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!
Comments 4
Actually, I've heard it referred to as “Copperhead Road”. I'm sure the only reason there were stabbings was because they were running out of beer. Think about it – the Oilers are the team that always *almost* does something great.
I liked the Oilers when I was a kid but hated hockey in general. Now that I know a bit more about the sport (and, admittedly, I think the new rules helped draw me in because the game is faster and just better than I remember it being), I'm a die-hard Oilers fan. It helps that so is my Significant Otter. Actually, he's more of a muskrat, but let's not split heirs. HA!
Okay, okay, I'm done.
Except that Oilers rock, Flames suck.
(grin) poke. poke (grin)
Edmonton is almost out of beer!?! Why is our government covering up this atrocity? Why aren't the armed forces being deployed to deliver aid to this woebegotten city?
Think of the children.
Cheers
(Er, now that my Sens have tanked again, I'm on the Oiler's bandwagon. But there really aren't that many teams to choose from are there? Ducks or Carolina? Yeah right. Buffalo, at least they have a bit of a history, but er, no thanks. That leaves Edmonton. Beggars can't be choosers.)
MT
I believe we're all missing the most salient point here: would you rather cheer for a DUCK?
Mighty or otherwise, if I were an NHL player, even in spite of the millions of dollars I would be making (even as stickboy), I would be reticent to sign anything that included “Mighty Ducks” anywhere in the contract. Unless the clause was prefaced with “annihilate”.
Jill, you're missing the point. I'm not cheering for the Ducks. I'm cheering against the Oilers!) I've heard “White/Whyte Mile”, “Blue Mile”, “Blue and White/Whyte Mile” and many other variations which are all basically rip-offs of Calgary's Red Mile.
And I've never heard it called “Copperhead Road” (although that sounds like something the mulletheads in Edmonton would come up with.
The following link calls it the “Blue Mile” and if it's good enough for Lloyd Robertson, it's good enough for me. The article is mainly about the violence going on – another reason I can't stand the idea of cheering for Edmonton): http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060513/oilers_arrests_060513?s_name=&no_ads=
Buffalo in 5 for the Cup (after they beat Carolina).