Okay Vancouver this is your chance. Your chance to pull yourself away from the beloved Canucks with the phrases, "I knew it" and "I told ya" Walk away and leave the rest of us, that believe that the reigning President's Trophy winners are not dead yet, to our Playoffs . After living in Toronto for thirteen years I can understand the passion that leads to blind faith. Even when it's unrealistic that they'll score two goals in one minute, doesn't mean that you don't cheer for it. So take this chance to walk away from the team and give some bullsh*t reason why you believe that they're finished. Tell me why, and I'll shake hands with you, but I won't buy it. After a few pleasant exchanges with my Toronto Maple Leafs friends,(who have aligned themselves with the team that "stole" their cup in 1993) I realised something. The more people that jump off the band wagon, the better. I'd prefer the people that think we should've started Schneider, should throw on their Nashville jerseys and stand up and clap.
When you look at the situation, it not good, but it's not Pittsburgh bad. That's bad. They've been leading games and blowing them. I heard plenty of comments suggesting a goal tending change after game one, even though Lou made 36 saves. 36! So much is made in this city that the team isn't good enough, even though statistically they've been the best team two years in a row. Champagne Problems is what my friend would call them. We're too good, we're too deep...and yet people are complaining? Why is the Vancouver attitude that good isn't good enough? I argued with a guy talking about last year, and he said Luongo cost them the Cup. I reminded him that he had two shutouts, and the team did go to game 7. He shrugged and said, "still". What an assh*le. Not good enough!
Which brings me to the real reason I'm asking all fair-weather fans, doubters, and people setting themselves up to be right by giving up after two games to jump off the wagon. I need you to move out of my way so that I can cheer for my team. I might be one of those people willing to go down with this ship, but until I see handshakes, I'm not quitting. You people, you don't know who you are, make me sick. Leaving a playoff game before the final whistle! Booing the home team in the second period! You are an embarrassment. The Canucks are the defending Western Conference Champions and we are their fans... act like it!! Show some class, get off you hands, give the club some energy. I don't want to hear another Vancouverite talk crap about southern US teams until we start acting like we are more invested than they are. Look at the crowd in Nashville. And Pheonix. Meanwhile the fans of the team that competed for Lord Stanley's Cup are all sitting with they're arms crossed like a bunch of disappointed parents.
So go. Mope around the city. Complain about the roster moves. Bitch about the refs. But stop going to the game so that the rest of us can support our team. Face the wall in the bar so that I can watch the game without your condescending I told ya so. Stay home and watch the Real HouseWives of Vancouver, but stop calling yourself a tortured, faithful fan suffering from years of disappointment. If you've already given up on the team that had the most points in the NHL, then I'm not sure you were a fan anyway.
Finally, to 99.3 the Fox and anyone that hate the Maple Leafs fans. Say what you want about their bravado, blind faith and over all obnoxious pride...they never gave up on a winning team. Some people in the city could learn something from that. Look around the world at the team that are the best, and why people hate them. The Yankees, Manchester United, The Patriots...they all have die hard fans. People that blindly believe that they'll always win and wear the colors with Pride. If everyone in Canada, or hockey, or wherever, hates the Canucks and the fans, then lets give them something to hate... our pride! Lets be the ones that don't look like sore losers with some dumbass riot, but like winners and gleefully hold our heads high with some dumbass riot.
I look forward to the next week.... When the boys come rolling back and take this series. I'll get to be that jerk in the bar saying I told you so.
But I won't.
Hrushowy
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1 comment:
I think your attitude is a healthy one and the Canucks are lucky to have fans with this perspective.
But the President’s Trophy is nothing to brag about. Not to take away from the accomplishment of finishing first, mind you. That is a distinction of its own and I want to separate the notion of Finishing First from a lesser NHL bowl. When one says “The President’s Trophy” are we not just talking about the “The Gary Bettman Trophy”? And where’s the honour in that? Sure the trophy was established under Zeigler’s reign and Bettman’s official title is “Commissioner”, but we all know who the highest ranking official in the NHL is. Furthermore, President’s Cup winners have only gone on to win the Stanley Cup 7/25 times or a meagre 28%.
But I digress. The theme of your article is on the lack of support for the Canucks’ current slump and I’m letting Bettman ruin an otherwise exceptional regular season and getting swept away by your title.
I can’t speak for Vancouver, although I would like to live there for a season if for no other reason than to compare the hockey pulse in a good season to Toronto. Though the fact that Vancouver is a beautiful city is a reason enough alone. But as you may recall, Toronto’s fan loyalty is built on numbers and perhaps there are more bandwagon jumpers per capita in the Golden Horseshoe than in Horseshoe Bay region (see what I did there?). I certainly feel that there are those people here that give up on the Leafs just as easily, but there are just plenty of reserves clambering for a vacated seat. Perhaps the worst source of this self-depreciation comes from the media. Damien Cox is constantly reminding us how much we should hate ourselves and watch something else and what he’d do. I suppose you can’t blame Toronto Journalists: Harold Ballard taught us that journalists can be made into GMs who will ultimately make the worst deals in team history. So who can blame them? I don’t believe that this sort of abandonment is unique to Vancouver and it’s every bit as prevalent in Toronto.
I agree – The Canucks current 0-3 station has nothing to do with Luongo. Cory Schneider may have had a great game, but he is not the answer nor the difference in game 3. I think Luongo has played very well in the first 2 games and he did not deserve to be wearing a ball cap in LA.
But the persuasion of your article is the spirit I like best. I agree it’s better to be loyal than right. There is no glory in “I told you so”. Anyone who says that is ultimately trying to protect themselves from disappointment, and no matter what you do, the sting of losing can only be undone by the elation of sticking with a winner. I suppose the only good reason for jumping off a bandwagon is because you suspect the rest of the city is going to turn it over and light it on fire.
P2
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