So its playoff time and I thought I'd write a hockey blog today.
Before I say anything, I really don't want to offend any Canucks fan out there and I just want to type down my honest opinion like a respectable human being.
That being said, most of you know that I am NOT a Canucks fan even though I live in Vancouver. Don't get my wrong, I grew up being a Canucks fan and I still cherish the memories of seeing them in the finals in 1994 and collecting hockey cards of Alexander Mogilny, Kirk McLean, and others. In addition, I've also enjoyed the sheer amusment of seeing Donald Brasheer get into countless fights. Plus there were other great times watching playoff games while I was on one of my high school band trips. So the question is what made me stop being a Canucks fan? Apart from the countless disappointing seasons. there are a number of reasons. I started to ask myself, why am I practically worshipping a team that
a. hasn't won a Stanley Cup
b. has mostly players that aren't really top of the league talent (except Luongo)
c. is one of the most inconsistent performing teams I've seen (one moment they lose, the next moment they're suddenly the hottest team out there) and
d. is really just a "bandwagon." It is these qualities that I found pretty annoying after a while which left me either watching other sports or cheering for other NHL teams. So here's some elaboration on these points:
a. hasn't won a Stanley Cup
- Honestly, other than 1994 and 1982, there's not much history for me fall back on when the Canucks are losing badly and having a lack lustre season. Everytime the Canucks had a bad season, I found myself always saying "oh we had a good run in 94 wish we could get back to that." Its just not that motivating for me to keep cheering for the Canucks.
b. has mostly players that aren't really top of the league talent (except Luongo)
-This is pretty self explanatory. I think even a die hard Canuck fan would know this. Apart from Sundin and Luongo, I don't think any of the current players are high profile material. Yet what bugs me is that a lot of Canuck fans tend of overrate these players. Let's be honest here, not every Canuck is a superstar player. Besides, Sundin isn't exactly scoring as much as other people hoped he would. Yet he was paid a whack load of money in the hopes that he would.
c. is one of the most inconsistent performing teams I've seen (one moment they lose, the next moment they're suddenly the hottest team out there)
-Do I need to remind everyone that last year the Canucks completely melted down and didn't even make the playoffs? and the other times when we're knocked out of the first or second rounds? Yeah, I got tired of it. Besides, even though they are performing well now, I'm not taking any chances by getting my hopes up by setting myself up for disappointment if they lose.
d. is really just a "bandwagon."
-I find it kind of odd that the fan base is called the "Canucks Bandwagon" and Canuck fans seem okay with it. To me, "bandwagon" is a negative connotation because it just highlights that when Canucks are losing, practically
NOBODY is cheering for them (except for die hards). I was volunteering at GM place when I was in high school, and there were some games where it almost felt like an away game because the Canucks were losing that badly back then. So, I respect die hard Canuck fans who are willing cheer for their team even when they lose.
Hence, I am not willing be a die hard Canuck fan. Unless they somehow give me a good reason to cheer for them.
Again, I do not want to offend any Canuck fans. This is just entertainment and every fan is entitled to cheer for their favourite team. My favourite team just happens to not be the home team. Yes, I am very sad that the Habs Centennial season has been cut to an ugly short ending. But with all the rich history of Stanley Cups, great players and the upside in the current players in Montreal, it is just a team that I don't mind cheering for even when they lost as badly as they did this season.
Comments (4)
cool. as i know nothing about hockey (other than myles shouting DREW DOUTY, MALKIN, and others during hockey games).... i'm sadly proud to be a bandwagoner. haha. and whoa. i totally didn't know bandwagon had a bad connotation! i thought it just meant you're following the norms instead of thinking for yourself.
in short: i'm going to root root root for the home team =)! and i don't mind rooting for them because i'm not an h-core fan... so if they lose i'll be bummed but my life won't be over.
i totally didn't know why you disliked the canucks before! haha...
a) Teams that have never won the Stanley Cup:
Atlanta Thrashers
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Los Angeles Kings
Ottawa Senators
Nashville Predators
Minnesota Wild
Phoenix Coyotes
Washington Capitals
St. Louis Blues
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks
Florida Panthers
Now think about it this way: none of these above fan bases have ever won a cup; if their respective fan bases stopped cheering for them because of the above fact, do you think they'd ever survive being NHL franchises? Why do people cheer for these teams? Why would anybody cheer for the San Jose Sharks? Perennial playoff chokers, led by a Joe Thornton that 'has no heart in the postseason'. Why would anybody cheer for the Washington Capitals? They've never won the cup! Who cares if they have Ovechkin? I mean, he's as much of a scrub as Luongo. I guess when Gretzky was on the LA Kings, it would have been pointless to cheer for them because they had never won a cup!
b) Going into this year, Daniel and Hank were both top-30 in the league (27th and 28th, iirc?) in points post-lockout. Between them, they've missed ONE game since the lockout. I guess they're just scrubs. I believe that Hank 6th overall in assists since the lockout too.
What do you expect? Another dynasty like the Oilers of the 80s or the Canadiens of the 70s? That will never happen in the new NHL, with the parity of the league and the NHL salary cap. Look at the Tampa Bay Lighting as an example - they had three "stars" that they decided they wanted to keep. With the respective salaries of Lecav, St.Louis, and Richards, they screwed their team over because the rest of their team was a POS. Another nonsensical argument on your part.
c) So are you going to stop being a fan of the habs because they choked this year? Suck it up, and watch them through the tough times. I was still a fan in the shameful 98-00 years when the team was a mess, Keenan and Messier were horrible, and was probably one of the lowest points in franchise history. I'm still a fan now. I don't "set myself up for disappointment" because I'll cheer for them as long as they try...even if they lose to a better team, I don't mind, because I have some sense of loyalty, unlike others. You saying this argument alone makes you a bandwagoner...........which leads me to the next point.
d) I hate bandwagoners too. I love Britt though, haha. Anyways, I'm the furthest thing from a bandwagoner, but I'm still a Canucks fan. Just because other people may be a bandwagoner, doesn't change my personal viewpoint on the Canucks. Plus, I'm not JUST a Canucks fan - I'm an NHL fan. I like many players outside of the Canucks organization. Heck, my favourite player is on the LA Kings.
All these being said, I don't mind that you're not a Canucks fan. I'll just mind if you diss the franchise with unreasonable expectations, diss the fanbase with generalizations, or if you act sac-like just to be annoying, lol.
@lat - uh...notice that I said, everyone is entitled to cheering for their team. So I tried as much as I can to not offend anyone. But it seems like I did ruffle a few feathers.
Its not just one of these reasons on its own that drove me away from the Canucks. It was these reasons combined that drove me away. Yeah, I can live with a team who hasn't won a Stanley Cup. Its just the inconsistency combined with no Stanley Cup that kinda turns me off when they lose. And I know its hard to be a consistent team in any sport. Heck I loved it when I saw the Patriots get handed their first and last loss of the season in that interesting Super Bowl. Yeah, if everyone used my criteria for cheering for teams there wouldn't be that many fans for some teams. I guess I didn't make it clear that my intention wasn't to change anyones opinion. Everyone is entitled to how they pick their favourite team. And these are just my personal reasons and not reasons that everyone should necessarily follow.
Again, I give you a lot of respect for staying with the Canucks even through the crap years of Keenan, Messeir and last years' meltdown. You cheer for your team and I'll cheer for mine. Besides this is just entertainment, it doesn't bear significant theological or scientific insight into the very deepest regions of the purpose of life. =P
So I don't think it really matters what team I cheer for or what reasoning I take with it. It's just entertainment and I have the right to choose where I want to go with it.
Hello Conrad,
You made your site simple yet elegant. I see that you have a wide variety of interests and observations here!
I’m sending an important message to people from Jehovah God that is in the Bible: 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. (Psalms 83:18) (KJV)