Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
It's not that simple though.
Smith had a rough start, and hasn't had a great season. But the emotional reaction against the guy has certainly been over the top from a certain percentage of the fan base.
I think a media member that deals with the team finds themselves pushing back on that extreme because it's been over the top.
We've seen it today on the site. Smith starts and a poster says something like he shouldn't start another game this season; this despite the guy being just short of 20 wins, and better numbers in the second half of the season.
To the rational fan they seem like homers, but I think they're work is against the extreme fan that they feel they need balance out.
All guessing on my part.
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My take is different.
There's always going to be extreme opinions, but for the most part, fans have been pretty balanced.
Most aren't saying Smith should never play a game again, and most aren't saying that Wills is a homer.
What is being said, on the most part, is that fans are more comfortable with Rittich starting more often than not.
Just my opinion, but Wills needs to have thicker skin. Because there are people who disagree with his support of Smith, he really, REALLY needs to tell them they're wrong.
He'll say things like "everyone has the right to their opinion" and "nobody is right or wrong" but mere seconds later, he'll try to use an appeal to authority by going extreme and saying that fans are saying that Smith is horrible at handling the puck (not true on the large part), which is not what he's heard from "hockey people", therefore implying that he is right.
It is what it is and I don't expect Wills to change. This is who he is - some folks can't accept that their opinion is different from others.