When do we stop overdoing it with reminiscing the golden days?

[LVOT]

The Oilers of course have a rich history and dominated the 80s. One of the best teams of all time played for this city, and of course will never be forgotten. And yet, it seems this team is reluctant to 'move on' from that time. Even going onto the Oilers website, it seems like at least once a week there's an article on something related to the glory days.

Remembering the past is important, but at what point do we overdo it? In a way it does a disservice to the younger generation of fans. I envy the people who were around and remember the glory days, but have to admit having never really experienced the Oilers win, it does nothing for me. Similarly, one has to wonder if free agents even care if Gretzky and co. talk to them when they likely never saw them/remember them play.

Click to read more...

 

[MettleMcOiler]

?? I really haven't noticed it tbh. Then again I have a choice to click the link if I am interested in knowing more which you also have the same freedom to do so. Same as going to events and such. Try not to let bother you too much, we have pretty awesome history. Once our current team becomes champions, we will be talking about them more often. They just need to win first.

 

[Morpheus]

I was thinking next Tuesday would be a good date...

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

The Oilers of course have a rich history and dominated the 80s. One of the best teams of all time played for this city, and of course will never be forgotten. And yet, it seems this team is reluctant to 'move on' from that time. Even going onto the Oilers website, it seems like at least once a week there's an article on something related to the glory days.

Remembering the past is important, but at what point do we overdo it? In a way it does a disservice to the younger generation of fans. I envy the people who were around and remember the glory days, but have to admit having never really experienced the Oilers win, it does nothing for me. Similarly, one has to wonder if free agents even care if Gretzky and co. talk to them when they likely never saw them/remember them play.

Its been overcooked now for 15 years. After the 25th anniversary of the team in the league it was time to flush it. This year they brought out the 40th and the Greatest Team In History celebrations last summer or fall or whenever the f*** that was. We have become Toronto West, where we celebrate shit that happened 25-30 years ago like it happened yesterday while icing a shit team for 20-25 of those 25-30 years. Time to end it but we have a jock sniffing owner who wants to relive his youth.

Focus on today and tomorrow. Enough of the OBC.

 

[guymez]

Well...lets be honest. Aside from the glory days there has been precious little to feel good about with this organization.

Eakins wasn't right about much but he was absolutely right when he talked about moving the team out from under the constant reminders of the glory days. I am willing to bet he got some push back for that and we are going back 5 years now.

Good times....

 

[Del Preston]

It'll never happen. If this team ever won a Cup you can bet there would be a special car at the parade for the 80s Oilers to ride in.

I was at Rogers Place today. The first thing you see after going through Ford Hall security is three big photos of Sather, Gretzky, and Messier.

 

[RegDunlop]

I know I'm in the minority, but I thought the orange crush was a good dinsquishing and distancing move.

 

[RegDunlop]

It'll never happen. If this team ever won a Cup you can bet there would be a special car at the parade for the 80s Oilers to ride in.

I was at Rogers Place today. The first thing you see after going through Ford Hall security is three big photos of Sather, Gretzky, and Messier.

It's so sad that the longer this crap goes on, the less endearing the memories I have of those incredible years become.

 

[guymez]

I know I'm in the minority, but I thought the orange crush was a good dinsquishing and distancing move.

Thats true.
Its also one of the reasons why I liked the copper and blue color scheme. It distanced the team from the glory years and the team was able to forge their own identity.
That was a hard working gritty team...unlike this version I was proud of that team.

 

[GodPucker]

It is only brought up by of how bad things have been.

Watch when the Oilers start winning. Nobody is going to moan about the glory days.

When you lose a lot, excuses like this come with the territory.

It's been badly managed club. Winning solved everything.

Do people really think new young players give two sh**** about the glory years being brought up. What do they care. It makes no sense.

 

[Hextallent63]

The glory days are held on to because of the passion and emotional high championships and tension and competitiveness and all that is created by the glory days of a team. It's how fanbases are created. Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal. The flyers 2 cups early in their history, now Vegas. The Islanders in the early eighties. Not saying you need to win it all but knowing what it's like to win it all or hearing the stories of older teams from fellow fans of past years I think is what keeps individuals and fanbases caring. You want to relive that feelin of your favorite team being the best or feel it finally for the first time. I've been a fan of my team for 30 years and have only seen the finals a few times. And even though there's no championships yet for me I'll never turn down a conversation with a fellow fan about the two cups they did win or a conversation with one of my friends about the Boston series or the leafs series a few years back. Gets my heart going even after years going by. Thumbs up to glory days .

 

[Hextallent63]

It is only brought up by of how bad things have been.

Watch when the Oilers start winning. Nobody is going to moan about the glory days.

When you lose a lot, excuses like this come with the territory.

It's been badly managed club. Winning solved everything.

Do people really think new young players give two sh**** about the glory years being brought up. What do they care. It makes no sense.

Not to put words in your mouth but your kinda saying they don't give two s**** about the history the team or the fanbases there playing for then.i think most of them probly do care.

 

[Del Preston]

It is only brought up by of how bad things have been.

Watch when the Oilers start winning. Nobody is going to moan about the glory days.

When you lose a lot, excuses like this come with the territory.

It's been badly managed club. Winning solved everything.

Do people really think new young players give two sh**** about the glory years being brought up. What do they care. It makes no sense.

The issue I have is these guys use the glory years as the reason why they should be running the team today.

 

[TheNumber4]

I’ve secretly always had a soft spot for the OBC despite their obvious lack of ability to get the job done. Something about glory year Oiler legends leading this team into a new age has a certain romance to it. But then I just watched this clip from MoneyBall:



In that clip they talk about there’s Rich teams, poor teams, and worse. And the Oakland A’s are worse, an unfair league, where they can’t get or keep good players. I feel the same way about these Oilers and this City. Yes , there’s a cap, but our free agency attractiveness will always be ZERO. Our players will always have the least amount of rest, relaxation, and fun away from the rink. And the highest chance of getting the flu along with shit travel and shit weather. Something in the water indeed.

So we gotta stop doing it the way we’ve been trying to for the last 15 years. Keith Gretzky or any old time GM (like Chia was) is not going to solve shit.

I want fresh new blood in the GMs office with fresh ideas. Even Arizona’s analytics based GM and even Dubas who is an analytics guy. I want an entirely new view of how to view player acquisition. Someone who will think outside the box to give our disadvantaged city a chance at having a money ball type advantage that no other teams have seen yet. To have this chance, we need someone new with radical ideas and the balls to try them.

 

[The Panther]

I think having an "old boys' club" around a previously dominant franchise is a good thing, not a bad thing. It certainly worked for Montreal in the 70s/80s/early-90s. The matter, as ever, is how you do it.

The first NHL game I ever watched, in full, was the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup in game five of the 1985 Final. The Oilers won four of the first six Cups that were awarded after I started watching hockey. The Gretzky trade happened when I was 12 and traumatized me. So, I like the concept of Gretzky and whomever being back in some capacity and employed by the organization. I think a lot of fans my age and older don't have any issue with that.

The post-2006 Oilers, being the post-2006 Oilers, however, always find ways to make themselves look stupid in celebrating their legacy. So they retired Messier's number on the evening that Ryan Smythe was sent packing. They had the 30th-anniversary of the '84 Cup thingie when the team was in the tank and in desperation mode, so people weren't really in a mood for it. Then the League asked them to celebrate the "greatest team of all time / 1985 Oilers" (which was a silly choice for that), and the organization said 'yes', which was also stupid. Then, they trotted out all the Dynasty-era people for the final game at Northlands, also when the team was missing the playoffs. Then, they waited until the team was having another crappy season before they honored Sather (instead of doing it during 2016-17 when the team was successful).

The point is, if the club is doing well today, nobody at all is ever going to complain about an "old boys' club" being around, as with Montreal and les glorieux. All the Oilers' legacy problems stem from the fact that the entire franchise is a train-wreck now, today.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

It’s great to have a strong and active alumni club but it’s a whole other thing to hire a bunch of the guys in made up head office roles.

What does Kevin Lowe do? He’s apparenty not involved in hockey operations so what’s left that he could offer any competence in?

I bleed copper and blue and have been there since the beginning. I partied with all the different clubs over the years and have a lot of fond memories but these unending tributes are becoming more and more a self congratulatory circle jerk with the Old Boys stroking each other off. It’s time for the new guys to take the baton and build something worth stroking off to.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

It'll never happen. If this team ever won a Cup you can bet there would be a special car at the parade for the 80s Oilers to ride in.

I was at Rogers Place today. The first thing you see after going through Ford Hall security is three big photos of Sather, Gretzky, and Messier.

Why is this unusual? Who do you think the row of statues in Montreal outside the Bell Centre honours ?

 

[Beerfish]

Strange thread to be honest. I have seen very little evidence of over reminiscing and that era is right in my wheel house as a fan.

Or perhaps this thread was directed at Daryl Katz?

 

[thadd]

As long as any of us who were around to remember it are still kicking we'll still be talking about it.
If we don't win a cup by the time I'm in my 70's, I'll probably get banned from this forum for reminiscing.

 

[Stoneman89]

Time for another 80’s reunion to lift the fans spirits and kick off the season ticket drive!

 

[Dough72]

history and tradition are important. There is no reason to be afraid.

 

[Frank the Tank]

There is a difference between celebrating the glory years with fans through ex-players being fan ambassadors versus letting them be involved in hockey operations. It's obvious from the last decade that they are not qualified for the jobs they hold. Hold them accountable based on their performance as management and not what they accomplished as players in the '80s. Plus there exists the random nepotism. Like why did Bob Nicholson's wife write a book about the glory years? Perhaps she has the ability and unique access through her husband, but it doesn't make it look like the Oilers are run as a meritocracy.

 

[redgrant]

It will never happen until theyre all dead ala Beliveau Richard etc. This organization clings to the 80s so hard they literally have a banner based on an NHL.com poll that anointed the 84 Oilers best team ever.

 

[Stoneman89]

There is a difference between celebrating the glory years with fans through ex-players being fan ambassadors versus letting them be involved in hockey operations. It's obvious from the last decade that they are not qualified for the jobs they hold. Hold them accountable based on their performance as management and not what they accomplished as players in the '80s. Plus there exists the random nepotism. Like why did Bob Nicholson's wife write a book about the glory years? Perhaps she has the ability and unique access through her husband, but it doesn't make it look like the Oilers are run as a meritocracy.

Very true. I have no problem with Anderson or Kurri or Fuhr or the like coming in on occasion, talking to the guys or attending the odd function. Everyone does it, the good and the bad teams, and it is good to honour and remember these guys for what they accomplished. But when I see guys like MacT, or other guys from bygone failed days like Howson making hockey decisions, I feel like puking. Bringing in Bob Nicholson because of what he did with Hockey Canada is a joke as well. And Hitch got the "dream job", being from Edmonton. And all the ex Oil Kings that were drafted or traded for.

 

[Bryanbryoil]