Friday, March 20, 2009

Ugh

What an ugly, ugly game. I've never left a game feeling worse: the overwhelming majority of the crowd were Red Wings fans, and they didn't let anyone forget who the better team was.

I mean this in all sincerity: If you left Detroit and moved to Atlanta for the jobs or the better weather or just because Detroit is an unspeakably shitty city and still cheer for the Red Wings instead of supporting the Thrashers, you're a Grade-A douchebag.

I can't really say anything coherent at this point. I've never felt worse about anything hockey-related; it has nothing to do with the fact that we lost.

It has to do with the fact that 85% of the crowd were Red Wings fans, and the fact that there's no way the majority of them were on a road trip.

Oh yeah, forget what I said about Hossa earlier. Guy's a dickhead.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen on what you said dude. We've had some bad games this season... but that was by far, the most painful to watch.

FrenchCatalogues said...

It just hurt. I mean I'm not a super sensitive guy, but damn, that just wasn't cool. It's not respectful to turn on your city like that. Have some civic pride. If you moved to Atlanta, be happy with it. I totally understand having an affection to a team where you once lived, but come on. That might of been the rudest, most heartless thing I've seen, in person.

Sure Detroit wins, but we can't win if the fans don't stick behind the team. It was terrible. I mean terrible. I can take losing. I'm a Thrashers fan for God's sake, but don't pull that kind of spectacle. That is truly awful.

I was hoping that it was going to be like at least 1/20th of what it was like when Sundin returned to Toronto: a few boos, but a collected fan base that gave thanks. It was not that.

Shame on you people. Have some decency? Have you none?

You people live in Atlanta. Appreciate it. Jesus.

Anonymous said...

I was so surprised by all the Wings fans around me who it was obviously their first game in Philips (What's the raffle thing, did any of us win it? Oh look at that, they're playing dodgeball!) but screamed like it they just won game 7 whenever the Wings scored. Oh rly? If you're THAT big of a hockey fan how come you haven't been to any games at Philips?

If the Thrashers made the playoffs regularly all those people would be wearing blue instead of red though.

Anonymous said...

I don't begrudge the Wings fans. I've lived in Georgia for six years now and still root whole-heartedly for the Mets. At least all the Wings fans by me were civil. The Hurricanes fans are true douchebags. It was a sad sight to see Philips in a sea of red. It was also painful to see how truly far away the Thrashers are from being a legitimate contender for the Cup. In the almost 30 games that I have been to over the last two seasons, I have never seen a team play as well as Detroit did tonight. That is a well-oiled machine right there. As far as Hossa goes, he was pissing me off, too. I look at all that talent and it was just eating at me that up to this point, we got almost nothing for him. Instead of trying to build a winner here, he took the easy way out. douchebag.

Big Shooter said...

Hossa did the Pens worse. Why didn't he just say at the start of the year, "I'm gonna play for the Wings". That was obviously his plan all along.

Hired gun. Nothing wrong with that really. But that is all he is...

Anonymous said...

I don't know. The Pens knew when they traded for him that he could leave. He had more history with the Thrashers. He was the return for Heatley. It was Kovalchuk's team, but he could have been a great Pippen to Kovy's Jordan. Now he's just another piece in hockey's Big Red Machine.

FrenchCatalogues said...

Hossa doesn't care about being a star. He just wants to win and will do anything to do it.

Laura (aka Hildymac) said...

I can kinda empathize with the Wings fans as a transplant myself. I adore the Thrashers, but I've been rooting for the Blues for over 20 years and I just refuse to give that up. They's my boys, yo.

That being said, I hate the Wings with every bit of my soul and I wish their fans'd go back to Detoilet and take their stupid team with them.

Anonymous said...

As a wing fan I know how obnoxious our fans can get. Come on.. no lets go red wings chants in someone elses building. You have to know how act as a guest. That being said asking someone to magically switch allegences is rediculous just because they moved from a shitty town, and yes detroit is a shitty town, never been there though but michigan itself is a beautiful state. I like the thrashers and have been in Phillips many times in blue, and I noticed how simmilar our styles of play have become. A few good drafts and offseason moves and we will be looking more similar. Last night was alot closer of a game than the scoreboard indicated. And remember the thrashers won in JLA 4-1 I beleive. Sometimes payback is just a bitch.

FrenchCatalogues said...

Again I don't care we lost. I just wanted the boys to have support. No offense to anyone, but do the Wings really need support when they are playing the Thrashers? Sure we have been playing well as of late, but damn, the Red Wings are such a well oiled machine, it's insane. They're amazing.

I just don't like seeing the Thrashers left out to dry by their fans. It doesn't help either when people wear Wings jerseys and Thrasher hats at the same time. That just bothers me. It was just so demoralizing.

Anonymous said...

This is true. We are like the Yankees of hockey. Nobody likes their arena taken over, but it is like that almost everywhere. Unless its fucking toronto or calgary or something I always here the lets go red wings chant on the road. In defense though this is probably the only time the local wings fan can see their team (which is the best in the league) play. Atlanta came out looking good last night, and didn't give up. In fact I haven't seen that "give up" in them for the last two months. You know whats happened to the wings the last two times the wings won the presidents cup? Bounced in the first round. Now thats a fukin let down.

Anonymous said...

With all this talk about "fandom", I want to protest the Thrashers 7th Man essay contest. I am automatically ineligible because I live farther than 75 miles outside of Atlanta. I think it says something that I drive four hours one way for 30 something games the past two seasons. Not getting home until 3am sometimes. I'm not saying I'm the best fan, but I definitely have dedication. I followed the Oilers as a kid, but was more of a fair weather fan. I actually didn't really get into hockey until I moved from upsate NY to Georgia. Go figure. I coulda been a contenda! Damn contest.

Laura (aka Hildymac) said...

Good GOD, Jay. Write the damn essay anyway, because you deserve it for that.

Anonymous said...

I've never understood the support the Hot Wings get on the road: if it's a Detroit thing (and I don't blame folks for leaving that hellhole), why don't they come out to support the Lions, Tigers, and Pistons on the road?

BTW: I can't root for the Wings, anyway; they're the team that brought the foreigners (notably Russians) en masse into the NHL.

Big Shooter said...

Jay,

The 7th Man is all political. Don't ask me to expand on my opinion because I'll just end up pissing off a majority of the people.

And for the record I drive round trip 3 hours for about 40 games a season since 1999.

Thanks for your support Jay. You win the first ever Blueland Chronicle 7th Man of the Year. I'd rather have that anyway!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Big Shooter! Do I win any cash and prizes?

Big Shooter said...

No cash, as it takes about $250k a day to keep The Chronicle up and running (Morty's salary folks... its gross).

For your prize we give you a 20 goal season from Todd "Who Needs Kovalchuk" White. We hope you enjoy it.

Anonymous said...

Sweet! Now a 20 goal season from Colby "Marian who?" Armstrong would be the icing on the cake!

aaron said...

The thing that really pisses me off about the Wings is this: it's real easy to root for a winner. Just like there are always the d-bags that think, "hey, I wanna be a Yankees fan," there's idiots that just pick the Red Wings because it's EASY. There's a wealth of history, the jerseys are easy to find, there's always a shot at the team contending, none of that messy basemnet-dwelling and the inferiority complex that comes with it... Honestly, are there really that many Detroit transplants here? Did the Ford plants really bring that many bodies in? Nope. It's the wankers that wanna root for a winner. How long ago did you move from Detroit, dude? Oh, you say your grandad was a Wings fan? How many games he take you too? None? Hm. Glad you bleed white & red, chief... Why else would you find a Yankees fan in Omaha, a Dallas Cowboys fan in Ontario, or a Lakers fan in Oswego, NY? I'm a yankee transplant - I didn't root for the Rangers after 1994, and would never ever dream of it. I went to Thrasher games, I paid for my tickets, I watched Buchberger and Ferraro and Bondra and Maracle(!!!) and Heatley and Kovy and made my own memories, like being in the stands when Kovy taught Sid a lesson about taking stupid penalties - to some folks, that's homerific garbage, but that what. Fans. Do. God bless you guys driving for miles - you coulda just been Wings fans.

/rant

Sorry guys... I'll save it for my blog next time...

Big Shooter said...

No need to save it for your blog Aaron... let if fly!!

Maracle... boy you really were worked up!

And no, I most certainly could NOT have been a Wings fan. Not in my DNA...

Anonymous said...

I don't mind the Wings. I'm jealous as hell of them. Kind of like as a Mets fan I'm jealous of the Yankees and Red Sox. To have that kind of success for so long is amazing. Hopefully, the Thrashers, with all of the kids that they have can build into something close to what the Wings have. Although, for me, as a fan, it's much more exciting to see the young kids grow up and turn into a winning team than to see a great team motor along like the Wings. Which is probably why they are having a tough time selling out their home games(and the Braves did, too, during their heyday). It's great to be that good, but if you don't win a championship, then your season is a failure. The Wings have had 100+ points in nine straight years, but seven of those nine seasons have felt like a failure since they didn't win the Cup. As a Thrasher fan, give me a couple of 100 point seasons and regardless of what happens in the playoffs, I'm going to be happy as hell. Wings fans, just like Yankees, Red Sox, Lakers, and Patriots fans have become spoiled with their own success. It's more fun being a Thrashers, Mets, and NY Giants fan for me. You never know what might happen from season to season. It's exciting, it's heartbreaking, but it's never boring. And that's why I go to the games. Go Thashers!