My emotional investment to this team has taken a nosedive since last summer with the whole Alfie/Melnyk situation. Add to that a crappy season and unwillingness to improve the team and the Spezza situation. It's left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But hey, I'm still here.
I'm in the same boat. Been a Sens fan all my life, but this internal budget is really killing it for me. I made a really long post somewhere in the management thread about my feelings.
Losing Alfie felt personal to me. I grew up watching Alfie's career. And how it was done? Ugh. I could have accepted him being dealt at the deadline for a chance at the cup, but to lose him as UFA over a million or so. Disgusting.
Then we lost Tim Murray who lead the group that gave us our pretty good stable of prospects. Lost him to our rival Buffalo and for what? To keep Murray for another year or so. Such short sighted planning.
Now we're losing Spezza. 31 year old legit #1 C that puts up 60pts on a bad year. It will take at least 5+ years to replace him. Look at the Leafs and Sundin.
Murray can't shut up. I defending him in the Heatley situation, but it can't be the player that yaps to the media every time...Heatley, Spezza...come on.
Uncertainty of Ryan next year...
Been a lifelong fan, but this budget is ruining the fun of Sens hockey for me. And yet, people are still blindly holding on to "well Melnyk will spend when the time is right"...well wouldn't 2 surprise playoff visits, Alfie in his final years, a #1 C, #1 D, legit #1 G and promising G in Lehner, young players on ELC's with 10+mil in cap space be the right time to spend?
I think if the Sens aren't able to sign Ryan by Jan 2015, he won't sign at all. I think I'm done at that point. I can't support a team that has no commitment to spending or winning while losing Alfie, Spezza, Ryan in 3 years and having every move dictated by a budget (conacher on waivers to get hemsky while giving an extra pick to eat some salary then letting him go for nothing...that's not asset management).
Every single bit of Sens news since Alfie has been negative. I can live through losing seasons, been there done that, still cheered and spent thousands supporting the team in tickets, travel, and merchandise. But I can't support a team with no commitment to winning.
Hopefully this budget crap ends soon, real soon. I know I'm not the only one so close to giving up on this team after a lifetime cheering them.
How the **** do Leaf fans do it?