After our loss to the Detroit Red Wings Sunday night 1-3, sitting at The Garden as the guest of a corporate friend (who also happens to be one of the Red Wings owners) I found myself numb with nothing to write. Even a tour and shaking hands with Zetterberg didn't inspire me to follow through with a recap.
I won't apologize for it either.
As a lifelong Blueshirts follower, or masochist, some would say, why don't I have the ability to just pick a different team? A winning team? I am a free-thinking person who lives in a tri-choice of hockey teams, so the easier route would be to pick the winner, buy some new jersies and switch teams. Zetterberg is a nice guy. Would Gaborik shake my hand and say 'nice meeting you dude'? Maybe. As a Rangers fan -- do you have it in you to change the color or the team you love? How come? I thought hard and it came simply, "Hell No!". I have contemplated, but no matter what, I remain Blue regardless of what happens with this ailing team. They are my ailing team. I could be a Jets fan, a Cubs fan, a Mets fan - we are related in angst and loyalty.
So without breaking down the game, stats, who played well or not, I have to admit that the NY Rangers played extremely well against the Red Wings - yes, with the exception of Lundqvist and a softie at the end of the third. It was a good loss, and probably one of the more disciplined games they've played all season. It was a solid effort and I, loyal-proud-ashamed, remain a Dark Ranger! (MSG will love me for re-branding their message).
After this weekend - a close win against Buffalo on Saturday and a loss to Detroit on Sunday - it appears there is much work to do in order to make the Blueshirts an elite team by any professional hockey standards.
Here's the heart of it fellow Rangers fans (and this hurts):
We are average.
None of us ever strive to be average in our choice of teams or in life, but there comes a time when we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and admit what we are. We are exceptional fans believing in Blue, we are proof in a NYR belief that one day we will rise above bad management, rising ticket prices and exceed what we've come to expect from this team season after season.
This is the state of being a New York Rangers fan. You may not want to admit it. I know. That was me too. But take a deeper look and you will find great respect for yourself when you see what the team really is, and hopefully, you and I will all now enjoy the games for what they are. See, that wasn't too hard.
A win or a loss? Who cares!!! Get me another $9 Bud Light and another fist-fight and I'm a happy fan. Keep it DARK folks and let's enjoy it if it does happen to come this year, the next year or any f*cking year for that matter!!!! Keep it real and never stop with a random 'LET'S GO RANGERS!' whenever and wherever you see the color Blue!
TDR
Amen brother.
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with that.
ReplyDelete...would be nice if Dolan would charge average prices while this average team was being so damned average...
i second that. we are average. thanks for the pep talk but it still depresses me.
ReplyDeletei appreciate your loyalty,i was a ranger fan when the devils were still in kansas city, and then colorado,i was a ranger fan when flyers won those cups back in early expantion, and when the islanders were a dynasty.i didnt jump ship then and i wont now,im just switching seats on the Titanic, but ill go down a ranger fan.keep it dark brother!
ReplyDeleteBacking an average team, that could someday aspire to actually play up to their potential and lift a whole city by winning it all, is what we live for.
ReplyDeleteWe have no commissioner pulling for us... nor elite drafted babyface players that can gain posterboy favoritism...nor centennial year celebrations, or any other gimmicks.
What we have is a bunch of kids that COULD be something though we're never sure if they will be... a grating player that makes the commisioner grind his teeth everytime theres a mic in front of him...a goalie that gives us a chance to win most nights... and another mix of underachievers and obscure overachieving farm kids... Never knowing if everyone will manage to get their sh*t together and have the planets align long enough to actually accomplish something, is the beauty behind the suspense. Our cup wins last a lifetime, partly because they have to and partly because we never had to go through hell to get it.
To me, working for one and having to kill yourself to get it once so your fans can "die in peace" is better than having it handed to you every year or 3 or 4 times a decade because your system can bore the other team to death, your team has been assembled to succeed every year or the refs are jocking one of your players under orders from the commish... all so you can win another without earning it and celebrate in your parking lot or some other place....
There's only one canyon of heroes and it will see the shades Ranger Blue again... but only when its earned hard and can be defended even harder. Theres a lot of players on this team that I truthfully would have difficulty putting their greasy money lined palms on the cup at this point. Ignoring all the marketing and new bettman bullshit, the last bit of pure hockey left is for a hard working team to earn the cup because they wanted it and not because people wanted it for them. Like Mjolnir (Thor's hammer), only the worthy should be able to hoist it. Reaching the point where we'll be worthy, is a victory in itself.
Well said all. We may not have a team yet, but we do have ALL OF THIS. A brotherhood.
ReplyDelete