This is a pretty good article, short, but good. It kind of covers why no one really gets excited about the Wings anymore. LINK It is kind of sad really, when I walk into my favorite Party Store (that's like the beer store to you Micro), and start to shoot the breeze about sports with my favorite clerk, he asks me about the Lions. What have I read? What have I heard? My boss and some of my co-workers ask me for news about the Pistons. Have they secured HCA yet? How's Ben doing? Any news on Darko? (yeah, I know) I even work with one guy who is a hardcore Tigers fan. I ask him the questions. But it seems strange to me that the only people that talk about the Wings are the hardcore fans. I mean this IS hockeytown (alright, it's really about and hour and half away, but it's Michigan at least). The Wings have been successful for so long (this is the 15th straight year they've made the playoffs) that people do take it for granted. People see my Wings cap, or the flags on my car, and it's like they even take that for granted. Usually a winning team has no problem garnering fans. Yet the tenacity that I follow the team with... everyone else seems to follow the other teams with, and forget the Wings. Don't the lonely hardcore fans usually follow losing teams? Like that guy I work with who loves the Tigers. Really, the only time that casual fans mention the Wings to me, is when they've lost in the playoffs. Oh, and I wanted to mention this: Some people say (insert whiny voice here) "Well, half the teams make the playoffs, so the playoffs are a joke..." (insert cynical Superstarov voice here) Let's see... 30 some teams... 16 make the playoffs... sounds like another sport that get's a lot of attention nowadays. Oh, and by the way, the Wings won the President's Trophy again. Best record in the league, again (5th time in the last 11 seasons). Home ice throughout the playoffs.
Go Wings!! Forget the Pistons, Tigers and Lions. Its the Wings that always satisfy. Here's to a great, long run in the playoffs!!!
haha whenever i visit friends in philly they're like "party store? what you wanna go buy streamers and balloons?" i only like playoff hockey so i follow the wings then, but pistons are my priority :D
Here is the deal. When I lived in Windsor 16 years ago, I followed the Wings. Then I was out of country, and came back to British Columbia. So I followed the Canucks (92~95) and Wings by boxscore. Then I moved to Calgary and followed the Flames until '99, again, and the Wings by boxscore. I've had friends that were die hard Blues fans, Habs fans, Leafs fans *puke*, once you cross the border, Canadians have "their team" but generally most fans are really knowledgeable about the league and all the squads. Anyway, I caught 2 Wings games on TV this year because they don't play many and I don't put a premium on the regular season. Not sure how scheduling will work out, but I will be glued to the TV to see as much playoff hockey (not just the Wings) as I can when the Pistons are not playing. Still, I am a Wingnut. Through and through, and they are the one team that doesn't give me undue stress or anxiety during the season. Rock steady.
I can't blame the lockout. The problem with blaming the lock out is that the average moron who wears an Yzerman jersey didn't even know there wasn't hockey until the season got officially cancelled. Those aren't the people I'm concerned with anyway. I live and die with the Wings. Everytime they get knocked out of the playoffs, I got into a depression that lasts until Football starts.
