It’s their superiority complex, that smug conviction that on the first day, God created Hockey Town and then got around to less important chores later.

He didn’t?

Posted by Incognetis from Delaware... Hi... I'm in... Delaware on 06/15/09 at 08:09 AM ET

I love how writers assume that because people are Red Wings fans they are inevitably fans of the other sports teams in Detroit - instead of either being fans of other teams in other sports, or (as in my case) not following football at all, so I couldn’t possibly care less how bad the Lions are.  Fans of any one sport aren’t nec. fans of all other sports.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 08:16 AM ET

Nothing better than a sore winner…

Perhaps he should focus more on enjoying his home team’s (and town’s) success, and less on rubbing dirt in other people’s wounds. The route he’s going now just makes him look like a classless clod.

There are plenty of positive, more relevant, less douchey storylines he could’ve gone with. Here are just a few:
- Malkin. Period.
- MAF not falling apart in game seven on the road.
- Crosby’s injury in game seven, the team fighting through it to win, etc.
- Gonchar playing through a torn knee ligament.
- Bill Guerin’s second Cup.

And for the losers:
- Lidstrom, Cleary, Rafalski and Datsyuk playing through significant injuries.
- Chris Osgood’s excellent post-season (compare/contrast to regular season troubles).
- What does Marian Hossa do now?
- Wings youth looking good for years to come (Helm, Abdelkader, Ericsson, Leino).

There are lots of topics he could’ve tackled. It’s a reflection on his class that he decided to go the “bash Detroit” route. It’s always funny to me when cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh insult Detroit. Two midwestern cities that should know damn well the heartache and struggle the city of Detroit is dealing with now. Yet they’ve got classy writers throwing out garbage like this. Fortunately, the majority of the fans in Pittsburgh are a lot classier than this d-hole.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/15/09 at 08:27 AM ET

I am amused, yet so very saddened, how “news” is no longer news anymore. It’s just articles full of opinions.

Hey Caulton, get a blog and post your screed there. It’s no wonder newspapers are going into the toilet these days.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 08:28 AM ET

If there is a “Worst Winner” award, the Pens fans and their media are certainly front-runners for such an auspicious award.

But don’t read too much into any of this. Football fans and football beat writers paying attention to hockey for eight weeks, they are bound to be clueless and ill-informed.

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/15/09 at 08:30 AM ET

I am amused, yet so very saddened, how “news” is no longer news anymore. It’s just articles full of opinions.

Hey Caulton, get a blog and post your screed there. It’s no wonder newspapers are going into the toilet these days.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 09:28 AM ET

Bingo.  I think sports may have started it, but it’s spread everywhere.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 08:38 AM ET

This isn’t a Pittsburgh newspaper.  There is an increasingly large group of people outside of Pittsburgh who agree with that view.

Posted by Tyler on 06/15/09 at 08:40 AM ET

There is an increasingly large group of people outside of Pittsburgh who agree with that view

Translation: “My brother, a guy he used to work with, and I agree with this”

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/15/09 at 08:53 AM ET

This isn’t a Pittsburgh newspaper

He’s right. It’s a Chapel Hill, North Carolina newspaper.

Looks like my original post is even more correct.

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/15/09 at 08:54 AM ET

Posted by Tyler on 06/15/09 at 09:40 AM ET

We know.  It’s from Carolina - hence the analogy to tobacco and textiles at the end.

Nathan and Alan were speaking in generalities that are applicable to many, many of the articles that are coming out of Pittsburgh.

I am kind of curious why there isn’t more talk about Malkin.  He was a very deserving Conn Smythe winner and I would think there would be more talk about the contrast between his no-show season last year and this year.  Lack of English is no excuse - there are people who will translate Russian for the reporters.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 08:57 AM ET

This isn’t a Pittsburgh newspaper

Oh, I know that. I’m quite familiar with the paper. I visit North Carolina about five or six times a year.

I’m speaking in general. Every paper from the NY Times to the Clayton News Daily (the local paper I get in the suburb of Atlanta I live in) has opinions masquerading as news. The LA Times printed an advertisement earlier this year that was masquerading as news. News programs on TV, like your 6pm news telecast, sometimes features “consumer reports” that are more like advertisement for various products.

The quality of news has degenerated over the years, and it’s only getting worse. My point was that this guy is just throwing his opinions out there and the paper is calling it news. And then the newspapers across the country wonder why subscribers are fleeing. While this isn’t the sole reason, it is an example.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 09:10 AM ET

Nathan and Alan were speaking in generalities that are applicable to many, many of the articles that are coming out of Pittsburgh.

Posted by Baroque

Not by the Pittsburgh newspapers I’ve read, eg. Trib and Post-Gazette. They’re far more concerned about celebrating the Cup and players rather than attributing Detroit with various forms of negativity.

The Pittsburgh blogs are obviously different. As objectively challenged as A2Y, which is a part of the charm.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/15/09 at 09:20 AM ET

The quality of news has degenerated over the years, and it’s only getting worse. My point was that this guy is just throwing his opinions out there and the paper is calling it news. And then the newspapers across the country wonder why subscribers are fleeing. While this isn’t the sole reason, it is an example.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 10:10 AM ET

And then the best part is they wonder why the American public isn’t more informed and engaged in civic society, while if they might have been doing their jobs people might have more facts at their disposal to make informed opinions.

Although the “infotainment” or whatever they call it of television news is the worst.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 09:29 AM ET

This is a frustrating article because any Wings fan who posts and says “no we’re not!” looks a little whiny and self absorbed anyway.

But I will say this…I live in Pittsburgh right now, and I can tell you without a doubt that this city is brimming with people who believe their team walks on water, that they can do no wrong, that they are entitled to the cup, and that the Wings unfairly took it from them last year.  Every successful team has blindly loyal fans, to say that this is an anomaly exclusive to the Wings in disingenuous.

Congrats Pens, you earned the cup!  See you in the finals next year!

Posted by John from Pittsburgh, PA (Wings fan for life!) on 06/15/09 at 09:34 AM ET

And then the best part is they wonder why the American public isn’t more informed and engaged in civic society, while if they might have been doing their jobs people might have more facts at their disposal to make informed opinions.

Although the “infotainment” or whatever they call it of television news is the worst.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:29 AM ET

That’s exactly it! Those who really want to be informed have to find other sources. Those sources are becoming more scarce as time goes on. Meanwhile, papers like the AJC are starting to more closely resemble the Weekly World News. It’s frustrating that we have such a thirst for knowledge, and yet can’t seem to find anything reliable anymore.

Even CNN, Fox, MSNBC, et al are full of “infotainment” anymore. I loathe that. Rarely do I ever wish ill upon people, but I hope those who created that sort of thing die in a fire of epic proportions.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 09:35 AM ET

Even CNN, Fox, MSNBC, et al are full of “infotainment” anymore. I loathe that. Rarely do I ever wish ill upon people, but I hope those who created that sort of thing die in a fire of epic proportions.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 10:35 AM ET

And then the rest of us will be treated to a never-ending loop of scenes from the fire, with a ticker running across the bottom of the screen reading “BREAKING NEWS! Fire still burning ... Further updates whether or not events warrant as we have the attention span of gnats and can’t worry about anything else as long as we are looking at the pretty flames, despite the fact we have no new information to offer the viewers ...”

I don’t like being fed poop for news.  :(

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 09:46 AM ET

This isn’t a Pittsburgh newspaper.  There is an increasingly large group of people outside of Pittsburgh who agree with that view.

Posted by Tyler on 06/15/09 at 09:40 AM ET

Good.  Every single one of them can suck it while they ponder why their team hasn’t had the long term success Detroit has.

We’re Wing fans.  Our team has provided us the priceless opportunity and privelege to be cocky and arrogant. I, for one, appreciate it and honestly could not care less if the rest of the hockey world “agree with that view” or not.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 06/15/09 at 09:57 AM ET

Good.  Every single one of them can suck it while they ponder why their team hasn’t had the long term success Detroit has.

I think that the answer is pretty obviously “Detroit got wildly lucky on two late round draft picks” but that’s just me.  The Wings are a well run team, with smart management, but that’s a pretty extraordinary twist of fate.

We’re Wing fans.  Our team has provided us the priceless opportunity and privelege to be cocky and arrogant. I, for one, appreciate it and honestly could not care less if the rest of the hockey world “agree with that view” or not.

That’s cool Chief.  I’m not affiliated with either fanbase, although I was cheering for the Pens because I was turned off less by their fans.  If you acknowledge that you guys are cocky and arrogant, you can hardly complain when the rest of the world enjoys seeing you suffer a bit.

Posted by Tyler on 06/15/09 at 10:25 AM ET

I think that the answer is pretty obviously “Detroit got wildly lucky on two late round draft picks” but that’s just me.

It would be if it was two late round draft picks.  The Wings have spent the last 20 years finding and drafting players that nobody else even looks at, and they continue to do it.

Luck?  Right.  Luck that’s been running for 20 years.

Posted by Garth on 06/15/09 at 10:46 AM ET

Detroit got wildly lucky on two late round draft picks

Does that include Ericsson Tyler?  Because he wasn’t just a “late round” draft pick. He was the LAST draft pick. 

Do we really need to run down all the management “luck” the Wings have had?

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 06/15/09 at 10:49 AM ET

I love how writers assume that because people are Red Wings fans they are inevitably fans of the other sports teams in Detroit…

Or that they even live in, or anywhere near, Detroit. Attacking other Detroit teams or the city itself as a way of “hurting” Wings fans is an exercise in futility. If you want to “hurt” Wings fans that way, you’d have to attack half of the cities in America…and many more in Canada and Europe.

I’ve always thought of “Hockeytown” as being anywhere a Wings fan lives. Detroit is just its base of operation.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/15/09 at 11:06 AM ET

People think Detroit has a feeling of entitlement?  Just wait until (if) a canadian team wins the Cup… a fortiori Toronto and Montreal;  you’ll see what superiority complex and entitlement really means!  Detroit will look humble as a peasant in contrast…

Posted by Laydownthelaw from Gatineau on 06/15/09 at 11:07 AM ET

Does that include Ericsson Tyler?  Because he wasn’t just a “late round” draft pick. He was the LAST draft pick.

I don’t think that Ericsson is the motor that drives the Wings.

Do we really need to run down all the management “luck” the Wings have had?

You tell me who you think that the huge difference makers on the team are.  If I was picking three, I’d say Nick Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.  Leaving Lidstrom aside, because his presence has very little to do with the current management, Datsyuk and Zetterberg were what, sixth and seventh round picks?  I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Wings had no idea what kind of players they were getting, or they would have picked them a hell of a lot earlier.  They may well be the best two players picked that late ever.  I don’t see how you can spin this - the Wings got lucky and hit on some picks, without which they aren’t the team that they are today.

There’s a lot of stuff to praise about Holland and his management team - in particular, they’ve done a fantastic job creating an environment that players are willing to take less to be in, they’ve astutely realized that they don’t need to spend a ton of money on goalies (and that average goaltending can win Cups) and that it’s inefficient to do so and they obviously know how to work the CBA.  I’m sure that they’d be a good team even if they hadn’t had the good fortune to draft Hank and Datsyuk - they’d probably spend the money that they’re spending on them well.  I doubt that they’d be AS good, but then those are two of the best players in the league and not particularly cheap to replace on the open market.  You might be able to replace one of them with the money.

The cap is really the thing - it’s a relentless beast that hunts all times, slicing off valuable assets.  Detroit’s been getting worse since the lockout, going +96, +55, +71, +51…it gets tougher next year, with the cap not increasing and some guys going onto new deals, without a lot of poorly spent money coming off the roster.  If the Wings are going to be a +50 team for the foreseeable future, Holland better shake another Zetterberg or Datsyuk out of the tree, something he can pay $1MM-$2MM with huge results from.  We’ll see if he pulls it off.

Posted by Tyler on 06/15/09 at 11:16 AM ET

Holland better shake another Zetterberg or Datsyuk out of the tree, something he can pay $1MM-$2MM with huge results from.

Tyler, meet Ville Leino and Darren Helm.

Posted by Garth on 06/15/09 at 11:52 AM ET

Why should anyone be shocked that a Navy man is cocky?

That is issued to them with their uniforms, I believe. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 11:57 AM ET

People like to bash Detroit, that was the point. There’s no need for it. It simply makes people from other cities feel better about the own inadequacies of their community.

Like John says, the point of being a fan is that you are generally blindly loyal to your team. Every fan base has it’s arrogant and ignorant followers that use no logic or reason, and at the same time, a core fan base of die-hards that actually watch all the games and know how to put forth a useful opinion.

It just sucks when the arrogant and ignorant followers end up in the press.

And yes, wait till a Canadian team wins the Cup again. Fans of the other 23 teams will be wishing Detroit had just won the Cup again.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/15/09 at 11:58 AM ET

And yes, wait till a Canadian team wins the Cup again. Fans of the other 23 teams will be wishing Detroit had just won the Cup again.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson’s ice cream truck on 06/15/09 at 12:58 PM ET

The Brian Burke led Maple Leafs. 

Just think - he will be in all his glory talking to the press.  But what will the poor sports writers in Toronto do if they can’t talk about 1967 and how the stupid fans will pay to see bad hockey and should boycott the team to give it an incentive to improve?  We will see journalists out on the streets with signs - “will write hockey-related drek for food.”  How sad.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 12:10 PM ET

But what will the poor sports writers in Toronto do if they can’t talk about 1967 and how the stupid fans will pay to see bad hockey and should boycott the team to give it an incentive to improve?

If the fans don’t buy the tickets, businesses will. No incentive to improve at all. 

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 12:22 PM ET

If the fans don’t buy the tickets, businesses will. No incentive to improve at all. 

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 01:22 PM ET

Exactly.  Clearly we both have more insight than the average Toronto sports reporter into the deep, dark inner workings of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.

Wait ... I think I can hear them thinking ... it sounds like $$$$$$$$$$.

(Oh, and the Atlanta Thrashers should ditch their red thirds - everyone likes the blue ones so much that they refer to “Blueland,” and then they have thirds that are RED? Pointless.  And the blue should be darker, more of an electric blue.  That would look fantastic against the ice.  And maybe the Thrasher should be more biologically correct.) 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 12:29 PM ET

Oh, and the Atlanta Thrashers should ditch their red thirds - everyone likes the blue ones so much that they refer to “Blueland,” and then they have thirds that are RED? Pointless.

As much as I actually grew to like the red thirds, I agree with you. It’s funny, because they call it “CODE RED” when they’re in the thirds. Also in major agreement with the darker blue idea. The baby blue doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of the opposition like the Winged Wheel does. And having the team name/city name down the sleeves of the home sweater is abhorrent. Given the choice between the home and the third last season, I bought the third solely because of that. I know exactly what city I’m in and what team I’m watching, thanks.

... Er.. ah, ahem…

*steps off soap box*

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 01:00 PM ET

Given the choice between the home and the third last season, I bought the third solely because of that. I know exactly what city I’m in and what team I’m watching, thanks.

Fortunately for you, you don’t follow the Calgary Flames.  Here is some of the discussion (scroll down) where they released their new jerseys with the national and provincial flag patches - just in case someone didn’t know what country the team was in. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 01:25 PM ET

From your linked article:

“Our jersey incorporates our strong history, the latest in technology, and is something our players and fans will be proud to wear.”

Hoooly shit. History? If they wanted to recognize history, the sweaters would have the Georgia state flag and the US flag on them!

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/15/09 at 02:19 PM ET