Abel to Yzerman
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Western Swing After Action
by IwoCPO on 12/30/07 at 11:06 AM ET
Comments (9)
Another productive trip West. A whitewash of our JV sisters from St. Louis, a grinding win over the mediocre Dive and last night’s slush-fest in Phoenix. 6 possible points: done.
Check this out: counting OT and the now completely lifeless shootouts, the Wings have lost seven times on the road out of twenty games.
Of those 7 losses?
6 have been against the Central. The Wings are 9-1 against the vastly superior Pacific and Northwest divisions…in their buildings. The one loss coming 15 October to the Poultry in Anaheim.
All of a sudden, the Wings know how to win out West where woe used to wait. One more piece of evidence that this team is on a mission, one that began with ten minutes remaining in Game 6 of last year’s WCF.
Oh. Sorry. For you Dive fans, “WCF” means Western Conference Finals. It’s the last stage of the playoffs prior to the Stanley Cup. I understand many of you are new to the sport after the bandwagon broke down last April. Man. There I go again. Smug. Arrogant. Dismissive.
Exactly. I was remiss Friday in that I failed to post a comprehensive review of the Wing/Dive game. Yeah…sorry. It’s just that…well, what was I supposed to say? Wings travel to Denver, another Detroit hidden draft gem (Filppula) outplays another crop of heralded Denver youngsters, another win for Dominik Hasek against the Dive. Wings continue the domination of a team that hasn’t done squat since Patrick Roy was chased from the Joe in ‘02. Ho-frigging-hum.
Everyone understand when I refer to the Denver hockey team as the “Dive”? That’s fairly apparent, right? I don’t have to explain it? Oh, you’ve seen it elsewhere. Got it. Ever hear the term, “beige Wings”? Yeah..didn’t think so. Doesn’t exactly have a ring to it does it? Not as catchy as AQ’s “axis of evil”, which I respect. “Beige Wings”? After years of beat downs preceded by a fierce rivalry that’s the best a Dive fan can do?
Hell I call them the Beige Wings because, outside Chelios and Hasek, that red club has no discernible personality.
Oh.
That’s from a blog entry apparently written mere moments after the game Thursday. Plenty of venom in that one, boy. That’s cool. We like venom.
The last 11 years or so I have hated them, as they have been an entirely hateable team. The Coward McCarty, “Picasso” Draper, washed up Cicarelli and their fans, well there’s no denying their fans are far and away the most insufferable in the league. I know I am biased, but even an impartial Sharks season-ticket holder, one who doesn’t hate anyone, hates Beige Wings fans. He says they are the most rude, obnoxious, narcissistic, and really not very bright fans on the planet. This isn’t from a biased Avs fan mind you, but a Sharks season ticket holder who went into hockey with no bias.
Darren McCarty’s a coward? Oh that’s right. Mike Keane said that after Mac beat down the turtle at the Joe. Let’s put this one to rest. Does anyone in their right mind actually think McCarty was afraid to go after Lemieux in Denver? Does that make any sense at all? It’s been almost eleven years, so there must be at least seven or eight Denver hockey fans left who watched it. What would McCarty have been scared of? Darren Garcia jumping out of the stands and joining two men grappling in front of thousands of people? Don’t answer that.
I wonder if McCarty waited until the teams met in March, in Detroit, because (1) the playoffs were week away and he saw it as an opportunity to provide the team a lift—which we know he did, (2) he wanted to beat Lemieux’s ass in front of a Hockeytown crowd because he was a Hockeytown guy, or (c) that’s just the way the Dive cookie crumbled. The stars happened to align. Larionov went after Forsberg. Lemieux happened to be on the ice at the same time as Mac. Lemieux was in the vicinity so Darren beat his ass?
Back to the “Beige Wings” manifesto, written a few minutes after another Detroit victory in Denver before a quiet crowd buzzed on white wine. A Sharks fan hates the Wings? Say it isn’t so. We’re rude, obnoxious and narcissistic? Exactly. I don’t know what narcissistic means but when combined with rude and obnoxious, I’ll take it. If you’re a Dive fan, yep…I’m rude. When the Wings whip Denver, again, yes I will be obnoxious. Hopefully it will happen in the playoffs so I can rub it in even deeper. Naturally, you have to hold up your end of the bargain and, you know, get there.
I’m no beat writer. There are no community standards I have to live by. I…don’t…like Avalanche fans. Sorry.
But hey, animosity between fan bases—even those with such significant disparity in volume and knowledge—isn’t going to hurt anybody. Right?
Sure there’s still the occasional Red Wing know-it-all that feels because you have only had your hockey club for 11 years that somehow you are an inferior fan, but they are pretty harmless.
On the money in all respects.
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Comments
Not only are we fans rude, obnoxious, narcissistic:
MIND GAMES: Having the last line at home is supposed to be an advantage. Sometimes, the Wings gain a mental advantage on the other team’s players who get switched out after the opposing coach sees which line Babcock sends on the ice.
“Just think about this, you’re out there for the face-off in the offensive zone and you’re the best player on the other team and I get my guys coming over the boards and now your coach takes you out of the game,” Babcock said before Saturday’s game. “And that (angers) them.
“I love that. As soon as that happens, for me, I just go, ‘Yeah!’ “
Posted by w2j2 on 12/30/07 at 01:20 PM ET
Jibbleribbits hasn’t posted since the Wings game on the 27th.
With the news on Sakic, and last nights loss to the Kings, I think maybe someone should check on him and make sure he is not left unattended.
From MILE HIGH HOCKEY:
” It’s one thing to lose at home against the best team in the league. It’s quite another thing to lose at home to the worst team in the league two days later. The Kings ended an eight-game losing streak with their 3-1 win against the Avs.”
The Av’s play Bryzzy and the Desert Dogs tomorrow night, and then again in the thin air Jan 2.
NO WAGERING ALLOWED….Strictly for entertainment purposes only.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 12/30/07 at 03:01 PM ET
It’s gotta suck to be a fan of a team other than the Wings. Even worse, when you live your life by running down the whole Redwings organ-I-zation from the terrible prospects to the active roster social security recipients. “Mac’s a coward” and “Beige Wings”... Oh the hatred!
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/30/07 at 05:45 PM ET
I know I am biased, but even an impartial Sharks season-ticket holder, one who doesn’t hate anyone, hates Beige Wings fans. He says they are the most rude, obnoxious, narcissistic, and really not very bright fans on the planet. This isn’t from a biased Avs fan mind you, but a Sharks season ticket holder who went into hockey with no bias.
(sigh)
Generalizing an entire fan base from the few members of it you have met.
Gaining support for such generalizations by reference to a sample size of one from another fan base.
He says they are the most rude, obnoxious, narcissistic, and really not very bright fans on the planet.
So, an extremely well-traveled young man, I see, if he has met representatives of all the fans of all the teams in all the sports played on the planet. And has he ever encountered a Red Sox fan, perchance? If you want narcissism, there is a pretty good place to start. 
Trash talk is fine, but for goodness sake show a little bit of invention and creativity. Resorting to the same old hyperbole is both intellectually lazy and just plain lame.
Sad effort. Just sad.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/30/07 at 07:16 PM ET
Like Baroque says, Sharks fans are stupid.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/30/07 at 09:05 PM ET
Just got back from out of town and caught up on the highlights, posts, comments, beautiful family (hotty wife) pictures…great stuff all around.
Congratulations on the 2 year anniversary Chief! Thanks for delivering and hosting the insights and laughs.
I would also like to nominate myself for co-genius award because I backed you on the Fil prediction all the way. I also have a long term prediction on the table; Selke. Wait till that kid hits Hank’s age and he’ll be a perennial contender.
And a scientific announcement as well, one that will be published as an excel sheet–––I have recently discovered some drastic mutations in the genetic structures of some mammals passing themselves as homo-sapiens. They can only be distinguished by their strange attachment to the color blue and bizzare skull structure, which makes them say things like the following:
Dude, I’m ruggedly handsome in a Marlboro Man sort of way. Chicks love my look.
So you’re a gay cowboy with cancer? There is a certain Mrs. Garcia you should meet; hell, we will even live blog the date and bathtub proposal.
Posted by srt on 12/30/07 at 11:45 PM ET
Not one of the ‘Dive fans at work would even look at me. I cornered one and made him talk, nothing to say except “Well if we’d had Sakic…”
“Oh really? I just wish we’d had Hank, and Homer, ya know, the other two forwards on our top line.” Then… nothing at all. I F-in love it.
Posted by wingsfanindenver from 'lancheland on 12/31/07 at 01:16 AM ET
Like Baroque says, Sharks fans are stupid.
Hey!
I was just noting that this particular Sharks fan seems prone to unsupported hyperbole. Maybe he should see someone for that before it gets worse.
I actually haven’t ever met a Sharks fan. I’d like to, someday - if only to ask when such a talented, skilled, large, fast, young, quick, skillful team is going to deliver on all the promised potential and not fold like a cheap tent in the second round of the playoffs when an opponent doesn’t roll over obediently as soon as San Jose gets a couple wins in the series.
(btw, I hope you’re feeling better, Gabriel.)
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/31/07 at 08:57 AM ET
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So when they sip their white whine, do they nibble on brie, or do they bite the heads off ducklings paddling around the ‘can?
Posted by w2j2 on 12/30/07 at 01:17 PM ET