OT: Blues Fans Around the Globe

[BlueNote57]

A few hours drive from Winnipeg. Chris Pronger's hometown actually. I normally only lurk unless I do the playoff avatars or I have a strong opinion in the Trade Rumours thread. And yes, way to many Leaf fans 'round here.

 

[Robb_K]

UoT? I was actually staying in TO because my girlfriend at the time was going to McMaster. I preferred to stay in Toronto rather than Hamilton or Ancaster though.

To be expected that they're worshipped almost universally again with such a promising young team. If you aren't a Leafs fan it is easy to really start to hate the team living in Toronto, but I'll be glad to see them have some success.


Not anymore, unfortunately. I can still understand spoken and written Dutch/Flemish, even when spoken by a Limburger , but I really struggle to find words when I try to speak. Expected from 2 years learning followed 13 years not using it.

That might change soon. The UK vote to leave the EU, plus it being easier for my girlfriend to travel to the Schengen area rather than the UK, has me looking at Amsterdam, Den Haag and Leuven. Already started to process of getting my Irish passport.

Flemish & Walloon family? That must be fun! You visit Belgium often?

Not Walloon at all. They all came from Antwerpen. Some moved to Liege in the 1850s, to work in the mines, but soon opened shops in the centre. Some moved to Brussel because of governmental careers. My father's family originally came from Antwerpen, but my Great Grandfather moved to Den Haag during the 187os.

I visit Antwerpen, Brussel, and Liege 2-3 times per year for a few days to a week. I like Den Haag much better than Amsterdam. The latter is too crowded, noisy, and filled with tourists. Den Haag to Amsterdam, is like Milwaukee to New York - a sleepy, small townlike middle-sized city, versus a place with nonstop action (which has its good an bad points. I can be in Amsterdam in 20 minutes to a half hour for a day visit. But I wouldn't want to live there. I lived about 40 years on the edge of Den Haag, ((Archipelbuurt) near Madurodam) next to The Scheveningse Bosjes. So, it was like living in the countryside. Good luck with your move to Nederland or Belgie.

 

[Lakas]

I love these types of threads. I'm always interested in how people became Blues fans. I've heard everything from NHL94 on Sega to "I just liked the jerseys" etc. lol.

I grew up in the Philippines and my dad (who was actually starting to become a hockey fan at the time) sent me a copy of NHL 94... I had absolutely no idea wtf those guys were gliding on, or what icings or offsides were. But hell, I enjoyed the game. I didn't really have a favorite team at the time, but it was fate that I'd always feel "hate" for the Redwings and that "team from Chicago" in that game. I moved to the U.S. a couple years later, and would live in St. Louis for most of my life.

 

[542365]

I grew up in the Philippines and my dad (who was actually starting to become a hockey fan at the time) sent me a copy of NHL 94... I had absolutely no idea wtf those guys were gliding on, or what icings or offsides were. But hell, I enjoyed the game. I didn't really have a favorite team at the time, but it was fate that I'd always feel "hate" for the Redwings and that "team from Chicago" in that game. I moved to the U.S. a couple years later, and would live in St. Louis for most of my life.

Haha that's awesome. I remember struggling with NHL 94 on Sega. I'd get so pissed because every time I had the puck I'd go offside(and I had absolutely no idea what offside meant even though my dad must've explained it to me a thousand times), so my dad decided it was best just to turn off icing, offside, and penalties just so I could actually get through a game lol. I remember my dad and uncle just trash talking constantly over that stupid game. So dumb, but so funny.

 

[jpw1910]

Blues fan checking in from...Chicago. I know. I got the NHL TV for AppleTV and tend to watch/listen on the app.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Not Walloon at all. They all came from Antwerpen. Some moved to Liege in the 1850s, to work in the mines, but soon opened shops in the centre. Some moved to Brussel because of governmental careers. My father's family originally came from Antwerpen, but my Great Grandfather moved to Den Haag during the 187os.

I visit Antwerpen, Brussel, and Liege 2-3 times per year for a few days to a week. I like Den Haag much better than Amsterdam. The latter is too crowded, noisy, and filled with tourists. Den Haag to Amsterdam, is like Milwaukee to New York - a sleepy, small townlike middle-sized city, versus a place with nonstop action (which has its good an bad points. I can be in Amsterdam in 20 minutes to a half hour for a day visit. But I wouldn't want to live there. I lived about 40 years on the edge of Den Haag, ((Archipelbuurt) near Madurodam) next to The Scheveningse Bosjes. So, it was like living in the countryside. Good luck with your move to Nederland or Belgie.

How is Amsterdam from a tourist POV? The company I used to work for had its global headquarters there and the higher ups I got to know (I worked shipping and receiving) would always tell me they had a blast there. I've always wanted to check it out.

 

[Oberyn]

Born in Ontario but moved to Calgary when I was a kid. Never felt much attachment to the Flames since they weren't technically my hometown team and so I started watching other teams around the league. I was a big fan of Doug Weight, and when he got traded to the Blues, I started following them more closely. That eventually stuck with me and here I am now, constantly wondering why I had to choose the team that would provide me with nothing but heartbreak and shattered hopes.

 

[Robb_K]

How is Amsterdam from a tourist POV? The company I used to work for had its global headquarters there and the higher ups I got to know (I worked shipping and receiving) would always tell me they had a blast there. I've always wanted to check it out.

Amsterdam is great for tourists, right at the top of European cities. You would have a blast there (as your friends said). Lots to do and see. Most Americans would probably like living in Amsterdam more than in Den Haag, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, or anyplace else in The Netherlands. It's where most things are happening. Entertainment is top notch, and lots of interesting things going on all the time. They'd like it better than the sleepy village in Noord Holland where I lived for 7 years (after 39 years in Den Haag). It had only 300 people and NO shops, and more ducks, sheep,and cows than people. Other than houses, we had only an elementary school and a pub. And the pub went bust - not enough customers.

 

[Celtic Note]

Blues fan checking in from...Chicago. I know. I got the NHL TV for AppleTV and tend to watch/listen on the app.

Do the same thing

 

[Pietrangelo]

Ottawa Ontario over here

 

[abel17]

I was born and raised in St. Louis "On the Hill" so following the Blues, Cards, and Rams (lol) was just natural. I moved to Somerville, MA which is just north of Boston (literally a 5 minute train ride to Boston proper for me) over the summer. As a side note, a group of my friends are coming up in a and we are all going to the Bruins-Blues game on February 1st. So if you see a group of drunk 25 year olds in the cheap seats on the broadcast please screen cap it because it's more than likely us .

As far as keeping up with the Blues, this is my primary source of discussion and info. I have the Bleacher Report app which is also nice because it aggregates all the tweets from JR/Lou/etc. and I don't have twitter. Every so often I will pop over to StlToday to read an article and, if I'm feeling masochistic, I'll drop in on the old asylum forum while I'm there. Do not do this.

I actually live in Chicago but am going to Boston for work that week and am going to that game as well. Haven't purchased my tickets yet but I will probably splurge a little bit. I will be wearing my navy blue Tarasenko jersey! LGB!

 

[PizzaPietrangelo]

I was born and raised in St. Louis "On the Hill" so following the Blues, Cards, and Rams (lol) was just natural. I moved to Somerville, MA which is just north of Boston (literally a 5 minute train ride to Boston proper for me) over the summer. As a side note, a group of my friends are coming up in a and we are all going to the Bruins-Blues game on February 1st. So if you see a group of drunk 25 year olds in the cheap seats on the broadcast please screen cap it because it's more than likely us .

As far as keeping up with the Blues, this is my primary source of discussion and info. I have the Bleacher Report app which is also nice because it aggregates all the tweets from JR/Lou/etc. and I don't have twitter. Every so often I will pop over to StlToday to read an article and, if I'm feeling masochistic, I'll drop in on the old asylum forum while I'm there. Do not do this.

I spent 4 years living near Somerville and always thought Boston was a great city. A bit bigger and faster-paced than STL, but not quite as bustling as NYC. TD Garden is a pretty solid barn, so I'm sure you and your friends will enjoy the game (hopefully a Blues W!)

As an aside, you should tour the Taza Chocolate chocolate factory if you get a chance - it's located right in the middle of Somerville!

 

[The Note]

I spent 4 years living near Somerville and always thought Boston was a great city. A bit bigger and faster-paced than STL, but not quite as bustling as NYC. TD Garden is a pretty solid barn, so I'm sure you and your friends will enjoy the game (hopefully a Blues W!)

As an aside, you should tour the Taza Chocolate chocolate factory if you get a chance - it's located right in the middle of Somerville!

Yeah I’m loving Boston so far. I will definitely check Taza out! Thanks for the tip.

 

[Cappuccino]

I cheat a litte bit, because Iam not the biggest or even fulltime Blues fan, but with McDavid probably not in the playoffs I will cheer for you guys in the West. Iam from the Netherlands btw and love your team. Go blues.

 

[Colt 55]

My brother lives in Guam. weekends it is pretty easy for him to watch games but during the work week he usually has to wait hours to watch the games

 

[Sushiko]

I’m in Phoenix. NHL center-ice is how I keep up for the most part, and social media.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I’m in Phoenix. NHL center-ice is how I keep up for the most part, and social media.

Unfortunately, I am in Phoenix as well.

 

[542365]

Unfortunately, I am in Phoenix as well.

Why unfortunately? Phoenix seems like it would be an awesome place to live.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Why unfortunately? Phoenix seems like it would be an awesome place to live.

"Seems" is the operative term here.

Why do you think Phoenix "seems" like an awesome place to live?

One thing I will say about Phoenix is that during the summer, which lasts like 5 months, it is like running your oven at 425º for 45 minutes and then opening the oven door, so that you get the full effect of the heat blast in your face.

It is utterly disgusting here. There is no actual city. It is all suburb and strip mall with baked zombies trolling the streets. Why some dumbasses decided to build a city here is beyond me. It is a giant sprawl that cannot possibly be sustainable, although they are trying hard.

Maybe they need to figure out how to manufacture water from the atmosphere using condensation technology.

The meth problem here is sad. Mix meth with the heat and dehydration and you wind up with a human tragedy.

People here are a bunch of f***ing 'Murica assholes who don't know how to drive their big trucks and almost every single neighborhood is surrounded by cinder block walls.

Shall I continue?

Luckily, this is temporary for me. I already have a set-up in Calgary and will get the hell out of this place very soon. Only came here for my job.

Now, I will take my work to another country and enjoy the Rocky Mountains.

 

[Robb_K]

I cheat a litte bit, because Iam not the biggest or even fulltime Blues fan, but with McDavid probably not in the playoffs I will cheer for you guys in the West. Iam from the Netherlands btw and love your team. Go blues.

Welkom! And how did you come to like The Blues?

 

[Robb_K]

"Seems" is the operative term here.

Why do you think Phoenix "seems" like an awesome place to live?

One thing I will say about Phoenix is that during the summer, which lasts like 5 months, it is like running your oven at 425º for 45 minutes and then opening the oven door, so that you get the full effect of the heat blast in your face.

It is utterly disgusting here. There is no actual city. It is all suburb and strip mall with baked zombies trolling the streets. Why some dumbasses decided to build a city here is beyond me. It is a giant sprawl that cannot possibly be sustainable, although they are trying hard.

Maybe they need to figure out how to manufacture water from the atmosphere using condensation technology.

The meth problem here is sad. Mix meth with the heat and dehydration and you wind up with a human tragedy.

People here are a bunch of ****ing 'Murica *******s who don't know how to drive their big trucks and almost every single neighborhood is surrounded by cinder block walls.

Shall I continue?

Luckily, this is temporary for me. I already have a set-up in Calgary and will get the hell out of this place very soon. Only came here for my job.

Now, I will take my work to another country and enjoy the Rocky Mountains.

From your description, I'm glad to hear that you'll be moving to Calgary, which might seem less like another country than Phoenix.

 

[Celtic Note]

"Seems" is the operative term here.

Why do you think Phoenix "seems" like an awesome place to live?

One thing I will say about Phoenix is that during the summer, which lasts like 5 months, it is like running your oven at 425º for 45 minutes and then opening the oven door, so that you get the full effect of the heat blast in your face.

It is utterly disgusting here. There is no actual city. It is all suburb and strip mall with baked zombies trolling the streets. Why some dumbasses decided to build a city here is beyond me. It is a giant sprawl that cannot possibly be sustainable, although they are trying hard.

Maybe they need to figure out how to manufacture water from the atmosphere using condensation technology.

The meth problem here is sad. Mix meth with the heat and dehydration and you wind up with a human tragedy.

People here are a bunch of ****ing 'Murica *******s who don't know how to drive their big trucks and almost every single neighborhood is surrounded by cinder block walls.

Shall I continue?

Luckily, this is temporary for me. I already have a set-up in Calgary and will get the hell out of this place very soon. Only came here for my job.

Now, I will take my work to another country and enjoy the Rocky Mountains.

I have visited there a few times. While my impression wasn’t so negative, I saw and felt a lot of the same things. But I know people that like it. To each their own I suppose, but I am not the biggest fan.

 

[Cappuccino]

Welkom! And how did you come to like The Blues?

I will try to explain:

During the winter olympics in the 90's I discovered this beautiful sport (as a young child) by randomly tuning in and watching 2 teams/countries play. I needed to pick a side and I picked Canada. After that year I watched (almost religiously) TeamCanada play every year at the world championships and my favourite players at the time were those who played there for Canada (not knowing the best players would be in the playoffs lol). I also watched the world cup of hockey and learned about some player called Brett Hull, a Canadian playing for the USA (and winning the tournament). At that time, because of that, the Blues were no option for me... I went with the Leafs (liked a lot of players and the logo/maple leaf obviously). I also liked the Oilers because a lot of players I liked were always there for the world championships (missing the playoffs, which I learned later). Like I said the Blues were kind of no option back then, even tough I liked a lot of the players ...

During the Olympics 4 years ago, I really liked 1 defenceman and he happened to play for the Blues, so I started to follow the Blues a bit closer. The logo really attracted me, the fans don't seem to hate the Leafs, they even tried to adopt the Canadian fans during the playoffs when all Canadian teams didn't qualify..... so to sum it all up: no more Brett Hull on the roster , Alex Pietrangelo, nice logo/jersey, classy organisation, cool fans, what's not to like anymore...

Now that I am on your board, when the Blues win it all this year or the next year, I do realise you won't ever let me go

 

[Robb_K]

I will try to explain:

During the winter olympics in the 90's I discovered this beautiful sport (as a young child) by randomly tuning in and watching 2 teams/countries play. I needed to pick a side and I picked Canada. After that year I watched (almost religiously) TeamCanada play every year at the world championships and my favourite players at the time were those who played there for Canada (not knowing the best players would be in the playoffs lol). I also watched the world cup of hockey and learned about some player called Brett Hull, a Canadian playing for the USA (and winning the tournament). At that time, because of that, the Blues were no option for me... I went with the Leafs (liked a lot of players and the logo/maple leaf obviously). I also liked the Oilers because a lot of players I liked were always there for the world championships (missing the playoffs, which I learned later). Like I said the Blues were kind of no option back then, even tough I liked a lot of the players ...

During the Olympics 4 years ago, I really liked 1 defenceman and he happened to play for the Blues, so I started to follow the Blues a bit closer. The logo really attracted me, the fans don't seem to hate the Leafs, they even tried to adopt the Canadian fans during the playoffs when all Canadian teams didn't qualify..... so to sum it all up: no more Brett Hull on the roster , Alex Pietrangelo, nice logo/jersey, classy organisation, cool fans, what's not to like anymore...

Now that I am on your board, when the Blues win it all this year or the next year, I do realise you won't ever let me go

Interesant! Bedankt voor je uitleg. The reason non-North Americans become fans of NHL teams is always interesting, especially when its not that a favorite local player has been drafted by that team.

 

[Robb_K]

Haha.

I've been to Toronto a couple of months ago and watched them win, so that spot is not to be taken. But I like to have also a team in the West to cheer for. Pietrangelo was the last push for me I guess. Not a local guy for me, but I like(d) his style of play. So he was some other sort of key/piece of the puzzle for me. Right now I like the whole team and not only him...

I assume not, given that your "location" is listed as "The Netherlands", which has no high-level ice hockey league, and has never sent a player to The NHL. By the way, if you don't mind my asking, in which province do you live? I come from Zuid Holland.