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Post by haliboy5 on Sept 14, 2010 15:16:16 GMT -4
I'm sure ill get roasted by someone for starting this thread but here it is. I'm a firm believer that some of the fans in this city will jump on board and support a little more once we start winning a few games but will they come back ? Our rink is super boring. We have 2 mascots that bascilly do nothing other then get in the way during play so paying customers cant see. I understand having HAL was good for the kids and i support that but whats MAC's purpose? He does nothing all game. We need someone to fire that building up! i remember the days of Mike Cowie and even when we were losing the fans were still into the game. I love the big screens but splashing GET LOUD across it doesnt work to get the place into a frenzy! please stop paying the person whos MAC and get a teenager or at least someone who wants to run up and down the stairs and get the place rocking.......
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Post by fireball on Sept 14, 2010 15:42:54 GMT -4
I agree, the place needs a''Mike Cowie'' type entertainer.
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Post by moosefan66 on Sept 14, 2010 20:23:05 GMT -4
I agree on both counts - 1 moose is enough and a "mike Cowie type" would help.
Also - they need to ditch those stupid mascot movies during the intermissions - nasty bad!
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Post by Reesor on Sept 14, 2010 21:43:15 GMT -4
Yep, get rid of the Mac costume... get a guy with a bugle. It's amazing how the fans can think of these subtle differences but the people that run the show can't.
Also it's tough to have atmosphere when the Metro Centre is 40% full. I'm lookin around the lower bowl after "Oh Canada" and I see rows of empty seats and it's depressing. Used to the 7500+ crowds I guess. Oh well, every Q team goes through it. We'll bouce back.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2010 22:47:54 GMT -4
Also it's tough to have atmosphere when the Metro Centre is 40% full. That says a lot, 4000 people in a 5000 seat stadium can be electric, put them in a 10,000 seat stadium not so much. An exciting game can get the fans into it. Although there was no one there Saturday night when Halifax scored the back to back goals in the second the crowd was into it. Bathurst took the crowd out of it in the third. An exciting team that gets it share of wins is probably the key to getting butts back in the seats. Moosie is just a waste of felt. Someone working the crowd like Mike used to do can defiantly help start the energy much more them flashing get loud on the scoreboard.
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Post by canbeer on Sept 14, 2010 22:51:35 GMT -4
I liked it last year when they had the organ player there... seemed to get people into it a bit more.
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Post by Citris on Sept 14, 2010 23:10:09 GMT -4
Mack used to like... dance a bit and run up and down the stairs.
Speaking of mascots is anyone else already fed up (after only 2 games) with that adventures of hal and mac shit on the Jobotron? I never got a laugh out of it and pretty much was left feeling.... confused.
Anyway, yea, the MC does go dead at times.... I'd like to here "GO MOOSE GO!" again! (And not just from high-pitched, squeeky child voices)
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Post by defresh101 on Sept 15, 2010 6:25:06 GMT -4
Atmosphere is not something you can create by making a mascot cartoon, or just using the Jumbotron. It takes proper planning by who plans that aspect for the organization, and some luck. If you have to have more promos, giveaways or, more special event nights or tons of contest or whatever. With a little luck as well, its getting the right type of person(s) in the seats what makes atmosphere. Over the years, I've seen many things that I think brought alot of atmosphere. Not by themselves but as a group quite impressive. In no particular order. Sign Lady(RIP),Pom Pom Lady, Dal Engineers, Numerous groupsof shirtless 9 year olds with Mooseheads written on their chest, the Guys that always dress up in hockey gear and big glasses and wigs, bust a moose, the hard Hat guy with hamsters on them, The guy think his names Bernie who would yell behind the bench visitors in French, The other guy during one of the play-off runs who would stand up and start dancing all by himself(If you were there you know what I am talking bout)think they gave him a shirt), High School Cheer leaders, Smoke machines when working properly, The year they played Hull Olympics in the Final think was game 6 (Benedict was on the team) and they came out for the third period to the song "THE CHANCE MAY NEVER COME AGAIN), and last in my list FRED THE MOOSE. With a combination of well planned things and getting these types of people in the seats mixed in with your average fan.....That my friend creates atmosphere. You see a group like Dal Engineers(give them free tickets to the next game), Throw some more subs at the 9 year olds, give signed jerseys to the bust a moose kids, pay the crazy dressed up guys to do more, put a FRED THE MOOSE jersey behind where he sat and annouce it. That could help things.
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Post by Jacques Strap on Sept 15, 2010 6:47:09 GMT -4
....I wonder what the players think when the Timbit player of the game gets more applause then they do. Also how about the noise made by everyone when they are throwing out a $5 T-shirt. The boys must be in the locker room saying wow what is going on out there. Maybe the players could throw T-shirts during the game so the fans will cheer louder.
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Post by Reesor on Sept 15, 2010 6:48:49 GMT -4
Atmosphere is not something you can create by making a mascot cartoon, or just using the Jumbotron. It takes proper planning by who plans that aspect for the organization, and some luck. If you have to have more promos, giveaways or, more special event nights or tons of contest or whatever. With a little luck as well, its getting the right type of person(s) in the seats what makes atmosphere. Over the years, I've seen many things that I think brought alot of atmosphere. Not by themselves but as a group quite impressive. In no particular order. Sign Lady(RIP),Pom Pom Lady, Dal Engineers, Numerous groupsof shirtless 9 year olds with Mooseheads written on their chest, the Guys that always dress up in hockey gear and big glasses and wigs, bust a moose, the hard Hat guy with hamsters on them, The guy think his names Bernie who would yell behind the bench visitors in French, The other guy during one of the play-off runs who would stand up and start dancing all by himself(If you were there you know what I am talking bout)think they gave him a shirt), High School Cheer leaders, Smoke machines when working properly, The year they played Hull Olympics in the Final think was game 6 (Benedict was on the team) and they came out for the third period to the song "THE CHANCE MAY NEVER COME AGAIN), and last in my list FRED THE MOOSE. With a combination of well planned things and getting these types of people in the seats mixed in with your average fan.....That my friend creates atmosphere. You see a group like Dal Engineers(give them free tickets to the next game), Throw some more subs at the 9 year olds, give signed jerseys to the bust a moose kids, pay the crazy dressed up guys to do more, put a FRED THE MOOSE jersey behind where he sat and annouce it. That could help things. The Dal engineers at the bottom of section 20 were always good for starting a wave or 2. The exchange students that were there Friday night provided a lot of energy as well. Common theme would be college aged kids I guess.
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Post by Darkside on Sept 15, 2010 8:24:16 GMT -4
Both of our Mascots suck. I recently went to a AA ball game in Portland and the Sea Dogs Mascot had that place rocking, and he didn't talk either. He would get people stomping their feet and clapping, and did everything he could to get the fans into the game. That's the job of a mascot! Not to be a friendly calming image to infants at the game, but to get people out of their seats and actually paying attention to the games. Hal used to be a lot more active, and i'm assuming its because it's a different person in the costume.
But yes, we need another Mike Cowie type. I'm sure if they made a contest and offered the winner $200/game or something, there would be a lot of interest from the public. People don't think of applying themselves like that on their own, they need a push and some incentive (see America's Got Talent, etc).
The Mooseheads really are not very creative when it comes to marketing/promo. Don't you think it would be in their best interest to have a couple dozen jerseys with Frk on the back (or Ciampini, or all the players for that matter) for sale around the concession areas? You cannot buy a jersey with the players name on it anywhere in the Metro Centre. I personally know I would spend the money for a Frk jersey right now, but I can't be bothered to buy a jersey and take it to Maritime Campus to get it personalized. That should be taken care of by the Mooseheads and shoved in my face at every corner of the Metro Centre.
They are averaging ~6000 fans a game right now. Give away a thousand tickets to every game to junior high kids around HRM. I know they give tickets away to minor hockey and things of that nature, but they should be targetting the general population, not just hockey players. Junior high kids are the perfect age to target because they're young and enthusiastic, but not annoying young and they'll actually follow the game. The players are older than them and it gives them role models. I remember when I first started watching the Q, I was in jr high, and the Moose games felt like a big deal. Fill the upper bowl with them. When people in the lower bowl hear tons of noise coming down from behind, it gets them more into the game.
The problem is right now a lot of our fanbase consists of people like me, who are die hard fans who have stuck through it thick and thin, who really don't get up and make a lot of noise unless the crowd is into it because we're so used to sitting in the library...I mean Metro Centre. The organization needs to do a better job of getting casual fans into the building that are going to have a few beer on a fri/sat night and make some noise. Atmosphere is contagious and it only takes getting that right group of fans in there on a regular basis, and we really haven't had that in Halifax in a long time.
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Post by 1994 on Sept 15, 2010 8:35:39 GMT -4
The game has changed from what it once was, 2 losing years after a disappointing end to a highly hyped year, and a novelty that has worn off are big reasons why the building lacks atmosphere.
If we see the team start to win some games and some of the young kids start to light it up we'll see more bums in the seats and more noise in the building. Unfortunately Mike Cowie can't be replaced, they've tried with no success over the years.
A high flying, high scoring physical team is about all we can hope for to get the place jumping, without that it is what it is.
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Post by Reesor on Sept 15, 2010 9:11:30 GMT -4
The game has changed from what it once was, 2 losing years after a disappointing end to a highly hyped year, and a novelty that has worn off are big reasons why the building lacks atmosphere. If we see the team start to win some games and some of the young kids start to light it up we'll see more bums in the seats and more noise in the building. Unfortunately Mike Cowie can't be replaced, they've tried with no success over the years. A high flying, high scoring physical team is about all we can hope for to get the place jumping, without that it is what it is. I believe the guy they got to play the bugle in place of Mike Cowie now plays the bugle at Detroit Red Wings home games.
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Post by eastcoastfan on Sept 15, 2010 9:34:49 GMT -4
This is only my third season following the Moose (having been in St. John's before that) so I never got to experience the glory days of big crowds at the Metro Centre. But I have experienced AHL hockey as a regular fan in Saint John and St. John's and Q hockey in St. John's and now Halifax so here's my thoughts.
The size of the Metro Centre can make what would be a decent crowd in another rink seem small. The hype around the young players and a modest winning streak will help get more average fans back to the games.
I have to say that Mac and Hal don't have a lot of personality as mascots. My daughter says Buddy the Puffin, the St. John's Maple Leafs mascot, was the best ever. Buddy could border on being obnoxious by times but he did a good job of getting the crowd going. Management has to decide if they want a cute mascot that all the toddlers like or do they want a character that tries to get the crowd going. ( And ditch the mascot videos on the big screen, they are lame!)
I think that university students do the best job of leading cheers and making noise. (I'm sure that alcohol consumption helps!) Mile One could also be a bit dead in the Fog Devils final days and we'd really notice when there was a good contingent of MUN students there to add a bit of life.
Someone suggested giving free tickets to junior high kids, I'd suggest giving them to university kids. They don't always have the extra cash to buy a ticket and they are more likely to dress up with face paint, etc than junior high kids who are much more self-conscious.
I hope they bring the organ player back for some games too. This definitely adds to the atmosphere.
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Post by bernieflagman on Sept 15, 2010 9:53:39 GMT -4
Bernie here. The atmosphere is the worst in the league far as i know. Not because the team suck. Most of the old season tickets holder for the last 15 years complaining to the usher when people behind them make noise or yell to the opposite team. Been there done that. Most of them read the newspapers from the back of their seats, like in their livingroom.
Most of the rink around the league allow flag pole, people stand up on the concourse with standing table, fog horn etc.... I know when i start to yell to the opposite team. People tell me to shut off and seat down and let them play because they are kids. I have a news for you. Those people who complainted has never been where the Mooseheads team play. Like Rouyn Noranda, Val D'or, Chicoutimi, Quebec and Rimouski. Their fans are passioned, yelled are our team and throw beers at our team. I don't think throwing beer should be allow either. But i used as an exemple.
Most of the opposite team love to play in Halifax now. Because our fan are quiet and don't yell at them. I like to be able to use my flag and yell to the opposite team. But qhen i have bad look from old season tickets holder, there is no sense for it. Most of regular fan come to the game like they come to the church. The casual fan come to the game to have fun, drink some beers and go out after that. They come to entertained themself. Like most of the fans around the league.
If i could be behind the bench again. Trust me the section 23 will bang the floor and make noise to distract the opposite team. I will wave the flag to have their attention. Just like old time hockey.
One more thing. I'm a proud canadian sailor. I like to sing the national anthem before the game and i have people look at me wheni sing it.
Casual fan are the one who bring the little of atmosphere we have now. Not from the 3500 tickets holder since 1994. OLD tseason tickets holders, please let the casual fan enjoy the game the way they want to.
Bernie !
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