Tbh, I think with the internet, came the "troll" fans like the ones you speak of. The Blackhawks board has a few, that will remain nameless.
Fans who root for players, rather than for teams
- Thread starter Kshahdoo
- Start date
Tbh, I think with the internet, came the "troll" fans like the ones you speak of. The Blackhawks board has a few, that will remain nameless.
Only team I root for unconditionally is Team Finland. I don't have a strong attachment to any NHL team. I admittedly only follow and root for teams with Finns in them. Imo rooting for a team "just because" doesn't give you a higher moral ground to stand on.
I also don't think being a coach or GM makes you infallible. I don't like Babcock. He plays his vets to a fault. Pretty sad to see guys like Cleary, who did so much for the Red Wings, become scorned by fans because the Babcock doesn't understand when his vets hit the expiration date. Babcock also gets overrated for winning gold with Team Canada. I'm pretty sure Dallas Eakins could have coached that roster to gold. Last season we saw that you can't polish a turd. Even the "best coach in the league" can coach his team to a last place finnish when he doesn't have a good roster.
Babcock and Lou were the reasons I was happy to see Toronto win the draft. Would have hated seeing Laine "eased" into the league playing limited minutes in bottom 6. His story would look so different.
I have soft spots for certain players. Coaches who run rigid systems irrespective of their players drive me nuts. For example I absolutely hated what Dale Hunter did to Ovechkin, benching him when Caps had the lead. Or how Tortorella used the Sedins. I don't care for Subban, but I can relate to how some fans felt when Therrien was benching or scratching him.
I also don't think being a coach or GM makes you infallible. I don't like Babcock. He plays his vets to a fault. Pretty sad to see guys like Cleary, who did so much for the Red Wings, become scorned by fans because the Babcock doesn't understand when his vets hit the expiration date. Babcock also gets overrated for winning gold with Team Canada. I'm pretty sure Dallas Eakins could have coached that roster to gold. Last season we saw that you can't polish a turd. Even the "best coach in the league" can coach his team to a last place finnish when he doesn't have a good roster.
Babcock and Lou were the reasons I was happy to see Toronto win the draft. Would have hated seeing Laine "eased" into the league playing limited minutes in bottom 6. His story would look so different.
I have soft spots for certain players. Coaches who run rigid systems irrespective of their players drive me nuts. For example I absolutely hated what Dale Hunter did to Ovechkin, benching him when Caps had the lead. Or how Tortorella used the Sedins. I don't care for Subban, but I can relate to how some fans felt when Therrien was benching or scratching him.
ottawa
Avatar of the Year*
That's appealing to authority, you can't do that.
Even though it makes complete sense, and has a 98% chance of being right.
You can't do that
Bergevin is a great gm. Hasn't lost a trade yet. The only thing I can fault him for is sticking with the coach, but is there really better options out there? And even then, MT has seemed to regain the room.
I hope you miss a cup win in your self important protest.
Us Europeas who don't have a strong attachment do so. You switch teams but stick with your players longer. I used to be a Colorado Avalanche fan but then Duchene peaked
Chimpradamus
Registered User
Who cares if people only follow specific players for whatever reason? Alot of europeans just follow players from their country, because what connection do they have to a random business franchise?
I started following the Rangers because of Lundqvist and that's kind of my team now (I like many of the other players as well), but I totally get those who have no real team and only check up on players, I did that for quite some time (following the Avs only because of Forsberg).
I don't understand how someone can root against the team "their" player is on though only for individual success for some weird reason, that's just... weird.
I also have to point out I detest the NHL and how it conducts its business. That's right, it's a business model. That's it's a business model revolving around the exploitation of a specific sport isn't making things better. If hockey actually came first (economy being a part of playing the sport, as a sports club), things would look alot better for the actual sport, but now it doesn't. That doesn't make picking a NHL business franchise any easier.
I started following the Rangers because of Lundqvist and that's kind of my team now (I like many of the other players as well), but I totally get those who have no real team and only check up on players, I did that for quite some time (following the Avs only because of Forsberg).
I don't understand how someone can root against the team "their" player is on though only for individual success for some weird reason, that's just... weird.
I also have to point out I detest the NHL and how it conducts its business. That's right, it's a business model. That's it's a business model revolving around the exploitation of a specific sport isn't making things better. If hockey actually came first (economy being a part of playing the sport, as a sports club), things would look alot better for the actual sport, but now it doesn't. That doesn't make picking a NHL business franchise any easier.
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cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
I root for the Avs first and foremost; but Radulov has made me such a fan when it comes to the Habs, as Radulov is my favorite current hockey player. So I root for him much more than I do that team.
I actually had a similar relationship with the Habs previously when Subban still played for them, as he's so damn charming & fun to watch; easily one of my favorite non-Radulov or Landeskog players in this sport.
I actually had a similar relationship with the Habs previously when Subban still played for them, as he's so damn charming & fun to watch; easily one of my favorite non-Radulov or Landeskog players in this sport.
This, people in NA should understand that too. Also some coutries might only have 1-10 players from their country in the entire league. If i was Slovenian, why would i NOT root for LA and change if Kopitar is traded? It´s a bit different if half the leagues players are from your country.
NA pro-sports kind of lacks soul too, like there might not be a single player on "your" team that actually originates from the same state as the team.
You can be the worst team in the league and instead of being degraded to a lower league and smaller teams being able to climb to the big leagues, you are rewarded the best young player... which from a euro standpoint actually seems weird. All in the name of business.
Russian Factor
Registered User
There is absolutely nothing wrong with rooting for players first and teams second. Generally speaking, people should be encouraged to be fans however they choose. This **** is supposed to be fun.
I do think there is something special about the undying loyalty and community feel that comes with rooting for your local club but not everyone can do that or wants to do that for one reason or the other and... well, who cares.
Personally - I root for Malkin and the Penguins 1st, most Russian players around the league 2nd
(I'm not Russian I just like the Russian players/style. Also, as a good yinzer should, I love to follow the Pittsburgh boys like Saad, Gibson, Miller etc)
I do think there is something special about the undying loyalty and community feel that comes with rooting for your local club but not everyone can do that or wants to do that for one reason or the other and... well, who cares.
Personally - I root for Malkin and the Penguins 1st, most Russian players around the league 2nd
(I'm not Russian I just like the Russian players/style. Also, as a good yinzer should, I love to follow the Pittsburgh boys like Saad, Gibson, Miller etc)
He really couldn't. The players could play without a coach and be better then what he would do.
I don't care for teams. I do follow some of them more closely than others because there are a number of players I like to keep track of but I really do not give a toss if some random hockey club I have no ties to wins or loses a game. Why would I? How many NA posters here can honestly say they're fans of some KHL or FEL team?
Ducks in a row
Go Ducks Quack Quack
I am not someone who is just a fan of specific players. I don't like sports without teams because I want something I can cheer for forever and not have to keep finding something new every so often.
BayStreetBully
Registered User
I used to cheer for Team Sweden strictly because of Sundin. I loved Mats so much that I even cheered for Sweden over Canada at the 2002 Olympics. Sweden actually did thrash Canada 5-2 in a round robin game that Olympics, with Mats scoring 3 points, if I remember correctly. I won't ever cheer against Canada again, but I did in 2002. (Of course, Sweden eventually won gold in 2006, which made me happy as well)
I won't lie. Salming and Sundin were so good to the Leafs that I still have a soft spot for Sweden as a country. Great ambassadors, they were. Maybe Kopitar will do the same for Slovenia for Kings fans, I dunno.
I won't lie. Salming and Sundin were so good to the Leafs that I still have a soft spot for Sweden as a country. Great ambassadors, they were. Maybe Kopitar will do the same for Slovenia for Kings fans, I dunno.
Can't say that I've seen many, honestly. I have, however, seen plenty non Swedish Sens fans say that.
I already have a team that I sheer for here in Sweden. Only follow my favorite players in the league. Mostly Swedes but also players who at one point or another played for my home team. Ovy is also easy to root for, for example. Players who do stuff on the ice that are pure magic should be appreciated.
Trilliann
Tier 2 fan
What is the "right" way to become a fan? Especially for us Euros, who don't have any connection to any NA city or area? Just randomly pick a team from a list?
You have your favourite players on different teams, some maybe because they are from your country, some because you just like the way they play. So you follow those teams more closely than others and eventually one team just grows on you
You have your favourite players on different teams, some maybe because they are from your country, some because you just like the way they play. So you follow those teams more closely than others and eventually one team just grows on you
Since I dont live in the US and got zero connection with any city idc that about any team. NHL is quite boring in general nowadays though but sure I do cheer for a couple of individual players. I also dont understand how you can feel any connection with a team when there are zero homegrown players and just a bunch of mercenaries. Well guess I cant understand murican "culture" in general.
I follow Swedish players rather than specific NHL teams. Personally I find it hard to understand how one can cheer for a team they have no geographical connection to, from my perspective you dont "pick" a team, you cheer for the team from your hometown - and the only situation where you "pick a team" is if there are multiple ones from your hometown.
I guess my my nationalist beliefs show even when it comes to hockey.
I guess my my nationalist beliefs show even when it comes to hockey.
Rooting for a player you don't know who happens to be from the same country from you is just as stupid.
Nithoniniel
Registered User
I'd just like to clarify that I don't really have a problem with people being fans of players over teams, to each their own. Especially when it comes to people coming from a casual interest. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with a player as a gateway into the league or a particular team, most of us doesn't have very good reasons for why we picked a certain team. I became a Leafs fan because they were blue. That's it.
What I do think is that it seems a bit restrictive to key your emotional attachment to one lone player in a team sport.
Or, since he's still producing shots on goal and scoring chances at a rare level, he's just having the common issue of fluctuations in percentages. Every year a bunch of players go through this early in the season and more or less every time it's just a temporary thing, yet fans never learn.
What the OP talked about wasn't about that either. It's that people have such disdain for Hyman on that line that it overshadows absolutely everything else that is going on, to the point that they want Babcock fired after a 6-1 win because Hyman isn't replaced with someone who is perhaps a slightly better fit.
What I do think is that it seems a bit restrictive to key your emotional attachment to one lone player in a team sport.
Or, since he's still producing shots on goal and scoring chances at a rare level, he's just having the common issue of fluctuations in percentages. Every year a bunch of players go through this early in the season and more or less every time it's just a temporary thing, yet fans never learn.
What the OP talked about wasn't about that either. It's that people have such disdain for Hyman on that line that it overshadows absolutely everything else that is going on, to the point that they want Babcock fired after a 6-1 win because Hyman isn't replaced with someone who is perhaps a slightly better fit.
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It just occurred to me that I am doing this for national teams. When Germany is out (which can be banked on, lets not kid ourselves here), I root for Malkin and Russia. Then should Russia fail, I root for Crosby and Canada. I'll still root for Russia even when Malkin isn't on the team, but when Crosby isn't playing for Canada, I'll look directly to the next team with a Pens player. Finland and Maatta usually.
