Do Avs fans' Despise Chris Stewart?

[Landeslog]

Despise is a strong word.
I don't like his personality, I don't like the things he said about our fanbase on his way out, and I don't like how lazy he plays sometimes. I like players that compete every night even if they suck.
Would I want him back? No. Do I despise him? No

 

[Ceremony]

You despised Darcy? I figured it would've been Bray May. A lot of folks couldn't get over the fact he was brought in at the end of his career here.

My wife always loved Darcy...said he had a pretty smile whatever the hell that means. I always liked the guy but thought we got him about 5 years too late to be really effective. Always enjoyed watching him play in Toronto though.

Brad May was pre the internet for me, so I didn't really even know he was playing for us. I barely even remember him to be honest.

Tucker, however, for me epitomised everything that went wrong in the 08/09 season, so he's on there for that.

 

[MvpKinnon]

I respect him as a player, but despise him as a person. I would never want him back.

 

[Johnz96*]

You despised Darcy? I figured it would've been Bray May. A lot of folks couldn't get over the fact he was brought in at the end of his career here.

My wife always loved Darcy...said he had a pretty smile whatever the hell that means. I always liked the guy but thought we got him about 5 years too late to be really effective. Always enjoyed watching him play in Toronto though.

He played for another 4 years in the NHL with 3 other teams after Colorado.

 

[cgf]

I would love to have him back. Guy was a beast and could back it up with his fists, when he wasn't breaking them on helmets.

One week out of three. Which is why I wouldn't mind him if he comes as UFA for the same ~3M per that McGinn gets.

I'd say despise is a word only reserved for one NHL player, and he's in Detroit now.

I think he always has been a one dimensional streaky goal scorer, with consistent work ethic problems. So in that sense I don't think he's anywhere near a premier player, and don't mind he's gone.

I also think his BS actions being so gung ho to challenge Sarich to a fight after a clean hit, and then waiving his arms in the air after he beat up the 35 year old in a blowout game was absolutely pathetic. Completely selfish, and not in line with a traditional NHL team concept, or traditional NHL respect for your opponents.

I don't like him, and I wish the refs would have let Bordy kick the crap out of him for that nonsense, instead of giving him a penalty for talking before a faceoff which I've never seen before and don't think is actually in the rulebook.

That was apparently some thing they've got going with the fans in Stl after players win fights. *shrug* Hard to hate a guy for continuing with the fan interaction the team he joined established.

But yeah, absolute BS by the refs not let Bordy teach him a lesson about beating up on our grandpa.

I respect him as a player, but despise him as a person. I would never want him back.

Really? I'm the other way, he's far more frustrating for me on the ice than off it as he's a pretty funny dude and those videos of him, staz and gali where probably the most genuinely amusing fan-outreach that the team has produced that I can remember.

Get the quotes right though, because they had intent to injure.

“Chris and I haven’t seen a crowd like that in a while. To know that you have such great support here and they really love their Blues’ hockey is great to know. It’s refreshing for us.â€
-Shattenkirk

“That was great. That was probably the best crowd I’ve ever been in front of. It’s going to be easy to play here if the fans are like that every night.
-Stewart

They made it clear that they think Blues fans are superior to Avalanche fans. Avalanche fans supported them every ****ing night, and there was absolutely no reason to take a parting shot at us. We didn't trade them, we loved having both of them here. They decided to make it personal with the entire state of Colorado though.

**** the both of them.

A compliment to their new team, isn't the same as ******** on their old team, and honestly our fans where pathetic in the sacco years while the blues where getting much better crowds, so this compliment isn't even untrue. Getting upset with guys who I personally loved the **** out of when they were on our team over something like that just seems so silly to me.

I'd forgive and forget if he came back on a 3M/yr contract to play on Staz's RW again. Otherwise I'm happy letting him coast elsewhere.

This is pretty much where I stand. I'd feel okay up to 3.5, and if he was coming as a UFA may even go up to 4 over 3 years, but that's the absolute limit regardless of his talent and charisma.

Uh I think this is some perceived insult here.. I'm not a stewart fan at all, but I think what they were saying is it was awesome to play in a full house... something colorado didn't have.

That's hardly an insult to the entire state of colorado. Avs were playing mediocre hockey at best at the time and the can wasn't getting filled. I'm not personally insulted by it, and I wasn't when the comment was made.. I was happy for him to play in an area where hockey was on the upside, not a sharp down hill slope.

Couldn't knock the guy for being excited.

Yep, seems like people looking for a reason to be upset with a player that's no longer on their team, which is silly. Our paths may have diverged, but he was a fun player in a dark time for our franchise who's departure brought us one of our cornerstones, and helped our tank for landy as our rapidly drying up offense completely evaporated.

 

[dahrougem2]

Would I want him back? Absolutely, the added depth he'd provide would be amazing, especially on RW. Would I give up significant assets for him? Absolutely not. In a perfect world the most I'd give up for him would be Barrie + 2nd, and then play him on a line with Tanguay and Stastny, moving O'Reilly to the middle with Landeskog and Parenteau and then having Duchene with McGinn and MacKinnon. But that will never happen because besides games in Denver I don't think Stewart will ever come back to this city

 

[cgf]

He's still a guy who should be a 25 goal scorer.

Yea, maybe he doesn't bring it in other ways that you would like, but he scores goals, is a good net front and will drop the gloves. Four is a pretty good price for that type of player.

I get that that's probably the market rate, and trust me when I say that the idea of adding man bear pig to a Staz and Landy or tangers line is really exciting, but I'd feel very uncomfortable with the team handing him PAP-money for any longer than 3 years.

 

[MvpKinnon]

Really? I'm the other way, he's far more frustrating for me on the ice than off it as he's a pretty funny dude and those videos of him, staz and gali where probably the most genuinely amusing fan-outreach that the team has produced that I can remember.

I liked him when he was with the Avs, but now I just hate his face. His comments etc have changed my opinion of him.

 

[cgf]

I liked him when he was with the Avs, but now I just hate his face. His comments etc have changed my opinion of him.

Which makes little sense to me. I can get people who never liked him continuing not to like him, but if you used to like him those comments are absurdly innocuous a reason to stop. *shrug* I mean those are much gentler than the **** me and my best friends say to each other, or even some of things me and the love of my life have teased each other about.

 

[MvpKinnon]

Which makes little sense to me. I can get people who never liked him continuing not to like him, but if you used to like him those comments are absurdly innocuous a reason to stop. *shrug* I mean those are much gentler than the **** me and my best friends say to each other, or even some of things me and the love of my life have teased each other about.

Maybe it's just because he plays for the wrong team. There's no logic to how I feel about him. I can't really explain myself further

 

[cgf]

Maybe it's just because he plays for the wrong team. There's no logic to how I feel about him. I can't really explain myself further

lol fair enough my man. If this culture was any good at understanding or discussing our emotions and feelings, life would be an entirely different experience.

 

[ManOnTheMoon]

I don't like him and don't want him back. He was a frustrating player when he was here, but that's part of being a fan, you stick up for, and hope for the best from your guys. When he wants to, Stewart can do one or two things right (shoot and fight) but he doesn't add much else to the team outside of that.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I wish him ill, but I root against him now (and all of St. Louis, for that matter) and it's vindicating to see Colorado's frustrations were well-founded since Stewart's continued to be up and down with St. Louis.

There's been a bit of revisionism I've seen from Blues fans, who try to make Shattenkirk out to be the main piece in the trade since Stewart hasn't really turned it around in St. Louis, but I still make that trade any day. Johnson for Stewart is a clear win, a first for Shattenkirk is a wash and McClement for a 2nd is a wash.

 

[klozge]

I would love to have him back. He's lazy sometimes but when he's on his game he's brilliant. Also one of the best fighters in the game.

 

[Avs71]

I don't like him and don't want him back. He was a frustrating player when he was here, but that's part of being a fan, you stick up for, and hope for the best from your guys. When he wants to, Stewart can do one or two things right (shoot and fight) but he doesn't add much else to the team outside of that.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I wish him ill, but I root against him now (and all of St. Louis, for that matter) and it's vindicating to see Colorado's frustrations were well-founded since Stewart's continued to be up and down with St. Louis.

There's been a bit of revisionism I've seen from Blues fans, who try to make Shattenkirk out to be the main piece in the trade since Stewart hasn't really turned it around in St. Louis, but I still make that trade any day. Johnson for Stewart is a clear win, a first for Shattenkirk is a wash and McClement for a 2nd is a wash.

Shattenkirk would go for much more than a high first. I think it would be more like Johnson for Shattenkirk is a wash. Although now that EJ is playing like a #1 defencemen, might be slightly in favour of the Avs. 11th overall for Stewart is decent value, and McClement for a 2nd is decent value. The trade definitely doesn't look that lopsided now. Seems Avs fans are happy, and Blues fans are happy. It only took 3 years for it to work that way.

 

[Avs]

Dont want him back.

Streaky player with questionable work ethic.

 

[Sheet]

I think there's a big difference between what he said and being excited.

Absolutely he can be excited to play for the Blues, no question, but his (and I never even saw Shattenkirk's, those are a little more harsh) remarks I think were calling out the Avalanche fan base because we didn't fill up the Pepsi Center every night...while not understanding the fact that A) The team under Sacco was abysmal and B) ticket prices were (and still are quite frankly) quite high, much higher than they should have been for a team as terrible as the Avs were during Sacco's tenure.

He could've said, "Man, the fans were really loud, it was nice!" or something along those lines, but when you say

"Chris and I haven’t seen a crowd like that in a while. To know that you have such great support here and they really love their Blues’ hockey is great to know. It’s refreshing for us.†(Shattenkirk)

or

“That was great. That was probably the best crowd I’ve ever been in front of. It’s going to be easy to play here if the fans are like that every night." (Stewart)

Those little thing's like "it's refreshing for us" and "It's going to be easy to play here if the fans are like that every night." that are the digs at Avalanche fans.

If he said that, then we'd all be upset because he said blues fans were louder then us.

And I still fail to see how that's insulting to the avs fan base. We can probably agree that the on ice product at the time sucked here, which resulted in poor attendance. I don't see how what he said was untrue, or anything less just excitement at being on a real hockey team.

It has to be disheartening to play in the NHL just to visit places like Chicago, St Louis, ETC that have packed houses and fans that are there because of more then low ticket prices. I don't fault them for getting excited, and I personally don't take it like a personal insult that they were pumped to play infront of a full house and made it apparent the avs did not have a full house.

 

[Punished ROR]

Stewart and Shattenkirk left at a pretty bad time for the organization. Dark days indeed. I don't doubt they had some amount of happiness at escaping a bad situation -- the same goes for other players that left during that time, and it showed.

Fans on this forum (not Avs fans specifically, but HFBoards in general) are sensitive about it because they tend to eat sleep and breathe hockey. Many of the fans here stood by and watched our team lose night after night, often looking defeated and disinterested. It was bad, frustrating hockey and not enjoyable at all to watch. Not a very rewarding way to spend your free time.

So when you see someone leave and express their joy at getting out of a rotten situation, and imply that the fans weren't doing their job, you can see why the hardcore fans can get upset.

That being said -- there is a definite overreaction to those comments, in my opinion. Perhaps some, especially those so invested in their team, need to get angry so they can divorce themselves of their conflicting emotions. I'm sure if you polled a group of "average" Avs fans whether they despised Stewart, the answer would largely be no.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I'm not saying its not true it is more fun to play in front of a packed house vs not. But when a player calls it out it's pointing fingers at the fans. Did you go to every home game that season? I did not. There is more I could have done. There is more you could have done. It places the responsibility on the fans, especially the Colorado fans. Maybe their point is about the organization but they don't say that. All they say is they had no fan support. Colorado is not a big market. There will never be that type of rabid fan support even if they are winning. I'm sorry we are not New York or Toronto or Chicago or Boston or Montreal. As a Coloradoan that hurts my feelings.

 

[Hesher]

I don't despise him, but I'm glad he's not on this team.

Same here.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

I'm indifferent.

 

[Sheet]

Stewart and Shattenkirk left at a pretty bad time for the organization. Dark days indeed. I don't doubt they had some amount of happiness at escaping a bad situation -- the same goes for other players that left during that time, and it showed.

Fans on this forum (not Avs fans specifically, but HFBoards in general) are sensitive about it because they tend to eat sleep and breathe hockey. Many of the fans here stood by and watched our team lose night after night, often looking defeated and disinterested. It was bad, frustrating hockey and not enjoyable at all to watch. Not a very rewarding way to spend your free time.

So when you see someone leave and express their joy at getting out of a rotten situation, and imply that the fans weren't doing their job, you can see why the hardcore fans can get upset.

That being said -- there is a definite overreaction to those comments, in my opinion. Perhaps some, especially those so invested in their team, need to get angry so they can divorce themselves of their conflicting emotions. I'm sure if you polled a group of "average" Avs fans whether they despised Stewart, the answer would largely be no.

I've been an avs fan since before they were the avs. I'm not an average or casual fan by any stretch of the word. I don't see how his comments implied the fans weren't doing their job. I feel like this is case in point what I'm saying. It's a perceived insult. I'd say he worded it poorly and meant no malice, but I don't even think it's worded poorly. I think it's perceived insult and that's that.

I'm not saying its not true it is more fun to play in front of a packed house vs not. But when a player calls it out it's pointing fingers at the fans. Did you go to every home game that season? I did not. There is more I could have done. There is more you could have done. It places the responsibility on the fans, especially the Colorado fans. Maybe their point is about the organization but they don't say that. All they say is they had no fan support. Colorado is not a big market. There will never be that type of rabid fan support even if they are winning. I'm sorry we are not New York or Toronto or Chicago or Boston or Montreal. As a Coloradoan that hurts my feelings.

Why do you assume he's calling out fans? If anything it was more directed at management. I'd of taken it personally if I was management.

Either way, I don't think it was an insult or anything like that at all. I think it was literally just a holy **** this is what a real home crowd sounds like on a team thats playing hot... Wow.. This is nice.

Maybe I'm just not sensitive to these sort of things that it bunched my panties, or I could just be sorely lacking the ability to pick up subtle insults to my very person by someone that doesn't know me. I'm not sure.


Either way, I'm not a Chris Stewart fan at all, and I don't really care for him as a player. I think he's talented but he's never really been there game in and game out for us or the Blues. The way he conducted himself after the Sarich fight also irritated me. I get it, firing up your home town crowd and playing the fans and such, but when you're already throttling a team it's sort of ****** to do that. Especially when it was so mismatched.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I'm not asking this with any sarcasm but I'm honestly curious, where are you from?

Who else makes up the crowd but the fans? If the crowd sucks it's on us.

 

[Punished ROR]

I've been an avs fan since before they were the avs. I'm not an average or casual fan by any stretch of the word. I don't see how his comments implied the fans weren't doing their job. I feel like this is case in point what I'm saying. It's a perceived insult. I'd say he worded it poorly and meant no malice, but I don't even think it's worded poorly. I think it's perceived insult and that's that.

Oh, I'm right there with you, I agree.

I didn't mean to imply that ALL hardcore fans must be upset by his comments. (I've also been a fan since the late 80's, and I clearly wasn't upset by their comments.) But I do think it's more likely that the people who are upset by those comments are the same ones that invest a huge amount of themselves into the team.

To me, there's a contract between organization and fan. The organization entertains, and the fan pays to be entertained. Why else would we pay to watch the games and wear the merchandise? To become habitually depressed by their lousy coaching and poor effort? It might feel like it at times (especially the years in question), but I don't think so.

If the product isn't entertaining, but instead it's rage or boredom or guilt or frustration-inducing, then the organization hasn't lived up to their end of the bargain. The fans at the game are merely an expression of the organization's success and relationship with the public -- thus any criticism directed at the nameless, faceless customer of the organization's product, has to ultimately be redirected towards the organization itself.

So when Stewart and Shattenkirk made those comments, I actually nodded my head in agreement. Their comments were an acknowledgement that the organization had a problem, and it was refreshing to hear a player say it. (And there were numerous players before and after that indicated the very same thing. This is one of the reasons why we had a regime change this past year, folks -- it's not necessarily a bad thing when people speak about problems.)

When people allow themselves to become personally upset by these comments, they are victimizing themselves. People are free to feel however they want, but personally, I refuse to take the blame for a situation that is not my doing.

This isn't necessarily a bad trait -- it shows that these people are compassionate, and clearly are loyal fans. But that compassionate energy could easily be redirected in a more positive way that doesn't result in one's feeling guilty or inadequate or like "they didn't do enough," etc.

 

[MvpKinnon]

I'm not asking this with any sarcasm but I'm honestly curious, where are you from?

Who else makes up the crowd but the fans? If the crowd sucks it's on us.

It's a double edged sword. Can't really be a fan of something you don't like. The team didn't give too much to cheer for. But the team plays for the fans. It was still an unnecessery comment from him.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I see your point but if the ex players want to call out the organization then don't beat around the bush and do it through the "customer". I'm not trying to turn it into a victim thing, it's about perception. Colorado will never be for example Toronto, never. Even if we win 3 cups in a row the crowds, media coverage, perception of the market, team will never be the same. My point is to call it out isn't simply commenting on the margin between a losing team and a winning team. No doubt losing is exacerbated in a weaker market. If that's what they notice, fine but I still don't like it. Plenty of strong markets still have great crowds regardless of winning or losing.