ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/madhouse-enforcer/Lightning-Ban-Blackhawks-Gear-at-Amalie-Arena-Stanley-Cup-Final-305698901.htmlThe Nashville Predators tried to block Chicago Blackhawks fans from purchasing tickets and then tried to stop them from cheering during the national anthem, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are going even further.Continuing a policy that they have had in place throughout the postseason, the Lightning are prohibiting fans sitting in certain sections of Amalie Arena from wearing Blackhawks apparel:2015 Stanley Cup Final Schedule“Chase Club and Lexus Lounge ticket holders: Please note that for all 2015 NHL Playoff Games at Amalie Arena, only Tampa Bay Lightning apparel (or neutral) will be permitted in these club and adjoining seating areas. Fans wearing visiting team apparel will be asked to remove them while in these areas.”The Lightning also will prohibit fans with zip codes outside of Florida from purchasing tickets on either the team’s website or on secondary markets.If fans try to sit in the restricted areas while wearing Blackhawks gear, they will be either asked to remove it or they will be switched to a seat in a different part of the arena, according to the Lightning. I'm open to hearing reasons why this isn't flat out ridiculous, but I was going into this kind of neutral and leaning slightly to Tampa (despite thinking Chicago wins this in five or six). I'm heavily cheering for Chicago now. Maybe I'll go buy a jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 @ruxpin The whole premise is just stupid. Being a friendly host to opposing teams fans is just part and parcel of being a quality franchise. Are they worried Hawks fans will use the City of Chicago's big time buying power and take tickets from TB fans on a large scale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 @ruxpin The whole premise is just stupid. Being a friendly host to opposing teams fans is just part and parcel of being a quality franchise. Are they worried Hawks fans will use the City of Chicago's big time buying power and take tickets from TB fans on a large scale? I can only imagine that's it. In a place like Florida, that really sucks. You've retired from Chicago and are living in Florida. You actually get the opportunity to see your lifelong team in person IN THE FINAL and you can't wear your Mikita Jersey? I'm sorry, I think that policy is so small. If you can't mostly fill your stadium with your own fans naturally in the Final, you really don't deserve to have a franchise. Florida. Go figure. Stupid state in every imaginable way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 @jammer2 It's Florida. I'd wear my Hull jersey. And if they came to try to take it from me or make me move, I'd STAND MY GROUND. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 If you can't mostly fill your stadium with your own fans naturally in the Final, you really don't deserve to have a franchise. DING, DING, DING...we have a winner. This move reeks of fear. The team was worried about the Hawks fans scooping up tickets in droves, and it might have run the risk of nullifying the Bolts home games. When you compare the two fan bases, the Hawks easily have the more dedicated following. After all, most Hawk fans are 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation fans, who were born Black Hawk fans before they even had a chance to choose. I have no doubt thousands of Hawks fans would be willing to part with thousands of dollars to see their team try and become a modern day dynasty. Bolts may have their hard core fans, but you won't see them flying up to Chicago to cheer them on....and even if they did, the Hawks fans would never, ever part with the tickets (in general anyways, you will always find a few who will sell for profit). If I was Tampa, I'd worry about to many Hawk fans in the building, but to take actual action to avoid it, it reeks of fear and desperation. USA is a free country, and telling fans they cannot dress a certain way, this is borderline unconstitutional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 On the other hand, this isn't exactly new or just a Tampa thing. I know the Capitals do this as well. And other teams, apparently. I don't think the Flyers have. @jammer2 did you notice the fans in Anaheim for game 7 vs. the Hawks? There was a very vocal Hawks continent there. I guess they want to avoid that. And apparently it's only specific sections you can't wear Hawks stuff, so there's still 18000 seat choices for my guy with the Mikita jersey. So it's not a Tampa thing or even a new thing, but I still don't really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 @jammer2 USA is a free country Shhh. I think we're doing our best to hide that fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 @ruxpin The Bolts should have some faith in the Tampa fans. I'm almost positive that the season ticket fan base, realizing how very rare it is to get into the finals will treasure every damn moment of it. That leaves the tickets available to the public at large, which I'm sure the local residents of Tampa would scoop up pretty quickly. Think about it, the Rays are just barely respectable, and the Bucs, they selected 1st overall and took Winston, so they are the most pitiful franchise in the NFL. There is no NBA team to speak of, the ABA (yes, there is indeed a American Basketball Association!) has just granted them a team..the Tampa Bay (friggin) Rain.....LOL! So, when it comes to somebody competing for a championship in the 4 major sports, the Bolts are where things start and stop. If they can't fill the arena with their own fans in this type of context, when can they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Boo Tampa boo! That's just really sad. pitiful and pathetic all wrapped up into one franchise of poor sportmanship. Great team. Sorry way to run it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I'm open to hearing reasons why this isn't flat out ridiculous There aren't any. It is flat out ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I know the Capitals do this as well. And other teams, apparently The Nationals used to do it (the zip code thing) specifically to keep the great unwashed (Phillies fans) away. I don't know if they still do though, since the Nats are good now and the Phillies are painful to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 The Nationals used to do it (the zip code thing) specifically to keep the great unwashed (Phillies fans) away. I don't know if they still do though, since the Nats are good now and the Phillies are painful to watch. Yeah, you're right about the Nationals (in all regards above). I actually think I was probably thinking of the Nationals rather than the Capitals now that you say that. I'm not sure (probably) whether the Caps do it or not. I know "back in the day" at the old Cap Centre, Washington fans were VASTLY outnumbered. It was actually embarrassing even as a Flyer fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I prefer the old-fashioned way of preventing opposing fans from wearing opposing team's jerseys: threat of imminent violence. Besides, it's much easier to spot the target of that violence when they are wearing a stupid penguin or some other dumb bird on their jersey. Otherwise, you have to suss them out based on other factors like: are they mouth-breathers? Are they speaking French? Do they have paper bags over their heads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samifan Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 With Tampa banning all things Chicago, I wonder if they will let Ed Olczyk into the building tonight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Yeah, you're right about the Nationals (in all regards above). I actually think I was probably thinking of the Nationals rather than the Capitals now that you say that. I'm not sure (probably) whether the Caps do it or not. I know "back in the day" at the old Cap Centre, Washington fans were VASTLY outnumbered. It was actually embarrassing even as a Flyer fan. I don't remember the Caps doing that when I lived down there. I used to go to games at the Verizon Center, against the Flyers, and the place would be half empty and half (or more) of the fans would be wearing Flyers gear. Things changed when the Caps started winning after Beaudreau got there, but DC is a notorious bandwagon town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 With Tampa banning all things Chicago, I wonder if they will let Ed Olczyk into the building tonight? Hopefully they won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.