Chicago vs. Philadelphia.
Mike Richards is a great Captain. Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, JVR… all players I can respect. In fact, most of the Flyers roster commands respect. (The gross exception is Scott Hartnell. It would be a travesty to have his name on the Stanley Cup. Somebody just told me that I would like him if he was on our team. Uhhh… No. No, I would not.)
Like I said, playoff hockey does strange things to me. An argument can be made to cheer for them, I suppose. But I can’t root for the Flyers because I’m a Penguins fan. I can’t root them on in the Finals because I love my team. My team would not be happy for that team to win. That team’s fan base is disgusting to my team. They are grotesque when it comes to the Captain of my team.
I’ve questioned how the Flyers could possibly have fans but after watching them during these playoffs, I totally get why they have fans. It’s just a shame that their fans are the way they are. I’ve cheered them on up to this point. As soon as they beat the Devils, I kept rooting and rooting. In the process I may have even developed a crush on Simon Gagne because that’s my way. In the process my respect for Mike Richards has grown so much that it actually exists. Chris Pronger is a huge asset to their team. Any team would be lucky to have him. Michael Leighton makes me feel a strange sort of softness towards him. They deserve to be where they are. But I cannot root for them to hoist The Cup.
So it works out pretty well for me as a fan that their opponents happen to be one of my favorite teams. I don’t need a whole lot of reason to root against the Flyers at this point. But that’s what I got… a whole lot of reason. I adore the Blackhawks. I love the way they play. The Blackhawks remind me a lot of the Penguins so my adoration is understandable. I love their Captain. Duncan Keith, who will hopefully be your Norris Trophy winner, is as good as they get and better than most. (Not to mention, he lost seven teeth in game four vs. San Jose and didn’t miss a beat. What a man.)
I would cheer them on against anybody but my team. I am thrilled for their fans because I remember that feeling. The pride and belief in your team, it takes over your life. It’s overwhelming.
I feel almost sorry for fans who only watch their team. Once their team is out, so are they. I’ve run into so many people that say they don’t care who wins now because they stopped watching when the Penguins lost. I’ve talked to people who are rooting for the Flyers. Hey, to each his own, of course. But I can’t. I can’t because I am a fan of the Penguins. The reason that comes up all too often is the "anybody but Hossa" argument. Listen. That’s not a good argument. It doesn’t even make rational sense. The guy was a rental player that turned down an offer to stay here. He went to the team that beat us in the Finals. We played him/them the following year. We won. He lost two years in a row. We’ve moved on from him. He’s moved on from us. He signed a deal with the Hawks and he’s had a good year with them. He’s a great player. He’s a good guy. He deserves to have his name on The Stanley Cup. People joke that if the Blackhawks lose to the Flyers, he’ll sign with the Flyers later this summer. The people who say that only remember him as the guy who made an unpopular comment and an unfortunate for him decision two years ago. They clearly haven’t watched him this season. He deserves this. He’s earned this. I can’t cheer for the Flyers because I am a fan of the Blackhawks and I would cry tears of joy to see Jonathan Toews hoist that Cup over his incredibly talented, very deserving head.
GO HAWKS GO!!!
I’ve questioned how the Flyers could possibly have fans but after watching them during these playoffs, I totally get why they have fans. It’s just a shame that their fans are the way they are. I’ve cheered them on up to this point. As soon as they beat the Devils, I kept rooting and rooting. In the process I may have even developed a crush on Simon Gagne because that’s my way. In the process my respect for Mike Richards has grown so much that it actually exists. Chris Pronger is a huge asset to their team. Any team would be lucky to have him. Michael Leighton makes me feel a strange sort of softness towards him. They deserve to be where they are. But I cannot root for them to hoist The Cup.So it works out pretty well for me as a fan that their opponents happen to be one of my favorite teams. I don’t need a whole lot of reason to root against the Flyers at this point. But that’s what I got… a whole lot of reason. I adore the Blackhawks. I love the way they play. The Blackhawks remind me a lot of the Penguins so my adoration is understandable. I love their Captain. Duncan Keith, who will hopefully be your Norris Trophy winner, is as good as they get and better than most. (Not to mention, he lost seven teeth in game four vs. San Jose and didn’t miss a beat. What a man.)
I would cheer them on against anybody but my team. I am thrilled for their fans because I remember that feeling. The pride and belief in your team, it takes over your life. It’s overwhelming.I feel almost sorry for fans who only watch their team. Once their team is out, so are they. I’ve run into so many people that say they don’t care who wins now because they stopped watching when the Penguins lost. I’ve talked to people who are rooting for the Flyers. Hey, to each his own, of course. But I can’t. I can’t because I am a fan of the Penguins. The reason that comes up all too often is the "anybody but Hossa" argument. Listen. That’s not a good argument. It doesn’t even make rational sense. The guy was a rental player that turned down an offer to stay here. He went to the team that beat us in the Finals. We played him/them the following year. We won. He lost two years in a row. We’ve moved on from him. He’s moved on from us. He signed a deal with the Hawks and he’s had a good year with them. He’s a great player. He’s a good guy. He deserves to have his name on The Stanley Cup. People joke that if the Blackhawks lose to the Flyers, he’ll sign with the Flyers later this summer. The people who say that only remember him as the guy who made an unpopular comment and an unfortunate for him decision two years ago. They clearly haven’t watched him this season. He deserves this. He’s earned this. I can’t cheer for the Flyers because I am a fan of the Blackhawks and I would cry tears of joy to see Jonathan Toews hoist that Cup over his incredibly talented, very deserving head.
GO HAWKS GO!!!
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