You sound like you are a pretty young guy unless you are just trying to troll.
Nah he has a point because hardcore fans follow what they love no matter what happens. Please see the miserable mass that is the fanbase of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However you can still be a "true" hockey fan and choose that enough is enough.
The players should just form their own league, rent ice and broadcast the games themselves if they're so smart. Want a bigger piece of the pie? Be self-employed. Don't want that? Take what you're offered and play your game for someone else.
The players should just form their own league, rent ice and broadcast the games themselves if they're so smart. Want a bigger piece of the pie? Be self-employed. Don't want that? Take what you're offered and play your game for someone else.
Ya really, if millionaires are unhappy and go on lockouts, why don't people making 40 000$ per year do it too?
I haven't read or heard a lot from this whole subject, but it's clear that some NHL franchises have a hard time to survive, something has to give
Why can't the players accept that they can't make as much as they would like... Is it better for them if the NHL would be dismantled so they'd make a lot less (except a few stars in the KHL)
Cut the pie in half and give us hockey damn greedy spoiled kids
It seems like the owners are banking on the "well the fans came back in droves last time so they'll do it again" line of thinking. Personally, I don't think it'll turn out that way.
After 04/05, you had two generational talents enter, and tear up, the league (Crosby & Ovechkin), and the NHL was able to focus all of their marketing efforts around them. Plus, you had all sorts of rule changes that opened the game up after the dead puck era.
If you look at it this year, none of that is on the horizon. Baseball didn't recover until the home run race with Sosa and McGwire, and that was what, 4 years after their strike?
Crosby/Ovechkin were hockey's Sosa and McGwire the first time... we may have to wait a while until that happens again.
I'd also say that there were more fans back then who felt that a lockout was a necessary evil, primarily to get small market teams like Ottawa, Edmonton, etc on a level playing field. I don't get that sense this time.
I strongly agree with this. Hopefully the fans don't just unanimously come back so it teaches them to avoid any future lockouts at all costs. Of course, any person posting here on hf-boards will almost definitely go back because we're all freaks for hockey. BUt this site only represents a very small percentage of all hockey fans, and hopefully the more casual ones will be pissed off enough to not watch for a bit.
People that separate "hardcore fans" from "casual fans" are elitist, and it's embarrassing to read.
Both groups want the same thing: for the owners and players to stop being stubborn, greedy dick heads and continue playing hockey.
Farting in public is embarrassing. Having a friend of yours / your community do something stupid or negative is embarrassing. Categorizing fans based on the amount of time they devote to a sports franchise is not. Do you know what the word "fan" means? It was created in the 1850's as an abbreviation for the word "fanatic". According to the dictionary, fanatic means:
Quote:
a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal
So I'm not sure what you are arguing. Today, because of the development of language, the word "fan" encompasses both "fanatic" and supporter, so in order to differentiate between the two, we place the adjectives "hardcore" and "casual" with the noun - fan. How is this "elitist" or embarrassing?
Either way, both casual fans and "hardcore" fans are real fans, whether you put on face paint, cheer until you're blue, follow every move from major to minor league to draft, watch quietly, watch all games, watch few games, all are equally peeved about the looming lockout.
People that separate "hardcore fans" from "casual fans" are elitist, and it's embarrassing to read.
Both groups want the same thing: for the owners and players to stop being stubborn, greedy dick heads and continue playing hockey.
That's your opinion.
In my mind, someone who watches 80 regular season is a "better" fan than someone who only supports the team when they're winning, and decides to forget about the team altogether when they're losing.
Call me elitist, I really don't care. Bottom line, I'm a BETTER fan than a 42 year old middle aged woman who watches the playoffs with her husband.
Anyone who sticks it out through tough times (including a lock out) and devotes a lot of their time to their team is a hardcore fan.
In my mind, someone who watches 80 regular season is a "better" fan than someone who only supports the team when they're winning.
So where do you draw the line? Is a fan who paints his face, attends every Senator's event, watches every game and buys every jersey, a better than a fan who simply watches every game?
Does a real fan have to attend games as well? Everyone is different, there's no such thing as a better fan, anyone who shows genuine support for the team, no matter how, is a real fan.
In my mind, someone who watches 80 regular season is a "better" fan than someone who only supports the team when they're winning, and decides to forget about the team altogether when they're losing.
Call me elitist, I really don't care. Bottom line, I'm a BETTER fan than a 42 year old middle aged woman who watches the playoffs with her husband.
Anyone who sticks it out through tough times (including a lock out) and devotes a lot of their time to their team is a hardcore fan.
I laughed pretty hard at the bolded. I have to agree with you. I'll definitely lose a lot of respect for the NHL, and hate them all with a passion this winter, but I'll be right back come October 2013.
I guess I shouldn't be shocked but I kinda am. I find it strange that Melnyk and co. would go up to the players, even Alfie, and "order" them to turn in their practice jerseys and socks. There wasn't any obligation for the team to do it after all, so why would they create more animosity with their own players like this when they could have just let them keep that stuff? Seems totally unnecessary to me. I dunno.
In my mind, someone who watches 80 regular season is a "better" fan than someone who only supports the team when they're winning, and decides to forget about the team altogether when they're losing.
Call me elitist, I really don't care. Bottom line, I'm a BETTER fan than a 42 year old middle aged woman who watches the playoffs with her husband.
Anyone who sticks it out through tough times (including a lock out) and devotes a lot of their time to their team is a hardcore fan.
I would differentiate between not supporting the NHL because of a lockout, and not supporting your team because they suck. It's completely apple's and orange's. If any fan went up to me and told me "I used to be a huge fan but these lockouts made pissed me off to where I don't care as much anymore" I would completely understand where he is coming from.
As I've said, if the NHL starts up again with some half assed 40 game garbage season, I'm not going to care that much about that specific year. Unfortunately due to the Alfie situation I'd probably be forced to watch, but if were going to lose half a season, just cancel the entire thing instead.
And of course, the real losers in all of this are the local businesses and the middle class/lower pay workers of the teams.
Well, some of the regular-folk who work for the teams have been sent home.
If the lockout lasts more than a month, I'm not watching anything this year. Arguing about how to split up millions of dollars, this is not right.
I would differentiate between not supporting the NHL because of a lockout, and not supporting your team because they suck. It's completely apple's and orange's. If any fan went up to me and told me "I used to be a huge fan but these lockouts made pissed me off to where I don't care as much anymore" I would completely understand where he is coming from.
As I've said, if the NHL starts up again with some half assed 40 game garbage season, I'm not going to care that much about that specific year. Unfortunately due to the Alfie situation I'd probably be forced to watch, but if were going to lose half a season, just cancel the entire thing instead.
And of course, the real losers in all of this are the local businesses and the middle class/lower pay workers of the teams.
But are you really going to ignore it? I do agree with what you're saying, but are you really going to ignore the season?
Maybe it's because I'm relatively young, maybe it's because I'm more hardcore than most hardcore fans, but absolutely nothing will ever keep me from watching the Senators.
There are a large number of people - including me - who never attended another game after 1994.
Well thanks to "fans" like you I lost my favourite team to Washington - I was able to at least go once a month when they were in Montreal...now if I see them once a year I'm lucky.
But are you really going to ignore it? I do agree with what you're saying, but are you really going to ignore the season?
Maybe it's because I'm relatively young, maybe it's because I'm more hardcore than most hardcore fans, but absolutely nothing will ever keep me from watching the Senators.
Ignore it 100%? No, but I certainly won't be as invested. Here are my examples if there is a shortened season of roughly 40 games or so and how it will affect myself. Every year I buy 1 Senators jersey, and maybe a hat or something. If the lockout goes that far? I already know I won't be making any merchandise purchases for that season.
Every season I take a road trip to 1-2 games, which isn't cheap. Ive been to tons of arena's out east and in the mid-west to watch Ottawa play, including playoff games in Ottawa, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. If there's a shortened season? I'm not taking any road trips for that season, it isn't worth it to me.
The next full season will I be back doing those things again? Yes, but I'm not shelling out money on some thrown together cockamanie season.
No. It's a lockout. You can't lockout employees who are willing to work (players are not striking; this is important) and replace them that way. Against labour laws in most jurisdictions.
"In the United States, under federal labor law, an employer may hire only temporary replacements during a lockout. In a strike, unless it is an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike, an employer may legally hire permanent replacements."
In Canada each province has legislation covering Lockout, Strike and Replacement workers. After reading some of the material available, it appears the NHL might be limited to players that aren't under existing contract to the club.
Last edited by Holdurbreathe: 09-15-2012 at 10:51 AM.
Ignore it 100%? No, but I certainly won't be as invested. Here are my examples if there is a shortened season of roughly 40 games or so and how it will affect myself. Every year I buy 1 Senators jersey, and maybe a hat or something. If the lockout goes that far? I already know I won't be making any merchandise purchases for that season.
Every season I take a road trip to 1-2 games, which isn't cheap. Ive been to tons of arena's out east and in the mid-west to watch Ottawa play, including playoff games in Ottawa, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. If there's a shortened season? I'm not taking any road trips for that season, it isn't worth it to me.
The next full season will I be back doing those things again? Yes, but I'm not shelling out money on some thrown together cockamanie season.
I'm definitely with you. I care way too much about the Sens to completely boycott them. I'll definitely still watch every game on tv. But I won't be buying any tickets this year if the lockout goes past October.
What a bunch of tools. Disappointed but not surprised. Will be going out of my way to not purchase NHL products. I will still no doubt enjoy watching the best players play, but the lack of consistency in the most simple concept of having a season creates a lasting negative feeling towards the league.
I strongly agree with this. Hopefully the fans don't just unanimously come back so it teaches them to avoid any future lockouts at all costs. Of course, any person posting here on hf-boards will almost definitely go back because we're all freaks for hockey. BUt this site only represents a very small percentage of all hockey fans, and hopefully the more casual ones will be pissed off enough to not watch for a bit.
