While
fan appreciation week is in full swing at Scottrade Center this week, the St. Louis
Blues organization has fallen a little flat when appreciating its fans. With a
less than stellar record at home, Blues fans have cheered their team through
the year in a building that is not overall fan friendly. Being a steady
presence at Scottrade Center throughout the season, I have had opportunities to
speak with fans of every age and demographic. Fan appreciation needs to be a
yearlong event, not just an end of the season week.
Young Fans Disappointed With Blues
Bookworm Club And Junior BlueNote Club
The
St. Louis Blues unfortunately share a city with a Major League Baseball team
that really does value their young fans. The St. Louis Cardinals offer a wide
variety of activities for young fans and even teen fans can get in on some of
the fun with their Cardinals Kids Club and Varsity Club. The kids are treated
to their very own VIP party where players take the time to do “meet and greet”
and sign autographs. The St. Louis Blues on the other hand offer a small prize
package and two tickets to a select home game as well as the chance to shoot
the puck on the ice after the game.
The
kids are helped on the ice by the St. Louis Blues Blue Crew. This is a group of
young men and women who are there to clean the ice, for the most part. I have
no problem with the outfits that the male Blue Crew members wear. Where my
problem lies is with the female Blue Crew members’ attire during Kids Club and
Bookworm games. Why is it necessary for the midriff and cleavage to be highly
visible when there are so many impressionable children at the game? The pants
that they wear are also inappropriate because there is not a shirt or jacket
that covers their spandex stretched behinds. There was one little boy that I
overheard ask his mom why those girls on the ice were not wearing any
underwear. The mother was so flabbergasted at the comment that I wanted to
laugh!
The
select home games for the free tickets are not on a weekend, but a weeknight
when kids have to be up for school the next morning. By the time the kids get
through the line and onto the ice, it is well past bedtime. Why, I wonder, do
the Blues not think this through and offer a pre-game party where the kids can
shoot the puck on the ice and have some fun activities for them. Maybe a Blues
player or two could take a few minutes to interact with the kids during this
time. Many of the young fans this year felt neglected by their hockey team.
Different Experiences For
Different Fans
I
have discussed this before, but I am touching on it again. Fans are given
different treatment by the staff at Scottrade Center. While this is not
technically a problem for the St. Louis Blues organization, it does directly
reflect on the team when fans are treated poorly. A young couple brought their
daughter to Blues game a few weeks ago and were treated so horribly by staff
that they left part way through the 2nd period. The woman, who is a
bigger lady, was told by staff that she shouldn’t sit in the middle of the row
– that is where their tickets were located – because it was uncomfortable for
the other fans to have to squeeze in by her. Another staff member was seen
mocking her and making fun of the man for being with her.
Three
young men went to a Blues game and were followed by security everywhere they
went and made to feel like criminals. I was at this game and personally knew
these men. I witnessed the disapproval of the security guards and ushers during
the course of the game. Another couple who try to go to a few games each season
has a very enjoyable time. This is a middle-aged couple who dresses in casual
dress. They have never been followed by security or mocked by ushers. Their
only complaint is the quality of refreshments that Scottrade Center offers.
The
only time I had any feeling of unease at Scottrade Center during a Blues game
was when the three young men were there and we stopped and chatted on the
concourse for a few minutes. Security was so close to us that I felt as if I
were doing something wrong. The ushers have been pretty good; there are a few
who lack people skills and social graces necessary to work with the public. One
usher, Scott, is absolutely wonderful. He is attentive and very much a people
person.
I
can understand about wanting to keep the fans safe during the game, but to actually
target certain people and make them feel as if they had truly done something
wrong is ridiculous. Also, having staff members who feel that it is okay to
make fun of the fans during the game is not right. I felt sorry for that young
couple.
Blues Don’t Win At Home
The
St. Louis Blues are ranked 11th in winning at home. Some people say
that you cannot win them all, but the Blues seem to struggle when it comes to
playing in their own house. Fans pay big money for tickets only to watch their
team choke during a game. The fans would really like to see the team step it up
and start winning at home.
Yes,
the Blues have logged wins this past week and pushed into the number one spot,
clinching the division. They have not however, been consistent. They do this
every year. They lose several near the end of the season and then push hard and
pick up a few last game wins. This is typical Blues fashion and the fans
absolutely hate it. There is so much speculating and nail-biting that many
times the Blues are counted out of the play-off before they even start.
St. Louis Is A Sports
City
Within
the Greater St. Louis area there are about 2.8 million residents. These
residents have their choice of professional sports teams to cheer on. The NHL,
MLB and NFL are all represented in St. Louis as well as number of college teams
to cheer for. The St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams both offer a
variety of activities for their fans to enjoy, even their young fans. They seem
to understand that the fans are extremely important to the morale of the team
and the support of their city.
The
Blues, this season are ranked 14th overall in the NHL for game
attendance. Their attendance record is not as bad as the Florida Panthers, but
there is still much room for improvement. The Blues are losing fans who are
feeling disenchanted with the idea of going to Scottrade Center to watch a game.
Overall,
the Blues organization needs to step it up and figure out how to make their
fans feel appreciated all season long, not just the final week of the season.
Winning more home games would be a start. Learning from the other professional
sports teams in the city would also help. By showing the young fans that they
are wanted and appreciated will encourage the parents to bring the kids out to
the arena to enjoy the experience of a live hockey game.
Elliott is hungry for the chance to prove himself, as is
Allen. But both are essentially backup goaltenders trying to be worthy of the
number one position. Elliott has played in the NHL longer, but his mentality
seems to still be stuck in the roll of backup. When he was given the number one
spot at the beginning of the year, it was speculated that he would not be able
to handle the everyday duty required for his new elevated position. He was out
to prove them wrong and even ended his vacation early to appear in the All-Star
game when he got the last minute call.
