Quote:
Originally Posted by Blaster86
Because this petty hate machine that is the Calgarypuck forums runs on schadenfreude. You guys enjoy the failure of your rivals more than the team you cheer fors success.
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Ever since Edmonton was named as Alberta's capital city as a political favour from the federal Liberal government to the politically liberal (at the time) city up north, there has been a bitter rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton. This played out for decades in many ways, but particularly in rivalries between sports teams. For the better part of a decade, Calgary and Edmonton had the two best teams in the NHL and in the CFL, and games between them became much more than games. The players hated one another, the coaches hated one another, the media hated one another, and the fans hated one another. For many years, no other rivalry in sport could hold a candle to the Battle of Alberta.
Filled with arrogance, Edmonton declared itself the "City of Champions" and subsequently embarked on its amazing journey to no-goodness. In the quagmire of Edmonton's no-goodness, the intensity of the rivalry couldn't be maintained, and for decades, the Battle of Alberta lost its true meaning. Now, with the press' constant insistence that the Oilers are again Stanley Cup contenders, the rivalry is experiencing a resurgence.
Not having a natural in-province city of comparable size, the intensity of this rivalry is something someone living in Vancouver may not appreciate. But it's there. And it means something; it's a part of our identity as Calgarians. We would love to win the Stanley Cup, but nothing would make that win sweeter than to stomp on the arrogant Oilers' dreams on the way to that victory.