As an aside to all the talk of passionate fans, casuals, etc, I will say one of the most revealing things is that it’s become pretty clear some people here hate the Oilers more than they love the Flames, and maybe enjoy playing the role of a fan more than they like actual hockey.
Regardless of what happens, I think all the people who say they’re done with the NHL if the Oilers win should just be done with the NHL anyway. The hockey is still hockey, it’s still going to be played and it’s still going to be just as fun to watch as it’s always been if you actually enjoy the sport, and the Flames still exist as a team you can cheer for. Another team winning the cup, even if they’re our biggest rivals, doesn’t change anything. Real Flyers fans didn’t stop being Flyers fans because Crosby and the Penguins won a bunch of cups.
FOI has been a pretty big drag for a while, not just the playoffs, but we’re talking years. We fight about the dumbest things, and that’s coming from an expert in starting fights about dumb things because it’s fun, but I get the sense some of you take it too seriously (like, “secret Oiler fans” was a fun thing, and people kind of ruined it by obsessing about it). A poster above said there are two types of fans, die hards and casuals. I think there are two more. Fans of “the business of hockey” (which I find kind of boring, but still love reading the passion some guys have for the draft and stuff like that), and fans of fandom, guys who just like the idea of being a fan but don’t understand the spirit of it and end up mired in all the worst parts about it.
As much as I’ll hate the Oilers winning (for the fun of it), there’s a lot of kids who will have this memory forever if they do, and that’s cool. I didn’t grow up here, so I’ve had the pleasure of having a “home team” in a few different major sports, and unfortunately I’ve never experienced “the home team” winning it all in the NHL (or the MLB… or the NFL… haha) so I’ll be happy for those kids. And really, that’s a bigger positive than any negative narrative we could come up with, because I’m sure those who were around for Calgary’s win (especially if you were young) have memories around it you’ll never forget.
Still, go Panthers. I still think they’ve got this. But whatever happens, tomorrow is the same as today for Flames fans. Nothing that happens tonight matters. And if you think it does, to the point where you want to stop being a fan, guess what? You already stopped, you just haven’t accepted it yet. For the rest of us, on to the draft where another piece of the puzzle of what this franchise is going to look like comes into view.
At risk of sounding too corny, just remember this is all supposed to be fun.
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