A Captaincrunch quick survey

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

Work is picking back up and I'm really busy going forward, so not likely to watch a lot going forward. I'll pick and choose based on my availability, other things to do, and general interest in the game/matchup.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

I've found myself skipping more and more of the late start games, partly because I have to be up so early, but also because it just hasn't been worth it to watch Flames hockey over the last year. It just isn't that exciting of a team to watch.

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

I grew up die hard, shifted all the way down to casual in the late 90s/early 2000s, and then ramped back up to die hard after 04. Lately, I've downgraded to interested, but I don't have much emotion for wins and losses these days. To be fair, I'm just not as interested in sports these days as I was when I was younger.


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

Uh, I already have a little bit. See my name?

That being said, the Flames are always my #1, but I've found it healthy to develop interest in another team so that all my hopes and dreams of team success don't ride solely with the Flames. I'm just an idiot for making that second team the Panthers.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

I think the on-ice product is just okay these days. Physical play is way down, and physical play breeds emotion and more excitement. I'm not talking about fighting, I'm talking about hitting and general grinding in the corners and in front of the net. I just find most hockey so passive these days, and with the parity in the league winning is mostly based on systems and luck. That's not very interesting to me.

Here Cap.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

thanks guys.

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

Maybe some of the final series - otherwise, maybe I’ll watch the highlights next day.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

Same as this year - it’s an addiction I can’t seem to shake.


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

See answer to question #2


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

Only if the Flames leave Calgary - then it would be back to the Canadiens.


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

Sort of in the b) category - the product has warts and festering sores (officiating, goonery and shootouts), but it’s still a great game.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?
I'll watch occasionally through round 2&3 and then likely watch the finals.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?
Likely same as always, I'll watch most games unless I have prior commitments


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?
I fall between die hard and interested fan


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?
Unlikely to ever happen.It would take the flames moving to another city.


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.
I think there are tweaks that could be make to the on ice product to make it better (increased technology for goal line, offsides, too many men) I don't think its great, nor do i watch it out of obligation.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

I'm going to still watch at least casually, and I'm very interested in seeing who makes the finals and who wins it all. Only Boston winning it all would be a "boring ending", and I don't hate any of the teams left

2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

There's so much unknown about next year that I'm not giving it any thought at this point. I expect to have extremely lukewarm feelings about the Flames however. I'll probably pick an eastern team to follow at some point.

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

A thoroughly fed up former die hard fan.

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

I don't see any team getting as close to my heart as the Flames, but I'm already often more interested in what other teams do than what the Flames do.

I think it's at this point about 60% CP. This is still the best hockey forum, and having a forum to belong to is pretty important to me.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

A, with the caveat that the reffing is terrible to a point where it really diminishes my viewing pleasure.

I also very strongly feel that the first drafts spots should just be given randomly to the teams out of the playoffs. The weighted lottery IMO is not working as a way to bring the bad teams back to competitiveness, and it's bad for the sport to encourage losing.

[Lubicon]

1) Stopped watching for the most part already when my team was eliminated. I still tune in the occasional game when it interests me (ie an elimination game) and the timing works. Will probably watch the Finals like I normally do.


2) Almost zero. Only when they are playing my team.


3) Not a Flames fan but do pay some interest to them since this is my city now.


4) Have not done it in the 23 years I have lived here so don't see doing it now. However if something happened to my team (relocation, folding etc.) I might change although at this point I would probably just stop watching hockey altogether.


5) NHL is good hockey, don't change much other than a few rule tweaks as they always do. Ironically watching the playoffs reminded me of how good it really is. The league has done an outstanding job of making this work.


thanks guys.[/QUOTE]

[Nammer403]

1. I’ll watch here and there but not a priority
2. Same amount of time, will always watch all the games.
3. Die hard
4. Switch team Allegiances only if flames ever moved but would prob not cheer for any other Canadian team.
5. The product on ice is great, change a few rules but it’s good right now

[Phaneuf_Phan]

1) Continue watching


2) Will dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey as usual. Hopefully changes to the core are made.


3) Die hard. It will be 10X sweeter when we eventually win the cup. Hopefully I'm still alive by then lol.


4) Will never switch team allegiances


5) It's still a great product.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.


thanks guys.

1. Nope. Once the Flames are out I could care less.

2. Likely. After the emotions come down I will be glued again. Flames are part of life, like breathing.

3. Certainly die hard.

4. For the Flames to relocate or not exist. I will never abandon the Calgary Flames.

5. The officiating needs to be fixed. Game management is bs and should not be a thing. Refs pick and choose what to call with no consistency. If it wasn't such a tin foil hat idea I would swear some of these refs are betting on games and then ignoring obvious calls or making soft ones to help determine the outcome. Then again, it happened in the NBA so maybe not so tin foil hat. There definitely needs to be some form of accountability for the officials rather than no matter how bad they bungle things the NHL backs them up and then anyone who criticizes them gets a fine.

[Mitt31]

1) I'll continue to keep an eye on the playoffs and maybe catch a game or 2 when i'm on Night Shifts

2) I have and always will dedicate time to watch my Flames Frustrate the hell out of me and next year will be no difference.

3) Fan for Life

4) NEVER!!!!!!!!!

5) No opinion on this one, I have no say in the NHL Product and if i did, it would be to make officiating constant.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

I'll watch when I have time to. This is not a change from when the Flames were playing. Summers I prefer to spend in the mountains, so I am missing games.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

Not likely. I volunteer with a Junior B club and my son plays, too. Add in the NFL there isn't much time for any TV hockey, let alone the Flames.

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

Interested fan.

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

Flames would have to fold or move.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

a), but sometimes certain teams have an off night and make it a b). That happens with all professional sports, though.

thanks guys.

Answers in the quotes.

[BigErnSalute_16]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm curious because of how I feel about hockey right now. So I wanted to ask some quick questions


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.


thanks guys.

1) Excited for the offseason but will continue to watch hockey, just not as religiously as before.

2) If no major shake-up happens (ie Gaudreau or Monahan or both traded) then I won't be watching much. If some big trades happen and bring in some young picks and prospects that I can be excited about watching develop then I will watch most games. Will also want to see Bennett at centre in a higher role.

3) Die Hard. Which definitely hurts the most.

4) Ride or Die baby

5) the overall quality of hockey we are seeing right now is the best ever. The play in round was awesome too! so I'm fairly happy with where the NHL is at, but for god's sake just let the players go to the Olympics.

edit: also wanted to add that the inconsistent reffing is very frustrating to watch and needs to be addressed.

[Flashpoint]

1) Pack it in. Don’t care much about other teams.
2) Will watch every game, and attend those in LA and Ana (if they have games etc).
3) Die hard.
4) Team would have to fold or relocate.
5a) Its a good game, we have to protect the brains of players, so cant be as rough as it used to be. Thats a fair trade off IMO.

[bc-chris]

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?
will absolutely keep watching the playoffs

2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?
i will watch every game and likely (again) spend too much time checking out calgarypuck!

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?
die hard!

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?
switch team allegiances... maybe if someone was torturing my wife and children and the only way to get them to stop was to switch teams... then maybe.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.
for the most part i really enjoy watching the NHL. my biggest beef would be the inconsistency in reffing and 'other calls' (stuff like what exactly is goalie interference). also, how penalties seem to rarely get called in OT or things like when a team gets 3-4 power plays in a row you know the refs are looking to call them on anything to "make it fair".

[bigrangy]

1) maybe catch the finals or some Vancouver games, for me hockey is international hockey and the Flames.

2) watch them all and hate myself for it

3) i post here, that means I’m a die hard

4) if and only if the flames went into a 15 year stretch where they made the playoffs one time, drafted 1st overall 4 times including the best player of his generation, and still sucked absolute donkey nuts. Or if they moved. Or if they trade Kylington for peanuts.

5) i quite enjoy hockey when it’s teams I care about. I might change the rules to make it a little more open ended with less stoppages. The sport itself is fine. Sportsnets presentation is awful but they can’t help themselves.

[Harry Lime]

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

I'll watch games deeper into each round, should the storylines escalate. I'll also watch the Final. I'm not going to go out of my way unless a particular game looks dramatic in some way.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

Honestly depends on what they do in the offseason.

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

Used to be diehard, now am interested. There are teams that I'll halfheatedly cheer for if the Flames arn't involved, which when I was younger would have been blasphemy.

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

After Doc Seaman died and Murray Edwards ran off to Britain, part of my diehard allegiance took a hit. I would never move my fandom to another existing team, but if ownership does anything this summer that is despicable, I'll look sideways at Seattle. It's this summer only or else I'm stuck with the Flames for life, and they're stuck with me.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

eh, it's better than the dead puck era.

[CaptainCrunch]

Thanks everyone for participating.



Part of this was built around me seeing if I'm far out to lunch in terms of my feelings about the Flames in general and the NHL.


Part of this was kind of done out of interest of general viewpoints.


Plus its always good for us to learn more about each other, that's what community is right.


My answers.


1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?



Honestly I lost interest the minute the Flames final buzzer went off. First of all, because its still summer, second of all, I just found that I don't care all that much about the other teams. Its been that way for a while, I used to rabidly follow the playoffs, now its over when the Flames are done.

2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?



I've found my dedication to the Flames and hockey have dropped over the years, I used to be a lot more involved in discussions around this Flames team on this board, but I've kind of been limited to posts here and there and fueling my hate for the Oilers in the E=NG thread. Part of the year is the feeling that the game has left me behind. Advanced Stats has to an effect killed my desire to talk hockey. If I wanted to do math I'd go back to school for fun. Also in terms of the game style, a lot of the passion has been leeched out of it by coaching systems, this started in the mid 90's. The game isn't a physical and passionate as it was before, instead we get a lot of players that play slot hockey systems and then we point to stats why they're awesome. I think part of me on a level has looked at the monetization of the game and the shift in the game and I'm like, I don't like it as much anymore.


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

I've gone from ride or die to, there's a game on, but I have a guy looking for a set of white walls on the the other line, I'll get back to you (Major League represent). Frankly in a lot of ways, Hockey has become a lot like that ex best friend that you've drifted away from. Sure you'll chat once in a while on text or the phone, but its not a live or die thing.

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?



I don't know if I would, if the Flames folded or left, I'd be done with hockey. But even switching teams would create the same sense of frustration I seem to have with the game itself and the players themselves.


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.


I would take B moving slowly towards C like a drunk in a canoe heading towards a waterfall. The officiating is infuriating to me. But its not the only thing. I talk to friends about hockey and we talk about the term video gamization of sports. A video game looks cool and its a reasonable facility to it, but it never gets it quite right as it follows massive calculations. Hockey feels like that, there's so little passion in the game in the playoffs the pace ramped up but I never got a sense of the hate that old series used to have. I think the game has sapped a lot of the creativity out of a game that should be incredibly creative. Coaches fear for their job so they implement not my fault systems that script out the player. The game takes very few chances on the ice and that's what use to make it fun. The risk of the pinch, the risk of the goalie coming out to play the puck, the risk of a seeing eye puck cross slot. Do I hit first or play the puck. All these things have been broken down and spindled by coaches into system scripts and math.



So what am I saying. While the hockey is certainly faster, while the players are certainly better. The game feels sterile and cold and predictable to me.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

...4) if and only if the flames went into a 15 year stretch where they made the playoffs one time, drafted 1st overall 4 times including the best player of his generation, and still sucked absolute donkey nuts. Or if they moved...

Zing!

[Coach]

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

I like hockey so I’ll keep watching. Maybe not as intensely as there’s only so much summer left.


2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

Just as much as usual. My work prevents me from watching most games but I’m always following what’s happening.


3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

Hrm tough to say I’m sure people have different definitions. I would say being o this site makes us all die hard fans. But I’m not killing myself to watch all the games or let my emotions really ride with the team that much.

4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

I’ll probably never truly switch at this point, but I do follow the Flyers and have good will for some of the other teams if the Flames aren’t in it.


5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

Fire all referees and bring in an entire new crop that don’t have the engrained years of biases and bull crap like different playoff rules or game management. That stuff definitely hampers my enjoyment and makes it difficult for me to introduce non-fans to the game. .

[Dion]

1) Are you going to continue to watch the playoffs or are you going to pack in in and wait for the start of the offseason activities?

I was a Bruins fan before the Flames came to Calgary. Time to cheer for my second favorite team.

2) How likely are you next year to dedicate a lot of time to watching Flames hockey?

Very likely. It's an exciting product to watch

3) Would you consider yourself a die hard flames fan, a interested flames fan, a casual flames fan?

Die hard. Only difference is I don't take the game as serious as I did in my younger years. I don't lose sleep over a losses, especially in the playoffs.


4) What would it take for you to switch team allegiances?

Nothing.

5) Do you think that the on ice product that is provided by the NHL a) Its great hockey don't change a thing b) Its not a great product, I watch it because there's not a lot out there or I feel obligated c) I'm thinking of being done with the NHL.

I want to see more games against teams like the Oilers, Canucks, Jets. Go back to the days of the 80's and rekindle the heated rivalries we had back then.

[Pellanor]

1) I only watch the Flames. Maybe the odd game here or there.

2) I'll still have the games on in the background, and will spend a bunch of time reading CP.

3) Interested.

4) Maybe if I moved back to Seattle?

5) Somewhere between A and B. It's good and I enjoy it, but there's still a lot of room for improvement.