Forced 'thanks" ranks right up there with forced "apology".
I could do without both.
Sincerity goes along way.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Same with when eating at a friends place. Everything was drowned in mayo....my daughter hates mayo, but still told the hostess how much she loved the meal. I mean, she gets points for being polite, but I dont think anyone would appreciate a lie. So I told her in private later, instead of saying how good it was, rave about home much she appreciates the effort made in preparing it. The truth is always the best option...
My daughter, always one step ahead of me, replied "What if I don't appreciate the effort?"
To which I used the Dad "Wildcard" and said, "You better appreciate the effort!!!"
I don't know why I feel the need to tell this stroy as it is really contradictory ...
But I guess, I don't want an insincere 'Thanks'....although, the Oilers probably should have sincerely felt it...
Fan loyalty and caring is a stupid marketing ploy in the business of sports. Players move, get traded, whole teams move to other cities and all that is always claimed is, this is a business. What confuses me about this fan to player relationship is the fans are not treating the game the same way. What i mean is, do the oilers entertain you? Do they play hockey you want to watch? If you answered no and you are still buying tickets, then you a sucker. Why should the fans cheer for losers that suck at their job, and why should they recognize a season of failure by asking the paying fans to cheer for said losers.
These are millionaires, they don't care about you or if you cheer, time to smarten up. If the same management is here next year, if the same results are happening, guaranteed the same attendance and turn out keeps happening and people will buy not only tickets but an optimistic lie that this is the team of the future. Will you be willing to put up with the same crap next season? If so, you are a fan, but you are the reason teams like the Leafs can suck for years and not care.
Treat it like a business, they do, why can't we? Now that is not to suggest that a losing season or a missed playoffs here or there should be a reason you stop watching or throw your jersey away. But there is a difference between an occasional bad season, to complete chaos and mismanagement for over half a decade.
There is lots of truth to this brutally honest and bitter point of view. But like your name says take a drink. If you don't enjoy sports because the business of sports has jaded you to the point of disdain then tune out man! Or go watch a peewee game and renew your love of the game.
Did it rub the wrong way with some of you? Does that mean they hate us? Are we the worse fans in the league that they wouldn't even raise their sticks in appreciation of our support on the very last home game of the season? Did some fans kicked their team too much when they were down and out and they finally have enough? Or am I making a big thing out of nothing?
There is lots of truth to this brutally honest and bitter point of view. But like your name says take a drink. If you don't enjoy sports because the business of sports has jaded you to the point of disdain then tune out man! Or go watch a peewee game and renew your love of the game.
Oh don't get me wrong, i love the game. I am not bitter or jaded, i just treat the game like any other hobby, just a game nothing special but entertaining as hell. I think at some point its healthy to grow out of that child like obsession of viewing the game as some special or emotional bond between fans and a city.
Saying all that, i have been a life long oiler fan and i will keep watching, but i do pick and choose when i buy tickets or merchandise or spend any money on the oilers. I am sure it won't hurt them if one less person buys overly priced tickets lol.
Its actually more relaxing to watch sports for what they are. By the way, junior hockey is really entertaining, they are leagues that have not been completely polluted by marketing and big dollars.
Saluting the fans seems so obligatory nowadays. , I really don't care for it at all, unless they did something ridiculous. Maybe playoffs only or something.
Fan loyalty and caring is a stupid marketing ploy in the business of sports. Players move, get traded, whole teams move to other cities and all that is always claimed is, this is a business. What confuses me about this fan to player relationship is the fans are not treating the game the same way. What i mean is, do the oilers entertain you? Do they play hockey you want to watch? If you answered no and you are still buying tickets, then you a sucker. Why should the fans cheer for losers that suck at their job, and why should they recognize a season of failure by asking the paying fans to cheer for said losers.
These are millionaires, they don't care about you or if you cheer, time to smarten up. If the same management is here next year, if the same results are happening, guaranteed the same attendance and turn out keeps happening and people will buy not only tickets but an optimistic lie that this is the team of the future. Will you be willing to put up with the same crap next season? If so, you are a fan, but you are the reason teams like the Leafs can suck for years and not care.
Treat it like a business, they do, why can't we? Now that is not to suggest that a losing season or a missed playoffs here or there should be a reason you stop watching or throw your jersey away. But there is a difference between an occasional bad season, to complete chaos and mismanagement for over half a decade.
I dont agree with this....or at least not with the broad strokes you are painting everyone in.
Some players legitimatly care.
The amount of crap that gets flung at them, and they still take time to sign an item, or give a high five to a kid. Like Smytty walking out before the first period, there was a shy kid in the walk way....Smyth walked right up to him and 'tapped gloves', and walked away with the hugest smile on his face. (Smytty...not the kid)
Although, I think the players do care about the fans...but not the ones buying the tickets. It's the ticket buyers kids they care about. Really though, if you are a 30yr old chasing some 18 yr old for an autograph, or if you need a little wave of the hockey stick or high five, I think you need to do a little self evaluation.
They do not suck either. The are the worst of the best and that is still pretty darn good.
The amount of crap that gets flung at them, and they still take time to sign an item, or give a high five to a kid. Like Smytty walking out before the first period, there was a shy kid in the walk way....Smyth walked right up to him and 'tapped gloves', and walked away with the hugest smile on his face. (Smytty...not the kid)
Don't get me wrong when i say they don't care i am not slamming them as people. I am sure a lot of athletes are great people and fun to hang around. But you are asking human beings to care about what a bunch of strangers think of them.
They are mandated by their organizations to appear at charity functions, fan events, hospitals and other public appearances to build a rapport with the community and the fan base. Just because they are required to be at a current amount of functions does not mean that they are miserable or not happy to be there. They love their job and i am sure most love their job for all it entails even the outside of the arena aspect of it. But they do it because they are told to, if the mandate would change and players would have a choice in the matter then you would have a lot less appearances.
Don't get me wrong when i say they don't care i am not slamming them as people. I am sure a lot of athletes are great people and fun to hang around. But you are asking human beings to care about what a bunch of strangers think of them.
They are mandated by their organizations to appear at charity functions, fan events, hospitals and other public appearances to build a rapport with the community and the fan base. Just because they are required to be at a current amount of functions does not mean that they are miserable or not happy to be there. They love their job and i am sure most love their job for all it entails even the outside of the arena aspect of it. But they do it because they are told to, if the mandate would change and players would have a choice in the matter then you would have a lot less appearances.
My wife works at the stollery as an RN, and the Oilers are there all the time, those guys legitimately enjoy giving back to the community and if you had ever seen the smiles on the faces of those sick kids at the sight of those hockey players it would bring your heart into your throat and tears to your eyes.
