Last night, the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings was captured alive. After an emotional week, the capture of the remaining suspect was one of those cathartic moments that a country shares on television, on social media, in bars and restaurants and in stadiums. Except, of course, if you were at First Niagara.
The Sabres were hosting the New York Rangers and playing for their playoff lives. There were a significant amount of Rangers fans in the arena and, perhaps because of that, there was actually energy in the arena. The Sabres played a solid first period until the final 90 seconds when the Rangers scored three quick goals. After that, the game – and the season – melted away.
Meanwhile, just before 9:00pm, law enforcement officials and media outlets announced that the second bombing suspect was captured alive. It was, of course, enormous news after America’s 5th largest city had been on lockdown for the entire day.
As you would expect, teams around the country announced the news at stadiums so fans knew what was going on and could share in the moment. Major League Baseball compiled a video of the fan reaction around the country as each stadium announced the news.
And a fan used Vine to capture the instant response of Mets fans at Citi Field as they burst into a “USA USA” chant.
But it was silence in First Niagara Center because the Sabres never announced the news. Why? Who knows.
Keep in mind, it was just 48 hours before when the Sabres took part in an emotional game in Boston – the first major sporting event in the city after the marathon bombings. The national anthem for that game was chill-inducing as the entire arena sang in unison and the singer turned in to a conductor. And after the game, at the urging of Thomas Vanek, the Sabres joined the Bruins on the ice for a salute to the fans.
Given that, it’s even more mind-boggling that Sabres management whiffed on announcing the news last night.
It’s one thing to under-promise and over-deliver with the team. After all, they’re playing against other teams who are trying to win. But it’s another thing to under-deliver on things that are entirely within your control – like the arena experience.