***The following is a semi-coherent rant since I've been frustrated at every turn at attempts to write a real piece. Hopefuly this expells those writing demons.***
It's been a few days since I've posted about the Coyotes situation. Why? Well mostly because i've been feeling a little beaten down. This whole situation has worn me out. Between trying to help create a rally out of nothing along with some other intrepid fans and just trying to keep my sanity with the rumors of the Coyotes moving to Saskatoon, Port St. Lucie and everywhere in between It's pretty exhausting. It sure as hell makes it hard to write anything about the team I love. When you know your words will just be met with "You don't even deserve a team" and "Hockey shouldn't be anywhere Ice doesn't occur naturally," what's the point really right? Well there's at least a point for me now... whining about it. Yep. I'm going to subject you to all the whining and crying on the subject you can take. Hopefully it's enough to make any weak constitued Canadian just give up on taking my team we'll see how that works out. Oh see? Now I went and offended Canadians again. I keep doing that! I'm sorry... I don't try and slander you it just kind of happens... Anyhow I suppose after that little lapse I should get to the actual point I was trying to make.
This entire mess has been played to create a Canada vs. US (specifcally Southern US) divide. Sure, it was already there. Some people in Canadian markets without NHL teams hated the fact that there were teams in places like Arizona, Atlanta, Florida and Nashville. Some still hate that there are teams in Dallas, Carolina and San Jose. (Now that's just silly.) I get that to an extent. Some of those markets have teams that aren't doing all that well, have legal issues or ownership looking for a write-off. Boy has Balsillie played off of people's emotions on this one... The "Make it Seven" campaign got everyone rilled up to bring another tam to Canada. But I don't even really understand that. How does bringing a team to Hamilton (The only place Balsillie will bring it to) mean anything to people outside of there? Does Manatoba benifit from a Hamilton team? Saskatchewan? Not really, that's why I don't understand it. What I really really don't get though is why a portion of those fans excited about the prospect of getting MY team feel it's necessary to further crap on a fanbase that is already hurting from this mess to come by message boards, blogs etc. simply to tell fans they they don't even deserve a team? Or that "Maybe if you bought some more tickets..." Right because it was really the number of tickets that makes and owner lose 30+ million a year.
While we're at it how in the hell can you lose that much money with ANY sports franchise? I don't get that at all. Sure we've got some issues with attendance since we haven't iced a competitive team, but numbers haven't been that bad. The answer? Woeful mismanagement and overleveraging the team. How anyone let the team get that far into debt escapes me. I just don't really understand it at all.
The whole point of this post was to be that this hockey fan on hockey fan taunting and other crap is pointless. Sure did I make a Keep It Six shirt right after I found out about the Make it Seven campaign? Yep. So was I a part of that nationalistic BS? Yeah to a point. Do I really care if they get another team? No. So long as it isn't mine. The constant bombardment of crap from "Hockey Fans" has been astounding. From trolls on blogs to personal emails to myself and others that we should just "give up the team" have been at best stupid and typically lacked most punctuation or grammar skills. If there's one thing that we should be able to come together with as hockey fans it's that the sport we love is the best sport in the world. We love the game itself, the players are fantastic and it's one of the hardest games to play. If you think that someone has more of a "right to hockey" or that other markets don't "deserve" a team then what does that say about how much you care? Should you want a team where you live? Sure, but don't be jerks about it. Some Billionare is trying to take my favorite team in the best sport away from me. Coyote fans don't need anyone else's BS on top of it.
***Again, my appologies, but I had to get that bit of mental blockage out. Sorry***