You’ll forgive us if we aren’t exactly wetting our pants in anticipation of the game tonight. See, Friday night didn’t go exactly as planned. Santa failed us. The Oilers failed us. The taxi companies failed us. Operation Red Nose failed us. The legal system failed us. Now we are left to sit at the Remand Centre looking out over a cold cityscape and wonder what went wrong.
OK fine. We aren’t really in the prison downtown. But we are in a way worse kind of prison. A prison of the mind. And that’s way worse, trust us. We are all imprisioned by a crappy team, folks, and we aren’t getting out any time soon.
Real round table analysis
We had a long talk over a tall beer with a few of the boys after the game. We accused one dude of being a bandwagon jumper –- which he took with characteristically bad humour.
“Screw you Wanye” he yelled. “I am no bandwagon jumper. I’m here every single game griping the entire time. I wish the Oilers weren’t so crappy this year. I wish that we could sit here and say ‘Wow, the forwards sure are scoring left and right.’ I wish I could say ‘It’s Christmas and I am already fairly certain the Oilers are going to make the playoffs this year.’ But that ain’t the case is it?”
It’s an interesting distinction between fans who have a legitimate axe to grind and bandwagon jumpers.
We ran into our boy Ssseth at the game on Friday. He is the prime example of an Oiler fan that has been completely failed by the squad, in our opinion. With every failed pass, weak back check and fancy play that went awry you could see his anger starting to build. Don’t get us wrong — when the Oil tied the game in the third, there was joy and high fives all around. But when the shoot-out ended, he left the building faster than Elvis leaves a concert. Don’t kid yourself: this guy is a superfan. But even superfans have their limits of the crap they can tolerate.
Is this bandwagon jumping? No. And we guess that’s the point.
No jumping here
All the comments on sites like these, all the calls to radio shows all over town, all the water cooler talk about “Whatever is to be done about that Oiler hockey squadron?” All these folks really want is a winner. No one really wants MacT to be fired. They just want the team to win. No one really wants to see Nilsson, Roloson or (insert other Oiler in the dog house here) shipped out of town. You ask anyone on here that is vehement that MacT be fired the following question and watch their reply.
“Would you rather see MacT fired or the Oilers make the playoffs?”
We will bet it will be ridiculously lopsided. In fact we will make it the poll.
Look around RX1 during any given night of late. Look at the good people who have shelled out hundreds of their own dollars for tickets –- and then thousands of dollars for flat beers. We don’t see a bandwagon jumper in the house. We have been to games in plenty of cities too, so we’ve seen the lame noise that passes for applause in all too many expansion cities.
It’s different here. But there really is a limit to how much mediocrity one team’s fans can take. And perhaps we haven’t arrived at that point yet, but it is definitely on the horizon and getting closer with every passing minute.
You can’t help but feel for the Citizens of the OilersNation. It’s nut-freezing cold out, pitch black 23 hours a day and there really ain’t shit to do up here but have a few beers and watch a few scores. So turn out to watch we do: in droves.
In RX1, at the bars, buying the PPV broadcasts or sitting around with a bunch of fellow “bandwagon jumpers” ignoring your poker game because the Oilers are down 3-1 “but on a powerplay.” Teams in 25 other cities would KILL for the level of fan dedication. Our team seems content to sit on its hands and issue a bunch of platitudes about effort and turning the corner.
So this is prison.
On a related note: we will see YOU at the JL meeting tonight.
I'm scared of Deep Oil. 🙁
@ Deep Oil:
WTF? I need to drink about 18 beer to make what was written seem logical.
@ topshelf:
I like Brodziak, and I did say that I agreed with you. I think Moreau's offensive numbers have been good, but I can't see it lasting.
Don't need bail money – was let out on my recognisance – have criminal lawyer on retainer – not joking – dont drink anything but Crown and Coke (no fruit please straight not gay) – but feel that the sheep are drinking the oiler kool aid – baaaaaad – found a great site http://oilerssuck.spreadshirt.com/us/US/Shop/ for LOSER OILER Shirts – pretty sad when you cant stand to watch your favorite team – did Mac T avoid the checkstop on his way home to Southwest Edmonton – apparently Joel Quenville has the same alcohol problem that MacT had this last September…. DUI in Colorado.
Any score predictions tonight?
4-3 Phoenix? Penner, Souray and *cough* Reddox with the goals:)
@ Fiveandagame: who wants to bet that the oilers score one goal tonight
@ RobinB:
Hey RB, have the Oilers contacted you about lacing up and playing some RW for them yet? You've had plenty of Jam in your recent blogs I think you're due for a MacT call up.
@ Deep Oil:
We're always good for a third period come back that falls short, so two or three goals is reasonable. We'll play like the dickens the last five minutes I tell ya.
Fiveandagame wrote:
Dickens – the ghost of Christmas past will haunt the oiler fans with coal – sorry hockey is 60 minute game and playing for 5 minutes at the end is like cramming for that high school test that you didn't study for all semester – these are professionals – get it right the first time and control the game rather than sucking wind.
FEARLESS PREDICTION*: Oilers 4, Phoenix 2. Goals by Hemsky, Souray, and Pouliot (2). Goals against from Michalek and Doan.
*unless it turns out wrong, in which case I didn't write this
Hemsky-Horcoff-Penner
Cole-Cogliano-Schremp
Moreau-Brodziak-Stortini
Pouliot-Gagner-Brule
That first line is a no brainer. It's the only combo that's worked so far. Let it work.
The second line is full of scorers. The second line needs to score agains the soft parade.
The third line is for hard workers who can hold their own. The Oil doesn't have any real "checking line" forwards these days, so this is the best we have.
And the fourth line is for extras, who might somehow catch fire. Pouliot kept up with Crosby, I'll bet he can handle Gagner and Brule.
Also, my own prediction:
Oilers: 5 Penner (2), Souray, Hemsky and Pouliot (or, should I say, Toby Peterson 2.0?)
Phoenix: 2 Gretzky (2)
anyone else notice how Pouliot is one of the best players on the ice tonight. I am stunned!! He's… like… awesome.
>gives head a shake<
What's up Nation
AH there we are, I was getting worried. No nation during gametime sux
Obviously we are very sorry for the outage. Now if you will excuse me I am beating the shat out of a web server.
Talk later
Go Oilers
Love Wanye
Get the Future Shop tech club guys on it Wanye!
Summary:
1st
SCORTINI!
Poooo-leee-ottt!
2nd
Head in hands
3rd
Soooouray!
Goaliano
baggedmilk is in the building…
baggedmilk was knocking for the past hour…
door must have been locked…
I've got to make game predictions more often.
WIN no thanks to you Wanye
baggedmilk wrote:
Oh shhhh quiet. Go here
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/showbiz/xs/106764/Amy-Winehouse-topless.html
Jonathan Willis wrote:
But did you predict the site going down?? DID YOU??
(starts crying and wets pants)
God bless Ales Hemsky.
Good game Oilers. Lets see 30 more of those
Top line shat.
Above expectation effort by the 4th.
Great games from Cogs & Pou!! Who knew that Pou just needed to be deployed in an offensive role?!
So lemme guess, on boxing day the first line is Pouliot between Stortini and Strudwick.
Yay they won, the two points is great and there didn't seem to be any passangers great effort boys, but I am still skeptical. Brownlie has made me a believer boys, don't believe the propaganda spouted by the organization. This team needs more tweaks and a few years before they truly challenge for the division.
I'm going to start a new bandwagon.
FIRE STAIOS! He's clearly lost his game.
@ Hockey Gods:
Don't be starting crap by agreeing with me on anything. And Jeezus H, say what you want about me but spell my name right. Jackass.