Is the media partly responsible for fans who want their teams to tank?

[LeafsNation75]

I think it's fair to say there was never anymore hype for the 2015 and 2016 NHL draft lotteries for these reasons.

In 2015 you had Connor McDavid about to come into the league as a generational player and we had not seen hype like that since Sidney Crosby's draft year. I remember on TSN they would take McDavid's image and put him in every teams jersey with a chance at getting the 1st overall pick.

In 2016 at least in Canada the draft lottery got talked about a lot due to the fact that all 7 Canadian NHL teams were going to miss the playoffs. Every night both TSN and Sportsnet would update the draft lottery odds and it was called "Canada's Lotto 7" by TSN.

So with that being said is the media partly responsible today for fans wanting to see their teams tank for the best draft lottery odds possible, because of how those draft lotteries got hyped up? I know the circumstances were Connor McDavid in 2015 and the Canadian teams all missing the playoffs in 2016, however today there is still talk among fan bases in the running for the 2018 1st overall pick. For example fans of those teams use the phrase "Fallin for Dahlin."

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[DearDiary]

TV in general is responsible for how 100% of Americans think. If Friedman says the Sabres need to tank for Dahlin, you better believe that Sabres fans will start cheering for losses

 

[Territory]

Fans want their teams to tank because it is for the greater good and fans are smart. Obviously picking top 5 is better than picking 9th or 10th or higher.

"Fans" who just want their team to win when they have nothing to play for and it makes them draft lower are uninformed and casual.

 

[KingWantsCup]

I think all but maybe two cup winning teams in the post ‘05 lockout era drafted #1-#3OA, with that player being pivotal on a future championship team. Does it always work? No, there’s the Sabres and Oilers of the world too— but the fact remains that without tanking the chances of winning a cup are reduced quite a bit. It’s for this reason why fan bases are OK with tanking. The media just capitalizes on it.

Edit: I think the number on non-tank teams may be 3. I’m thinking the 2006 Canes, 2007 Ducks and 2008 Redwings. At work so I can’t confirm definitely right now.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Fans want their teams to tank because it is for the greater good and fans are smart. Obviously picking top 5 is better than picking 9th or 10th or higher.

"Fans" who just want their team to win when they have nothing to play for and it makes them draft lower are uninformed and casual.

Some fans don't want to see their teams fall into the trap of a losing culture like Edmonton. Do you think that after all the losses they've watched since 2006, Edmonton fans are still cheering to see them lose?

There's always two sides to an argument but taking a position as extreme as yours, that any fan that doesn't want to see their team Tank is uninformed and casual, is ridiculous and short sighted. And this comes from somebody who has been on record as stating that tanking is pretty much the only way to win.

 

[Territory]

Some fans don't want to see their teams fall into the trap of a losing culture like Edmonton. Do you think that after all the losses they've watched since 2006, Edmonton fans are still cheering to see them lose?

There's always two sides to an argument but taking a position as extreme as yours, that any fan that doesn't want to see their team Tank is uninformed and casual, is ridiculous and short sighted. And this comes from somebody who has been on record as stating that tanking is pretty much the only way to win.

"Losing culture" is a myth. You win when you have a good team. Edmonton has a bad team with a few good players not a losing culture.

The Leafs had a "losing culture" too until they had good players. What a coincidence.

 

[nhlfan9191]

I think it's fair to say there was never anymore hype for the 2015 and 2016 NHL draft lotteries for these reasons.

In 2015 you had Connor McDavid about to come into the league as a generational player and we had not seen hype like that since Sidney Crosby's draft year. I remember on TSN they would take McDavid's image and put him in every years teams jersey with a legit chance at getting the 1st overall pick.

In 2016 at least in Canada the draft lottery got talked about a lot due to the fact that all 7 Canadian NHL teams were going to miss the playoffs. Every night both TSN and Sportsnet would update the draft lottery odds and it was called "Canada's Lotto 7" by TSN.

So with that being said is the media partly responsible today for fans wanting to see their teams tank for the best draft lottery odds possible, because of how those draft lotteries got hyped up? I know the circumstances were Connor McDavid in 2015 and the Canadian teams all missing the playoffs in 2016, however today there is still talk among fan bases in the running for the 2018 1st overall pick. For example fans of those teams use the phrase "Fallin for Dahlin."

Edit: I stand corrected. I messed up the years for when the new draft lottery kicked in.

 

[LeafsNation75]

"Losing culture" is a myth. You win when you have a good team. Edmonton has a bad team with a few good players not a losing culture.

The Leafs had a "losing culture" too until they had good players. What a coincidence.

You can also say teams management groups and their decisions also play a factor into their success or failure. Look at how things changed for the better when the Leaf hired Brendan Shanahan as their President who than went onto hire Mike Babcock, Lou Lamoriello, Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter.

 

[LeafsNation75]

The only reason there was hype for the 2016 draft is because Toronto was guaranteed a top 2 pick. There was a lot more hype for Crosby and McDavid drafts, and also a lot more for Tavares then there would’ve been for Matthews had Toronto not been in the picture. I would argue years with MacKinnon/Jones and Stamkos/Doughty were also more hyped then 2016.

When Toronto finished last place overall in 2016 they were not guaranteed a top 2 pick. Because of the new draft lottery where they have selections for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall picks, it meant they could pick no worse than 4th overall if they didn't win any of the first three picks.

Buffalo was the last team who was guaranteed no worse than the 2nd overall pick in 2015 for finishing last place overall under the old draft lottery rules, so that's why we saw Tim Murray doing everything possible with the Sabres tank to get at least Jack Eichel.

 

[JT Kreider]

Fans want their teams to tank because it is for the greater good and fans are smart. Obviously picking top 5 is better than picking 9th or 10th or higher.

"Fans" who just want their team to win when they have nothing to play for and it makes them draft lower are uninformed and casual.

False. I don't want to be like the Sabres. Yeah they got Eichel but they dug themselves in a 20 foot hole to get him. And they're not any closer to digging themselves out of it.

The Rangers winning some games down the stretch kills their hope for Dahlin, but we've also seen some very encouraging signs in those wins. Pionk, Georgie, beast mode Kreider, etc.

Once you allow yourself to be as bad as the Sabres did, it's damn near impossible to not continue to be that bad.

They even tried to get out of the proverbial hole with the Kane, Lehner and ROR trades and instead found themselves 10 feet deeper.

Once you pop the fun don't stop.

 

[LeafFever]

I honestly think it's just fans see evidence of teams winning cups after "Tanking". Same in most sports. There's complaint in MLB about rebuilding teams but the last 2 WS winners were teams that completely bottomed-out and rebuilt their farm system.
The media just hypes it up to increase interestes/ratings. Fans are smarter than ever. They see the results.

 

[nhlfan9191]

When Toronto finished last place overall in 2016 they were not guaranteed a top 2 pick. Because of the new draft lottery where they have selections for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall picks, it meant they could pick no worse than 4th overall if they didn't win any of the first three picks.

Buffalo was the last team who was guaranteed no worse than the 2nd overall pick in 2015 for finishing last place overall under the old draft lottery rules, so that's why we saw Tim Murray doing everything possible with the Sabres tank to get at least Jack Eichel.

You’re right. I forgot Winnipeg and Columbus moved up that season.

 

[Territory]

You can also say teams management groups and their decisions also play a factor into their success or failure. Look at how things changed for the better when the Leaf hired Brendan Shanahan as their President who than went onto hire Mike Babcock, Lou Lamoriello, Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter.

Of course it does. Shanny hired good people, those people got rid of bad players and replaced them with good players. Not rocket science, and nothing to do with "culture".

 

[LeafFever]

The only reason there was hype for the 2016 draft is because Toronto was guaranteed a top 2 pick. There was a lot more hype for Crosby and McDavid drafts, and also a lot more for Tavares then there would’ve been for Matthews had Toronto not been in the picture. I would argue years with MacKinnon/Jones and Stamkos/Doughty were also more hyped then 2016.

This is wrong. Toronto was only guaranteed top 4, not top 2. And I really think Tavares did have as much or more hype than Matthews.

 

[LeafsNation75]

You’re right. I forgot Winnipeg moved up that season.

Columbus also moved up from 5th overall to 3rd overall.

Also in case anyone forgot Winnipeg moved up from 6th overall to 2nd overall.

When Toronto won the lottery and retained the 1st overall pick, it was the first time since 2010 that the team with the best odds won the draft lottery.

 

[Dr Pepper]

I think fans of most struggling teams find small comfort in the fact that there is (usually) hope on the horizon, in the form of a stud draft pick. Some picks are obviously more hyped than others, depending on the pedigree of each player from year to year. Can't blame the media if McJesus is projected to be the next Gretzky and a Canadian team is slated to nab him first overall. Or the Leafs with Matthews. Of course they'll be falling over each other to make it look like the best thing to ever happen in that market in ages.

Other teams see that and want the same treatment, or outcome.

 

[Oddbob]

I honestly feel this is a fan generated thing, that the media just rolled with, because it is sadly popular to root for your team to lose.

 

[Oddbob]

Columbus also moved up from 5th overall to 3rd overall.

Also in case anyone forgot Winnipeg moved up from 6th overall to 2nd overall.

When Toronto won the lottery and retained the 1st overall pick, it was the first time since 2010 that the team with the best odds won the draft lottery.

Rigged............just kidding!

 

[chizzler]

Columbus also moved up from 5th overall to 3rd overall.

Also in case anyone forgot Winnipeg moved up from 6th overall to 2nd overall.

When Toronto won the lottery and retained the 1st overall pick, it was the first time since 2010 that the team with the best odds won the draft lottery.

Wink....wink.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

I don't watch any of those NHL talk shows and yet I want my team (since this is a lost season) to tank hard for a chance at Dahlin, Svechnikov, Tkachuk, or Zadina.
We need help.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Fans want their teams to tank because it is for the greater good and fans are smart. Obviously picking top 5 is better than picking 9th or 10th or higher.

"Fans" who just want their team to win when they have nothing to play for and it makes them draft lower are uninformed and casual.

Precisely. You know who are the biggest losers in the NHL every year? Those who finish 9th in each conference.

 

[NickH8]

I don't watch any of those NHL talk shows and yet I want my team (since this is a lost season) to tank hard for a chance at Dahlin, Svechnikov, Tkachuk, or Zadina.
We need help.

You don't "need help", you've had enough pie in the past 8 years.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Common sense is to blame.

 

[MLSE]

I could care less what media says, me personally, I was sick of the Leafs shooting for 8th place year in and year out.

I wanted my team to tank because of the Pittsburgh's and Chicago's of the league. Wasting assets and shooting for the middle will have you end up in a tank position more than likely in the end anyways so might as well take your average to below average team, wipe them clean and start over with a real attempt at being contenders year in and out.

Having high end assets and a deep pool of them is better math to win the cup then to be average and try to make the playoffs year in and out while you deplete your prospects.