I love (Red Wings-eating) Sharks fans...

Since it will become very clear, in the blogs-yet-to-come, just how I feel about the Detroit Red Wings, I may as well come out with it now:  I. HATE. Them.  I respect them, and who couldn't, but I really, really hate them.

The Wings are a DAMN good hockey franchise.  They've made the playoffs for 20 straight seasons.  They have multiple NHL Award-winning players on the roster (no Dats for Lady Byng this year though.  You fight, you ruin everything...).  and an impressive supporting cast as well (who doesn't love the way Darren Helm plays hockey?) To top it off, they have a rich history and good fans (except during that whole "Dead Thing Era".  Man was that embarrassing...) who are usually fairly well versed in all things hockey.

The Red Wings may in fact be the only thing holding Detroit together.

This changes nothing.

I. HATE. THEM.

In full disclosure, my team is the Colorado Avalanche (right, that explains it all, doesn't it?).  Hating the Red Wings has been about as easy as breathing since 1996 (though the Nords weren't too keen on that team in Detroit either).  It's a permanent fixture in my life and will never, ever change.  Ever.  (And for those of you who have joke about my soul mate being a Wings fan:  First of all, if soul mates existed, mine would not be capable of Red Wings fandom.  And secondly, if that ever happens, fast forward 70 years to a 95 year old me, single and alone with a bunch of cats).

The hatred did NOT get any better when the Wings signed Todd Bertuzzi...and when Todd Bertuzzi starting playing like Todd Bertuzzi again.

That sucked.  A lot.  (And no, I'll likely never let 'the Steve Moore incident' go)

So it's well established.  The Red Wings and I are like the Hatfields and the McCoys (does anyone really understand that reference anymore?  If not,  Wiki saves the day), except there will be no peace, no agreement to stop the hate.  No Family Feud in which the winner gets a pig.

It will never get better.

(Ignore the fact that I've been able to maintain fairly good friendships with various Wings fans...or the example is moot point).

Hating the Red Wings can be inconvenient at times.  Ah, plainly, they win a lot.  A whole hell of a lot.  And always at inopportune times.  (One fact my Red Wings fan brother likes to point out is that the Wings happen to win almost every single year I graduate, thus running an otherwise joyous occasion.  1998-8th grade, 2002-high school, 2006-undergrad.  Mercifully, the Canes took it that year. 2008-nursing school.  I'm in grad school now, with plans to graduate in 2012.  Please Wings, NOT this one...).

One time hating the Red Wings is neither inconvenient nor inopportune?  How about when some inventive Sharks fan, (who you can and should Like on Facebook) crafts an absolutely brilliant costume-representation of the unfortunate, Jaws-like demise of a Red Wings fan.

 

Much better video available at NHL.com

Life is good...

HUGE props to Rogue Shark.

-Shaela