When would you start believing again?

[Aerchon]

To believe in this coach\management...

To start they have to win their next 4 games.

Then after that, win most of the following 10 because the schedule turns ugly.

Then after that take us to the playoffs or close enough to witness meaningful games in march.

 

[PinSeeker]

When we stop losing 80% of our games vs Vancouver and Calgary, and 90% of our games against SJ and LA.

 

[Up the Irons]

A start would be to make a trade for a C and send Drai back to Junior. It's inconceivable that this option isn't being exhausted. To keep the kid up this year is wrong on at least 3 levels.

 

[doulos]

I think I can only start believing again when Hemskyfan's game reports come back.

 

[0ilerman]

I'll believe when they play close games with the California teams, Chicago and Stl. Don't have to win most, or even play .500. Just come out with a consistent effort and a style that could potentially win

 

[ManofSteel55]

A start would be to make a trade for a C and send Drai back to Junior. It's inconceivable that this option isn't being exhausted. To keep the kid up this year is wrong on at least 3 levels.

For all we know, it is.

 

[SoftDumps]

Meaningful hockey down the stretch. Not being effectively eliminated before Halloween would be a start though.

 

[Up the Irons]

For all we know, it is.

But we do know it isn't. MacT has said he is not interested in a 'filler' centre. IOW, if he can't hit a home run, he will stand pat. Sounds a lot like his predecessor.

Irresponsible management.

 

[Billy Barou]

I want to see them play like they did for that twenty minutes against Calgary all the time. That was the most dominant play I'd seen out of them in eight years.

 

[Hemsky4PM]

Depends on the definition of "believing". If it simply means not being a laughing stock, if the Oilers can finish fewer than double digits out of the playoffs, I'd say they've turned the corner. As it stands, they are still last in the division...again...

 

[harpoon]

Believe in what? This thread makes it sound like we are talking about the tooth fairy, or some vague religious figure.
The Oilers are just a hockey team, and I'm just a fan. I watch the games win or lose. It requires no belief on my part, just free time.

People looking to believe in a hockey team need to re-evaluate their lives.

 

[Spawn]

I'll believe when they play close games with the California teams, Chicago and Stl. Don't have to win most, or even play .500. Just come out with a consistent effort and a style that could potentially win

This is whats important to me. When this team can play the Kings, Ducks, or Sharks and actually compete... I'll start to believe. I'm not talking about squeaking out a win while being outshot 40-20.

I want a game last night where they win despite being dominated be considered not good enough.

 

[syz]

When the Oilers are in a playoff position in March.

 

[booyakasha]

Believe in what? This thread makes it sound like we are talking about the tooth fairy, or some vague religious figure.
The Oilers are just a hockey team, and I'm just a fan. I watch the games win or lose. It requires no belief on my part, just free time.

People looking to believe in a hockey team need to re-evaluate their lives.

How true...it's good to see a few have some perspective.
It's a game, it's supposed to be fun...but to some, it's thieir whole way of life,,

 

[Horseradish]

For them to finish 11th as I have them pegged, they'll need to finish with around 84-88 points, based on the past 2 full seasons.

Let's go by milestones:
By the 20 game mark, if they're at or around 20-22 points, that's a reasonable place to be.
By the 41 game mark, if they're around 42-44 points, that'll be okay.

I suspect that, based on how clueless Eakins seems to be, they'll be below those rather mundane markers. For an interesting read, even though I find coppernblue blog's tone to be frustratingly negative (I've only ever seen constant and condescending criticism. They have deserved most of it, but for crying out loud is it ever frustrating to constantly read), their post today called "Churlish," I believe, parsed Eakins' words and actions really well in showing how little what he says or does makes any sense.

 

[glimradnor]

Back-to-back winning seasons

 

[Stoneman89]

But we do know it isn't. MacT has said he is not interested in a 'filler' centre. IOW, if he can't hit a home run, he will stand pat. Sounds a lot like his predecessor.

Irresponsible management.

I think he meant he doesn't want to move some of his better prospects for a filler centre, which is what teams are asking. And I can agree with that. Or would you be okay with Klefbom being traded for Legwand?

 

[Stoneman89]

Believe in what? This thread makes it sound like we are talking about the tooth fairy, or some vague religious figure.
The Oilers are just a hockey team, and I'm just a fan. I watch the games win or lose. It requires no belief on my part, just free time.

People looking to believe in a hockey team need to re-evaluate their lives.

I believe Kevin Lowe is an idiot.

That is all.

 

[CupofOil]

How true...it's good to see a few have some perspective.
It's a game, it's supposed to be fun...but to some, it's thieir whole way of life,,

What does this even mean? What perspective?

Most of us are diehard fans and have a lot of emotional investment in the team so of course, belief in the team will come and go as the fortunes of the team fluctuates.
Fans will get upset when the team loses and be happy when the team wins (for the most part).

Is it supposed to be fun watching your team lose time and time again with little hope of consistenting winning on the horizon?

The premise of the thread is pretty straight forward. When will you start to believe that the team has finally turned a corner? What does perspective have to do with any of this?

 

[harpoon]

Most of us are diehard fans and have a lot of emotional investment in the team so of course,

Diehard? Really? I see a lot of fickle people on this site. One day they love the team, next day they hate them.
One month player X is a legend on this board, next month he's a "dumpster fire".

I consider myself a diehard. I would never make an avatar that says "now hiring losers" - even when I thought that Katz had given a directive to lose on purpose to obtain high draft picks. When you think about it, its kind of ridiculous to call any player good enough to make the NHL a "loser". In much the same vein, its pretty foolish to call men with the accomplishments of Katz, Lowe and MacT "losers". You seem comfortable calling the team out as a pack of losers and broadcasting your loss of "belief". Is that diehard? Maybe I'm doing this "fan" thing wrong ...

belief in the team will come and go as the fortunes of the team fluctuates.

Again, I have to question what this means. Its an ice hockey team. Do you mean confidence? Or is watching ice hockey a spiritual experience for you?

Fans will get upset when the team loses and be happy when the team wins (for the most part).

Now that I can understand. If the OP had asked "what will make you happy", or "when will you be satisfied", perhaps I wouldn't be confused.

 

[Aerrol]

Again, I have to question what this means. Its an ice hockey team. Do you mean confidence? Or is watching ice hockey a spiritual experience for you?

Now that I can understand. If the OP had asked "what will make you happy", or "when will you be satisfied", perhaps I wouldn't be confused.

I'm not going to comment on your questioning of others' "fan-ness", which I think is silly, but I think that you are taking this "believe" thing to a very weird extreme.

Belief in this sense is the same as believing in a Prime Minister as a voter or a CEO as a shareholder: the belief that they are doing the right thing. Here, we are talking about believing that the team is heading the right direction rather than further wallowing as the laughing stock of the league. The vast majority of the posters in this thread (if not all) are using "believe" in this sense and it's not at all a unusual word to use in regards to sports, politics, or business...

 

[harpoon]

Here, we are talking about believing that the team is heading the right direction rather than further wallowing as the laughing stock of the league.

Thanks for that comment. It kind of clears it up for me. Sometimes I'm a little slow I guess.
Still, to me belief is not something that gets turned on and off. I either believe something or I don't.
And I've never, not even once in thirty odd years of following the team, stopped to ask myself if I "believe" in the Edmonton Oilers.

I think you're taking the word believe a little too literally here.

Yes. It seems I was. All cleared up now.

 

[CupofOil]

Diehard? Really? I see a lot of fickle people on this site. One day they love the team, next day they hate them.
One month player X is a legend on this board, next month he's a "dumpster fire".

I consider myself a diehard. I would never make an avatar that says "now hiring losers" - even when I thought that Katz had given a directive to lose on purpose to obtain high draft picks. When you think about it, its kind of ridiculous to call any player good enough to make the NHL a "loser". In much the same vein, its pretty foolish to call men with the accomplishments of Katz, Lowe and MacT "losers". You seem comfortable calling the team out as a pack of losers and broadcasting your loss of "belief". Is that diehard? Maybe I'm doing this "fan" thing wrong ...

Again, I have to question what this means. Its an ice hockey team. Do you mean confidence? Or is watching ice hockey a spiritual experience for you?

Now that I can understand. If the OP had asked "what will make you happy", or "when will you be satisfied", perhaps I wouldn't be confused.

Just because a lot of us are pissed at the team, that doesn't mean we stop cheering for the team. In my case, my avatar is merely venting frustration and basically summarizes where my mindset is at regarding this organization. I still cheer for them to do well but yeah, i'm a pissed off Oilers fan. When a team loses as much as the Oilers have, i think it's fair to call them losers. I'm not going to sugarcoat how i feel about the team and i wouldn't expect anybody else to.

Always looking at things in rose coloured glasses doesn't make one a diehard fan. A diehard fan is what the title states. You live and die with the team and when you live, you're happy and enjoying the team and when you die, you're pissed and not really enjoying watching the team so this can't surprise you that fan emotion fluctuates as a result. If you want to always look at the team fondly, that's your perrogative also.

Belief in a team is a term commonly used in sports so i'm not sure why you're surprised about this word being used in this situation. You always see signs "I Believe", i believe in this team etc. etc.
I think you're taking the word believe a little too literally here.

When it all boils down to it, it is just a game and should be taken as such but I'm sure you understand that this is a passion for a lot people here so it becomes an important part of our lives.

 

[Aerrol]

Thanks for that comment. It kind of clears it up for me. Sometimes I'm a little slow I guess.
Still, to me belief is not something that gets turned on and off. I either believe something or I don't.
And I've never, not even once in thirty odd years of following the team, stopped to ask myself if I "believe" in the Edmonton Oilers.

While belief does have connotations that can be religious, I think its appropriate here because as a fan (or again a shareholder) we simply don't have the information to properly evaluate decisions. Thus, despite our obsessive following we're ultimately left with a feeling of whether or not the team is worth believing in (e.g. I BELIEVE THAT WE'LL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR BOYS)

 

[CupofOil]

Yes. It seems I was. All cleared up now.

I BELIEVE that we see eye to eye finally.