Boycott the Flyers? Some fans are planning on it

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Lets be honest. Right now, the stereotype of the average committed hockey fan is that of a sucker.

The NHL lockout lasted an absurd 113 days. Supporters of the sport felt frustrated and taken advantage of by both the league and its players. But all along, even in fan circles, the thinking has been: Theyll be back. They returned after the lockout of 1994-95. They came back after an entire season was lost in 2004-05. Theyll be back this time, too (see story).

Theyre certainly a minority, but a sizable contingent of Flyers fans says thats not the case. At least, not right away. Otherwise, whats to say we wont be back in this situation a few years from now?

I'm boycotting the rest of the season and playoffs, said Karen Kemmerer of Andreas, Pa. No tickets, no jerseys, no T-shirts, no hats, no Center Ice ... nothing. I will watch whatever is available on my regular TV package, but no extras.

I love everything about hockey, but the only way I get to cast my vote is with my wallet, and I plan on doing just that. Perhaps if enough of us do it, they'll all think twice eight years from now.

Said Flyers fan Eric Bowman of Lancaster, Pa.: I would applaud to see an empty arena for one game around the league to prove a point that fans matter.

It wont happen, but Bowman is far from alone in finding joy in the idea of an empty NHL arena on opening day. Theres even an online campaign encouraging fans to boycott one game for every game that was lost after Dec. 21, 2012: Just Drop It.

I joined Just Drop It and will be skipping 10 games, said Michael Oldroyd of Mays Landing, N.J. No tickets, no merchandise, no TV, nothing. I hate it so much, but they need to know how wrong this was. Owners and players come and go. We are fans of our teams for life.

Just because it's impossible for the fans to organize as an entire group, they should still respect us as a partner in their business. They need to hear how much this affects our lives as hockey fans. I am still mad. I will not be watching.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Just Drop It Facebook page had more than 23,000 likes.

A few other members of the Just Drop It movement said they planned to spend money only on non-NHL games and will only watch the Flyers on television. Based on the more than 100 messages CSNPhilly.com received regarding the issue, that seems like a popular method for fans who wish to express their displeasure without ignoring the entire season.

I plan to watch the NHL on free TV, like NBC and CSN, but I will not pay to attend a game or buy any NHL merchandise during the shortened season, said John Saquella of Cape May, N.J. I feel the lockout was unnecessary, and looking at the final agreement (or what has leaked out) I feel even more strongly about that.

Some fans who still plan to attend gameswhether because theyd already purchased tickets or nothave found a way to express their displeasure without losing out on the sport or sacrificing money: avoiding the concession stands at the Wells Fargo Center.

At least for this season I won't be buying any food or merch at the games, and I normally spend a few thousand a year on jerseys, hats, sweatshirts, pins, etc., said Marty Crennan of Philadelphia.

The same goes for Micah Goldsberry, also of Philadelphia, a Flyers season ticket holder.

We wont be buying any merchandise or concessions, and will make an effort to let the NHLFlyers organization know how we feel about the lockout, he said.

Lest you think the fans who say they plan to hold onto money they would have spent on hockey if not for the lockout are making empty threats, some have already taken action.

I was a Flyers season ticket holder until the beginning of December, said Denis Glavin of Media, Pa. Once the first round of playersowners only meetings failed, I was done. I cancelled my tickets with the Flyers, and vowed that I would not spend a single cent on any tickets or merchandise that the NHL can collect revenue on.

To this day, I have successfully followed through with this, and have yet to spend any money on NHL products, and don't plan on it either.

There are plenty of others. E-mails rolled in to CSNPhilly about boyfriends refusing to buy jerseys for their girlfriends for Christmas; about ticket-holders who planned to eat and drink only in the parking lot before games; about fans from across the country who won't buy GameCenter LIVE and won't shell out the money to see the Flyers play in their home arenas.

These are true fansdedicated, lifelong fans of the sport. But their faith in hockey's leadership is gone. Perhaps Jim Corso of Levittown, Pa., said it best.

Why am I going to waste my money with that when they take the sport away every eight years?

E-mail Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com

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