Hockey fans – close to the edge?

 

As Canadian hockey fans, we all exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia, don’t we? Primarily we:

I don’t mean to make light of a serious mental disorder that affects many Canadians and their families, but rather to illuminate the tendency of fans to lose touch with reality when observing their favourite team. 

Look no further that the acquisition by the Jets of Eric Tangradi. 

Should this really be a news? A trade, where the Jets gave up a 7th round pick for a player who has played in 45 NHL games and managed 1 goal and six points is not news. If you are reading this means you are breathing and you would have had an outside chance of picking up one more points than Tangradi playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal: you would have only needed to pick up one second assist. 

If you are imagining or wondering if Tangradi is some sort of answer for the Jets, you need to breath deeply and and try to focus on thinking rationally. 

This post isn’t intended as a veiled shot against any of my fellow bloggers or those in the MSM who chose to cover this ‘story.’ It would be more than a little hypocritical on my part as by writing this post I’m doing just the same myself. 

My frustration lies at what is now considered news. From my point of view, it would be considered news if after 5 or 10 games Tangradi actually put up some numbers or created an imapct- that would be a story. 

However, as fellow Jets Nation candidate Brett Martin pointed out in an excellent piece called ,"Jets Acquire Eric Tangradi Cheveldayoff Still Boring," when you follow a mediocre team that plays it safe and doesn’t make big splashy player moves, you have to find news somewhere. 

Wandering away into the comfy confines of reality created by the mind of a fan is not the sole domain of supporters of the Jets.

In Calgary, fans and management are in denial that they only have two players left from the ‘glory days’ of 3 months in 2004 and are nowhere close to being a contending team. 

In Vancouver their window is starting to close and their fans seem intent on proving to other fans why their team is better even though they have never won anything. They also think Burrows isn’t a diver and is basically a saint. 

In Edmonton, fans want to sell you on what they are seeing their mind’s eye rather that what is actually on display. 

Do I really need to go into Toronto or Montreal?

Ottawa gets a pass to cry a little. They have just lost their best player and they also lost their top centreman a few weeks ago. 

Fans everywhere have to be a little ‘touched’ to even be showing up after the lockout. Imagine a group of people willing to have their lives orbit around a group of whiny entitled millionaires and their even more whiny and entitled billionaire bosses. Well thats you and me, isn’t it?

We all have to be a little crazy, but unfortunately it is that kind of crazy that feels good.