Die Hard Oilers Fan - Dying hard

[Oiler11]

Since the 2006 cup run, for me, as a fan of this team, it has easily been the most difficult start to a season. I can't imagine what it must be like for the players.

The team seems to be playing well enough to just barely lose games on most nights. Some decent goaltending should change this team's fortunes around some.
Bachman

As a fan, I'm holding in there, but, as busy as I am, I no longer watch games when I shouldn't. That said, I'm still addicted to this team and will be for life.

Bachman, please baby jesus. Please be the guy. If he played in Phoenix last night, we get two points.

I used to take Oiler losses hard. Like grumpy to the wife and kids hard. But losses have been so frequent, I just had to emotionally bail a bit lately. An Oiler win, however, I still find elating. I consume every highlight and article I can afterwards. I'd say I'm addicted too.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

We need a culture of winning. That's where the old boys club comes from

Once you taste it you are addicted

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Like I said in a different thread...I'm indifferent to the results of Oiler games...I watch but I don't get angry when they lose nor excited when they win...cause I expect them to lose and if they win 2 in a row I know a 3 game losing streak is on the way

It's just depressing to see Colorado so good and toronto winning games...even the Flames aren't embarassing...yet here we are, bottom feeders again

 

[Up the Irons]

This is a sad thread to see.

Can you guys imagine being a team that hasn't even won a stanley cup? I didn't watch the team win anything. I started watching during the mid to late 90's, and have always stuck with my team.

When I see someone complain about how things are going now, yet were around to see their team hoist a cup FIVE times, it makes me shake my head. We are, what, ties for 5th most cup wins? Come on guys.

This "rebuild" has been frustrating, sure, but if you're going to fold up shop, then leave already. Plenty of room here for the fans that still care about having a team to cheer for. About supporting that team. How many capital cities in north america would see this thread and just be disgusted. Saying you'd rather see the team be eliminated from the NHL? Leave this forum, that's a disgrace.

Some people here act like they would have been able to do a better job creating a team than our management. Like they aren't trying or something. Sure it's not going as well as we might have hoped, but that's the nature of the game. I's not a formula, where you lose long enough, then you start winning.

Just go on with your lives thinking that we have it so tough, but if we had our team taken away from us when things weren't looking so great how many years ago when they were talking about moving, you guys would be sick with how you're acting now. Go talk to Winnipeg. I'm betting they are certainly glad they have a team again, even if they aren't world beaters.

Be frustrated and upset that we aren't winning, everyone goes through that, and it's reasonable... but the minute you start saying that you'd rather not have a team, that's when you know you aren't a true fan.

Disappointed.

sorry bud, but this 'battered wife' things is getting tired. i think most of the posters, like me, are not thinking of completely quitting. it is just that we, like most posters, are not only hardcore fans, but completely obsessed fans. it's almost midnight and I'm on here. We read Hockey Buzz, OilerNation, Coppernblue, Boyz on the bus, Oildrop, Tyler Dellow, daily. We listen to 1260 and Ched sports shows. We can't get enough Oilers. And this obsession is leading to depression. who the hell wants to be mad all the time? the post game happiness is very very rare, and its going to stay that way, maybe forever. this rebuild is now more likely to fail then succeed. (about 40-60)

like others, i'm not going to obsess over the Oilers anymore. and game night is not 'drop everything else night'.

they are going to have to win my undivided attention back.

 

[Up the Irons]

So in other words this team sucking is good for your family. K Lowe has done something right after all.

lol. not bad. i suppose, in a way, you're right. i watched Beetlejuice with the family tonight, will switching back periodically to check the score.

 

[McDraekke]

sorry bud, but this 'battered wife' things is getting tired. i think most of the posters, like me, are not thinking of completely quitting. it is just that we, like most posters, are not only hardcore fans, but completely obsessed fans. it's almost midnight and I'm on here. We read Hockey Buzz, OilerNation, Coppernblue, Boyz on the bus, Oildrop, Tyler Dellow, daily. We listen to 1260 and Ched sports shows. We can't get enough Oilers. And this obsession is leading to depression. who the hell wants to be mad all the time? the post game happiness is very very rare, and its going to stay that way, maybe forever. this rebuild is now more likely to fail then succeed. (about 40-60)

like others, i'm not going to obsess over the Oilers anymore. and game night is not 'drop everything else night'.

they are going to have to win my undivided attention back.

My answers are in order of the bolded statements in your post.

1) What the heck are you talking about?
2) I am in the same boat as you, I am constantly on here and other forums, reading about all the news I can find on the Oilers.
3) That's just ridiculous
4) I'm not saying fans should 'obsess' over the games. In fact, that's kind of what I'm saying people shouldn't do. It's that obsession that leads to people going crazy on these boards. Do I make an attempt to watch any and all oiler games? Yes. Do I rearrange my life in order to do so? No.

It just seems like people here assume it's some right as a fan to have their team win. So if they aren't winning, you get uppity and *****y. If you aren't going to give them your undivided attention that's fine, but like I'll say for the 3rd time now, when people go so far as to say that they'd rather see the team disbanded than play here, it is ridiculous.

*finished my essay, woohoo!*

 

[Horseradish]

This is a sad thread to see.

Can you guys imagine being a team that hasn't even won a stanley cup? I didn't watch the team win anything. I started watching during the mid to late 90's, and have always stuck with my team.

When I see someone complain about how things are going now, yet were around to see their team hoist a cup FIVE times, it makes me shake my head. We are, what, ties for 5th most cup wins? Come on guys.

This "rebuild" has been frustrating, sure, but if you're going to fold up shop, then leave already. Plenty of room here for the fans that still care about having a team to cheer for. About supporting that team. How many capital cities in north america would see this thread and just be disgusted. Saying you'd rather see the team be eliminated from the NHL? Leave this forum, that's a disgrace.

Some people here act like they would have been able to do a better job creating a team than our management. Like they aren't trying or something. Sure it's not going as well as we might have hoped, but that's the nature of the game. I's not a formula, where you lose long enough, then you start winning.

Just go on with your lives thinking that we have it so tough, but if we had our team taken away from us when things weren't looking so great how many years ago when they were talking about moving, you guys would be sick with how you're acting now. Go talk to Winnipeg. I'm betting they are certainly glad they have a team again, even if they aren't world beaters.

Be frustrated and upset that we aren't winning, everyone goes through that, and it's reasonable... but the minute you start saying that you'd rather not have a team, that's when you know you aren't a true fan.

Disappointed.

I think your age is probably a big item here. And more than that, your time as a fan hasn't been as long as many who are saying this.

I've been a fan since I can remember. In fact, Oilers games are among my earliest memories.

But in 24ish years, I've not seen a Stanley Cup, which is fine and totally normal in the grand scheme of things. 5 series in 22 seasons? 3 of them coming in '06? It is a pathetic level of futility.

I'm just saying that I don't reserve 82 nights per year for this team that does nothing but disappoint me without ever changing anything meaningful or make meaningful improvement.

I have to live my life-- I'm in a serious relationship, I'm embarking in serious career moves, might get married in a couple of years, might have kids in a few more. When you have other major priorities in life, you have to allow space for them. And if the Oilers were always improving after drafting Hall or I saw any significant hope for success in the near future (I still think they're about 3 years away from competing for anything meaningful, at least another year away from playoffs), I could weigh the trade-offs and take some guff from my missus and occasionally miss optional professional commitments in order to catch games. But there is no hope right now, so I might as well better my lot in life while I'm young and have the chance (not to mention travel. I would've never dreamed of missing an Oilers game until about 3 years ago when I decided to travel for almost 11 months in Latin America-- and I caught all of ONE game. And while I followed HFBoards and blogs and news sites, I didn't actually miss it that much. They just lost all the time anyway).

 

[Horseradish]

It's just sad that there are people who care so little that they would rather see the team be gone. That's asinine.

St Louis, Vancouver, Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa, Washington. Those are the teams that have zero cups. out of those, Florida, Ottawa and Washington have only reached the finals once.

There needs to be some perspective here, especially from those who are old enough to have seen the 80's magic. It bothers me when I see those people complaining.

The opening song for us this year: My Body by Young the Giant... "...but I won't quit, 'cause I want more." That is my new motto for this team. People who want to give up, should just do so and make space for those who want to go to hockey games. Reading that some people just don't use their season tickets frustrates me. You know that there's a charity that allows you to drop off tickets for young kids? Give them the tickets, they still want to watch. And don't worry, you get a tax receipt.

Not a single person is saying that they care THAT little. We're just saying that the constant Oilers reading, game-watching, OilersTV-viewing, etc. is no longer all that justifiable. All this stuff didn't exist in the 80s, and most games weren't televised. Does that mean that people then were less fans? No. It's just a matter of prioritizing things in one's life.

I never got to see Gretz nor Coffey as Oilers. I vaguely remember my family celebrating the '90 cup when I was 4, but it didn't matter to me THAT much at the time. I remember being excited but nothing even compared to the excitement of '97 when we beat Dallas, for example.

As far as I'm concerned, I became an Oilers fan at the cruelest of all moments. At the point at which the great 80s teams were sputtering on fumes and then the massive sell-off, a few years of horri-awful hockey, an ascendance to a barely-playoff-team cinderella story followed by years of futile playoff or near miss hockey where the 'have' teams routinely walked over teams like the Oilers (mostly the Stars, really), followed by a new day and a new CBA, a cup trip, and sweet **** all since then in almost a decade.

And as much as that sucks for me, it's utterly revolting to people like my Pops who was a season tix holder going back to mid-70s WHA days. He finally gave up his season tickets 3 years ago and couldn't be happier about it. Still goes to some games, still watches some on TV, but he has more time to do other things now and they make him happier than seeing a once-proud franchise fall to the depths of crap once reserved for the likes of Washington and Vancouver.

 

[Dorian2]

I'm with you OP. I basically watch something else and switch to the game to get the score. Last night was a perfect example. Watched Walking Dead and flipped on the game during commercial breaks.

I'm losing interest pretty quick with this team this year. I've basically had enough of it.

This coming from someone who's watched them since their NHL inception in 1979.....and a die hard hockey fan since I was 4 or 5 years old.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

I'm with you OP. I basically watch something else and switch to the game to get the score. Last night was a perfect example. Watched Walking Dead and flipped on the game during commercial breaks.

I'm losing interest pretty quick with this team this year. I've basically had enough of it.

This coming from someone who's watched them since their NHL inception in 1979.....and a die hard hockey fan since I was 4 or 5 years old.

I guess this is where I am at now. I stay up late because we're three hours ahead in Atlantic Canada. I used to watch every minute. And if they lost by one I would go to bed furious about my lost sleep.

Now I'm just getting indifferent. If I ever float away, it won't be to another team, I will just stop watching hockey...

What I find now is I get distracted. I flipped over to "bride of chucky" during a commercial the other night. ( i think the washington game). Then I ended up eventually flipping to the game during the commercials. And let's face it, Bride of Chucky ain't exaclty riveting cinema.

I've waited long enough, something needs to give.

 

[Dorian2]

lol. not bad. i suppose, in a way, you're right. i watched Beetlejuice with the family tonight, will switching back periodically to check the score.

OT.

Love your Steve Harris (I think) Avatar!

 

[teal]

the penguins were miserable before crosby came along, and the blackhawks were a joke until bill wirtz died. something will happen, can't see the oilers staying like this forever.

 

[Dorian2]

I guess this is where I am at now. I stay up late because we're three hours ahead in Atlantic Canada. I used to watch every minute. And if they lost by one I would go to bed furious about my lost sleep.

Now I'm just getting indifferent. If I ever float away, it won't be to another team, I will just stop watching hockey...

What I find now is I get distracted. I flipped over to "bride of chucky" during a commercial the other night. ( i think the washington game). Then I ended up eventually flipping to the game during the commercials. And let's face it, Bride of Chucky ain't exaclty riveting cinema.

I've waited long enough, something needs to give.

Heh Heh. Make sure to check out my GDT for the Philly game. You will get special mention because some of your comments fit in with my concept.

 

[Playa Hejda]

the penguins were miserable before crosby came along, and the blackhawks were a joke until bill wirtz died. something will happen, can't see the oilers staying like this forever.

So you're telling me we need to identify who our Bill Wirtz is and eliminate the problem?

 

[teal]

So you're telling me we need to identify who our Bill Wirtz is and eliminate the problem?

no. i mean maybe. those were just examples of teams that were doing poorly until something drastic happened. from an outsider's perspective, i have no clue what the actual problem might be. you guys have a lot of talent, and as a hockey fan, but fan of an opposing team, i'm partly excited/partly scared to see what happens when everything comes together.

 

[Tyrolean]

My condolences to all die hard Oiler fans. It's really sad that we watch the terrible management of this team year after year. As long as the team makes money, the club really doesn't care about winning.

I only watch because the team has "Edmonton" on it otherwise I am not enamored with anything they do.

If they get rid of Lowe that would be a start for optimism.

 

[Da McBomb]

I've been a diehard fan since the 80's but all this losing has made me 'numb' as a fan, to the point where I've come to expect it and don't care as much anymore about the team, the games, or the results. I'm definitely excited though when the season first starts, but then after October and all the same losing, the Oilers become secondary to me. Back in the 80's and 90's, I could not miss a game and watched every single game live. Now I PVR almost all the games, watch it at my convenience and usually end up fastforwarding most of the action. I gotta give props to all the die hard season ticket holders though - I'm not sure how you guys do it, pay big bucks for sh***ty entertainment. Its quite amazing that Rexall has been selling out still.

 

[ZenOil]

I've been a diehard fan since the 80's but all this losing has made me 'numb' as a fan, to the point where I've come to expect it and don't care as much anymore about the team, the games, or the results. I'm definitely excited though when the season first starts, but then after October and all the same losing, the Oilers become secondary to me. Back in the 80's and 90's, I could not miss a game and watched every single game live. Now I PVR almost all the games, watch it at my convenience and usually end up fastforwarding most of the action. I gotta give props to all the die hard season ticket holders though - I'm not sure how you guys do it, pay big bucks for sh***ty entertainment. Its quite amazing that Rexall has been selling out still.

It's only because Alberta's booming. If this epic suck took place during a massive recession fans wouldn't come and changes would happen. Too think this franchise is getting rewarded a new arena during this suck, shows that in Alberta both people and government throw money around like it's candy. Similar to K Lowe. He has been a huge part of this abomination and he keeps on getting rewarded for it. He's even on the Olympic team for gods sakes. And to people getting depressed over this team as my shrink friend says, depression is often a sign that your body is telling u that u must make a change in your life... This was a good thread, i'm out.

 

[Kepler 186f]

It's only because Alberta's booming. If this epic suck took place during a massive recession fans wouldn't come and changes would happen. Too think this franchise is getting rewarded a new arena during this suck, shows that in Alberta both people and government throw money around like it's candy. Similar to K Lowe. He has been a huge part of this abomination and he keeps on getting rewarded for it. He's even on the Olympic team for gods sakes. And to people getting depressed over this team as my shrink friend says, depression is often a sign that your body is telling u that u must make a change in your life... This was a good thread, i'm out.

What does that have to do with the Oilers, Edmonton or Alberta?

 

[Musashi]

I was born two months after the last cup win

Blame me

 

[ResilientBeast]

I was born post dynasty era and became a fan because I live in Edmonton. That's just how it works, I reached my current level of fandom during the 06 playoffs when the entire city was buzzing. Grew up listening to the hockey games on 630Ched as I fell asleep.

And it's just been horrible being a diehard fan for the last 7/8 years. I watch and read about our glory days and then I get to flip on the TV and watch this team struggle to even play competent hockey. I just hope we turn around soon, because it's not even entertaining games that we lose. We just get crushed or give up midway through the game.

I hope this team can figure it out like they did in 05/06, I don't even care if we get swept like Minnesota or just miss like Columbus, I just want to have the promise of playoff hockey visible and not some abstract concept only discussed with tier one fans. But alas it's just a dream, I'll keep cheering, rocking my Oilers jersey around campus, keep watching the games and endlessly defending them with a fanatical devotion because that's what fans do.

 

[gqmixmaster]

We need players like this the way they were back in their prime: Ulanov, Hamrlik, Curtis Joseph, Tommy Salo, Ryan Smyth, Marchment, Grier, Marchant, Guerin then later on with Greene, Stoll and Roloson.

Guys who aren't easy on the other team but who still contribute to offense, guys who you can cheer for but who also can win a game.

 

[McDraekke]

Well, i'm at the point where even that doesn't matter anymore, I say let them go...matter of fact, don't relocate them, just fold them (not even kidding) and have a dispersal draft, then watch the NHLPA fight to save the franchise (which would be extremely hypocritical since many of the players in the league nowadays are prima donnas who don't want to play in Edmonton for various reasons).

I foolishly bought tickets for the game against the Caps and the Pens (only because I have 2 buddies who are Pens fans and since we live in BC, its more for them to say they have seen their team play than anything). Bought the tickets before the season, that was a mistake that wont happen again...i'm not even frustrated anymore, I too am at the apathy stage...don't care about making a big trade, don't care about injuries hurting the team, don't care about the ridiculous schedule, don't care about the standings or the stats....just....don't...care.

In a way, its nice, because I don't get stressed out over bad calls, or the playoffs, or watching the scoreboard every night to see who won and who lost in the western conference, or how bad the special teams are, or the goaltending, or the defense, or all the dipsy doodling and dangling that never leads to anything except a turnover, or the fact that the team cant clear the zone to save their life...none of it matters once you stop caring, its quite freeing tbh.

Not a single person is saying that they care THAT little. We're just saying that the constant Oilers reading, game-watching, OilersTV-viewing, etc. is no longer all that justifiable. All this stuff didn't exist in the 80s, and most games weren't televised. Does that mean that people then were less fans? No. It's just a matter of prioritizing things in one's life.

I never got to see Gretz nor Coffey as Oilers. I vaguely remember my family celebrating the '90 cup when I was 4, but it didn't matter to me THAT much at the time. I remember being excited but nothing even compared to the excitement of '97 when we beat Dallas, for example.

As far as I'm concerned, I became an Oilers fan at the cruelest of all moments. At the point at which the great 80s teams were sputtering on fumes and then the massive sell-off, a few years of horri-awful hockey, an ascendance to a barely-playoff-team cinderella story followed by years of futile playoff or near miss hockey where the 'have' teams routinely walked over teams like the Oilers (mostly the Stars, really), followed by a new day and a new CBA, a cup trip, and sweet **** all since then in almost a decade.

And as much as that sucks for me, it's utterly revolting to people like my Pops who was a season tix holder going back to mid-70s WHA days. He finally gave up his season tickets 3 years ago and couldn't be happier about it. Still goes to some games, still watches some on TV, but he has more time to do other things now and they make him happier than seeing a once-proud franchise fall to the depths of crap once reserved for the likes of Washington and Vancouver.

Post quoted above shows what I'm talking about. Read the thread before posting.

In reference to your first post quoting me: I'm 26, turning 27 in two months. Don't tell me I'm a young kid who hasn't watched enough games. I've put in my time as a fan, without having those golden year moments, just like you. Just because when I was 8 I wasn't a die hard, doesn't change anything.

I was born post dynasty era and became a fan because I live in Edmonton. That's just how it works, I reached my current level of fandom during the 06 playoffs when the entire city was buzzing. Grew up listening to the hockey games on 630Ched as I fell asleep.

And it's just been horrible being a diehard fan for the last 7/8 years. I watch and read about our glory days and then I get to flip on the TV and watch this team struggle to even play competent hockey. I just hope we turn around soon, because it's not even entertaining games that we lose. We just get crushed or give up midway through the game.

I hope this team can figure it out like they did in 05/06, I don't even care if we get swept like Minnesota or just miss like Columbus, I just want to have the promise of playoff hockey visible and not some abstract concept only discussed with tier one fans. But alas it's just a dream, I'll keep cheering, rocking my Oilers jersey around campus, keep watching the games and endlessly defending them with a fanatical devotion because that's what fans do.

I'm glad that more fans like you are posting in here. It has been horrible, it has been frustrating. But we don't just drop the jersey and walk away.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Post quoted above shows what I'm talking about. Read the thread before posting.

In reference to your first post quoting me: I'm 26, turning 27 in two months. Don't tell me I'm a young kid who hasn't watched enough games. I've put in my time as a fan, without having those golden year moments, just like you. Just because when I was 8 I wasn't a die hard, doesn't change anything.



I'm glad that more fans like you are posting in here. It has been horrible, it has been frustrating. But we don't just drop the jersey and walk away.

I'm apathetically optimistic, it's tough to watch sometimes, but I'm a fan, I'll never not be a fan. They've got me for life.

 

[PaPaDee]

Unfortunately, I can related to the OP. Since it became obvious that were rebuilding back a few years ago, I supported this team and watched them often. They were bad, but because I was naive I suppose, I continued to support them thinking they would grow and become a team that could win on any given night, or at least be competitive and become a playoff team.

Fast forward to today, and our record looks worse than we had in our first season with Hall.

First of all, I will say that I'll always be an Oiler fan. However, I just can't find the desire to watch this team anymore. We've pissed the last 3+ years down the toilet, and are the same team, with a little more skill in the line-up, but no heart or desire for the game. I hope our arena starts having more and more empty seats at games, as that might be the only way Katz makes a change. How does KLowe still have a job after his horrible management of this team?