes it’s going to be a battle. Sometimes it’s going to be hard. We need their help.”
— Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) April 8, 2013
As someone who’s been at most home games this season, I can say that the Sabres home crowd has been very finicky – slow to cheer and quick to turn. I’d almost describe them as poisonous, with many home games simply being either quiet as a church or simply no fun to be at, thanks to the litany of boos rained down on the home team.
However, fans should have some kind of a right to boo, especially this season. The Sabres have failed to reach high expectations, and at many points this season have looked downright pathetic. Fans pay their hard-earned money to watch and be entertained, and at many times this year, they’ve been let down.
It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg argument – the fans say we’ll cheer if you play well, while the team says your cheering helps spur us on in times of need. What do you think, Sabres fans? Do we have an obligation to help the hometown team, or is it their responsibility to provide a reason to cheer?
Do fans have an obligation to cheer their hometown team?
| Yes, it’s the fans responsibility to help cheer their team to victory. | 87 |
| No, the team needs to provide a reason for the fans to cheer. | 125 |
| It’s a symbiotic relationship, and each has to do their part. | 249 |