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(NHL Playoffs) Rite of Spring 2017: can't go on, no, I'll go on


The_Admiral

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Speaking of the Capitals... oof. 

 

Like I said, I felt like last night's Ducks game was the brink of being Ducks or Sharks/Capitals, and these last four years were bad enough. But I can't imagine how bad that one felt. Again. For the umpteenth time.

 

I don't know what you do with the Capitals, much like I never knew what to do with the Sharks. At least the Sharks made a couple conference finals along the way, but not making past the second round and doing in the fashion they've done it against the teams they've done it against is rough.

 

You can try to keep it all together, reload your free agents, and just hope you someday break through like the Sharks finally did last year, or you have to break it up. I know it's hard to say keep it together and keep trying because you've seen what this group amounted to, but they've still been the regular season class of the league for as many years. There's not much more to ask of them in that department.

 

They've tried new coaches, new goalies, new players all around, but what else can you do? The focus goes to Ovechkin, but he's just a goal scoring winger and it's a team sport, there's a lot to it. He's the constant on the team and its captain, but is it his fault? I know they obviously could've used *A* goal last night, and NHL Network pointed out he could used just an inch more hustle on the Penguins' two goals. But I don't know.

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14 hours ago, the admiral said:

To be honest, I would watch the World Series of Parcheesi before I watched the goddamn Nashville Predators and their derpy crypto-racist boy-scout fans

I believe I mentioned this before, but I don't quite get where this belief that the Predators fans are racist.  When we went to a game just a couple months ago, more fans are wearing Subban jerseys than any other player, and by a decent margin.  He also got the loudest cheer during the announcement of the starting lineups, as well as getting the loudest cheers whenever he had the puck or made a good play.

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16 hours ago, ElwoodCuse said:

 

Why would it be funny, they're super fatigued from winning the cup last year, missing Letang and Murray (who you should absolutely not believe is game-ready yet), and this whole thing is the result of an incredibly stupid playoff format.

 

It's impossible to repeat, but a beat-up Penguins team beat the two best teams in the east. This season is a success no matter what happens now.

 

It's more of Columbus (but mainly Washington) not being able to handle them... but the Senators? A team that was marginally weaker than the other two?

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36 minutes ago, LMU said:

The Samueli olive branch must have been massive.

 

 

 

I didn't think I could've been any happier about last night, but seeing Paul Kariya with the Mighty Ducks logo back on his chest did it.

 

Chills. Awesome. Nearly tears haha.

 

I've had a lot of thoughts about Paul Kariya through the years. From being my favorite player, captain and the "off the floor, on the board" moment... to him leaving immediately after our first Stanley Cup Final, turning his back on the team, going places he thought were "better shots at the Cup"... to being devastated by concussions, cutting his career short, never winning a Cup, and distancing himself from the game... it's all in the past, and I hope we see more of Paul Kariya in Anaheim. Maybe eventually a number 9 in the rafters, right next to that number 8, like it was for so many years. Maybe.

 

Either way. It's a good first step, and I hope Paul sees the huge positive reaction and knows it's okay to come back and that we want him back. (And that he didn't just do it because of the make a wish kid.)

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7 hours ago, ninersdd said:

Since 98 when the Caps made the Final, I believe only the Jackets, Thrashers, Panthers, and Islanders have failed to reach the final 4 alongside the Caps.

The Islanders barely can make the playoffs. If they do, they are out in the first round, outside of last years outlier. 

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3 hours ago, LMU said:

The Samueli olive branch must have been massive.

 

 

 

Firstly, holy cow he's back. I hope this is the start of him being part of the organization again.

 

Secondly, I don't think the Samueli's really extended an olive branch. There was an article written relatively recently after Selanne was on a podcast (Ray Ferraro's?) where he said the Ducks organization has been trying forever to get Kariya back into the fold but Kariya kept turning them down. This because Kariya left the hockey world due to his concussions and how he feels the league deals with concussions. The writer of the article reached out to the Ducks who responded saying Kariya is welcome anytime and he knows it.

 

And thirdly, for crossing off number 8 it's got to be Sandis Ozolinsh. No one more famous for wearing 8 on the Ducks.

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4 hours ago, HedleyLamarr said:

I believe I mentioned this before, but I don't quite get where this belief that the Predators fans are racist.

The way they talk about certain northern cities as hives of rape and murder is pretty easy to decode, especially because most southern hockey fans aren't multi-generational southerners but rather somewhere along the line moved down from the suburbs of those northern cities. Middle Tennessee in particular is full of people who moved down from Michigan, such that the Perds used to do all sorts of trade-your-Wings-stuff-for-Perds-stuff promotions. And whenever they play the Hawks and the topic of the city of Chicago comes up, man, pull the string and watch 'em go. They don't impress me one bit, combining all the aw-shucks sanctimony of the BFIBs with to this point still never having won anything. They're feelin' themselves way too much. 

 

Of course they love Subban, they're smart enough to know the eyes of the hockey world are upon them after Subban was traded there because Montreal Hates All Black People. The BFIBs liked Jason Heyward once too.

♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫

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2 minutes ago, the admiral said:

The way they talk about certain northern cities as hives of rape and murder is pretty easy to decode, especially because most southern hockey fans aren't multi-generational southerners but rather somewhere along the line moved down from the suburbs of those northern cities. Middle Tennessee in particular is full of people who moved down from Michigan, such that the Perds used to do all sorts of trade-your-Wings-stuff-for-Perds-stuff promotions. And whenever they play the Hawks and the topic of the city of Chicago comes up, man, pull the string and watch 'em go. They don't impress me one bit, combining all the aw-shucks sanctimony of the BFIBs with to this point still never having won anything.

I'm a biracial Preds fan, who is quick to shut down racist trolls, and I've never seen one such rant/rave. In fact, though racism is still alive and well, in the south (every time I visit extended family in TN, I'm reminded of this), I find the Preds fanbase remarkably free of it, overt, or otherwise. Not 100%, but no fanbase is. Much more so than the Titans games I went to, or even the Wild fans (the most polite bigotry you've ever encountered).

 

As to your comment about most southern hockey fans being transplants, that was true in the early days, but now, I'd say transplants account for a little less than half (and that's erring on the side of caution), at least with Nashville. Not sure what crawled up your five hole, but it sounds like there's very little joy in your life.

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A few years ago: "Winnipeg Jets fans are racists."
No problemo!

 

Today: "Nashville Predators fans are racists."
HOW DARE YOU, SIR!

 

24 minutes ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

Not sure what crawled up your five hole, but it sounds like there's very little joy in your life.

I'll take admiral being a curmudgeon over the thin skin of #Sunbeltfans

 

"OH NO, THE MEAN MAN ON THE CANADIAN TV MADE A JOKE ABOUT THE LIGHTNING'S TICKET PRICES!"

 

You wanna bust our balls for being "snobs" and "traditionalists"? Fine. Hell, make fun of how much of a pain in the ass it is to drive around Toronto or Chicago in the winter. I don't know what that accomplishes it, but you do you.

Your teams have their own foibles though. So if you want to make a "losers since '67" joke, fine. Just don't act hurt and put down when I joke about your team banning the other team's jerseys from the club level. Sunbelt hockey fans tend to have this weird inferiority/superiority complex. They want to talk trash about the old, northern fanbases (which, yes, does get underlined with a degree of racist subtext) but act like someone killed their dog when we shoot back.

It was something I noticed years ago, and after moving to Tampa and going to Lightning games? Yeah. Theory proven. Lightning fans are great, but there's definitely a weird vibe when the topic is brought up. The team even has a commercial they air in the arena! About some guy narrating how he grew up in Montreal but the Lightning have been such a big part of his family that he's firmly a Bolts fan now.

Weird is really the best way to describe it. There's definitely some large but fragile egos at work when it comes to southern fanbases as a collective.

 

And to the racist Nashville Perds thing? I think admiral's getting at the hockey media's narrative over his trade being full of it. The narrative is "oh isn't it wonderful that Subban got out of Quebec? There's still racism in Quebecois culture, this is good for him!" all while he heads to Tennessee. A state where they enslaved and lynched black people. And a state which, as you yourself admitted, isn't quite over its racial issues.

 

So I'm sure you can recognize the ridiculousness in the above narrative, yes?

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44 minutes ago, the admiral said:

The way they talk about certain northern cities as hives of rape and murder is pretty easy to decode, especially because most southern hockey fans aren't multi-generational southerners but rather somewhere along the line moved down from the suburbs of those northern cities. Middle Tennessee in particular is full of people who moved down from Michigan, such that the Perds used to do all sorts of trade-your-Wings-stuff-for-Perds-stuff promotions. And whenever they play the Hawks and the topic of the city of Chicago comes up, man, pull the string and watch 'em go. They don't impress me one bit, combining all the aw-shucks sanctimony of the BFIBs with to this point still never having won anything. They're feelin' themselves way too much. 

 

Of course they love Subban, they're smart enough to know the eyes of the hockey world are upon them after Subban was traded there because Montreal Hates All Black People. The BFIBs liked Jason Heyward once too.

Have you actually spent any quality time in Nashville, or is this just message board stuff you've read off wherever?

 

No idea what point you're trying to make, which is a rarity for you.  Predators fans are racist....well, not the hockey fans, just the other people that call Middle Tennessee home now....these folks that moved from the north.

 

Nashville is pretty much like any other major city....leaning more liberal every day.  One of the fastest-growing, if not the fastest, cities in terms of the younger adult demographic moving in.

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8 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

I'll take admiral being a curmudgeon over the thin skin of #Sunbeltfans

 

"OH NO, THE MEAN MAN ON THE CANADIAN TV MADE A JOKE ABOUT THE LIGHTNING'S TICKET PRICES!"

 

You wanna bust our balls for being "snobs" and "traditionalists"? Fine. Hell, make fun of how much of a pain in the ass it is to drive around Toronto or Chicago in the winter. I don't know what that accomplishes it, but you do you.

Your teams have their own foibles though. So if you want to make a "losers since '67" joke, fine. Just don't act hurt and put down when I joke about your team banning the other team's jerseys from the club level. Sunbelt hockey fans tend to have this weird inferiority/superiority complex. They want to talk trash about the old, northern fanbases (which, yes, does get underlined with a degree of racist subtext) but act like someone killed their dog when we shoot back.

 

And to the racist Nashville Perds thing? I think admiral's getting at the hockey media's narrative over his trade being full of it. The narrative is "oh isn't it wonderful that Subban got out of Quebec? There's still racism in Quebecois culture, this is good for him!" all while he heads to Tennessee. A state where they enslaved and lynched black people. And a state which, as you yourself admitted, isn't quite over its racial issues.

 

So I'm sure you can recognize the ridiculousness in the above narrative, yes?

I prefer to just enjoy playoff hockey instead of getting into a male appendage wagging contest over who has the best/worst fans. There's been some stuff during the playoffs that's been enjoyable.

 

1. Promise of the Maple Leafs and how they could dominate the Eastern Conference

2. Playing off the Leafs, the Edmonton Oilers, after years of drafting 1 overall, finally have a team that could be a power house of the west. A Leafs/Oilers final could be a reality sooner than later. 

3. Predators and their run. I'm excited to see the Preds make a deep playoff run. I'm excited for the fans of the team. 

4. The Ottawa Senators have pieced together a nice run. They probably aren't getting the attention that they should be getting. 

 

Just a few things off the top of my head that I've enjoyed.

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30 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

A few years ago: "Winnipeg Jets fans are racists."
No problemo!

 

Today: "Nashville Predators fans are racists."
HOW DARE YOU, SIR!

I never said "how dare you." I came back with an explanation of why I think the racism allegations are, largely, unfounded. The only fanbase I feel has a racism problem is the Blues. Even then, they're a minority, and the organization has been classy and quick to tell them off, on social media.

 

...maybe the Bruins, a little, too.

 

Quote

 

I'll take admiral being a curmudgeon over the thin skin of #Sunbeltfans

 

"OH NO, THE MEAN MAN ON THE CANADIAN TV MADE A JOKE ABOUT THE LIGHTNING'S TICKET PRICES!"

 

You wanna bust our balls for being "snobs" and "traditionalists"? Fine. Hell, make fun of how much of a pain in the ass it is to drive around Toronto or Chicago in the winter. I don't know what that accomplishes it, but you do you.

Your teams have their own foibles though. So if you want to make a "losers since '67" joke, fine. Just don't act hurt and put down when I joke about your team banning the other team's jerseys from the club level. Sunbelt hockey fans tend to have this weird inferiority/superiority complex. They want to talk trash about the old, northern fanbases (which, yes, does get underlined with a degree of racist subtext) but act like someone killed their dog when we shoot back.

It was something I noticed years ago, and after moving to Tampa and going to Lightning games? Yeah. Theory proven. Lightning fans are great, but there's definitely a weird vibe when the topic is brought up. The team even has a commercial they air in the arena! About some guy narrating how he grew up in Montreal but the Lightning have been such a big part of his family that he's firmly a Bolts fan now.

Weird is really the best way to describe it. There's definitely some large but fragile egos at work when it comes to southern fanbases as a collective.

 

As a sunbelt fan, my skin needed a little thickening. Interacting more with traditional market fans helped. In my experience, though, Tampa is one of the thinnest-skinned bunches I've encountered. I do wonder if you're judging all of us, by the worst of us, a bit, but that's not the core of this.

 

Quote

And to the racist Nashville Perds thing? I think admiral's getting at the hockey media's narrative over his trade being full of it. The narrative is "oh isn't it wonderful that Subban got out of Quebec? There's still racism in Quebecois culture, this is good for him!" all while he heads to Tennessee. A state where they enslaved and lynched black people. And a state which, as you yourself admitted, isn't quite over its racial issues.

Ok, but that has nothing to do with Nashville fans. Up until this post season, the hockey media is usually pretty content to pretend like we don't even exist, aside from the obligatory one or two national TV games. Our own NBC affiliate beeded all of ten minutes, to embarrass Nashville hockey coverage. I promise you, we weren't driving that shortbus.

 

Most Nashville fans laughed at that narrative. Hell, I loved that PK kind of roasted it, during his comedy bit, right after the trade.

 

Quote

So I'm sure you can recognize the ridiculousness in the above narrative, yes?

Overall, the sunbelt vs traditional fan fight is stupid. The league created resentment, towards southern markets, by ripping teams from servicable cities, to create them. This, in turn, made southern fans feel defensive, and created a chip on their collective shoulders. There's ridiculousness, on both sides, it's just lower hanging fruit, in the south.

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4 minutes ago, Coast2CoastAM2006 said:

I prefer to just enjoy playoff hockey instead of getting into a male appendage wagging contest over who has the best/worst fans. There's been some stuff during the playoffs that's been enjoyable.

Well I am, frankly, sick of it. It keeps coming up though.

 

9 minutes ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

I never said "how dare you." I came back with an explanation of why I think the racism allegations are, largely, unfounded. The only fanbase I feel has a racism problem is the Blues. Even then, they're a minority, and the organization has been classy and quick to tell them off, on social media.

 

...maybe the Bruins, a little, too.

Well I wasn't clear. It was more of a broad observation not directed at any one poster. A few years ago most people were fine when someone implied that Jets fans were all racists because Winnipeg doesn't have the best track record when it comes to race relations. Then someone says it about Tennessee, and people lose their minds. Never mind the fact that Tennessee's history of racial issues trumps Winnipeg's spotty record easily. I mean do I think Nashville or Winnipeg are full of racists? No. I'm sure each city (and thus fanbases) have a few. I'm just noting that the discrepancies in the reactions.

 

I mean the Bruins fans are the one who called Subban a n :censored:  on Twitter after he owned them in the playoffs a few years back, so maybe they deserve more of the flack in that area than anyone else? :P

 

14 minutes ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

As a sunbelt fan, my skin needed a little thickening. Interacting more with traditional market fans helped. In my experience, though, Tampa is one of the thinnest-skinned bunches I've encountered. I do wonder if you're judging all of us, by the worst of us, a bit, but that's not the core of this.

 

The first point ties into the last point below, so I'll hold off on it for now.

Tampa fans are generally pretty knowledgeable. They know the game, and the Lightning fans I've talked to and gone to games with have been pretty good 99% of the time. They can discuss their team with the best of us from other locales (and there was a lot of complaining about management this season, let me tell you :P ).

Maybe this is the worst of the worst. I donno. I honestly can't speak to that. It's a good, passionate fanbase. As I said though. It's weird. Like...I'm pretty sure you could wear a Lightning sweater to a Leafs/Bolts game in the ACC and no one would give you flack aside from a few surprised looks. I show up to a Leafs/Bolts game at Amalie Arena in a Leafs sweater and I get the "what are ya wearing that for?" greeting. I don't know Paul. I'm just from Kitchener. And you know that. What do you think?

 

26 minutes ago, BeerGuyJordan said:

Overall, the sunbelt vs traditional fan fight is stupid. The league created resentment, towards southern markets, by ripping teams from servicable cities, to create them. This, in turn, made southern fans feel defensive, and created a chip on their collective shoulders. There's ridiculousness, on both sides, it's just lower hanging fruit, in the south.

That ties back to your first point above.

I agree. I honestly don't think there would be much of a divide if the Hurricanes, Stars, and Coyotes hadn't come at the expense of the Whalers, North Stars, and Jets. Like I said. I honestly am tired of it, but it keeps flaring up.

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1 hour ago, Ice_Cap said:

And to the racist Nashville Perds thing? I think admiral's getting at the hockey media's narrative over his trade being full of it. The narrative is "oh isn't it wonderful that Subban got out of Quebec? There's still racism in Quebecois culture, this is good for him!" all while he heads to Tennessee. A state where they enslaved and lynched black people. And a state which, as you yourself admitted, isn't quite over its racial issues.

Perhaps those in the hockey media that even brought up race as any sort of reasoning for why the trade was made are the ones you should be questioning about any sort of racist/prejudiced tendencies.  Probably the same ilk that brought up race when the Thrashers acquired Oduya and Byfuglien and drafted Kane within a couple years.  Those that look for any sort of racial angle are generally the same folks that, well, have some sort of prejudice or bigotry in themselves.

 

It's a little unfair to hang the moniker of "Well, Tennessee once had slaves and lynchings, so they must still hate black people" onto the Predators fan base when slavery was abolished over 130 years before the Predators' existence, and the last recorded lynching being 27 years before the Maple Leafs last won a Cup.  Is Nashville or Tennessee 100% clear of race problems? Nope.  But neither is any American city, nor is every Canadian city clear of any sort of racial stigmas.  (Hell, just look at Boston a couple weeks ago.  European soccer fans still throw bananas and make monkey sounds for black players.)

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2 minutes ago, HedleyLamarr said:

It's a little unfair to hang the moniker of "Well, Tennessee once had slaves and lynchings, so they must still hate black people" onto the Predators fan base

Probably, but it seems pretty ass-backwards to claim Tennessee's the land of racial harmony compared to Montreal. If someone's saying that with a straight face then it's pretty G-ddamn laughable.

 

3 minutes ago, HedleyLamarr said:

But neither is any American city, nor is every Canadian city clear of any sort of racial stigmas. 

I don't believe I ever said or implied "every Canadian city" was "clear" of racial issues. I even previously said that Winnipeg's record is spotty.

 

 

 

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No one's said Nashville is the utopian, free-of-race-issues city. 

 

"Probably"?  Illinois once had slaves and lynchings.  So did California and Ohio and Colorado.  It's pretty ballsy of a Blackhawks fan to call another team's fanbase "racists" when Chicago's got more race issues today than Nashville.

 

The south has the north beaten in lynchings and length of slavery.  But race issues of today? Northern cities are having just as many issues....if not more.....than their southern counterparts.

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