News Article: Were the fans justified in Booing the Oilers?

[dustrock]

I'm not even convinced they were booing the players so much as the coaches and management.

Agreed that it's (1) no compete level, and (2) boring style of play. Why should we pay top 5 ticket prices in the league for this garbage?

 

[OneMoreAstronaut]

I was at the game Saturday night (for my bachelor party actually - so luckily I already had reason to drink the sorrows away). The boos came down with just a few minutes left in the game. During the rest of the game, admittedly it wasn't exactly a loud atmosphere, but it's hard to get excited where there are only a smattering of real offensive chances. That said, there were several times in the third when "go Oilers go" chants started up to try to give the team something to go off of.

I think long story short, the team got more cheering than they even deserved, and when that effort went unrewarded, people get bitter in a hurry. You can only cheer for nothing for so long.

I didn't boo, I absolutely refuse to ever boo and I wasn't exactly happy that it was happening either. But nothing happened that wasn't justified.

 

[guymez]

Tencer seems to think that booing doesn't send a message at all but only serves to provide motivation to the visiting team while demotivating the home team.

Dan Tencer ‏@dantencer 23 Mar

Positive energy boosts the home team, booing boosts the road team. But, I think I was fairly clear that fans can cheer/boo how they want...

So if we are to understand Tencer...if the fans cheered from the start of the game to the end THAT would have provided the motivation to the home team to play better.

To think that I have always thought that the players had an obligation to give the fans a reason to cheer.

According to Tencer that obligation lies with the fans.

Does Tencer have a mandate to make sure the fans stay in line with what Management is trying to do?

Sure seems like it.

It really is like communism with this organization and its lackeys.

 

[oiler-dude]

I was at the game Saturday. It takes a lot for me to boo the Oilers, and I found myself joining in at the end of the 3rd (now, I was also a 'few' beers down ). I can say though, my booing was not solely at the players. It was moreso at the sad state of this franchise and it's management's seeming inability to address our glaring weaknesses.

The fans are far from a problem here. We've been plenty patient, moreso than could be asked for, even. We've sold out every game since September 2005 and have seen playoffs a grand total of once. Most of this spent in the basement of the league. Want us to be more supportive? Start with management putting a competent product on the ice, and finish with the players looking like they give a damn. None of that was there on Saturday.

It was different than the San Jose game, where they were also rightfully booed after the first. The difference there was the team decided to give a damn in the 2nd & 3rd, and the fans came back to support them pretty damn well.

We'll cheer. But we won't cheer crap.

 

[Digger12]

What I find funny is how the media is turning this into some sort of controversy. What a load.

This is HARDLY the first time these fans have booed the Oilers off the ice at home in recent years. It doesn't happen often, but it has occurred (given that this team has the worst aggregate record in the entire NHL since the 04/05 lockout, how could it not?). Yet, this time it's an issue?

To me, the difference is in how the team reacted to it this time. It seems like some of them were genuinely annoyed/hurt by it. I can't imagine it would feel very good at all.

When you think about it, it's an odd relationship that the sports stars in this town shares with the common rabble. One day you're out doing a positive photo op at the Stollery, putting on an Oilers jersey and sitting around with Cancer patients as you're punching the clock on your required "I'm an Oiler doing community work, fostering good vibes!" time allotment...maybe you're genuinely glad to be there, more likely it's an uncomfortable experience that you can't wait to get away from. The next day, you're getting serenaded by boos as you leave the ice after being embarrassed in your own rink.

It's a world that I honestly can't predict how I'd react.

 

[bleed_oil]

A lot has been said about the game on Saturday and much of the conversation has been about the fans treatment of the players.

Jonathan Willis makes the point that the fans just bothering to show up at all is something to be recognized and appreciated.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/03/24/nevermind-the-boos-the-edmonton-oilers-should-be-happy-enough-people-showed-up-to-jeer-at-all/

I have stopped buying ticket packages for 3 years now because I felt strongly enough that the Management team was not up to the task of putting together a competitive team and I was not willing to support incompetence with my hard earned money.

For the people that still decide to purchase tickets and go to the games I completely respect their decision to voice their displeasure at the quality of hockey they were witnessing. I think though there is a misunderstanding at were this displeasure was directed. I think it was at the organization and not the individual players. Its the organization that needs to understand how much this team has failed its fan base.
Boos are the first step...apathy is the next.

The Boos at least show that the fans care....I see that as a positive.

We stopped purchasing mini packs around the same time you did... maybe 2008. I think since this organization rarely gets roasted in the media, the least the fans can do is voice there displeasure at the game - regardless of how it chafes the Oilers PR guys (Tencer and Stauffer).
As for the issue of apathy and such, as a life long fan I can say I have a hard time caring whats going on these days considering how long we've been in the grindhouse.
The day the Oilers clean house with Lowe, Tambo, MacT, Bucky and all the rest of the Old Boys Club - I would feel differently. As of right now I think this organization is one of the worst managed franchises in Pro Sports.
I cannot imagine the level of ineptitude required to draft as highly as they have in consecutive years - the fact that this has happened without any degree of accountability from management says all you need to know about this organization.

 

[Digger12]

It really is like communism with this organization and its lackeys.

LOL...that Mike Comrie quote was running through my head this morning!

And the next morning, Guymez was never seen or heard from again.

Better keep your head on a swivel. I know when I get home I'm going to open up all my smoke detectors to ensure there's been no "modifications".

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

I was annoyed by the booing. I thought the Oilers got outplayed but it wasn't an effort issue so I don't see what booing does besides making Oilers fans look like *******s on national TV. If the Oilers had mailed it in then by all means boo until you're blue in the face, but I saw lots of plays where guys were sacrificing to make a play and it just wasn't working Saturday. I think Kreuger got outcoached and St. Louis played very well. There have been a number of games this year where I've been pissed off watching this team and Saturday's game wasn't one of them.

I think fans would've been better off to be chanting "Fire Tambo" or "Fire Kreuger." Then the message is directed to where the anger is felt for most people.

 

[McShogun99]

The fans were justified in booing. This was the second worst home ice effort since the 2009-10 season. Save that lack of compete for a road game since fans pay good money to go to a game. If the Oilers were competing and lost 3-0 then I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have gotten that reaction from the fans.

 

[Connor McOilers]

Fans who purchase tickets to see them play and have been given nothing but absolute crap for the last few years have every right to boo them, however I think it should mostly be directed at the coaching and management. Fire tambo/lowe/krueger chants would be ideal.

 

[Paralyzer008]

Yep. 3-0 game where it was clear they had given up in the third period. They were justified to boo in this scenario.

 

[Oilfan2]

Chant for the next game...

KruTamboLowe must Go..
KruTamboLowe must Go..
KruTamboLowe must Go..
KruTamboLowe must Go..

 

[Gobo]

They gotta realize that 3 years in the basement + 3 prior years not in playoffs is going to lead to fans being upset. When you constantly blow leads it gets to you. Also, we have an offensive hockey team correct? Playing a defensive system that is both A) boring and B) uneffective isn't going to please anyone. Give me an aggressive hockey team that loses 6-5, because that's how our team is built to play.

 

[nabob]

Maybe the fans were BLUUUUUing.

He'll maybe they should have just started cheering for the Blues. You know sinse they were the only team putting in an effort.

 

[Beerfish]

I was annoyed by the booing. I thought the Oilers got outplayed but it wasn't an effort issue so I don't see what booing does besides making Oilers fans look like *******s on national TV. If the Oilers had mailed it in then by all means boo until you're blue in the face, but I saw lots of plays where guys were sacrificing to make a play and it just wasn't working Saturday. I think Kreuger got outcoached and St. Louis played very well. There have been a number of games this year where I've been pissed off watching this team and Saturday's game wasn't one of them.

I think fans would've been better off to be chanting "Fire Tambo" or "Fire Kreuger." Then the message is directed to where the anger is felt for most people.

Some people can't figure out that 90% of the times fans boo a team collectively they are booing the WHOLE organization, not just the players on the ice. I guess it gets easier to become indignant like Tencer if you speculate that all 5,000 people booing are booing the players only.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Completely in the right for booing the team. They deserved it.

 

[McDavidson]

this is no different than a few years back when the Oilers laid an egg and Chicago and Buffalo, where the fans started chanting we want 10, it was right after the all-star break, after it had been rumored the team had done a bonding trip it Vegas, they came back, and played terrible, and the fans let them know it was not acceptable. Not sure how players/coaches/management/Homer sports writers think fans are out of line.

I have been told by customers this or that is unacceptable, they go to my boss, write a report if they have an issue. I doubt we can go to Katz and voice our displeasure. What option is there? Besides booing or avoiding this team all together.

When someone doubts me, or heckles me even at slo-pitch (which I do not make millions of dollars playing), I try to prove a point and play even harder, I don’t whine to my wife. These guys should try and play with more pride, and actually convince us, we were in the wrong for booing them, not crying to the media….

 

[thadd]

I would rather hear a "Fire Lowe or we'll go!" chant.

 

[Gret99zky]

The booing will lead to Hall's trade request not Tambi or Lowe's firing.

If you want new management, don't go to the game. Simple.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

The booing will lead to Hall's trade request not Tambi or Lowe's firing.

If you want new management, don't go to the game. Simple.

LIke I said in another thread, premature to even think that.

 

[Lacaar]

I don't think the fans boo'd because we lost. They boo'd because they got completely ripped off entertainment wise. They had every right to boo for having to pay to watch disgusting display of entertainment.

Those boo's were directed at the following for failing to provide any entertainment value for that game. Players, Coaches, Management, NHL, NHLPA. Get those games out of this league.

That's what I'd like to think.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

The fans shouldn't really be booing the players but rather management. Unfortunately, it isn't really possible to do that, so that's why a lot of fans were booing the players.

 

[Gret99zky]

LIke I said in another thread, premature to even think that.

So Taylor Hall is just going to learn to accept losing year after year? Like the fans have?

His ELC is burned up this season. He has won hockey games his whole life except for the last 3 years. His agent is Bobby Orr. Hall isn't going to want to waste away his hockey career waiting for Steve Tambellini and Kevin Lowe to figure things out.

After another bottom 5 finish this year how many more years do you think Hall will want to be a part of this?

 

[Moonlapse Vertigo]

And Willis is bang on with his assertion. The Oilers need to get their heads out of their sanctimonious *****.

 

[Moonlapse Vertigo]

I was annoyed by the booing. I thought the Oilers got outplayed but it wasn't an effort issue so I don't see what booing does besides making Oilers fans look like *******s on national TV. If the Oilers had mailed it in then by all means boo until you're blue in the face, but I saw lots of plays where guys were sacrificing to make a play and it just wasn't working Saturday. I think Kreuger got outcoached and St. Louis played very well. There have been a number of games this year where I've been pissed off watching this team and Saturday's game wasn't one of them.

I think fans would've been better off to be chanting "Fire Tambo" or "Fire Kreuger." Then the message is directed to where the anger is felt for most people.

You missed the point completely. The booing WAS directed towards management and the ongoing state of the organization. Enough is enough.