The Mystery Fan

Stanley Cup Favorite? Are you joking?

2010-11-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Canucks Fan,

It's time to start seeing therapy now so that we are fine when the Canucks serve us another bitter disappointment this spring. After the weekend of hockey we were forced to endure, I can't see how anyone would consider them Stanley Cup contenders. Elite teams are not psychologically fragile, elite teams are not undisciplined, and based on the last couple games the Canucks are not an elite team. A quarter of the way through the season and I still don't see what the Hockey News was talking about when they picked the Canucks as a favorite to win it all. Chicago, the team which changed half their roster this off season, dominated the Canucks yet again. In doing so they embarrassed us all. To be an elite team you need elite players. Who are the elite players on the Canucks? Luongo had one good season when he first arrived here and since then, inconsistent. Sometimes he looks like the goaltender he was billed as and other times he looks like the second coming of Dan Cloutier. Dan wasn't very good with his stick, but Luongo is worse. I can't remember him ever poke checking anybody. What has Luongo done to justify he's huge ego? Oh yeah he's one of the most overpaid players in the history of hockey. The goalie isn't the only problem, how about the Sedins? They are great against weaker teams but rarely elevate their play against elite teams. Sure they are magicians with the puck, but their best trick against Chicago is their disappearing act. What have they really accomplished in games that matter? Do the Canucks have an elite defenseman like Duncan Keith, or Drew Doughty? I don't think so. The media have duped us again. Based on their play to this point the Canucks are not going to win anything, but there are lots of games remaining. Let's hope that the pundits based their prediction on something the rest of us can't see because come spring I'm expecting more of the same.

Luongo is really bugging me.

2010-10-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

If he wasn't trying to make those stops look spectacular in the shoot out with Chicago, Luongo probably makes the saves. Can you say overplayed? For the longest time I left the goalie alone but not any more. Luongo is nowhere near the class of goalie Martin Brodeur is. At 41, Martin Brodeur continues to impress the league with his uncanny ability to stop the puck well into middle-age. He's a player that took less money to stay in New Jersey, and all he has done is play consistently good hockey every season. He deserved to be the goalie in the Gold medal game this last Olympics because if you ask me Luongo didn't look good in that game either. I can really only remember one season and one stretch during one season that Luongo really made an impact. The rest of his time with the Canucks he has been mediocre at best. In my opinion he is the most over rated goalie of his generation, and he is definitely way over paid. He hasn't proved a thing in over a decade of stopping the puck and quite frankly if he doesn't do something this year he's done in my books. If it was my job to choose the goalie for the Olympics my pick would have been Marty.

Vancouver Canucks

2010-04-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

The True Story

2010-01-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

The truth well set you free.

Cynical annoying fans?

2009-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

As I sit here on vacation, I ponder the quarter pole of the Canuck's season. A team 185 games below five hundred since their inception into the NHL, but a franchise who's fan base is so passionate the team had the fifth highest revenue in the league last season at 107 million. When you can crack the original six teams in revenue you must be one healthy organization. Financially I would agree, but has somebody polled the fans? How healthy are they? how do do they feel about the product on the ice? It's been my experience that whenever I talk to a long time suffering fan about the team most of what I hear come out of the fan's mouth is negative or cynical. In fact, my Father, who rarely misses a televised game, has been watching the Canucks from the beginning. He's an avid hockey fan, who's Father played major junior hockey early in the twentieth century, and instilled the passion for hockey in my Dad. It's sad to listen to him sometimes while watching the Canucks. His expectations are so low even when they win he doesn't get overly excited anymore. I am sure there are many fans out there who have a similar story. If you think you don't just listen to the people around you the next time you are watching a game and then you tell me what was their state of mind while watching the Canuck's play? Listen to some of their comments and then judge if it's positive or negative.

Cable Reconnected.

2009-08-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true. The cable has been reconnected, and I chose the basic cable package at 14.95 a month for six months. No Toronto Sports Network, oh darn. My family and I were without cable for six and a half months, but we didn't feel like we missed a thing. We just spent more time on-line. We had no choice, we had to reconnect. I have two students staying with us taking English and part of their studies requires them to tune in and write about something they watched. I have reluctantly reconnected because of them, but I swear if I start watching the Canucks again this season and they start frustrating the orcas out of me, I'll disconnect again students or no students. Welcome to Canada..

Canucks WIN Again!

2009-05-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Jubilant Canuckleheads filled the streets celebrating the Vancouver Canuck's Stanley Cup triumph last night. The team's third cup in a row, and as usual it was Cody Hodgeson who led the way. The brilliant captain visited the sublime with his efforts on a Pittsburgh 5-3 power play midway through the second period. Not only did he block three shots by the Penguin's super D-man, six foot seven inch Victor Hedman, which would have been enough to be classified as legend in itself, but what he did on top of that has never been done before in a Stanley Cup finals game seven. I doubt if it will ever be done again. He chased down one of those blocked shots, eluded the sprawling tree branch reach of Hedman, rocketed 130 feet towards Steve Mason and lasered a slap shot into the top corner of the net. A two man short handed goal for the winner...

I can dream can't I?

Another disappointment.

2009-05-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

When will the suffering end? How much longer do we have to endure this mediocrity? I didn't suffer much this post season because I just didn't care for the first time in 30 some odd years. I never did reconnect my cable because a St. Louis victory wasn't enough of a motivator. I made the right decision because if I had conneted my cable I would have had to endure another heart break. Canucks need to suck really bad for five or six years so we can build through the draft. Spinning their wheels in the middle of the pack is futile. So unless the NHL changes the draft order system the Canucks need to lose and lose big. The Canucks have never had a Canadian superstar in all their nearly forty years. Why? Because they have never drafted high enough or they have drafted poorly. You can rarely trade for a superstar, and the Canucks have never had enough assets to give up anyway. All I ask is one cup. Is that too much to ask the hockey Gods? Come on British Columbians deserve it.

Vaklempt

2009-04-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Wow was that tough. It's gut wrenching talking to these guys. Check out today's Dave and Don show on the team 1040. Click on the link in the right hand margin under Hubbub.

NHL Playoffs Not Reason Enough to Reconnect

2009-04-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Boston and Montreal in the first round! Pittsburgh vs. Philly! The Eastern Conference match-ups alone are worth re-connecting your cable. The Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Canucks series doesn't sound as sexy. I might be able to resist jumping back on the bandwagon for this one, but don't I have to re-connect just to catch some of that Montreal and Boston series? It doesn't mean I am a Canuck's fan again, right? I swore off the Canucks, not off of hockey in general. This is how I used to rationalize it. However, lately I have realized that I can't do it. It's like quitting smoking. We all know as soon as I connect my cable again I'll be watching the Canucks. I'll be a fan again. If I take that first drag from a smoke I'll be back to a pack a day so to speak. I want to cry right now. I'm a fan of hockey with no team to cheer for so what's the point.

On Thursday I phoned Paul Devron at the TEAM 1040 to tell him I was reconnecting my cable. I told him it wasn't because of the Canucks. I said I had another reason, but he didn't believe me. He knew what I was denying in myself, that as soon as the cable was reconnected I would be watching the Canuck series. I was deluding myself into believing I could be strong enough not to tune in to their games. What true hockey fan can resist the exciting drama that the quest for the cup provides? I had to think about this all weekend before I came to the conclusion that I have to stick to my guns. The Canucks haven't proven anything yet. I was getting caught up in all the hype again. I was getting ready to believe once more. I was setting myself up for another painful disappointment, but it's over now. The urge to reconnect has passed. I owe it all to Paul Devron.

Johnny Canu..er..Rotten

2009-04-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Now this is the proper way to act like an ass. Johnny Lydon didn't want to speak about the Sex Pistols so he just said so. Easy enough to do. He didn't need to be tossed softball questions during this interview with Tom Schneider, he dealt with it. I hear BBT cancelled the rest of his band's Canadian tour. Was he afraid that the reserved audiences might throw something? Maybe the thought of mashed potatoes and gravy flying through the air scared him off.

Thanks BBT for giving me something else besides hockey to talk about.

I want to start a new bit on my blog. It's called "Canuck or not a Canuck" . I will pick a person making the news of the day and rate them on my "Canuck or not a Canuck" scale. The scale measures from the top rate of " A real Trevor Linden" to the bottom of the scale measure which is "Gilbert Perrault". Billy Bob Thorton you're a Gilbert Perrault. You're not a Canuck. I'm sorry.

Billy Bob Thorton Insulted us, eh?

2009-04-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Billy Bob Thorton has a hissy fit, but the host, Jian Ghomeshi, kicks ass. What a professional he was. He did everything right in this situation. He never once got intimidated or frazzled. Billy Bob didn't know what to do after getting pressed further by Ghomeshi, so he sadly sinks to bottom feeding levels. He insults his Canadian hosts and paying audiences. What a class act.

I guess an audience full of unruly people throwing things at each other is more like "mashed potatoes and gravy" than well educated and polite Canadians, with an informed world view, there to enjoy an evening of original music. Sorry we don't go out to musical events, get wasted, and look to fight somebody Billy Bob.

I would say that Billy Bob Thorton is not a hockey fan, let alone a Canuck's fan.

I summed it up better here in this comment I posted after reading the article:

I guess BillyBob was expecting a journalist to allow him his indulgences as he is an award winning artistic genius. In his mind, his lofty accomplishmnts in the film world should bestow him the authority to tell the media how to do their job. Agree to my terms or forget about having me appear on your show. That's fine. All the host did was introduce him as anyone would. Big deal. Obviously he wants the exposure for his band, which this publicity stunt will certainly give him. I never knew he was touring in a band, I never heard about this CBC arts program either, but in the future I'm more likely to listen to it than listen to Thorton's music. Thorton comes across as a spoiled snot not unlike John Lydon when he appeared in 1980 on the Tom Shneider show. The only difference being is that Jonny Rotten was an innovator, somebody that led a movement. Thorton is nothing more than a pampered and bored Hollywood millionaire, a deluded neophyte of the music performer club. He gets to hang out with Willie Nelson and pretend to perform meaningful music, because of his movie accomplishments. Oh yeah, he gets to act like an ass too.

I wasn't particularily fond of the fact that he insulted our entire country and its people. What did we do to deserve such scorn? Buying his concert tickets perhaps? I thought that was odd and the only way I can reason it is that he is envious of our culture. A population of friendly, educated, and civilized people with an informed view of the world and the people in it. If that's the case than as any good Canadian, I forgive him.

The Mystery Fan vs. The Big Cheese

2009-04-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

Cable Monopolies Suck

2009-04-01T20:28:00.001-07:00

I love the way Shaw makes it just about the same cost per month for high speed internet without TV cable as it is with TV cable. Of course that was after their adjustment price. Last month my Shaw bill came and on the invoice was printed high speed internet charge $44.50. That's fine except it was printed twice. The total of the double billing was $89.00. I phoned the number on my bill and after several minutes of being prompted by an automated system I finally spoke with a representative of Shaw Cable. She was just as baffled as me about what appeared to be a printing error. She informed me that she had to put me on hold and that she would talk to her supervisor about it. After patiently holding for what seemed like 30 minutes I heard some electronic click on the line and then there was nothing. The annoying static of the hold music stopped and the line went dead. She never returned to me and I was eventually cut off. I know why now. A few days later my new bill came with the adjustments. So I opened it up thinking that the bill would read $44.50 oweing. But instead, it read High Speed Internet adjusted charge $88.50. So basically, they just reprinted the one line for High Speed Internet but they kept the total oweing the same as the first bill. So I have to pay twice as much for the internet as somebody does who also has TV cable as a service. The proof is in the billing error combined with the confusion of the call centre person at Shaw who confirmed that the price of $44.50 for High Speed Internet was correct. So I will have to waste more of my time calling Shaw and having this bill gouging dealt with. They want to charge me double if I don't play along with their corporate plunder. Well they can expect a fight. There are other internet providers.

Canuck Fans Rule

2009-03-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

Win the Cup for her!

We Want the Cup! We Want the Cup!

2009-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

A final four appearance is the minimum expected by the Canucks in this year's playoffs. A Stanley cup win by the end of next season will be the only way Luongo extends his Canuck contract.

SOME QUESTIONS:

Will I ever be inspired to reconnect my cable and start watching the Canucks again?
Will I be able to stay disconnected once the playoffs start?
Is it worth the risk of possibly suffering more heart break?
Are Canuck fans the most restless they have ever been or what?
Are the Canucks for real this time?

Deflection Tactics by Mike Gillis

2009-03-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I think Mike Gillis is trying to deflect some media attention away from Luongo with his soap box lecture of the media. Luongo's comments about wanting to play where he has the best chance to win were huge. I guess he is well aware of the Canuck's history. The fact of the matter is Roberto wants to win a cup bottom line. The offers he will get when he is a free agent are going to be hard to match. He wasted eight years in Florida and he's not getting any younger. He wants to play for a contender now. Are the Canucks that team? I assume the experts in the media and knowledgeable fans know that the Canucks have many question marks heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately, so far Gillis' signings haven't impressed. The Canucks will need to drive deep into the playoffs this year or the fans, media, and Luongo will be even less patient next year. Nice try Gillis but shining the light back on the media won't change what Roberto said.

Long Gone Ago

2009-03-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a comment I left after reading "Luongo Unsure About Future in Vancouver" which appeared in the Province:

Bravo Luongo! Put it this way Canuck fans if the Canucks don't make it deep into the playoffs this year and may I even be so bold as to say if the Canucks don't win the cup this year Luongo will be Long gone ago. He will settle for nothing less than a cup let's hope management has done enough to appease Luongo. Too bad Nonis didn't get it. Now the Canucks are behind the eight ball for the 8435 time in their history. If you ask me the pressure to win this year has just tripled. If this organizaton loses Luongo expect another decade of mediocrity. Schneider hasn't proven squat yet. Canuck players better stay focused on one thing and one thing only from now until the champagne is corked. This year more than any other in 38 years is the year the Canucks must win it all.

Do you think Luongo would say those things if he was a member of the Red Wings or Canadiens? I thought it was a little disrespectful to the Canuck organization but I appreciate his candor and honesty. I feel the same way as him. Prove you want to win a cup and I stay. Prove the opposite then I go.

I sure get a kick out of fan's comments. Every now and again after a Canucks win a fan inevitably wonders what Richard the ex-fan feels like now. After every loss that same fan is leaving comments that echo my public sentiments. This truely is the bandwagon centre of the universe.

WHO WILL BE THE GOALTENDER IN THE 2010 WINTER GAMES?

2009-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think Roberto Luongo will have to win the Stanley cup this year if he hopes to be the starting goalie for team Canada in the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver. Right now as it stands you have to believe that Marty Brodeur will get the call.

Some say the New Jersey devil is the greatest goalie of all time, even greater than Patrick Roy. How could you not put the winningest goalie of all time in net? If the coach doesn't use him and they lose he'll become the 2010 winter game's version of Mark Crawford. The coach that didn't put Gretzky on the ice against Hasek in the shootout loss to the Czech Republic in 1998. My only concern about Marty Brodeur is his age. I can't believe how well he has played for so long. He doesn't seem like your typical athlete too. That's a nice way of saying that he doesn't exactly have an athlete's body, but it works. When his age will start to show is anyone's guess. Hopefully not until sometime after the games are finished.

However, should Luongo dominate the goalie postion in the playoffs this year and then go on to win the cup then I think he has a chance to start the games. The coach could say he went with the hot hand. If Luongo falters he can always throw in the best goalie ever in Brodeur. A win win for the coach. Personally, I would like to see Luongo get the starting position; epecially since Vancouver hosts the 2010 games. Whatever happens I hope Canada Kicks ass!

Martyrdom

2009-03-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten the Canucks were playing tonight until I remembered that It had been a while since I'd posted anything on my blog. As soon as I had that thought the Canucks pushed to the front of my mind again. Tonight they play the Stars. A good test.
If they win tonight it's a record for most home wins in a row. Even ex-fans can still recount stats you know.

I have been unable to cheer for another team since my leaping from the Canuck bandwagon. In fact I have no interest in cheering for another team. I don't have any real historical or emotional tie whatsoever to other NHL cities. In fact as a hockey fan goes I am a sworn enemy of many of them. Les Canadiens fan, moi? I don't want Montreal to win any more cups. They've had enough! Cheer for Calgary? AH no thanks. San Jose? I hate them. Even Detroit bugs me. I want to beat them not cheer for them. But how can I beat them? With what team? Exactly. There is only one team I can cheer for. So here I am between a rock and a hard place. I Love hockey, but I can't cheer for a team. Solution: cheer for the Canucks again, right? Wrong. Why? Simple. The first reason is, there was a poll conducted and I lost. The second reason is the Canucks have been doing awesome lately, and I won't change anything in the universe right now so as not to curse the team in any way, shape, or form. I will martyr my inner fan. A teamless fan.

The Canucks can drive all the way to the cup final and top it off with the glorious victory lifted over their heads. And I won't be a fan. A triumph so complete it will be retold for generations by Canuck fans. Except me. However, If that happens, and it could this year, poll or no poll come the 2009-2010 season I will be reconnecting my cable.

We're all Canucks but to Varying Degrees.

2009-03-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

There are three types of Canuck fans. The casual fan, the passionate fan who hates losing and badly wants to see the Canucks win, and the passionate fan who doesn't hate losing but accepts it as one would an ugly little dog with a friendly disposition.

The casual fan is the person who cheers for the team only when it's a good time. Instead of watching a game on TV the casual fan will tune into Dancing With The Stars and only occasionally switch over to the game to see the score. When the Canucks are doing well in the playoffs this person enjoys going to friend's places to party more than to watch the battle on the ice. He knows what's going on with the Canucks but doesn't schedule his life around the Canuck games. The true bandwagoner.

The passionate fan that hates losing and yearns for a winner is a large group of fans. This is the group in which I used to belong. A member of this type watches every game they can. If they can't see it on the TV they listen to it on The Team 1040. This fan owns an official Canucks uniform and has attended countless games. Most likely the fan of this type has had an historical and emotional connection to the team.

The last type of fan is the most troublesome to me. This is the passionate fan that hates losing but accepts it. Possibly has even acquired a taste for haplessness, and disappointment. This type of fan is very forgiving of the team no matter how the group performs. And forty years of disappointment have moulded this fan into one that has learned to embrace mediocrity and rationalized it as affection for the underdog. The corporate side of the Canucks organization loves this type of fan.

Where do you fit in?

Richard The Ex-Canuck Fan is actually Knute Rockne

2009-03-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

YES it's true. The reason the Canucks halted their losing streak a while back and put together 12 wins in 14 games was the fact I inspired the team. Do you think it was a coincidence that the Canucks started to play determined gritty hockey soon after my Province article appeared? Well if you thought it was a coincidence you were wrong. I happened to learn from an insider working within the Canuck organization that the team took my fan outburst very seriously. Apparently, there was a locker room meeting about The Province piece attended by Stan Smyl, who regaled the team with the '82 drive to the finals. The players were well aware of my article and were amazed at how much the fans really cared. Hence, the players recommitted themselves to tough, gritty, determined hockey and ended their slide. Sure avowing to never support the Canucks was an in the heat of the moment protestation by me, but it got the point across to the players. I single handedly turned the tide for the team.

Now the other day I was unceremoniously rejected by the Canucks nation as revealed by the Poll conducted on Dave Pratt and Don Taylor's show, and I accept that. How could all the Canuck fans know what really happened in the dressing room the day my article came out. The fact that I inspired professional athletes to raise their game to a new level, and turned a pretender into a contender. Richard The Ex-Canuck fan should be heralded in this city. I should be revered, but alas, it is not to be. However, if the Canucks win the Stanley Cup this year I hope the truth comes out that I too deserve to have my name engraved on Lord Stanley's silver icon.

Don Taylor Made Me Realize Something.

2009-03-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some scenes of Canuck's fans celebrating the team's success in the first round of the playoffs two years ago in Abbotsford. This was the first round. So it's safe to say that Richard, the ex-Canuck fan, that being me, is going to have to keep off the streets during the Canuck's playoff run. If somebody happens to recognize me whilst I'm among a throng of overzealous fans I might be put in a situation where I'll have to be very convincing with my argument on why I have given up on the team. I could be in danger otherwise.

This is a democracy, and 77 percent of Canuck's fans don't want me to jump back on the bandwagon according to the poll on the Team 1040 today. Even if I wanted to jump back on the bandwagon I wouldn't be welcome. I can never again cheer for the Canucks as a true fan because my Canuck fan membership card has been revoked.

However, It's been a month without cable and I'm still alive. In fact some might believe more alive. When you have no cable television you have to find other ways to occupy your leisure time. Without a doubt I have been more physically active and that's a good thing. Going to the park, gardening, and blogging take up my available leisure time now. If only I could of maintained that type of balance in my life when I had cable television, but I would be too tempted to watch a Canuck's game now. It is clear to me that I have to remain an ex-Canuck fan. I have to stay off the bandwagon so I can't have my cable reconnected. No matter how hard it will be, It has to be. I've painted myself into a corner with nowhere to run by publically renouncing my allegiance to the Canucks. No matter how loud my inner fan screams to be released from my heart I can't jump back on-board. No matter how many wins they pile up in a row I have to remain indifferent. Or run an extension cord into the closet.

Scotty Bowman Says, "I Like Vancouver's Team!"

2009-03-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

When I think of who might be the greatest hockey mind, the best all time coach, I think of Scott Bowman. He's won more Stanley cups then all the others in his field and when you hear Scotty talk about hockey you hang on every word. He's the Wayne Gretzky of coaches. The other day he was asked about his thoughts about the trade deadline, teams to watch in the playoffs, and other things. When asked about the Western Conference he said, "I like Vancouver's team"...Yes, it is true. But he also said Detroit is still the team to beat and that the Canucks had a chance if they could play a puck possession game against Detroit. That plus Luongo getting it done in net could put Vancouver over the top. He also spoke of their cap space and ability to add some role players at the deadline. To me that was the catch of the whole conversation about the Canucks. The Canucks have a champion in waiting goalie, an elite defense, two explosive forward lines, but there's room for improvement on the third and forth lines. This is a good time to compare and contrast the Canucks third and forth lines with the Wings third and forth lines. Detroit has an advantage. Throw in the intangibles and it spells Canuck defeat. However, the Canucks can tweak their checking lines with additions from the trade deadline or players already in their organization. Rick Rypien comes to mind. Good skater, hard hitter, nasty disposition, and heart. I would like to see him make a comeback for the Canucks. I wonder what Scotty Bowman would have said about the Canucks if his comments were quoted around the time the Canucks were losing eight home games in a row. Still though when Scotty Bowman says he likes your team, as a fan, that must give you a good feeling inside. I hope somebody will be able to describe that feeling to me, because as an ex-canuck's fan I think Detroit it just too powerful.

*click on the headline link for the full Tony Gallager article.

Tampa Bay Reduces Season Ticket Prices

2009-02-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

El Tigre! Top Ten Goal Celebrations

2009-02-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

2009-02-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

No Cable? Am I Nuts?

2009-02-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

What was the straw that broke the camel's back? Why did I decide to end my fan allegiance to the Canucks on the night of Jan. 22nd 2009 immediately after the Canucks had blown a one nothing lead in the last minute of a game against the Sharks? The loss to the best team in the league came after a prolonged losing streak, which made it even tougher to swallow. It was enough to make me cancel my cable. But I think it was the birth of cynicism that night which made me give up being a fan. We all know the cynical Canuck fan. The guy that never has anything good to say about the Sedins, or always predicts a Canuck's loss. I somehow had always avoided that trap. I looked to the positive. I raved about Burrows, and cheered LOUUUU! But things changed that night. I remember shouting, 'I knew it' after the tying goal was scored by San Jose. I was overcome with this sick feeling. And then the Sedin penalty in overtime. I actually remember my last positive thought about the Canucks being that they could still win it in OT. I had barely finished thinking this when the laziest of hooking penalties in the offensive zone that I have ever witnessed took place. Game over. Even though there was time left. Just enough for San Jose to finish it. A cynic was born. I don't want to become one of those fans. I really don't. Before, their cynical attitude kinda ticked me off. Now I understand it.

As a fan, I just want a really cool, well run, winning hockey team to grow a tradition around. I don't want to cheer for the hapless anymore. Being an underdog is getting boring. I want a team that preys on it's opponents. Not one that has to pray to win. I won't watch it because cynical devotion is unhealthy.

So I've cut my friggin' cable to make a point. I'm resisting cynicism. I'm clearing my head. It's not easy having no cable though. My toddler seems to be handling it rather well. My wife is still supportive, but I've spent a heck of a lot more cash on DVD rentals that is for sure. We try to keep busy, but at times we miss those moments of relaxing in front of the boob tube. I just won't become a cynic. So for now we live without cable.

The Bandwagon and Other Musings

2009-02-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

When you think about what makes a person uniquely Canadian, how long does it take you to refer to the sport of ice hockey? For as long as I can remember, hockey has been somewhere in the background of my life. I am sure there is no doubting that in many people's lives who are proudly Canadian. We are a Northern nation that spends a lot of our winter leisure time pursuing the puck. The rest of the world thinks of hockey when they think of us. That and Mounties. I've heard it said that hockey is the thread that holds the fabric of our culture together. We play it. We watch it. We love it. I love it. I play it. I watch it. Just not the Canucks anymore. So with all this passion about hockey to the core of our existence why do some still try to down play it. It's not about jumping on and off a bandwagon. It's about devoting time. It's about pride. It's about knowing when enough is enough. To tell me it's just a game reveals your naivety not mine. This is Canada. Hockey does matter to us.

The Canuck's organization needs to aim higher. They need to realise the untapped potential of this market. Can you imagine if an organization like the Detroit Red Wings existed in Vancouver instead of Detroit? It's mind blowing! When a city wins a cup the league always lets the fans of the team come and view the Stanley Cup sometime over the summer. When they did this for the Detroit fans a friend of mine who was there at the time told me he had no problem walking up to the cup and touching it, kissing it , whatever. He said there was hardly anyone there. When Montreal won their last cup and the last cup won by a Canadian city, the fans lined up for blocks for a glimpse of the cup. Rarely was it handled by respectful Habs fans, but the love for it was never more apparent. I say, it's time Vancouver won a Stanley Cup! I want to line up and see the engraved part of that cup where it says Stanley Cup Champions Vancouver Canucks! Don't you?

I have never blamed management or the coach of the present version of the Canucks for my clean break from the team's fan base. Why? Because it has nothing to do with them. Actually, the guys in charge now are pretty good. This is a fan problem. We are too apathetic and complacent. We need to turn up the heat. I know we want to be fans but it's about winning consistently too. And by God we deserve it.

Gillis has proven to me to be a shrewd GM. I like him. I believed him when he said Mats Sundin was the best free agent out there. I don't think he thought Sundin would hold out so long though, which I believe will be costly. Gillis drafted Cody Hodgeson, who I think will turn out to be the Canucks best ever first round pick. So things are looking up in the GM's office.

Alain Vineault is a solid coach. He's fair to the players and he's professional. I have questioned some of his decisions, but I never have a problem giving him the benefit of the doubt. In hindsight, most times his decisions turn out to be good ones.

My brother has accused me of jumping back on the bandwagon because I talked about the Canucks. I think I have proven that talking about a team doesn't make you a fan of them. You can't describe the feeling a fan has for a favorite team you have to live it. And I can tell you without a doubt that my little fan feeling for the Canucks is gone. Whether I talk about them or not the feeling isn't there. It's gone. I still love hockey but presently I don't have a special feeling for any team. Maybe one day I will maybe not.

Canuck fan therapy

2009-02-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

Angry Canuck's Fan therapy session.
This is Richard, the ex-Canuck Fan, with Grock an admitted Canuck's fan. Grock joined the "group" after tearing out lamp posts, turning over cars, and wreaking havoc on Robson Street after a recent Canuck's loss. Remember all you sufferers out there don't let a little winning streak confuse you. Come on out to the meetings and share your Canuck frustrations with people who really know what you have gone through, and are going through. You are not alone.

Nuck Fit-day 26, Days with no cable-9

2009-02-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

To this day I blame Bettman for the loss to NY. I watched game 7 at Shenanagans on Robson in '94. Linden was unbelievable. The refereeing was one sided in favour of the Rangers. The hockey Gods were against the Canucks too. But most of all it was Bettman. Had it been the same people in charge of the NHL like in let's say,1964, then the Canucks win game seven hands down. Yeah i know the Canucks didn't have a team then, but you know what I mean. Unfortunately, I fear we have this Canadian inferiority complex which has allowed a meddling NY lawyer to step behind the controls of our game. A Canadian needs to run the show. A hockey person, come on. After the Rangers won against the Canucks for their first cup in 54 years, three US sunbelt teams won cups. When the Southern US markets are tasting glory before passionate, dedicated masses of fans North of the border, I have a problem with it. Good one Bettman. Hey, maybe these cup wins by Dallas, Carolina, and Tampa Bay were purely coincidental. Let's ask Flames and Oilers fans what they think. Good draft picking, strong management, perhaps, but many things need to align themselves just right for a team to greet glory. During the long and epic battle that is the Stanley cup playoffs, you need all the help you can get to win it all. Wink, wink, if you know what I mean. I say keep hockey in hockey markets. Stop diluting the game. Give a quality product to the established fan. AND put a Canadian hockey man in charge of the NHL. Bettman must go. Rant over.

Boston fans are cool.

2009-02-16T21:08:00.001-08:00

Cam Neely and Mlilan Lucic, you're welcome Boston. Now send some Stanley cup magic our way.

Helping Habs.

2009-02-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

The Canucks are like 10-0-1 versus the Canadiens over the last ten years or so. What!? They've only played 10 times in ten years? That's stupid. Thanks again for nothing, Bettman. Anyway, the Nucks have played the legendary franchise well this last decade. Totally dominating them. This great organization that has won 24 cups. How can there be such a lopsided record in favour of the Canucks over this Mountain of modern hockey? Again I think it is the hockey Gods at play. They've allowed the Canucks to top the Montreal team as sort of a gesture of good faith. Might the hockey Gods be suggesting that the cup may not be far off for the hapless Canucks. Is this winning streak an omen? As if the almighty ice-skaters in the sky are looking down at Vancouver and saying, "Hey if you can beat the famous Montreal Canadiens you can beat anyone". It's sort of a boost of confidence. They can't right out give the cup to the Canucks but they can do a little something to help them along the way. Or maybe I'm just a wishful thinking ex-Canuck fan who has too much time on his hands to fantasize about imaginary beings. We'll see.

Canucks need this guy to be a fan!

2009-02-15T01:38:00.000-08:00

What players really feel about fans.

2009-02-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

2009-02-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

Nuck Fit-day 21, Days with no cable-4

2009-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

I know that the only major league sports team in Vancouver played tonight. But as of this writing I have no idea about it whatsoever. It really doesn't matter anyway. The way the playoff race is going right now nothing will be decided until the last week of the regular season. It's a tight race. Is it really parity, or is it just the stupid way points are handed out in today's game? Who knows. Some corporate whiz kid came up with it I'm sure. The same corporate leg-humper who opined that the true north strong and free fan will stay on board no matter what. We have to build the fan base in the Southern USA, he decried!. Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, all won cups before the Canucks. Are you F___ing kidding me? Who's next? LA? Florida? Yeah, Florida, they came close once, they deserve a cup. Big time hockey hot-bed. You heard it here first. As long as Gary Bettman is commissioner of the NHL the Canucks won't win the cup.

The Life of a Sports Reporter

2009-02-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

It must be trying times for Vancouver sports scribes and broadcasters these days. They really only have the one major sports team to cover. The Canucks are it. How fun can that be? They have been mediocre, at best, for forty years. So it's not just fans that suffer. Think of the poor sports guy who has to follow the team day in and day out. I could think of worse jobs, but as far as that type of job goes Vancouver is the hinterland. Since the Team 1040 are the official radio station of the Canucks they aren't even allowed to talk about hardly anything else but the Canucks. I have to think it's way more fun to cover a winning franchise. Sure they can talk or write about other professional sports teams in other cities, but who cares? Even if they do talk about other major league teams in other cities what do they talk about? I heard B-Mac and Rintoul talk about basball this morning. But they only had steroids and cheaters to discuss. If you talk about the NFL it's always about some spoiled player storming off the field because he didn't get enough touches. How long before the next Michael Vick-like case gets discussed ad nauseum? Let's face it, pro-sports sucks these days. But at least fans don't have to make a living reporting about it. No, those poor guys in the sports media have that task. And the hockey media in this town have suffered long enough.

The San Hose Sharks can be beat!

2009-02-08T20:36:00.001-08:00

Nuck Fit - Day 17, Days without cable- 1

2009-02-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

Cable's cut. Sixteen days after notice. Here goes. No cable. But what do the Hockey Gods do to reward their version of the oft suffering Job? On the Team 1040 radio, they have arranged Michael Buble on as colour commentator with Shorty. As if to say, you're not listening to the game, you're listening to Buble. I haven't heard why Tom Larsheid isn't at his usual post as Canucks colourman. Can somebody let me know? Anyway, left with a huge hole to fill, the guys running the show at the Team 1040 had the brilliant idea to ask huge Canuck Fan, Michael Buble, to perform the duties of colourman. It was brilliant because they faced the mammoth prospect of having to find a substitute for Tommy. I, in all my years listening to Canuck broadcasts, can't remember anyone ever coming close to Tommy's passion combined with knowledge formula. But the only play they had was to substitute a legend with a future legend, Buble. A world class entertainer and unbelievable talent, to perform the role so defined by Larsheid. I thought he managed quite well. He had the voice, obviously. He had the professionalism, but he wasn't up to Tom's level of hockey knowledge. That might be asking too much of Michael for sure. Tom's timing is incomparable too. He knows exactly how the Canucks are playing and what they are capable of on any given night. Intangibles you didn't get with Michael Buble last night. But I was entertained! Michael's approach was his own. He did have a Kreskin moment when he predicted the Canucks would win in a blow out. Of course, I didn't pay any attention to the game. But Buble was great. Hurry back Tommy!

The Good Ol' Hockey Game

2009-02-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

That's Grapes! Seventy-Five and Still Alive!

2009-02-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Since 1980 Don Cherry has caught the attention of Canadian hockey fans. Some American ones too. He's been on Hockey Night in Canada for a long time. He doesn't talk about the Canucks much. He's more of a Toronto guy. But the best part about him isn't about which team he cheers for, or the fact that he is ultra-patriotic. It's that he's not afraid to put himself out there. He speaks his mind and he says what he wants. He plays himself. He's a necessity with character and flamboyance. Standing in stark contrast to the cliched drivel we are fed, stands Don. A breathe of fresh air, a real true ad lib amidst scripted filler. Happy Birthday, eh?

The people in this movie are all Canuck Fans

2009-02-03T23:08:00.000-08:00

Nuck Fit

2009-02-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

The 13th Day.

There sure are a lot of Canuck fans in the world. I know. I see them all day long. There's Lucy the hairstylist, she's a Canuck Fan. Bobby the baliff, he cheers for the nuckleheads too. Let's not forget the guy at 7/11. The three guys that work with me in my department, all Canuck fans. Even though one of them is from the USA and he can't even skate. Even the automated voice of Shaw cable is a Canuck's fan. Mom and Dad? You guessed it, Canuck fans. Except that one guy in the elevator. He had one blue eye and one green eye, and I asked him if he was a Canuck fan and he said, no. I thought he should of been one. Except for that one guy, everyone else is a Canuck's fan. But fire away! The two guys that thought I had had enough coverage are the two guys still talking about me, and I appreciate it.

On another note fans.
Through osmosis and the fact that they are all Canucks Fans in the Deepak Chopra escapes, I became aware, by fluke of course, of the Canuck score. Twice. Once when it was 2-0 for them, when I overheard a fan talking. The second time was when my wife was channel surfing. Yeah, I know, the cable, the cable, it's still hasn't been disconnected. They hook it up quicker than this. Anyway she surfed pass 22, and it was 3-3. Hey Daniel and Hendrik, did they score? I don't know the result as of this writing. So I would appreciate it if all you Canuck Fans would please keep your selfish little obsession to yourselves. I don't want to hear about it.

Coming soon to this blog site:

The Good Ol' Hockey Game a short documentary film.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

2009-02-02T23:07:00.000-08:00

*Here's a comment I made on the Canucks Nation Blog:

It must drive people in Toronto insane. I'm talking about Vancouverite's indifference to their Eastern city. I don't know anybody who decides to leave Vancouver to live in Toronto, but it seems like every second person you meet here used to live in Toronto. I've been to Toronto once. It was during the Labour Day weekend. It was muggy and uncomfortably hot. When I met people and told them I was from Vancouver their body language changed. Everyone seemed eager to ask me the big three questions: do I have a grow op in my basement? What do I think of the circus that is our provincial politics? Am I a member of Greenpeace?

To me the people are all the same in Toronto like the folks who populate the automaton world in the movie "Brazil". They work for one of the corporations and they own a cottage in Northern Ontario. They eat Buffalo wings, and drink Molson Canadian. It's like a big frat house there. I've been trying to think of some high lights of my trip to TO but I really can't think of any. I went to the top of that big tower thing and looked out over a polluted lake. I was told it was a great lake, but it didn't look that great to me. I couldn't wait to get back to Vancouver to cycle around the seawall, and have some tofu at Bridges restaurant on Granville Island. AHHH "The best place on Earth!"

p.s. I read this article because it was about Toronto and tofu, not because it was about the Canucks.

*Here's a comment I made on the Kurtenblog:

It's really a Bush administration technique to attack the character of a dissenter who speaks the truth to power. Jason and Mike, I am not offended, I didn't ask for the attention. I just wrote a little comment about how I felt after a hockey game. I think there are many more passionate fans out there who felt the same way as me. Yes, I received too much attention, but I started something. It's called accountability. Fans who are passionate about their team are what the sponsors want, and fans giving up on a team are a huge threat to profits. I understand that. I am sure that is your goal to try and discredit me and make me out to be a loser or psycho. So other fans will think twice before they cancel their cable. If you really want to get the interest of your audience you should have me on. Give me a chance to express my point of view. You guys can debate me or insult me or just have fun with it. To your sponsors I say take advantage of this chance to increase ratings and have more folks hear your ads. So Jason and Mike how about it?

2009-02-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Some really threatened media types didn't like my rant. Here's an example of how the average Canuck fan is regarded by a couple of corporate adolescents, Jason Brough and Mike Halford as posted on their Kurtenblog:

14:56, 14:57, 14:58, 14:59 aaaaaand that's about it for Richard the ex-Canucks fan's 15 minutes of fame lame. Enough already. How is this clown's unoriginal whining newsworthy?

Here's what he wrote to The Province as a follow-up to his initial blubbering about the Canucks where he relinquished his loyalty to the team.

"Because of supply and demand dictating ticket prices, most of us can't afford to attend games anymore. The Garage is full of a lot of corporate non-fans these days, which explains the lack of palpable passion in the stands."

Awww, poor Richard. It's so hard to live in Vancouver. Everything's so expensive. The rich people have all the fun. And they never cheer or do the wave. Oh, Godfather, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

Of course, it's a slap in the face (kinda like the one you just saw) to compare Johnny Fontaine to Richard. At least Johnny didn't fancy himself some sort of armchair Knute Rockne. Get a load of the advice Richard has for the Vancouver players, as if they're sitting around having money fights all day:

"To the present Canucks, I say stop comparing bank accounts and bragging about your riches. Sacrifice yourself to us fans. Work like you have never worked before. Back down from nobody. Don't make excuses. If you do this I promise you the fans will exalt you. You will become our heroes who we will never forget."

Yeah, they're all ready to run through a brick wall now, Dick.

from: The Province Blogs

Mystery Fan: These two will make excuses for the Canucks forever. They don't care if they win. I stand by what I say. Like what I've said is anything new. Johnny Fontaine could still kick Jason and Mike's asses.

Day 10

2009-02-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday night around 7pm.
At this time, I would normally be home positioning myself in front of the television for what is a family tradition at my house, a Canucks game on Hockey Night in Canada. Except now, I'm not a Canucks fan anymore. The tradition? It will wither and die. From the ashes of it will sprout a new tradition. A tradition of exploration and adventure enjoyed together with my family. However, this Saturday at 7pm my little one had had too many adventures for one day and her exhausted little body was out like a light. At the same time my wife needed to finish her homework leaving me free for the night. This is where I have to think of a hobby. Why hasn't Shaw cancelled my cable yet??? The urge to turn on the game was unbearable. I was having a Nuck fit. I picked up the remote and just as I was going to press power my iPhone rang. It was a buddy. Whew! He invited me over for UFC. I went. We watched all the battles and never once switched over to CBC. Although , I have to admit, Saturday's UFC was one of the least exciting I have seen. It certainly didn't live up to its hype. I can't wait until Lions training camp.

Lego at Science World

2009-02-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon I took the whole family to Science World. Parking was a bit of a challenge, but after driving around the neighbourhood we finally got lucky. One of the things we checked out was the omnimax theatre. We watched the Mar's rover mission on the "inside of the egg" as my daughter describes it. The film was a Walt Disney production and included great DGI effects. I really liked the part of the movie where the rocket blasts off to the red planet. Also at Science World is a lego exhibit. This display must have taken somebody a long time to assemble. Things made of lego were small towns, pirate ships, and all sorts of different scenes. Check it out.

Ex-Fan day 8

2009-01-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

It's hard not to know what's going on with the Canucks when I'm surrounded by Canuck fans all day . Especially those fans that think it's fun to ask me my opinion of the organization, or if I liked the game last night? But I found the courage not to watch the game. I don't need too. You are a fan by osmosis in Vancouver this time of year. I'd have to make a whole new circle of friends. I'd have to quit my job. I'd have to move to Tibet to be free of the Canucks. So it's everywhere. Imagine quitting smoking and working in a cigarette factory. BUT I didn't turn on TSN to view the lastest debacle. Shaw still hasn't disconnected my cable, so I still watch TV while I can. I don't know what's taking them so long to unplug me. Maybe I should ask TEAM 1040's Ray Ferraro, he seems to be the resident expert on cable telecommunications. The Don Taylor, the resident expert on husband and wife relationships, might know why too. He works for a big Toronto based cable conglomerate. On a side note, maybe that's why he bets against the Canucks. The story goes that The Don has been saving dimes since he was six. He has all these little washed out margarine containers full of them. Maybe he's melted some of those dimes down now, and molded them into his own Stanley Cup. In fact, he must have dozens of them. Afterall, he's been saving dimes for a long time. Donny represents the casual Vancouver fan to me. He uses the cliche of bandwagon jumping in normal conversation like some Yaletown yuppie would who knew very little about hockey. Say bandwagon in the conversation and everybody nods in agreement and takes a sip of their latte.

What should I do tomorrow around 7pm? Anybody have an idea?

The Mystery Fan Richard

The revolution has begun!

2009-01-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Canuck Fan Revolution!

If you have been following the Canucks lately, then you know about their current losing streak. Yes that same old affliction that hits Canuck fans in the guts every year around this time. You might also remember me. I'm Richard the Canuck fan that had a near heart attack after watching the Canucks blow a lead in the last minute of the Sharks game. Well I made a public comment on the Canucks nation blog that went like this: