Fan: Boycott opener if NHL returns
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Fan: Boycott opener if NHL returns
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
A Flyers season-ticket holder wants fans to boycott the home opener if the NHL ever returns from its labor war.
"Whether it's this year or next year, the first game back should be in an empty Wells Fargo Center," said Bill O'Toole.
He said it would serve as "a protest to what the league and the players have put us through. It would be a national story and a fitting 'final word' put on the debacle by the fans, the ones who write the checks for the billions of dollars these two sides can't seem to divide."
O'Toole claimed he has received lots of support from other season-ticket holders on his idea, and he is hopeful it spreads around the league.
Your thoughts?
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Comments (56)
Boycotting the first game is a must do! A message must be delivered by the fans. Otherwise, such nonsense is going to happen again, and again, and again,...— PhilliPhanatik- Season ticket holders should show up, but turn their backs to the ice at the drop of the first puck ... not paying for parking, beer, etc. all has an effect , albeit minimal if you buy a ticket.
The thought that the players are "innocent" because they didn't strike is comical, it does take 2 to tango, if they really wanted to play they would, if they really cared about each other, they wouldn't try to get as much $$ as they can from a team , leaving less for everyone else ... not saying it is wrong, just hypocritical, as both sides revel in hypocrisy.— FatBoy90 - I cancelled my season tickets of 20 years back in 2005, and just buy specific games on StubHub these days. I will not buy one game whenever this lockout is settled and just enjoy the games on TV. That way the fans can have the best of both worlds while still enjoying the Flyers, but not giving a dime to them making a statement that this is unacceptable every 7-8 years.— co
- Don't buy them from Stubhub, you are paying through the nose when buying from them.
The cheapest way to get good single game tickets is via Ticketmaster's Ticket Exchange web site. Season ticket holders put tickets on there for sale and you pay close to, or actual face value (and sometimes less than face value) for very good seats.
Ticketmaster makes their money by charging the seller a 15% fee. The sale price of the ticket is determined by the season ticket holder, and goes down as game day approaches. Also, you can print the tickets immediately, whereas with StubHub you sometimes have to wait for the season ticket holder to send the actual ticket to Stubhub, which then sends it to you.
We have used them to buy Flyer tickets for games in Anaheim, Calgary, Denver, Edmonton, Vancouver, and L.A. and never had a problem and always managed to get great seats.— backhand - As I've said all along, the fans aren't the ones getting screwed. Get over yourself. Hockey is entertainment. Nobody owes "us" anything. If Hollywood and the actor's guild couldn't come to terms and stop making movies, would you be as up in arms? I doubt it. The ones feeling the true impact are the many stadium workers who don't otherwise get to clock those hours in and bring home their paycheck, and the many bar/restaurant owners who thrive on game-night patrons. Those are the real losers here. Please keep things in perspective.— toph314
- Better yet If this season is completely cancelled I hope Snider doesn't see another cup in his lifetime. He had a chance to organize the other team owners against Bettman and his Seven losing market teams. Instead he turns cheek and reasserts his support for the job he is doing. Burn NHL Burn...— ONLYinPhilly
- vassal, you're a dope. now go apply vassal-line for your boyfriend.— BobbyD
- The NHL is blowing it... The league was on the rise since the Olympics. Now, nobody cares.— Apollo Creed
- Why woulod you limit it to the just the first game? I'm sure you can find something better to do with the cost of season ticket and parking then to give it to the owners and the million dollar players. Take a nice vacations and send the NHL a postcard.— delcomdm
- A " fan " of any team is brainwashed. Fan suggests fanatic. Casual observer is fine, but to donate your money to them, buy their gear, etc., is caring about an entity that gives nothing in return. They, the team, care nothing whatsoever about anything but the bottom dollar line. Real " fans " are real dummies. I think we should change the nomenclature going forward.— UnaBlogger
- You're right. We need to change the nomenclature going forward.
Let's start with the term "Unablogger". It should be defined as a bitter, self-loathing individual who uses the anonymity of the Internet to post vitriolic rhetoric in short meaningless rants designed to garner attention, because no one listens to him in a face-to-face conversation.
And the term "fan" is derived from the Latin word fānāticum which originally meant the divinely inspired devotees of a temple. Who, occasionally, acted fānāticus, or fanatical.— backhand - @UnaBlogger-looks like somebody got beat up alot by jocks in school. So what if fans are interested in a sport? Just because you are not doesn't make them 'fanatics' as you put it. We are not 'brainwashed'-we simply enjoy the best athletes competing in a sport-only difference between this and the Olympics is these guys get paid. So what?
And the players could play-they offered to-but the owners locked them out. When the owners initiate a lockout, no hockey can be played. The owners are the league, and if the league says no hockey, there is no hockey. Bettman should be fired, but not for initiating a lockout--he is only the rep of the owners, and the owners voted for a lockout. but he should get the boot for failing to grow the sport (not expand into crappy market areas) and net those major network contracts that other sports have.
The whole thing is a huge mess that has put the sport back several years. Makes me very sad when people can't work things out like adults.— ena1977 - As much as a boycott would send a message to the players, not attending the game doesn't help the people who are returning back to work. And honestly, if you already have your season tickets, wouldn't it be hard to stay away from the opening game?— nancyannh
- The NHL will never get another dime from me.— CoettaGarner25
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Broad Street Bull is the Inquirer's blog covering the Philadelphia Flyers and the National Hockey League.
Reach Sam at scarchidi@phillynews.com.
Sam Carchidi
Inquirer Staff Writer
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