Boston Bruins 2016 Shirts off Their Backs 4/9/16
- Thread starter Fenway
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MMC
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talkinaway
Registered User
As far as "getting it" - usually the ceremony is about 10 minutes long. Players skate around tossing tshirts, people clap, everyone's happy, and it takes awhile. The PA announcer rattled off the names of players like they were in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire".
I'll admit, I bolted before seeing this. Kind of glad I did - man, that was awkward. Kind of like a funeral - apropos since everyone was in black.
I can't believe I've never noticed this before, but...they're all in numerical order, with the exception of Z (who I suppose is in alphabetical order). So much for the "suspense" of the envelope. Checked last years video quickly, and that was numerical order too, except one player got bumped forward to present his jersey to a widow, IIRC.
Now I know my strategy if I ever get lucky enough to be picked. Count up to Rask, skip Chara, and convince that numbered envelope that 11 is my lucky number. (Unfortunately, Smith would ruin that strategy, landing me a Beleskey, which isn't a bad tradeoff, I suppose.)
I'll admit, I bolted before seeing this. Kind of glad I did - man, that was awkward. Kind of like a funeral - apropos since everyone was in black.
I can't believe I've never noticed this before, but...they're all in numerical order, with the exception of Z (who I suppose is in alphabetical order). So much for the "suspense" of the envelope. Checked last years video quickly, and that was numerical order too, except one player got bumped forward to present his jersey to a widow, IIRC.
Now I know my strategy if I ever get lucky enough to be picked. Count up to Rask, skip Chara, and convince that numbered envelope that 11 is my lucky number. (Unfortunately, Smith would ruin that strategy, landing me a Beleskey, which isn't a bad tradeoff, I suppose.)
Aeroforce
Registered User
I heard some boos after Rask's name was announced. I don't know if anything has been officially announced, but it seems other fans echo the sentiments that have been expressed here.
Tyler Randell - they should've turned off Blink 182 or whatever that was and played "Women go crazy for a sharp-dressed man" when he walked out. He was styling.
Just saw the same ceremony for the Dallas Stars, and boy what a difference. Johnny Oduya was even working the t-shirt cannon.
I felt bad for the fans and the parents of the kids; they'll remember this their entire lives, but it was an absolute downer.
Tyler Randell - they should've turned off Blink 182 or whatever that was and played "Women go crazy for a sharp-dressed man" when he walked out. He was styling.
Just saw the same ceremony for the Dallas Stars, and boy what a difference. Johnny Oduya was even working the t-shirt cannon.
I felt bad for the fans and the parents of the kids; they'll remember this their entire lives, but it was an absolute downer.
Kovi
Registered User
- Feb 11, 2007
- 24,641
- 3,091
Defintely not like year's past.
But you know what, I hv to say something. I will always appreciate my team ,win or lose. I stick with them. They are amazing with kids and usually excellent with fans if approached. This was a rough ROUGH end of the season, but we've been through worse--and if you survived the Dave Lewis era with me you know what I mean. Its not what we hoped for or expected. But you move on.....its clear there will be changes...so you bend with the moves and know that it's working towards a better season next year.
I've never left a game early and I've only turned a game off twice, I support them to the end.I shun "fans" of the game for only being true to the emotion of winning. The lesson in all of this is your faith in your team has to be strong in the losing years...or you never truly enjoy the winning years.
Believe me my friends...the winning will arrive again.....
Be well, stay off the Tobin.....
But you know what, I hv to say something. I will always appreciate my team ,win or lose. I stick with them. They are amazing with kids and usually excellent with fans if approached. This was a rough ROUGH end of the season, but we've been through worse--and if you survived the Dave Lewis era with me you know what I mean. Its not what we hoped for or expected. But you move on.....its clear there will be changes...so you bend with the moves and know that it's working towards a better season next year.
I've never left a game early and I've only turned a game off twice, I support them to the end.I shun "fans" of the game for only being true to the emotion of winning. The lesson in all of this is your faith in your team has to be strong in the losing years...or you never truly enjoy the winning years.
Believe me my friends...the winning will arrive again.....
Be well, stay off the Tobin.....
talkinaway
Registered User
I can't believe the Rask boos, because, frankly, for 90% of the season, he's been the single thing holding the team together. He wasn't on the "injured" list that they post, but even the most casual of fans should be able to figure out what happened. When you see "that Swedish guy who's not Rask" in front of the net, and "another guy who's not Rask" on the bench, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Rask is either sick or injured. And the Bruins are not a "sit out if you have a hangnail" team - just ask Bergeron.
As for booing the team in general...I view the fans and the team as having a friendship. And when your friend makes some bad decisions, you should let them know. Now, there's basically the binary of "yay" and "boo" that fans can shout, and it was letting the Bruins know that they hadn't lived up to expectations. Two years ago, at the start of the 2014-5 season, Chara promised a kid to make the playoffs.
Now, in a sense, they had lived up to expectations: the team wasn't better than last year, so we shouldn't have expected better result. But when you're not a Cup team and not a rebuilding team, it's frustrating to be on the wrong side of the bubble....again.
Also, keep in mind that there are some fans that probably paid ridiculous amounts of money at the last minute to see the game after it was confirmed that it was going to be a "playoff-like" game. Because of that, they probably figured that Rask would start...and while it's nobody's fault that that didn't happen, it's frustrating.
I view the "boos" more as "I am frustrated with this team and the results", and not as "I am no longer a fan"....but maybe that's because that's how I feel.
As for booing the team in general...I view the fans and the team as having a friendship. And when your friend makes some bad decisions, you should let them know. Now, there's basically the binary of "yay" and "boo" that fans can shout, and it was letting the Bruins know that they hadn't lived up to expectations. Two years ago, at the start of the 2014-5 season, Chara promised a kid to make the playoffs.
Now, in a sense, they had lived up to expectations: the team wasn't better than last year, so we shouldn't have expected better result. But when you're not a Cup team and not a rebuilding team, it's frustrating to be on the wrong side of the bubble....again.
Also, keep in mind that there are some fans that probably paid ridiculous amounts of money at the last minute to see the game after it was confirmed that it was going to be a "playoff-like" game. Because of that, they probably figured that Rask would start...and while it's nobody's fault that that didn't happen, it's frustrating.
I view the "boos" more as "I am frustrated with this team and the results", and not as "I am no longer a fan"....but maybe that's because that's how I feel.
Sarge,they could get eliminated in any of those games too. Maybe it should be dynamic,based on the situation.
talkinaway
Registered User
Problem is it's set up as a tradition within the Bruins (and quite a few other teams) to do it at the last home game. Also, they like to announce the promos in advance, possibly as a way to boost ticket sales for a game that might be otherwise uninteresting. The last game could be significant like this year, or it could be like two years ago where it's just a burn-off game where you rest a lot of starters for the playoffs...and, in that case, at least (the more casual) fans have the promo to look forward to.
While having the promo be dynamic would be a good idea, I'm not sure it would completely work out.
ODAAT
Registered User
not a memorabilia collector by any means but I`ll tell ya this, if my name was drawn, could care less what name is on it, count me in, love this stuff
PatriceBergeronFan
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2003
- 25,485
- 20,928
I understand that but IMO there would be a different feel if it happened in game 79 than in game 82.
Most years it won't matter of course.
talkinaway
Registered User
I'm with you on that - I don't really collect per se, but I do keep the game day rosters in a binder as mementos. All I have now is a Bergeron puck and a Rask puck, which is still pretty cool, but if I got the shirt off our backs, I'd immediately frame it after being signed, and I really wouldn't care too much who it was. Yes, even Kevan Miller. Yes, even Tyler Randell. Yes, even Gustavsson. Even Rinaldo. (Sorry, LadyFan, and basically any other fan of hockey.) Yeah, I'd rather have one of the "big gets", but even the minor guys I could tell stories to the young'uns stories around the fireplace as we gaze up at the framed jersey over the mantle.
Aeroforce
Registered User
All good points.
I did notice resounding cheers for Bergeron and Marchand though, so I believe the boos were aimed specifically at Rask.
To my knowledge, there wasn't (and still hasn't been) an official announcement on what ailment kept Tuuka from playing. In the disappointment of the moment, Rask was an easy scapegoat, especially when this team has a recent history of priding itself on 'warriors' who fought through anything for the good of the team.
I was sick recently and was less than useless; so I understand the team shutting him down.
What bothers me is the speculation I've read from fans in attendance that once the team knew Rask was out, they panicked and played scared.
I don't know if that's true, but the lack of effort likely led to the boo-birds. If they had made a passionate effort and still lost, perhaps things would have been different.
hoss75
Registered User
Were they booing or saying "TUUUUUK"?
THey do that after a big save and it sounds like a boo.
Aeroforce
Registered User
That's a good point. I watched the video after reading a lot of Tuuka bashing and I may have jumped to conclusions. I hope they were saying 'TUUUUUK.'
talkinaway
Registered User
I honestly don't hear much booing in the background on that video other than "Tuuuk", but it could have been NESN audio wizardry. There was definite booing at the end of the game, and it wasn't Tuuuuk/Goooooose booing. But during the "shirts off our backs" presentation, it sounded to me like just generalized (but somewhat muted and perhaps under-enthusiastic) cheering for most of it. As I said, Rask wasn't our problem, except for maybe the first 3 home games...maybe he just didn't get warmed up in camp because there was so much Subban/MacIntyre/Gustavsson playing.
But on further review, there definitely seemed to be mixed cheer/boos for Chara...which I guess is to be expected to a small degree. We're now paying for the bargain we got in in-his-prime Chara from a few years ago, and maybe some fans don't understand that a 39 year-old defenseman with a wonky knee is NOT going to look like he did at 35 during a Cup-winning season.
But on further review, there definitely seemed to be mixed cheer/boos for Chara...which I guess is to be expected to a small degree. We're now paying for the bargain we got in in-his-prime Chara from a few years ago, and maybe some fans don't understand that a 39 year-old defenseman with a wonky knee is NOT going to look like he did at 35 during a Cup-winning season.
