Hey, Hater! Yes, YOU!

I just read another post/letter/comment/whatever from a Red Wing hater where the team was referred to as the 'Dead Wings.'  Really.  Enough already.  I don't mind the haters hating the Wings--I probably hate their teams, too--but I wish they would come up with something more original.  It is the 21st century, after all.  And you aren't saying anything that we ourselves haven't said--those of us alive and old enough to talk during the dark ages called the team the 'Dead Wings' as well as everyone else did.  As I said, crawl out of the past and come up with something new.  I could almost respect someone that came up with a new, creative nickname--even if I didn't agree with them.  After all, The Brother still uses the same term when talking about the Wings, so I CAN'T respect anyone who uses 'Dead Wings.'

Time Is Dragging

I really would like to meet the idiot who decided that it was a good thing to give the Wings four days off between games this early in the season.  I would, for sure, punch him in HIS 'schedule' if I had the chance.  This is fricking ridiculous.  Tomorrow night can't happen fast enough.

Now for GREAT news:  The Triple Deke will be putting up a new post on Friday!  YAY!  Tyler is coming back.  Not to put any pressure on him, but this is one of the most anticipated returns of a blogger in a long, long time.  I know MY life has been much sadder without Tyler lighting up my life.  Welcome back--you were gone much too long.

Who Is The Better Fan?

I am very much a non-entity on the interwebs--and I believe I like it like that.  It keeps me out of trouble and saves me from so many fights that I see going on.  Already in this very early part of the season, I have seen at least two nasty fights going on--and I don't 'follow' hardly anyone on Twitter or read very many blogs!  I can't even begin to imagine how many there have been that I know nothing about.  And these are between fans of the SAME team, NOT opposing fans.  I don't get it.  And that is why I usually don't give my opinion, unless it is pretty much the same as the majority opinion.  Yes, I'm spineless.

The majority of fights are usually one of two:  1)  Someone rags on a particular player and another person comes to his defense or 2)  someone criticizes the entire team a bit strenuously and a total homer (who wouldn't say a bad word about the team if s/he was paid) comes to the team's defense--and accuses the criticizer of being less than a loyal fan.  And then the fighting begins.  And, usually, a lot of other people are dragged into the fight and then all hell breaks out.

Many times I can see all sides of every fight--as a mother, I learned this lesson early on--and find it hard to come down on one side or the other.  It is very easy and justifiable to find fault when a player is doing less than what he should be doing--yet, I can understand where there may be extenuating circumstances.  I really wonder how each of us would be evaluated at our jobs if we were under the microscope of fans.  I know that I don't do my best after The Husband and I have had an argument, or when I'm not feeling 'quite right.'  I find myself being distracted if there are 'issues' in the lives of my kids or close friends.  But, we don't want to give the players any consideration when they fall short of their best--we don't want to accept that they are mere humans like the rest of us.  Of course, I also can see the side that feels that these guys are being paid big money to do their jobs and the hell with what else is going on in their lives.  Both sides are valid, to an extent. 

The other big argument that seems to crop up periodically is the one between the 'homer' and the fan without blinders.  (I know that is being simplistic, but it gets my point across.)  There does seem to be a group of people who feel if a person is a fan of a team, then there should be no criticism of the team whatsoever.  While I don't agree with this way of thinking, I DO agree that some 'fans' take the criticizing a bit too far--and can't seem to find anything good to say, ever.  And each type of fan seems to think the other isn't a 'true' fan.  Ridiculous.  I wish some people would find a happy medium and stay there.

When these fights start and go on, no one 'wins.'  Hard feelings usually last for a long time after the fight cools down, and that is just sad.  I realize that people are passionate, but sometimes things just go too far.  Sometimes the two who began the fight agree to disagree and move on--but that is a rarity.  Fighting about something that is JUST opinion is crazy.  It is just as crazy as fighting about religion or politics--everyone has an opinion, every opinion is just as valid as the next, and fighting about it just causes hard feelings, without any resolution.  In all my years, I can't really remember a time when someone has actually gotten me to change my mind about an opinion of mine, no matter how well their case was presented.  And so, I will continue to be spineless and try to ignore the in-fighting that will continue throughout the year.  And that makes me sad.

Confusion

So many times, I won't make comments on games because I don't trust my judgment as to what I have seen.  I never played hockey and only started watching it because my high school boyfriend was a fan.  This DID lead me to love the sport, yet it hasn't been until recent years that I have actually WATCHED a game.  I now will analyze things a bit more and try to follow what is happening all over the ice, rather than having knee-jerk reactions to what I perceive to be happening with the play.  Still, I am so much of a novice, that I defer to others who know so much more than me.  And so, I don't post here very often.  I don't want this to become a 'girly' fan site--I'm much too old for that--and only post about my 'love' for the Wings.  But I also don't want to sound like an absolute ass by saying things that are ridiculous.  With that being said, I'm going to make a few comments about last night's game.

What the hell was that game about?  And what team showed up for it?  Granted, we're only four games into the season, but really.  From the first game to this one, it was two different teams out there.  It's as if the entire team has bipolar disease or multiple personalities--and the 'others' kick in for every player, at the same time.  I really don't want this to be another year of 'they did a lot of good out there' and 'we know we have to do better' statements from Babcock and the players.  It gets old very, very fast.  However, I will try and forget about this game as fast as possible and hope for a much better showing on Saturday.  It just is so hard when you know they are better than what they were last night.  {sigh}

The Griffins Lost

I believe it was early in the third period when one of the CBC announcers said something about the Leafs having 'so much confidence' to start the season, because of the way they are playing.  Oooookay.  They beat the Griffins by only two goals--and three of those came on the power play.  (Yes, technically one of them wasn't a power play goal.)  I really didn't see a whole lot to be confident about, considering they were playing, basically, an AHL team.  I didn't think the Griffins did too poorly.  If others disagree about my assessment, I would have to defer to them--I only glanced at the game periodically.  :)  Still, if the players develop well, the Wings are looking good in the years ahead.

All that being said, one thing that stood out whenever I did watch the game:  Jonathan Ericsson--and not in a good way.  He does continue to NOT impress.  I wonder how long the 'Jonathan Ericsson Experiment' will continue?  When will Babcock and Holland say 'enough is enough?'  Ericsson will NEVER inherit Lidstrom's throne--unless he has a fairy godmother somewhere that we know nothing about.  This will be interesting to watch as the season goes on.

Tomorrow, the last game of the preseason.  I should think a win will happen.  Six more days and it begins...