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?
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Comments (56)
Starve them all into submission I say. Stay away from the game for a season even when they come back. You can only hope all the unprofitable teams disappear and the weasel commish and hard line owners go away and a new league forms from the ashes in the cities where it can support itself and is loved from generation to generation. Snider has spent plenty of money on the teams, he is not the problem. Jacobs who owns the Bruins and the 18 unprofitable have nots who get revenue sharing are the problem, along with players wnating jobs in cities that cant pay the freight.— Steelmanpa- Or...you can simply boycott hockey totally. As bad as the Eagles are, no Bynum for the Sixers, Flyers..who??? What the heck is sports anyway. Nothing but big business anyway. Nothing like it one was.— flyersfev
- "Nothing but big business anyway. Nothing like it one was."
It was a business from day one. It just got alot bigger because people are willing to pay for it.
— backhand - Ed Snider is just as guilty and greedy as the rest of the owners. Bettmen would not have gotten this far with this charade if big Ed didn't agree. I am done with the NHL, pretty amazing Ed aren't you the one who brought the NHL to Philly— mrh1955
- What *can* he do? That is, assuming he doesn't side with the eight teams required to sustain a lock-out.
— backhand - Became a devout Flyers fan in 1972-40 years-not coming back till Mr. Bettman and Mr. Daly are gone from the game. A one game boycott means nothing to nobody— TheCorkster
- Paying for a season ticket, but not showing up,what an idea.(sarcasm!)
I won't be doing that,because I am smart enough to recognize that what I think as a fan, as long as I've already bought the ticket, doesn't matter.
If you want to make a statment, cancel your season tickets. i won't be doing that either.
— diverjm - You are absolutely correct. Most people, most of the time, will do what is in their own best self interest. To pay for a ticket and not go to the game is not in the ticket purchaser's best self interest.
As you stated, cancelling season tickets would be a marginally better way to express dissatisfaction, but in the end would be equally pointless since the tickets would be snapped up in a New York minute by fans or corporations on the season ticket waiting list.
The whole "boycott" movement is akin to a child threatening to hold their breath until they turn blue. The NHL's response? Go for it.
If people want to send a message, contact your congressional delegation and urge them to repeal the anti-trust exemptions enjoyed by the NHL.
— backhand - Same dribble for every work stoppage in every sports league-"fans should boycott"-it never happened before and it never will happen in the future. Attendance may be down for a while, but eventually fans will come back, that's what they always do.— waltv
- I already staged my boycott when I told the Flyers to cancel my season tickets and refund my money. (Which they did). The NHL (Players, coaches, and owners) could care less about the fans. I've been a Flyers ticket holder for a long time, but I'm finished. What is a one game boycott going to do. People want to send a message lock out the NHL. I love how stupid they think we are. Scott Hartnell..."I got choked up hearing the fans chant we want hockey". Sure has helped speed up negotiations.— irish22
- It'll never happen. all it takes is for one fan to show up and the point isn't made. And there are WAAAAYYYY too many stupidly blind people who will show up...— 7xChamp
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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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