I'm becoming a fair weather Flames fan. Am I alone?

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It's better than the alternative. One of the things the NHL gets right is recognizing the importance of parity, and keeping fans of all teams believing they have a shot of winning the Cup, if not today than maybe in four or five years.

I have no idea what fans of EPL teams that have no chance of winning the premiereship get out of the sport. The darkest days of being a fan, for me, was when it was clear that the NHL had tiers of teams, and the same teams would be in the mix for the Cup year after year. The cap fixed most of that, but the entry draft is also crucial in ensuring teams go through cycles.

"Cups is Cups," and fans of every NHL team should have legitimate hope of winning it.

They had 3 straight first overalls. At that point, it's a management issue. Imagine the state of the franchise if they didn't win the mcdavid lottery!

I am definitely sour grapes about the oilers winning that lottery. I also have the tin foil conspiracy theory that the nhl realized that the oilers were F'd and without mcdavid that new arena would have become a massive cluster *..... for the org.

It made me doubt the hockey God's themselves. I'm riding a very fine line with the nhl....

[RM14]

I like to PVR, especially the weeknight games. I hate not looking at my phone prior but I seem to be able to get it done. Icing = skip 30 seconds (miss face off). Once in a while miss a goal, skip back 15 seconds.

Can watch almost all of the actual hockey play in 1 hr 15 mins.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by RM14

I like to PVR, especially the weeknight games. I hate not looking at my phone prior but I seem to be able to get it done. Icing = skip 30 seconds (miss face off). Once in a while miss a goal, skip back 15 seconds.

Can watch almost all of the actual hockey play in 1 hr 15 mins.

I also PVR and then start watching an hour or two later from the beginning. You can easily shave about 1.5 hours by skipping intermissions and commercials. Suits my lifestyle as I can get the kid to bed, pour a glass of beer or wine, etc. and still get done the game at a reasonable hour without missing anything.

Pro tip for those with most Shaw boxes: "skip" x3 will get you though the regular commercial breaks perfectly. And for intermissions, "page up" (5 minute skip) x3 and then "skip" x4 will get you right through the intermission.

Not sure if this works with Telus and other providers, but it really maximizes the hockey and cuts out the rest. Keeps me from going fair weather.

[shermanator]

Well, it's opening night and I can feel some excitement again. It's good to know I'm not totally dead inside.

[Serapth]

This home opener is a good reminder why I'm becoming meh on watching the team.

If they can't find energy on a home opening game against a provincial rival... and it's the top players that are mostly invisible. Once again they will probably dig themselves a hole and then maybe just maybe start to care.


I don't mind losing, but... not trying, that pisses me off.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Well, it's opening night and I can feel some excitement again. It's good to know I'm not totally dead inside.

You are now.

[wwkayaker]

Originally Posted by Serapth

This home opener is a good reminder why I'm becoming meh on watching the team.

If they can't find energy on a home opening game against a provincial rival... and it's the top players that are mostly invisible. Once again they will probably dig themselves a hole and then maybe just maybe start to care.


I don't mind losing, but... not trying, that pisses me off.

Agree 100%! I expect an effort. If the team loses with an effort, I can handle it. Tonight, I stopped paying full attention in the first period.

[Hemi-Cuda]

It's hard to care about the team when even the players don't seem to give a damn

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by zamler

You are now.

Nope. I turned the game off after the second period. Given how the Flames seem to lose every opener, I expected a loss. I was much less angry over the game than last year's opener as well.

[Love]

Bump OP and I have come to the fact that I completely agree. I think arm-chair gm'ing has become far more entertaining than actually watching games at this point. Sparsely watched the past two games and felt no emotion in both scenario's when we came back on Nashville and also when we started to fall behind to St.Louis. I remember a time when I couldn't sleep of frustration of certain results or when I would dance around the house when we'd win games. All of that is gone. I think I'm being phased out of the sport. Much more interested in NBA and NFL at this point and also probably due to the fact that the Calgary Flames are an eternal tredmill team. We play a boring brand of hockey with a roster that is extremely mediocre. I tried to jump wagon and watch the Leafs, but it just didn't feel right trying to cheer for a hockey team that wasn't the Calgary Flames. I'm sure I will continue to follow the team sparingly through social media, and I hope them all the best, but I think I've all but reached the end of my journey as a hockey fan. It's been fun.

[Azhouse]

Wow...I wouldn't be able to do it.

[djsFlames]

I want to see the team win and do well but the first month to two months is such a struggle every year. I've done well to temper my expectations early and now I don't get quite as upset when things don't pan out. It does get me a bit when we work our buns off and don't get the breaks though. Cause you feel like the team is rounding a corner overall but the results are still being a b#### to come by. 2 quick pp goals against on 3 opportunities from opponents in the last two games for example. Just ridiculous the rate at which the team gets punished for mistakes. They have to play almost mistake free while putting out 60 minutes to get on the right end of the scoreboard, meanwhile teams playing us can get away with working hard for part of a game. If I let my expectations go free this season I'd be really frustrated watching this team to the point needing to turn off the games. Thankfully I've been able to keep them on with the approach of just expecting the worst but hoping for some good.

Gotta be patient and wait for all the parts to get going before putting a lot of stock into the games otherwise it's just painful in these early games.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by Love

Bump OP and I have come to the fact that I completely agree. I think arm-chair gm'ing has become far more entertaining than actually watching games at this point. Sparsely watched the past two games and felt no emotion in both scenario's when we came back on Nashville and also when we started to fall behind to St.Louis. I remember a time when I couldn't sleep of frustration of certain results or when I would dance around the house when we'd win games. All of that is gone. I think I'm being phased out of the sport. Much more interested in NBA and NFL at this point and also probably due to the fact that the Calgary Flames are an eternal tredmill team. We play a boring brand of hockey with a roster that is extremely mediocre. I tried to jump wagon and watch the Leafs, but it just didn't feel right trying to cheer for a hockey team that wasn't the Calgary Flames. I'm sure I will continue to follow the team sparingly through social media, and I hope them all the best, but I think I've all but reached the end of my journey as a hockey fan. It's been fun.

So.. I guess you arent feeling the Love now eh?

[Machiavelli]

The past couple of years, I've been picking a couple of other teams to watch, and I find them more entertaining. So far this season, that's been the Preds and Knights. I don't necessarily cheer for them, but I like their styles of hockey and their fans are awesome.

Watching the Flames has almost become an exercise in analyzing every aspect of the game, which just isn't as fun. I don't find the wins as satisfying as I used to, and I'm almost numb to the losses. GTs and PGTs are always so negative as well (I'll admit that often contribute to this).

It doesn't help that I haven't really found a player that I love as much as I did Iginla. Gio and Monahan are probably the closest.

[Erick Estrada]

I'm still a huge fan but I'm checking in and out of games. I don't particularly find undisciplined teams entertaining as most games the team is so frustrating it kind of ruins my mood so when they get down early (which is often) and don't look like they feel like competing or playing smart, I change the channel and may tune back in if my Bud Light lamp goes off a couple of times. We have kind of moved past the "potential" phase of the team and they simply aren't getting any better as said above they are on this treadwheel of mediocrity where I can already call the season as somewhere in the range of 90-96 points (basically back where they were under Brent Sutter) which may or may not be good enough to be a fringe playoff team and easy out in the playoffs. This team is never going to be a true cup contender with this coach and this roster. Still not a fair weather fan though. Just a little jaded and tired of the cycle of mediocrity.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I'm still a huge fan but I'm checking in and out of games. I don't particularly find undisciplined teams entertaining as most games the team is so frustrating it kind of ruins my mood so when they get down early (which is often) and don't look like they feel like competing or playing smart, I change the channel and may tune back in if my Bud Light lamp goes off a couple of times. We have kind of moved past the "potential" phase of the team and they simply aren't getting any better as said above they are on this treadwheel of mediocrity where I can already call the season as somewhere in the range of 90-96 points (basically back where they were under Brent Sutter) which may or may not be good enough to be a fringe playoff team and easy out in the playoffs. This team is never going to be a true cup contender with this coach and this roster. Still not a fair weather fan though. Just a little jaded and tired of the cycle of mediocrity.

You've hinted at this in another thread. "Aren't getting any better"? Really? They improved last year over the year before. And this season is 10 games old. Too early to be in this frame of mind.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

They had 3 straight first overalls. At that point, it's a management issue. Imagine the state of the franchise if they didn't win the mcdavid lottery!

I am definitely sour grapes about the oilers winning that lottery. I also have the tin foil conspiracy theory that the nhl realized that the oilers were F'd and without mcdavid that new arena would have become a massive cluster *..... for the org.

It made me doubt the hockey God's themselves. I'm riding a very fine line with the nhl....

Their owner isn't exactly a staple of morality, NHL is corrupt

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by Love

Bump OP and I have come to the fact that I completely agree. I think arm-chair gm'ing has become far more entertaining than actually watching games at this point. Sparsely watched the past two games and felt no emotion in both scenario's when we came back on Nashville and also when we started to fall behind to St.Louis. I remember a time when I couldn't sleep of frustration of certain results or when I would dance around the house when we'd win games. All of that is gone. I think I'm being phased out of the sport. Much more interested in NBA and NFL at this point and also probably due to the fact that the Calgary Flames are an eternal tredmill team. We play a boring brand of hockey with a roster that is extremely mediocre. I tried to jump wagon and watch the Leafs, but it just didn't feel right trying to cheer for a hockey team that wasn't the Calgary Flames. I'm sure I will continue to follow the team sparingly through social media, and I hope them all the best, but I think I've all but reached the end of my journey as a hockey fan. It's been fun.

Bye!

[mrdonkey]

I checked in for Jagr’s first game as a Flame and actually ended up turning it off before the end. The brand of hockey Gulutzan has them playing is extremely dull and it feels like the Flames have to work twice as hard as other teams just to compete. If they make a mistake it feels like it’s punished every time, while the Flames (especially the bottom 6) seem to whiff on those same chances. It’s frustrating and predictable.

Whether it’s coaching or just an amazingly mediocre roster (I think it’s a bit of both), I really just don’t find the entertainment value in watching this team tread water in that wildcard territory. So on those nights when I do tune in I usually don’t stick around for the whole game and find other ways to spend my time.

Oh, and the reffing in this league is a complete joke and that’s probably a large part of the problem as well. I’ve grown weary of the nightly parades to the sin bin.

[N-E-B]

I'm still a die hard Flames fan, but between horrible officiating, every team basically playing the same cookie cutter systems, and Connor McDavid I've lost nearly all my passion for the NHL. I've invested way too much time and energy into the Flames to ever stop caring about them. I'm still entertained and emotionally invested in them, but my interest in NHL hockey is almost 0. I can't remember the last non-Flames game I watched in its entirety. I used to watch whatever game I could, but it's probably been three or four years since I've done that.

I'll always cheer for the Flames and I will never stop cheering for the Flames, but if I was coming in fresh or God forbid if the Flames left, I'd be absolutely 100% without a doubt be done with the NHL.