As usual, Roy MacGregor is right on the money in his Saturday column for the Globe and Mail.
It's nice to see someone with a real writing job inject some sanity and intelligence into the Senators universe where skill has been on a rapid decline, partly driven by irrational fan antagonism towards star players in the red and black.
Now Roy is not saying that players like Alexei Yashin and Alex Daigle should have been retained. Far from it. But that's where the root of the deep distrust of skilled players began in Ottawa. In particular, the deep scars in the fans psyche from Yashin's no shows in the playoffs (remember 2001 and the Shayne Corson shadow) are still being felt today. Only Daniel Alfredsson has escaped the wrath of the fans, and even he just barely survived.
I feel comfortable in saying a majority of fans wanted Alfredsson out of town as late as December 2006. When the Over The Edger's (my new euphemism for the legions of reactionary Sens fans, aptly named after the equally obnoxious local radio show) finally run Jason Spezza out of town, Dany Heatley will be the next to get the knife in the back.
Count on it.
Most people have already forgotten that Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley all tied for the playoff point lead during this team's ONLY Stanley Cup run but at least two of them are still having their manhood questioned by mobs of short-attention spanners.
As Roy pointed out in his article, maybe fans really do get the team they deserve.
***
I've said it before, but one of the best hockey books ever written is MacGregor's "Road Games", chronicling the Senators disastrous first season in the NHL. It's a must read for Senators fans. If you think the team is in the dumper right now ....
7 comments:
It is good that someone reminds us to try to keep a proper perspective on the current team state. Jumping back on the wagon that many of us are continually falling off is, I suppose, some sort of exercise, but it is tiresome. So many negative comments from some in a variety of places but so very little constructive suggestions. Seriously, "trade now" is hardly helpful. If it were that easy, anyone could be a GM.
All said, I do hope the team gets it together.
The best line in the article is:
"the Toronto Maple Leafs are simply delusional about their relative importance"
It took Brian Burke one press conference to proclaim that he had the "most important hockey job on the planet". Funny that, a year ago, I never thought of JFJ as the most important man in hockey.
In any case, I like the premise of MacGregor's article. You have alluded to it before, by I think that it is worth mentioning that the average Sens fan is not a person who calls the Team 1200 or who comments in the blogosphere. I think that the Over the Edger's (great term by the way) are really vocal, but at the margin. As someone who's grown up here, I think that the vast majority of people in Ottawa are easy going and generally happy. Kulka seems to be in a constant rage. He's a magnet for others who like to get the hate on.
I take MacGregor's article as yet another signal. It's time for the average fan to make his or her voice heard. If not, the voice that will be heard is that of an "Over the Edger". The Team 1200, Ottawa Sun, and Ottawa Citizen are never critical of management. They don't provide valuable insight. They love scapegoating a player.
Kudos to MacGregor and Jeffrey Simpson for trying to raise the level of debate. If we, as fans, don't express our dissatisfaction with this circus, we will get the team we deserve.
Great blog, once again.
OTE's, or OTERs.
Fuck Kulka
haha Kulka needs to take less steroids!
I've gotta say, I am pretty fed up with the constant commentary on Spez. I barely listen to anything on 1200 anymore. Or read the sun, for that matter. I used to really hate it when all the canadian players would go sign as FA's in the states. But not anymore. Now I get it. It must really suck for Spez to be playing hockey here, how long will it last before he demands a trade. How many 90 point a year guys in the states have to put up with the shit he does here? Seriously Spezza haters, get a life.
macgregor is an idiot
Dude, are you serious? Do you live in Ottawa? How you support this ass-clown traitor when he spent most of the article straight up chirping Ottawans for being boring and lame. Not only were his insults uncalled for, they were unimaginative and played-out. What an idiot.
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