Tampa Bay Lightning have the best outside atmosphere before a game..

[Ferris]

Originally Posted by frettless5

I loved it there. Full bars, live bands. It was awesome. I like the inside also. It was weird not seeing skyboxes. Other then that it reminded me a lot of the UC. But you all need to get out there and support your team more. It was empty and the really sucked. I hate to see hockey teams struggle. I saw it to long in Chicago.

Imagine my surprise at seeing this thread title! I used to be a season-ticket holder for the Lightning, but after the Lightning won Lord Stanley's Cup, my season-ticket package DOUBLED in price.... Nothing like gouging your base. That ownership group is now gone, and a new one is in place, so I'll consider a half-season package....

Anyway, back on topic... the atmosphere is pretty good outside the forum. This is mainly because we can host stuff outside all year (I see that as a good and bad thing... the weather gets OLD when you oly have Summer and Indian Summer)...

I'm glad you liked our arena. My wife and I are DYING to see the Blackhawks play in Chicago. We both really love Chicago, and the Blackhawks.

As for supporting our team.... the Tampa area is full of people from other places (I am from NY and my wife is from Canada). If they were born here, they didn't have hockey growing up, so they don't care about it. It's starting to grow here, but it'll be quite some time before you see an NHLer born in Central Florida!

[Verkman]

I saw Tampa and Vancouver play one another down in Tampa when I was younger, was the only thing I liked about the trip to Disney World. My brothers were younger, but I was a little too old for mickey mouse, so the hockey game was the highlight.

This was before they won the cup of course, and Vancouver was a good team, so the game was great. Just walking down the sidewalks to get to the arena there were lines of people trying to get into bars and restaurants.

The original poster is right, it's pretty bustling down there. Only problem was there was noooobody in the seats. I had a whole row to myself.

Only regular season NHL game I've ever been to.

[Chris60119]

Originally Posted by FriedEggs

Imagine my surprise at seeing this thread title! I used to be a season-ticket holder for the Lightning, but after the Lightning won Lord Stanley's Cup, my season-ticket package DOUBLED in price.... Nothing like gouging your base. That ownership group is now gone, and a new one is in place, so I'll consider a half-season package....

Anyway, back on topic... the atmosphere is pretty good outside the forum. This is mainly because we can host stuff outside all year (I see that as a good and bad thing... the weather gets OLD when you oly have Summer and Indian Summer)...

I'm glad you liked our arena. My wife and I are DYING to see the Blackhawks play in Chicago. We both really love Chicago, and the Blackhawks.

As for supporting our team.... the Tampa area is full of people from other places (I am from NY and my wife is from Canada). If they were born here, they didn't have hockey growing up, so they don't care about it. It's starting to grow here, but it'll be quite some time before you see an NHLer born in Central Florida!

My sister wants me to move closer to her. If I did, I would go to the Lightning games and wear a Lightning Jersery. But when the hawks were in town. Count on me wearing my Hawks gear...I just love watching hockey.

[Ferris]

Originally Posted by frettless5

My sister wants me to move closer to her. If I did, I would go to the Lightning games and wear a Lightning Jersery. But when the hawks were in town. Count on me wearing my Hawks gear...I just love watching hockey.

We do the same thing. When the Islanders are in town, I go to the game in my Islanders gear. When the Leafs are in town, my wife wears her Leafs gear. In all honesty, you wouldn't look out of place wearing your 'Hwaks stuff. You should see it when the Rangers or Habs come to town. They EASILY outnember the Lightning fans in the forum (and that's REALLY sad).

Does your sister live in the Tampa area?

[Chris60119]

Originally Posted by FriedEggs

We do the same thing. When the Islanders are in town, I go to the game in my Islanders gear. When the Leafs are in town, my wife wears her Leafs gear. In all honesty, you wouldn't look out of place wearing your 'Hwaks stuff. You should see it when the Rangers or Habs come to town. They EASILY outnember the Lightning fans in the forum (and that's REALLY sad).

Does your sister live in the Tampa area?

I hate that at the UC in Chicago when people wear jerseys of teams that aren't even playing.

My sister lives in St. Pete right off of 4th street if you know where that it is.

[BluHavik]

Originally Posted by frettless5

I hate that at the UC in Chicago when people wear jerseys of teams that aren't even playing.

My sister lives in St. Pete right off of 4th street if you know where that it is.

Imagine this. A good friend of mine get's his parents PSL's(season tickets) every once and a while for a game. I've gone with him before when he gets them and he always wears a Patriots jersey to the game, he is from that area. A Patriots jersey at a Rams game?? Needless to say it doesn't go over very well with about 50,000 people.