Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Oh, Well Now I'm Convinced

Alright so this little pathetic attempt at persuasion (via Drew at Nightmare On Helm Street) made me giggle today. And yes, shut up, giggling is perfectly acceptable even if you are over the age of 9.

If you are a transplant from Michigan, hockey is in your DNA. But you live in Arizona, and chances are, you've grown to love what the Valley has to offer. Well, part of the landscape is a hockey team struggling for survival. So do the right thing. Keep the Red Wings sweater in the closet, and cheer for the home team. Just this once.

He's fucking with us right? Come on there is no way in hell he thinks his argument is going to win over even the most lackadaisical Wings fan, let along someone like myself who has religiously watched, stressed over, and cheered for the Winged Wheel since I can remember. I mean, what I am supposed to do? Thank him and run to the nearest Sports Authority to purchase a Shane Doan white jersey and join the masses of uninformed bandwagon fans who just now realized the Coyotes didn't move to Canada last summer? I don't think so.

I've lived in Arizona for nearly 3 years and most, not all, but most sports fans in this state are all the same. Until the team is doing fantastic, until they are in the playoffs, it's as if they don't exist. We've seen it with the Suns, with the Cardinals at the Superbowl, and now, apparently it is time to jump on the Coyotes bandwagon.

Where was this call for loyalty and support during the Save the Coyotes rally this summer? Where were all of these supposed die hard fans before? I'm pretty sure most were not standing in the heat waving "I Love Shane Doan" signs. (And I keep referring to Shane Doan, because honestly, most fans here probably couldn't name 5 Coyotes players.) Let's be honest, my nieces first birthday had a bigger turnout than that rally.

But now all of us proud Michiganders forced to live else where due to a tough economic climate, are supposed to turn our back on the team we've loved and cheered for, in order to support a struggling team and assist their bandwagon fan base....not going to happen with this blogger.

I'm a proud Red Wings fan. Win or lose. I support this team, this organization no matter where I live. An organization and team that I can be proud of. A team and organization that gets it, not only with their system on the ice, but with their fans as well. Look at the support received during H2H, and compare that to the league run team that can't recognize the validity of the grassroots Throw the Snake campaign. Thanks, but I'm a loyalist and I'll stick with my team. The new Coyotes fans can instead enjoy the money the Wings players and the Wings organization are forced to give in order to fund teams like the Coyotes where fans only show up when things are going well.

I'll be at the game Friday with a group of Wings fans, proudly wearing our Red Wings attire. Proudly starting a LGRW chant.

In the mean time, I'd like to thank the writer at AZ Central for the Tuesday afternoon giggle. He must have limited experience with Hockeytown fans.

Who knew that playing Phoenix in the first round could be so damn entertaining?

9 comments:

  1. "Come on there is no way in hell he thinks his argument is going to win over even the most lackadaisical Wings fan, let along someone like myself who has religiously watched, stressed over, and cheered for the Winged Wheel since I can remember."

    Lackadaisical? Nice word, girly. You...you've earned this. **throws peep**

    And giggle away, it's the female equivalent of chuckling. Something I am always trying to hide from co-workers while reading your blog.

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  2. I live in Las Vegas, Jess. You betcha I'm wearing my Yzerman whites in a clusterfuck of a fanbase of Twilight-drooling retards out of Phoenix.

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  3. Wow... I needed this reinforcement... I was just about to switch colors/teams and have pity on the Choke-eyes. Good thing I woke up from my lethargy.

    Where do you buy a whole octopus in this town? Pet store? (muah ha ha)

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  4. My wife is originally from Phoenix and when I read her your post, she nodded her head through the entire thing. She said that no one there cares about the team - it's just about being seen at the game. When we visited one year, we went to a D-backs game the year after they won the WS - the place was half-empty.

    I was going to wear my white Datsyuk jersey, but it's been switched to the red Yzerman t-shirt for every game.

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  5. I agree. I live in the valley too. I've been forced to combine my Red Wings tix for their 2 games in Phoenix each year with a 5 game combo pack because then I could get them on the regular season "regular" price instead of the inflated "Red Wings" price. Yes, the Coyotes usually jack up the price for Red Wings games. One year they were double. This past year they were a bit closer to regular price. Either way, it's offensive. Then, because I bought ticket packs, I'd get a monthly call from the ticket rep begging me to buy more. Strange that I haven't heard from him this week - guess since they're selling tix to the fairweather Phoenix fans they don't need my money anymore. Fuckers.

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  6. don't forget your squid!

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  7. "I mean, what I am supposed to do? Thank him and run to the nearest Sports Authority to purchase a Shane Doan white jersey and join the masses of uninformed bandwagon fans who just now realized the Coyotes didn't move to Canada last summer?"

    Nope... Bryzgalov.

    Seriously though, this "call to arms" or whatever Yotes fans are calling it is just sad. Wings in 4, let's put these idiots out of their misery.

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  8. Make sure you throw an octopus (minding proper octopus etiquette of course).

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  9. So glad you get to go! As someone who has heard the "You live here now, why aren't you an Avs fan, this isn't Detroit." crap for many years, I understand this. One difference though is that most people in Colorado are pretty knowledgeable about hockey but they sure jumped ship once the Dive started losing. The playoff games aren't even sold out here yet.

    Anyway, GO WINGS!

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