Do all fanbases attack their own star players during tough times?

[Mount Suribachi]

Detroit has been blessed with extremely popular star players for over two decades now. While not immune from criticism, the blame tends to fall to the second tier players when things aren't going well. Probably the last first-tier star who took a decent amount of heat when things didn't go well was Fedorov.

These days you're far more likely to hear the coaching or management come under fire than than Zetterberg or Datsyuk.

Yzerman took years of abuse pre 97 He wasn't always "The Captain", he was a soft player choker didn't have what it took to win a cup.

These days like you say it's the Clearys, Hudlers and Ericsson's who are scapegoated. Plus whoever is in goal.

 

[bhawks1399*]

Blackhawks fans always find a way to blame Crawford for a bad game or more. Take last year against the Kings for example, the hawks D got soft on the kings and let them ****ing camp in front of the net and screen Crawford. I'm not saying Crawford played well, which he didn't he kinda sucked but people were only blaming him, also blaming Versteeg but not nearly as much, anyways the D wouldn't crosscheck the Kings out of the front of the net. And the Kings D-men would walk right up the slot and fire a shot that Crawford never even saw, yet somehow all these people are making dumbass comments like Trade Crawford and "why don't we just give up we're never getting anywhere with Crawford" like shutup. Crawford was the only reason we got past the Wild, especially in game 6. Wow did we get outplayed and still managed to pull out a win out of our ass, why? Because we were better no because Crawford was absolute beastly

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Even when Tavares is in a slump (like this entire year), I don't really see the fanbase going after him. We're just happy to have him as our #1 and not Alexei Yashin or Mike Comrie.

We mostly attack Capuano. At least I do. I'll destroy Bailey any chance I get, even if he did something good (which is pretty much never anyway).

 

[CanadienShark]

Zetterberg and Datsyuk are usually impervious, though we will comment in it if they're slumping. But it's usually more of a "they'll come around, they'll be fine" instead of scape goating and attacking.

This is true. I also see Weber as a guy that's somewhat immune to flak, in the same sense that Dats and Z are.

 

[Callista Rhian]

Definitely happens to Crosby and Malkin. They get criticized a lot. Poor Fleury gets dumped on whether he's playing or not.

I honestly don't get why people are always dumping on Fleury. Sure, he has slumps and bad games, but it's like people hop on the "we should trade Fleury he suuucks" bandwagon the moment the puck goes in, regardless of whether it was his fault, that of the Ds, or if the player who scored was just that good.

As for Sid and Geno - what do you expect from them when they have to play with ever-rotating sub-par/inexperienced wingers? (Also, **** Scuderi)

 

[Swervin81]

Yup. Kessel is constantly loathed and **** on when the team isn't doing well. Sometimes warranted, sometimes not.

 

[Brooklanders*]

No. Simple answer. Some fans are more passionate than others and hockey is Canada's sport.

 

[nyrleetch]

Lundqvist got ripped by some people for giving up a breakaway goal to Steven Stamkos.... So yeah.

 

[octopi]

What's a star player?

Signed sabres fan

Remember Hasek?

 

[AllanMTL46]

Some people in MTL are still stuck with this Price-Halak debate and bring it back every time Halak does something good. Like geez, move on.

 

[Curufinwe]

Giroux's first name became Fraud among a large contingent of fickle Philly fans when he went goalless in October 2013.

Even this season he got attacked for only scoring PP goals.

 

[NoMoreRusselCrowin4u]

Yes.

 

[Nicko999]

Pacioretty and Subban, oh yeah... some of it is deserved, some of it is not.

Price on the other hand almost never gets criticized.

 

[Mogo]

Depends. Do you consider Kulikov, Upshall, Fleishmann, Barkov, Olsen stars?

There were no real hockey boards when we had our last star (Pavel Bure) and well Luongo hasn't given up more than a handful of bad goals this season if even that

 

[bacon25]

Thank you everyone, some people feel over on the Sens boards that only Sens fans were critical of their stars and that surely no other fanbase is as critical as ours. Makes for a good read, gets even better when people start proclaiming who's a fan and who isnt' based on player critiscism.

 

[jimmyemery]

Thank you everyone, some people feel over on the Sens boards that only Sens fans were critical of their stars and that surely no other fanbase is as critical as ours. Makes for a good read, gets even better when people start proclaiming who's a fan and who isnt' based on player critiscism.

Yeah but send fans kind of have a legit reason to complain.
Their best player is a defenseman whos bad at playing d.

They actually called karlsson a coach killer on nbcsn.
Plus they're a budget team.
So they have every reason to knock them.

And yeah.
In Detroit, no one knocks pav and z, Cuz even when they're not scoring they're still doing everything else at a really high level.

 

[canuckster19]

Every fanbase does it or has done it at some point. The only thing I don't like is some smug fan of a recent cup winner who criticizes other fanbases for doing it and claiming their fanbase is holier than thou.

 

[Karamazov]

Zetterberg and Datsyuk are usually impervious, though we will comment in it if they're slumping. But it's usually more of a "they'll come around, they'll be fine" instead of scape goating and attacking.

I was thinking the exact same thing. We eagerly make excuses for them, applaud the little things they're doing well, blame it on bad linemates, etc. They virtually never get any flack during bleak streaks. The closest is: "They're slowing down - god bless 'em - how will we replace them?!"

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Caps fans are pretty consistently supportive of Ovie and Backstrom. Backy took some flack last year and early this year, but not many suggested moving him or anything else drastic.

Green, OTOH, is the most hated man in Capland, but he's been much less consistent (and certainly less healthy) than the other two.

No.

Remember, we had these threads pop up when we missed the playoffs :

"Should we trade Ovechkin ?"
"Should we give the captaincy to someone else ?"

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I honestly don't get why people are always dumping on Fleury. Sure, he has slumps and bad games, but it's like people hop on the "we should trade Fleury he suuucks" bandwagon the moment the puck goes in, regardless of whether it was his fault, that of the Ds, or if the player who scored was just that good.

As for Sid and Geno - what do you expect from them when they have to play with ever-rotating sub-par/inexperienced wingers? (Also, **** Scuderi)

Fleury sucks and he should totally be accountable for the Pens recent failures in the playoffs, especially against the Flyers.

 

[Esq]

Kane was definitely criticized in 2012, and there were many arguing he should be traded.

That had nothing to do with any "tough times" by the team.

 

[SimplySensational]

Oh boy... Yeah Ovechkin does. He was dominating games in 2013, but the Capitals and him weren't getting points, so people of course blamed him.

Right now, the Capitals are winning, but Ovechkin is dominating and not getting points, so Backstrom is better.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

It definitely happens with the Rangers. When we're losing every thread might as well be renamed "The Henrik Lundqvist thread"

Sometimes he deserves it, sometimes he doesn't, but it's always his fault.

Except for half the board it's never his fault because of previous seasons, it means he never has a bad game or gives up a bad goal.

 

[Board Gordon]

Oilers top guys are absolutely getting ripped apart by some fans.

 

[Acetylene]

The only player in my time as a Canes fan that was truly above reproach has been Ron Francis.

How about Brind'Amour?

As for the Leafs, no one is safe. Except for Komarov maybe, some fans are even nominating him for captaincy