I honestly don't know what a Calgary Flames fan should do with the Edmonton Oilers one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals in a run that's reminiscient of Calgary's similar run two years ago, the last time NHL hockey was played.
Most of the posters over at the CalgaryPuck message board are adamant that you do not cheer for Edmonton if you're a Calgary fan. I talked to my Calgary-born and raised cousin last night and he refuses to cheer for Edmonton no matter what happens. (His exact words might have been a bit more poetic – except without any rhymes in sight.)
I know there are reasons to cheer for Edmonton – it's great to see a Canadian team still in the playoffs, it would be even better for hockey in this country if they were to win the Cup, it helps a small market team in terms of revenues, they're a Western team and probably who most of the people in Saskatchewan cheer for after their amazing Gretzky-led teams of the 1980's, it's another Cinderella run for an Alberta team that squeeked into the playoffs.
But here's the reasons not to cheer for them.
– I have a long-standing dislike of the Oilers, pre-dating my being a Flames fan. This is because, when I first got into hockey in the early 80's, I became a New York Islanders fan as they were the ultimate team at the time – winning four cups in a row led by Mike Bossy (my favourite player of all-time) and Saskatchewan-born Bryan Trottier and Clark Gilles. I used to love goaltender Billy Smith for his “unique” goaltending style of swinging his goal stick like a scythe when Gretzky was lurking behind the net.
– as much as I hate to admit it, whenever you argue with an Edmonton fan about which team is better, they have the ultimate trump card in that the Oilers have won 5 cups and the Flames only have 1. Calgary had TWO chances to double their number of Cup wins in 2004 and couldn't get the job done.
– Edmonton fans have had a couple stabbings and other hooliganism during their playoff run celebrations on Whyte Avenue (which they blatantly have begun calling “Blue & Whyte” Avenue copying Calgary's much-more organically developed “Red Mile”) while Calgary fans tended to congregate incredibly peacefully for the numbers (50 000 on 17th Ave after games during the final series.)
– Edmonton is running out of beer due to this playoff run. I'll say that again: “Edmonton is RUNNING OUT OF BEER due to this playoff run!” That's an insult of the highest order to hockey fans everywhere and if you do have allegiance to the Greasers, should be enough to make you cheer for somebody else!
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