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Abel to Yzerman

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by IwoCPO on 12/20/06 at 11:04 AM ET
Comments (7)

A few items we should probably address here, some outside the Wing lifelines....others, well within them.

Art Regner’s been fired.  You’re probably all aware of it, just like you’re aware of my opinion of his work over the last few years.  If you’re not, let’s suffice it to say that I was never his biggest fan. 

Having said that, firing someone....anyone...on December 19th is a filthy way to run a business

I took it easy on Art.  It’s Christmas.  Let’s move on to another favorite topic:  the sideshow thuggery that is the NBA.  Often a punchline here, AlanaH points out today that all is fun and games until you start comparing the “association” to the NHL.

She points us to an article using the recent NBA street brawl as a means to lump the two groups of athletes together.

I’ll say this:  compare the sports, the fans, the network contracts, anything you’d like.  All open game.  But the minute you start merging the two groups of athletes into one generalization, you’re an idiot.  The differences in character, fan relations and genuine community concern are glaring.  Our sport features athletes who become part of their communities. The NBA player does whatever he can to shelter himself from his city and his fan base.

Exceptions? You bet, on either side of that statement.  But, by and large...it’s like AlanaH said:  “Just keep your crazy NBA analysis off my NHL. Thanks muchly.”

So the Wings visited Columbus Monday.  So did some Wing fans.  Apparently quiet ones.  Congratulations to those of you who visited Nationwide and conducted yourselves in a manner the BJ fans approved of.  Because that’s important right?  You paid for your tickets. You made the drive.  You support your team.  But all of that takes a backseat to acting in accordance with the home team fans’ idea of appropriate visitor behavior. Here’s a Dose of Reality from the End of the Bench.

Maybe last night’s game will be the one that makes the obnoxious Red Wing fans show some respect when they come to town. They were very quiet last night because before they knew it, they were behind 3-0. They cheered politely when they scored their first goal and were a little louder after the second, but it wasn’t anything like in the past. No chants, no standing up and smirking at us locals, and no drunks wanting to do a little more to rub it in.

Whew.  No chanting or smirks.  Polite cheering.  Good job.  We’d hate to have the fans of the Original 30 BJ’s thinking you’d gone overboard. 

I like EOB, and I like the Dose of Reality segments.  I also like whining hypocrisy because it allows me ample opportunity to point it out.  And so I have. 

Finally, as mentioned earlier, Sergei Fedorov returns tonite.  Let’s try something a little different Wing fans.  Let’s, just for fun, show some class and give the guy credit for the role he played in 3 Stanley Cups.  Just this once, how about letting one of the greatest players to ever wear the Winged Wheel know that we appreciate what he did for the organ-I-zation.  Booing him is ignorant and stale. 

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Comments

Fedorov showed no loyalty to a classy Wings organization.

I will show no loyalty to him.

Boo!

Posted by 58Miles2Joe from Toledo, OH on 12/20/06 at 11:26 AM ET

Federov was a celebrated narcissist (me-me-me-me), and treated Mr Illitch and the wings like crap everytime negotiations came around.  “Gee thanks Mr I for helping me desert my homeland, and now you are going to pay”. Glad he is gone and very sorry ‘the great datzky’ moved right into his slot.  They really should have kept Kozlov.  A class fan would not boo Federov, he is very talented and gee, I wish he was in the Eastern Conference.

Posted by Gramps from Hockeytown on 12/20/06 at 11:54 AM ET

Personality aside, the Wings have done nothing in the playoffs since he left.  He was a very important member of the championship teams.

Posted by w2j2 from Alpena, Michigan on 12/20/06 at 12:23 PM ET

He played a pretty nominal role in the 2002 championship.

Posted by Tuba Guy from Royal Oak, MI on 12/20/06 at 01:18 PM ET

I thought he was huge in 2002--if there were a Selke award for the playoffs, he would have won it by a mile.

Posted by Laura from Chicago on 12/20/06 at 01:59 PM ET

I won’t speak for Truth on the matter above, but I do have my own opinions about the topic.

As I noted in my game recap, I’ve been to quite a few CBJ/DET contests, most of them in Nationwide Arena.  On most of those occassions, I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of sitting next to Wings fans.  That in itself does not bother me one bit.  We’re all there to watch good hockey.  It’s the fans that were excessively drunk and telling “all you Blow Jackets fans take your sh!tty hockey team back to the AHL”, etc. that were a little over the top.  I’m not trying to characterize Wings fans in any way, as I know that there are plenty of CBJ fans in our building that do the same thing.  But you usually have to look around to spot fans with “the wrong” sweaters on.  When Detroit comes to town, it’s not that hard.  Though the asshat-ery may be a small percentage of the total fan population, when the nubmers aren’t small to begin with it walks and talks like a problem.

I was lucky enough to attend the Hockeytown Meltdown on March 25 in Detroit.  As the Jackets began their miraculous comeback, I did what any respectful fan would do after each score.  I stood up, clapped and cheered, and sat back down.  I didn’t turn to the 20,000+ people sitting around me and mouth off like I’d seen so many times from visiting fans of all teams in “my” building.  I pulled a little “rah rah” for me team, and sat down. 

I was sitting three rows behind the Detroit bench on Monday night, and the guys right behind the bench were Detroit fans.  When the Wings scored, they stood up, cheered, and sat back down.  They turned around to us and said (with about a minute to go), “we’ve got a heck of a hockey game here fellas.” They were respectful in their role of visiting fans (or maybe more aptly, fans of the visiting team as many Columbus natives are Red Wing fans).  It was nice for a change.

Will I admit that I was pleased I didn’t have to hear “LET’S GO RED WINGS” chanted over “LET’S GO JACKETS”?  You bet.  Am I happy I didn’t have somebody sitting beside me who expressed his disbelief 47 times that anyone would root for the Jackets?  Of course.  But did I feel that this was as big a deal as much of the local media, et al, made it to be?  Nope.

Good to see you back in action, IwoCPO.

Posted by Drew on 12/20/06 at 02:30 PM ET

Finally, as mentioned earlier, Sergei Fedorov returns tonite.  Let’s try something a little different Wing fans.  Let’s, just for fun, show some class and give the guy credit for the role he played in 3 Stanley Cups.  Just this once, how about letting one of the greatest players to ever wear the Winged Wheel know that we appreciate what he did for the organ-I-zation.  Booing him is ignorant and stale.

Hit the shelters, folks--the Irony Bombs are a-fallin’ down in droves!

Posted by The Acid Queen from Raleigh, NC on 12/21/06 at 10:40 AM ET

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