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Poultry Fans: They’re Not Just Earl Anymore. There Are Like Five More.
by IwoCPO on 04/28/09 at 08:19 AM ET
Comments (115)
Good morning. I’ve done you yet another favor, because I care. The Starboard Side has been updated. Gone are the BJs. Bye. Thank you. In their place? The Poultry blogs and media sources, a limited amount to be sure.
Some of you may view that section and think it skimpy. I understand.
But when we present you with links and options, they are directly reflective of the amount of interest in that respective team…as determined by our highly scientific A2Y hockey fan census, conducted by interns from Delta College.
So when the interns hit SoCal and began asking around about hockey, the Ducks, Chris Pronger’s speech patterns that resemble Chewbacca’s slowed down by sixty percent? Well, there wasn’t exactly a communal flash of recognition. Hence the limited number of links.
But what we have for you is plenty enough to keep you occupied. We begin with our pal Earl Sleek at Battle of California. Now, be careful. BoC, as you know, is not just Poultry 24/7. Oh no. There’s a Shark presence there in the form of one Mike Chen. So, you may have to wade through some shocked sadness before you get to Sleek’s prose. Apparently, and my research skills are weak so have patience with me, San Jose’s season is over, even though they’re “the best team in the league.” Ahhh, well.
And he’s a pretty consistent visitor here, as well. He should be. We devoted an entire post to him back in 2007. Well, the post title anyway. So, bottom line: Earl’s cool and he can visit. But when the stress level rises and he starts running his yap? Gloves are off bitches. Man. That sounded tough.
Hey. Remember a kid named Adam Brady? He works for the Poultry and back in January we decided to take the social high road. Thought about responding to a blog post he’d written, which featured him literally sobbing while he typed it sitting in a one-piece jammy with footies and a picture of Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya polka dancing on the back. Anyways, we thought about talking about that startling image but didn’t want to risk legal action so we just let it alone and called him a whining little bitch instead.
Here’s the post. He’s on the right-hand side and I sense entertainment on the horizon. He cries a little, as we already stated.
Dan Wood covers the Poultry for the Orange County Register. We linked to him two years ago and I don’t recall if he proved worthy or not. I’m sure, based on where he lives and who he’s forced to follow, that his character should be called into question. But considering the quality of our own Deep Diggers? I’ll hold off for now.
Added a few other blogs that I blatantly ripped off from BoC. Girl with a Puck and Anaheim Calling. I’ve read the former and completely ignored the latter. I would analyze each but I’m so damn excited about what’s up next that I can barely type.
Or could it be that I can’t string a sentence together because I’m so frigging stupid that even something as simple as a three or four word subject/verb/direct object project is too much for me? Could that be it? Fu** no. But, I know somebody who that may apply to?
Who(m), you ask? Why thank you.
How about some Chris Pronger for your literary enlightenment bitches?
Check this frigging prose out.
In my opinion i believe the rumors are part of an overzealous group of reporters who are putting the Ducks in the “sellers” category at the trade deadline and trying to drum up fan interest in there stories and TV shows. They put us, the Ducks, in this category because we have not played up to expectations thus far. With 25 games to go and around 10 left before the deadline we hope to put these rumors to rest with the we play the rest of the season and on into the playoffs.
And then? There’s this. Brought up recently by one of the 19 and given to you as a present today. Now. Get yourself in the right frame of mind. You have to read it and when you get to the “YES” part, say it with Sasquatch and imagine him typing with his thumbs, staring intently at the screen while shifting his weight from one foot to the other because in the middle of his blog post he realized he’d forgotten to go to the bathroom again. Ready?
Cool.
“Y’all”? Really?
Sasquatch’s blog hasn’t been updated since 13 February, but we’ll check it every day just in case he felt the need to put his soul out there for you to read. Apparently, and I can’t confirm this is him, he Tweets a bit though.
In the meantime, if you guys have suggestions let me know and we’ll add to the Round 2: Poultry section. Oh, and in the meantime…send in those photoshops and I’ll put them up as I get them. I believe this from Cwix is a simple, yet appropriate, way to begin.
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Comments
Chris Pronger’s speech patterns that resemble Chewbacca’s slowed down by sixty percent?
I’ve always thought his speech patterns would be appropriately modelled after the slow-but-kindhearted Karl Childress in Sling Blade. Only, you know, with less of the kindheartedness and more of the Billy Bob Thornton-type baffling batshit insanity. Something along the lines of a grunted “Ah dunno ‘bout that potted meat yessir but ah shore like me sum cheep shots ‘n yung ladees…mmm-hmm.” Thought patterns probably match, especially with that random YES thrown in that blog.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 04/28/09 at 09:11 AM ET
Best part of the Ana-SJ series - Claude was a health scratch for 5 of those games. Thanks for coming out…
Posted by DetCapC19 from Vancouver, BC on 04/28/09 at 09:18 AM ET
Nice to have more than a new post every 2-3 days, a couple of the last few have been in need of freshening up much like the Hasek after last June… yet it sat all summer just stewing in the post Cup juices we left ferment.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 04/28/09 at 09:20 AM ET
Yeah, count me in as being very concerned about this matchup. Chokers that they are, I thought the Sharks played pretty well (admittedly, I didn’t watch every minute of every game). I thought the Ducks were outstanding, especially on defense.
I see this series going 7 games, maybe 8. It’s going to be a f*cking circus…flying elbows, tightropes, the sweet stench of elephant musk, gorillas getting shot out of cannons, French guys in unitards. I’m having a shit attack just thinking about it. Somebody get me a clean pair of pants and throw some sawdust on the ground. It’s going to get messy.
And to Scott Niedermeyer, I say this: A lot of well-deserved hatred gets thrown in the direction of your younger, taller, dumber defense partner, but I’ve come to realize that it’s you who stirs the douche cocktail. You might be able to fool all the Southern California Gaia-worshippers with your dimestore spirituality, your New Age aesthetic, and your patchouli stink, but I’ve got your number. I know about your will to injure the opposition with cheap hits. I know about your inner psychopath. You might look like the old guy at the Phish concert or the hip, cool dad who lets his kids smoke pot, but deep down your soul is tar black. I know this.
I hope Johnny Ericsson blows your head out the back of your ass with a nice, clean open ice hit, breaking your hemp and pukka shell necklace into a thousand pieces.
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 09:39 AM ET
Line 1B and the third line are going to have to be big again this series. Getzlaf is Nash except with playoff experience, but I think Z, Mule, and Buckets match up against that line well enough to make it a push for the series. Hiller will stop a ton of shots that come from the boards 40 feet out and will occasionally grab one that you’re amazed he could see through Homer’s ass, but I think we can crack him early and often.
Prediction: Ericsson with more goals than Pronger in the series with the Wings in 6.
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 04/28/09 at 09:47 AM ET
Ericsson with more goals than Pronger in the series with the Wings in 6.
Just to clarify, Ericsson doesn’t score goals, the goal gleefully receives his puck offering as if it were his seed.
The Wings have a massive advantage at forward. No contest. Top lines nullify each other, and lines two and three are massive pluses for Detroit. Ducks get the edge in blue line depth, but Lidstrom is the best defender in the series, and Rafalski, Stuart, and Kronwall nullify Whitney, Beauchemin, and Wisnewski (probably spelled that wrong, don’t care, he’s a douche holster). So, the big edge is the presence of that extra stud D-man. Methinks the Ducks will REQUIRE a heavy offensive contribution from Captain Waffle to win this series.
In goal, everyone will say the Ducks have the edge, and I’ll definitely concede it, but if Ozzie is healthy, he’s shown that he’s not about to let a playoff virgin come in and out-do him.
Wings Key Defensive Matchups: Franzen on Getzlaf, Cleary on Ryan
Wings Key Offensive Matchups: Homer/Franzen/Cleary on Pronger, and the Datsyuk line against the Selanne line
I like the Wings because of the forward depth. Carlyle is gay for matchups, and sadly for him, he won’t be able to get ‘em, even at home, the way he’d like. His forward group is too shallow. The Getzlaf line will almost always be playing against either Z or Dangle. And because the Ducks are shallow up front, the Wings, if needed, can shorten their bench to three lines, and essentially force Carlyle, even in Anaheim, to put Getzlaf out against Z or Dangle, or keep him on the bench.
It will be a very tough series. A key injury to either team would tilt the scales in the other team’s favor. If the refs actually call the punches in the face after the whistles, Wings have a distinct advantage. If they don’t, I don’t think it’s a Duck advantage, per se, but it would eliminate one of their weaknesses, so that would help them. But being that the Wings are coming into this one with their top four D healthy, unlike ‘07, I think they have what it takes to fight through the thuggery.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 04/28/09 at 10:01 AM ET
You might look like the old guy at the Phish concert
Having gorwn up in Burlington VT, home of the smelly Grateful Dead wanna be’s named Phish, you sir just brought back a wave of hatred I’d long since forgotten.
Smelly ass dreadlock wearing hippy ass rich brats, 1,000’s of’em blaring that shitty music…. Pile that hatred on top of the hate for the Poultry and I’m fired up this morning.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 04/28/09 at 10:10 AM ET
If the refs actually call the punches in the face after the whistles, Wings have a distinct advantage.
The refereeing in this series is going to be huge. Absolutely huge. If the refs let Pronger and Niedermeyer get away with their half dozen or so intent-to-injure hits every game, it’s going to be a long, frustrating series. And if previous games against the Ducks this season are any indication, it appears that the refs are still operating under the official league mandate to hold Anaheim to a different standard than every other team, a standard that allows them to attempt to murder opposing players on the ice without any repercussions other than an occasional two-minute minor.
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 10:16 AM ET
Mandingo…great screed. There’s some talent there. Did you used to write for Hunter Thompson? Good stuff.
Major pain in the ass facing the Ducks is we get “blacked out” here on the Left Coast when they play at home. Why? Because we are all Duck fans, of course. Pro Bull Riding on the VersAss channel, mmmmm boy. Hopefully the Czheckoslowervakian dial up feed on the interweb is humming during this series. Thanks Gary. Ass.
As Kate says,
Let’s Go Red Wings !!!!! (5, count em)
Posted by Rumbear from Top O da Hasek, sippin rum & catchin some rays on 04/28/09 at 10:17 AM ET
You Wings fans sure are good at blowing yourselves.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 10:22 AM ET
Detroit is winning this series on home ice. In five. Bitches. Reach down, grab ahold of your change purses and man up. There isn’t a team out there that can beat the Wings in a best of seven battle.
Nash scored two hat tricks in the regular season against the wings and lookey what happened. I know, I know… “he’s not a playoff veteran” like Getzlaff is. Use your excuses all you want, but know this: Nash didn’t show up because he couldn’t. The Wings didn’t allow him to do shit. When they let up is when he accumulated a couple points. Getzlaff and Selanne are going to know how Nash feels. And the part-timer and Sasquatch are gonna be riding in the same golf cart as Hejda and Commode odor.
Hudler is gonna tea bag Sasquatch.
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 04/28/09 at 10:23 AM ET
Oh, and Mandingo, what the hell are you talking about? Did you even watch any of the Ducks-Sharks series? Ducks don’t get an inch of leeway with the refs. Last night alone Ducks got penalties because Roenick cut sharp at the last minute and Blake is a pansy. Yet when Grier flys at Bobby full speed from halfway across the ice when he’s already dished it? No call. Don’t even try that angle. It’s bullshit and you know it.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 10:27 AM ET
Pile that hatred on top of the hate for the Poultry and I’m fired up this morning.
Chief’s unfortunate reminder of the Pronger-Holmstrom-Niedermeyer sandwich is what did me in this morning. I still cannot believe there was only a one-game suspension handed out for that.
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 10:27 AM ET
Oh yers, I forgot—‘07 we were out Schneider and Kronner, two of our top-four D-men, the Poultry were a better team than they are now, and we still gave ‘em the toughest series they faced those playoffs. Now, with Schneider gone, Raffi and Kronner both having won Cups and doing what they do best, and the team with 100% More Hossa? Yeah, I’m feeling good.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 04/28/09 at 10:32 AM ET
Oh, and Mandingo, what the hell are you talking about? Did you even watch any of the Ducks-Sharks series?
I glanced at it while I was folding clothes.
Most of my opinions I pull from various online internet computer URL websites, like the Puck Daddy forums and HockeyBuzz.
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 10:35 AM ET
But when we present you with links and options, they are directly reflective of the amount of interest in that respective team…as determined by our highly scientific A2Y hockey fan census, conducted by interns from Delta College.
This is the kind of crap I just don’t understand. How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games; a team who has to advertise in the Columbus papers to attract BJ fans (including giving discounted rates) to fill up their arena, has to resort to belittling another NHL teams fan interest? Wing fans could almost choose any other topic… but fan interest?
Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 04/28/09 at 10:38 AM ET
Ducks 4, Fairy Wing Sack Nibblers 2.
Posted by Puckhead from Jersey, you idiots! on 04/28/09 at 10:49 AM ET
This is the kind of crap I just don’t understand. How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games; a team who has to advertise in the Columbus papers to attract BJ fans (including giving discounted rates) to fill up their arena, has to resort to belittling another NHL teams fan interest? Wing fans could almost choose any other topic… but fan interest?
You’re right. I’m sorry. Are you gonna be ok? Look, round up all your friends who are Duck fans. I’ll wait for 19 minutes while you do.
Then? Feel free to do your own regional census and compare the number of Wing fans in Southern California to Duck fans.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 04/28/09 at 10:50 AM ET
Chief’s unfortunate reminder of the Pronger-Holmstrom-Niedermeyer sandwich is what did me in this morning. I still cannot believe there was only a one-game suspension handed out for that.
I’m right there with ya.
And it looks like the duck trolls (suck trolls?) are out in full force this morning. Maybe they flew in to show us their V formation.
Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 04/28/09 at 11:06 AM ET
What’s that? You mean to say there’s a shit-ton of Yankees fans everywhere you go too? No, noway, never.
You really want to count those Wing “fans” among you? Wow. Sad day. Quality over quantity. Didn’t know the front-runner fans were really considered people. Don’t try it. Most of those guys can’t name 6 Red Wings players.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 11:08 AM ET
“Gretzky_to_Lemieux” sez:
How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games; a team who has to advertise in the Columbus papers to attract BJ fans (including giving discounted rates) to fill up their arena, has to resort to belittling another NHL teams fan interest?
I don’t even know what you’re talking about (nor do you, apparently).
I can tell you that for as close as they are geographically, not a ton of Jackets fans got seats at the Joe. They were a scattered few here and there, not much else. No real road presence, not compared to what CHI or STL probably would have brought even. Not that I blame them, since it was basically making a roadtrip to watch a curbstomping.
Also, I was at Game 2 and can tell you that not only were all the seats full, they also put in the temporary seating at the Joe in some of the walkways to allow more fans to be seated. And they were all full too. There were empty seats visible from time to time, but only when people like.. .got up to go get beer or use the facilities. Tickets for both Games 1 and 2 went very, very fast. So how that translates into having trouble filling up an arena, I don’t know… you must be living in last year or something.
Posted by Primis on 04/28/09 at 11:09 AM ET
Quality over quantity.
Wasn’t your original argument against the quantity of Wings fans at the Joe? (That’s our rink). Now you’re talking about quality? As in the quality of Southern California hockey fans are better than the ones out in Michigan, or are you talking about the people that actually live in your area that cheer for our team? Did I lose you? I thought I might.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 04/28/09 at 11:12 AM ET
Quality over quantity. Didn’t know the front-runner fans were really considered people. Don’t try it. Most of those guys can’t name 6 Red Wings players.
Do you really want to try arguing that the Ducks have better fans because they’re more knowledgeable about hockey?
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 04/28/09 at 11:13 AM ET
Bleys sez:
You really want to count those Wing “fans” among you? Wow. Sad day. Quality over quantity. Didn’t know the front-runner fans were really considered people. Don’t try it. Most of those guys can’t name 6 Red Wings players.
I wish I had the link on me, but there was an LA Kings blogger earlier this season and thought he’d be cute and do a story on what you’re trying to claim. He packed a small audio recorder and went around talking to Red Wing fans at Staples Center.
See, he thought the Wings fans showing up at Staples were uneducated and not very good hockey fans in general. And he was going to go out and prove that
He gave up the story, and instead posted a story that was basically an apology for dissing Red Wings fans because he found them knowledgable, involved, and in many cases LONG-time fans that could remember the very lean 1980’s, if not before….
But man, whatever helps you guys sleep at night I guess…
Posted by Primis on 04/28/09 at 11:14 AM ET
Well I was countering the counter-argument. Actually, G-t-L made an argument I wouldnt’ve. Even if you weren’t able to fill the rink, I’m the first to admit you’ve got more there who really care. Really, I hate how many fans at Ducks games are just there looking for entertainment with a disposable income. But we real Ducks fans are out there too.
So yes, referring to the Wings “fans” in SoCal.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 11:16 AM ET
Fairy Wing Sack Nibblers
Is that one of Little Gary’s new expansion teams? Where are they going to located? Sounds like a Calli team to me.
Posted by WingsFanInBeanLand from Lidstrom's head telling him 1 more year on 04/28/09 at 11:18 AM ET
Anybody else think that Puckhead from New Jersey may actually be Wysh?
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 04/28/09 at 11:18 AM ET
Think you guys will dig this:
Damn right it’s not the same team from 2007. My favourite part:
I am sure that what the Ducks are thinking right now is the same thing they thought — and were pretty close to being right about — two seasons ago:
‘We can intimidate these guys. We can bang them and elbow them and hurt them. We can scare them into submission if we’re nasty enough.’
And that’s just totally awesome, because no. They can’t. They will be humiliated if they try. They don’t know that yet, but they’re going to find out real *#$%@& soon and watching them realize it is going to be as awesome as the first time 14-year-old-you snuck a peak at some pornography.
Posted by Jayo from Toronto on 04/28/09 at 11:19 AM ET
Maybe they’re different a little farther south. Because I’ve talked to some. For the ones I’ve talked to, they’re either Michigan (and surrounding states) transplants, front-runners, or ex-frontrunners who started following hockey.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 11:20 AM ET
How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games
1st round attendance:
Anaheim home game 3: 17174 (full)
Anaheim home game 2: 16830
Anaheim home game 1: 16277
Detroit home game 2:20066 (full)
Detroit home game 1:20066 (full)
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 04/28/09 at 11:20 AM ET
You Wings fans sure are good at blowing yourselves.
And you sure are good at blowing your father. STFU troll.
Don’t even try that angle. It’s bullshit and you know it.
For three years now the Anaheim method has been, “You can’t call ‘em all.” If Perry is suspended more than one game (if even that) for the flying elbow and hit from behind last night (on the same play, I might add), then I’ll take back everything I’ve ever said about the Ducks getting away with penalties.
Do other teams get away with stuff? Sure. Did the Sharks get away with some things? Sure. But no team in the West is as consistently active after the whistles than the Ducks, and last time I checked, most of the stuff the Ducks pull after every whistle falls within the definition of “roughing” in the rule book, yet it is rarely called.
It’s not an indication of bias toward the Ducks—it’s an indication of the poor job the NHL does at managing the game between whistles, despite the fact the rulebook calls for penalties to contain the situation. The Ducks have a big, tough team, and they’ve taken advantage of the fact that the officials, especially in the playoffs, tend to ignore punches to the head, facewashes, and stickwork that takes place when the play is dead.
This is the kind of crap I just don’t understand. How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games; a team who has to advertise in the Columbus papers to attract BJ fans (including giving discounted rates) to fill up their arena, has to resort to belittling another NHL teams fan interest? Wing fans could almost choose any other topic… but fan interest?
This blog does not belong to the Red Wings, so this isn’t the team belittling another club’s fan interest.
What I just don’t understand is how a nutsack such as yourself can be so ignorant. You know the “recession” that the rest of the country has been dealing with since late September of 2008? Well, in Michigan, most people have been dealing with that since the summer of 2006. Our housing bubble burst a lot earlier than the rest of the nation. Detroit area jobs dried up a lot faster. You see headlines of GM cutting 21,000 jobs the other day? It’s a lot, but at this point it’s just one more piece of the shit-pie that metro Detroit has been dealing with for the last three or four years.
And this problem is two-fold as it relates to our sports. Not only are hundreds of thousands of families in the area now unable or unwilling to spend a few hundred dollars to go to a Wings/Tigers/Pistons game, but now the corporations that purchased so many seats for their employees and clients can’t afford them either. The big three can’t spend money on that stuff any more. And neither can the thousands of mom and pop suppliers that are reliant on the big three’s business. And a lot of those corporate seats are the pricey ones in the lower bowl that make it look emptier than it is on TV.
Despite all of this, the Wings still sold almost 20,000 tickets per game, to the tune of 99%. A lot of people put tickets up on TicketExchange and StubHub. The last three seasons, with how bad the economy has been in Michigan, getting affordable tickets to pretty much any game except for the Cup finals last year was easy. And even the finals games had relatively affordable tickets, compared to ‘95, ‘97, ‘98, and ‘02. People are trying to sell tickets because they committed to season ticket packages, etc., that they could no longer afford.
Lastly, take a look at the TV numbers for the Wings if you need further proof.
At the half-way point of the season, FSN Detroit had shown 32 Wings games with an average rating of 3.7 (3rd best share in the league). The Ducks? Prime Ticket only had 17 telecasts with an average rating of 0.29. What’s more? The Ducks paltry 0.29 was UP 11.5%, while the Wings strong 3.7 was DOWN almost 22% from last season.
Take a look at the support for college hockey programs in CCHA schools in the area. Look at the Plymouth Whalers and Windsor Spitfires. Look at the youth hockey leagues that cover the state from Ann Arbor to Detroit. There’s no shortage of interest.
Here’s a fact—hockey is more important and more widely liked in Michigan than it is in California. Sorry. It’s the truth. All signs point to this fact. Is it crass to point out that, in general, we’re bigger hockey fans in Michigan than you are in California? Maybe. I don’t really care. We know damn well there are die-hards like Earl Sleek and Mike Chen that love hockey just as much as we do. And we respect that. But the bottom line is add the numbers up any way you want, and the facts say that there’s a lot more support for the sport of hockey, at all levels, in Michigan than there is in California.
Sometimes, people don’t go to the Joe not because they don’t want to, but because they just simply cannot spare the cash.
Also, don’t forget that Detroit is a four-sport town. The NHL and NBA seasons heavily overlap. The NHL playoffs and start of the MLB season overlap. And the NFL is pretty much a year-round obsession thanks to the months of draft coverage. We also have one of the premier college football programs in history in the state, and one of the best college basketball programs. So, even people that are financially stable look at the economy, and might say, perhaps I should only go to a couple games this year. There’s more competition for the Detroit sports entertainment dollar than most other cities in the country. I think Philly is probably the city most comparable and fervent in its love for its sports teams. Boston would be in the category as well. Cities like Chicago, LA and NYC have multiple teams in some sports, and those cities are so large and diverse that yes, they have tons of sports fans, but those fans have more choices. Different neighborhoods support the Sox instead of the Cubs. Michigan, on the other hand has four teams, one in each major sport, and pretty much everyone throughout the state supports all four of them.
What I’m trying to say is that you are more likely to find a sports fan in Michigan that is a die hard fan of three or even all four Detroit teams than you would in a lot of other cities. And as a result, the competition for the entertainment dollar is intense. So the hottest team or the team with the best story gets the most attention. The Wings had the Cup drought and the story of Stevie Y. longing for the Cup in ‘95 through ‘97. In ‘98 you had the Konstantinov situation that gave the Wings that extra storyline the other teams didn’t have. During that streak through the middle of the decade, the Pistons had the “blue collar attitude” with Ben Wallace, and the team concept instead of superstars, and that was something the team marketed well to a city that likes that kind of story. In ‘06 the Tigers took the spotlight because they were an underdog team that vastly exceeded expectations. They had two rookie pitchers throwing 100mph fastballs. In ‘06 and ‘07, the Tigers had the drama and extra oomph to draw the Detroit sports fan.
Now, the fans are just as passionate about all four teams as we’ve ever been. It’s just that a lot of people simply do not have the disposable income or job security to feel prudent thumping down $500 to take their wife and two kids to a Wings game and sit halfway up the upper bowl.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 04/28/09 at 11:21 AM ET
And that’s just totally awesome, because no. They can’t. They will be humiliated if they try. They don’t know that yet, but they’re going to find out real *#$%@& soon and watching them realize it is going to be as awesome as the first time 14-year-old-you snuck a peak at some pornography.
Hmm, this sounds like what I heard in ‘07.
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 11:22 AM ET
Then? Feel free to do your own regional census and compare the number of Wing fans in Southern California to Duck fans.
Y’all know The Entertainment Book? That $40 book filled with coupons for two-for-one early-bird dinner specials at bad restaurants that leave you feeling as if you still over paid? A couple of years ago, my wife received one as a gift. Guess what awaited inside—- 2-for-1 on Ducks tickets! Then I read the fine print: Not available for redemption for playoff games or games against the Detroit Red Wings.
I went to a Ducks game in January against the Lightining. The place was barely half full. I have been to playoff games at the Pond, err, Honda Center. Every time I have been able to buy a ticket (ableit a single seat) at the box office on game day.
Oh and their diggers are worse than ours. Here is the headline on the OC Register Blog: Ryan draws comparisons to Lemieux. And I checked, he was refering to Mario, not Claudia. Talk about hyperbole.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 04/28/09 at 11:22 AM ET
I had this dream last night.
An angry mob of Mexicans crossed the border and kissed Pronger on the mouth. When Sasquatch was done doing what he does to the rest of the team, they were all infected with swine flu.
Gary felt so bad that he canceled the rest of the playoffs and gave the Cup to San Jose because they were/are the best team in the NHL.
Posted by The Hurricane on 04/28/09 at 11:22 AM ET
One last point here that I think is worth making re: attendance.
The Detroit crowds so far have been OUTSTANDING.
I’ve been to some minor league playoff games around the area here in Michigan lately and the attendance for them is poor. They’re struggling mightily to convince people to spend their dollars, even for good playoff hockey. In the IHL… Fort Wayne is barely averaging 6,000/game in a barn that hold 10,000 and that they can normally sellout many times even in the regular season (and with a team favored to win the Turner Cup), and in Kalamazoo they only managed to draw about 3,000 in an arena that hold 5,500… and many of those were Ft. Wayne fans clad in orange and black. In Port Huron they were lucky to get 1,500 to their playoff home games against Muskegon. We sat on the glass (and right next to a bench, to boot) in Kalamazoo this past weekend for $15/ticket. They’re friggin’ cheap tickets, really… but people aren’t choosing them.
In GR, the Baby Wings are only managing 4,400/game despite a capacity of almost 11,000 for hockey in Van Andel, and despite a team that has advanced to the second round.
However, it’s impressive that it isn’t stopping people from trekking to Joe Louis Arena, knowing the prices are much, much higher and parking/leaving that is sometimes a nightmare.
Posted by Primis on 04/28/09 at 11:24 AM ET
Ducks 4, Fairy Wing Sack Nibblers 2.
Does Puck Daddy have a link to A2Y this morning or something? What’s with his readers showing up here and imparting their special brand of hockey wisdom?
Puckhead, you’ve thrown down the gauntlet, so let me put this in language you can understand:
ZOGM!1!1 Teh Wings iz teh Winnar fo NHL 20009 Datchuk and Hoosa ownz Joo so hard!!11! Steady pimpin cuz IMA gansta form D-twon bitz!!1!
Have I made myself clear?
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 11:24 AM ET
Most of my opinions I pull from various online internet computer URL websites, like the Puck Daddy forums and HockeyBuzz.
The Internet, eh? I hear they even have that on computers now.
Posted by Incognetis from Delaware... Hi... I'm in... Delaware on 04/28/09 at 11:27 AM ET
Well I was countering the counter-argument. Actually, G-t-L made an argument I wouldnt’ve. Even if you weren’t able to fill the rink, I’m the first to admit you’ve got more there who really care. Really, I hate how many fans at Ducks games are just there looking for entertainment with a disposable income. But we real Ducks fans are out there too.
So yes, referring to the Wings “fans” in SoCal.
Yes, people in metro Detroit have little disposable income right now.
There are a lot of TRUE Wings fans that are transplants. People that were born and raised in Michigan, but don’t live here, and haven’t lived here for a while. Heck, I’d guess 50-60% of the 19 are transplants. And good on ‘em. A lot of people had to get out of Michigan to find work outside the auto industry. It’s a sad truth. But one thing you can guarantee about a native Detroiter is that even when they move on, even if they’ve been out of the state for 20 years, they will always been true Wings, Pistons, Lions, and Tigers fans. Even as the Lions continue to embarrass themselves.
I’m not denying the presence of bandwagon Wing fans. We hate them more than you, I’d imagine. The point is that a lot more of the Wing fans that don’t currently reside in Michigan are legit born-and-bred Wings fans that did the smart thing and got the eff out of here before the big three imploded.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 04/28/09 at 11:27 AM ET
ZOGM!1!1 Teh Wings iz teh Winnar fo NHL 20009 Datchuk and Hoosa ownz Joo so hard!!11! Steady pimpin cuz IMA gansta form D-twon bitz!!1!
Have I made myself clear?
Mandingo, I’m too old to have any idea what that means, but it is still funny as hell and made coffee shoot out of my nose.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 04/28/09 at 11:27 AM ET
The Internet, eh? I hear they even have that on computers now.
They didn’t until Jonny Ericsson made it so.
Posted by Primis on 04/28/09 at 11:28 AM ET
Yeah, ya caught me on that line. But it just tends to be pretty true. Just chose to announce my entrance. No question your team is strong and your fan base is vast and loyal. You won’t hear otherwise from me.
Just pumped for a good series. Catch y’all around. But before I leave, just one more thing to put out there…
What’s Capt. Elbows McCaveman’s record against the Wings, playoff-wise, since the lockout?
Thought so…
Posted by Bleys from Irvine, CA on 04/28/09 at 11:30 AM ET
This is the kind of crap I just don’t understand. How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games; a team who has to advertise in the Columbus papers to attract BJ fans (including giving discounted rates) to fill up their arena, has to resort to belittling another NHL teams fan interest? Wing fans could almost choose any other topic… but fan interest?
Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 04/28/09 at 11:38 AM ET
Here’s something just for you.
http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2009/04/23/economy-ends-ducks-playoff-sellout-streak/11409/
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 04/28/09 at 11:31 AM ET
You really want to count those Wing “fans” among you? Wow. Sad day. Quality over quantity. Didn’t know the front-runner fans were really considered people. Don’t try it. Most of those guys can’t name 6 Red Wings players.
I’m with BBBlyes. You out-of-town *#$%@& around here annoy the hell out of me. RumBitch is pure clown. CaptainDennisPenisWagon gets on my last white blood cell. MO-littleboysplease-Wingsfan19 is dumber than the hair on JJ inKansas’ ball sack. Oh, can’t forget about that Bean Land guy and his photoshops—where the batshit were you when this blog existed back in the early 80’s, huh? You decide to show up with your clever little picture doodles now? Same goes for you too, Gabe, you *#$%@& phony.
The Chief might be the worst of all. Doesn’t even have land to claim, just floats out in the middle of the Atlantic somewhere beating it to a poster of Derek Jeter. I hate this blog.
Posted by Triple Deke Tyler from Lansing on 04/28/09 at 11:31 AM ET
I don’t even know what you’re talking about (nor do you, apparently).
And this problem is two-fold as it relates to our sports. Not only are hundreds of thousands of families in the area now unable or unwilling to spend a few hundred dollars to go to a Wings/Tigers/Pistons game, but now the corporations that purchased so many seats for their employees and clients can’t afford them either. The big three can’t spend money on that stuff any more. And neither can the thousands of mom and pop suppliers that are reliant on the big three’s business. And a lot of those corporate seats are the pricey ones in the lower bowl that make it look emptier than it is on TV.
As a taxpayer I feel no pain at all for you here. My point was “fan interest” should be a topic all wing fans should stay clear of.
Look, round up all your friends who are Duck fans. I’ll wait for 19 minutes while you do.
Nope, sorry not a Ducks fan at all. Just hate hypocrisy.
Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 04/28/09 at 11:31 AM ET
How is it a team who can not fill their own seats for playoff games;
KMA…....
Monday morning for grins I checked for seats at the Honda Ponda for last nights game thru Ticketmaster. Two available on the glass, first row, section 27 $450.00 per. Lot’s of seats up for grabs. Can’t fill seats…...look at your own kitchen before you bitch like a whiney little cheerleader about somebody else’s.
Of course, the seats will not be available next week because Wing fans will be sitting in them.
Posted by Rumbear from Top O da Hasek, sippin rum & catchin some rays on 04/28/09 at 11:33 AM ET
Can’t fill seats…...look at your own kitchen before you bitch like a whiney little cheerleader about somebody else’s.
I am not a Ducks fan, but your post is exactly my point. I am not the one bitching about “fan interest”. Your chief was the one who began the topic. I am simply pointing out the hypocrisy.
Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemiuex on 04/28/09 at 11:37 AM ET
Mandingo, I’m too old to have any idea what that means
Hope this helps…
“ZOGM!1!1 Teh Wings iz teh Winnar fo NHL 20009 Datchuk and Hoosa ownz Joo so hard!!11! Steady pimpin cuz IMA gansta form D-twon bitz!!1!”
Translation:
“Surely you must be joking, sir. The Detroit Red Wings are poised to win the 2009 Stanley Cup on the strength of Datsyuk and Hossa’s fine play. I fashion myself to be a street-wise urban warrior even though I’m a rich white kid from Grosse Point Woods.”
Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 04/28/09 at 11:38 AM ET
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090402/metro/904020403/
BJ fans are more classy (and more likely affected by the economic crisis) than your average Real Skank, err, Hosewife of Orange County or Laguna Beach brat. BJ fans don’t kick fellow Americans who are suffering while they are down. Leave it Anaheim Douche fans to do that.
Douche fan, if all you have to bring is Detroit is a boarded up waste land and the Wings can’t sell out their arena, do us all a favor and go back to suckling yo skanky, silicone-laden moma’s teat. If you want to participate in juvenile hockey heckling, you’re more than welcome to stay.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 04/28/09 at 11:40 AM ET
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