Trade.Me
Posted On: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 | Posted By: Maxbone Follow | Comments: 5 | Views: 525
I had tickets to Sunday's Canucks/Oilers game, and I gave them away. Why?
It's not because I'm a great guy.
It's not because I was sucking up to someone or was trying to buy their love.
It wasn't because my brain is slightly damaged.
I gave them away because I've seen this movie before. A bunch of times, actually. Quite simply, I'm sick of watching re-runs.
There's something about watching a team that has no reason to try that kicks the crap out of the fun of being at a game. Sure, the Oilers have the best fans in the league. And yes, seeing the Oilers play "live" is much better than watching a game on TV. The live experience comes with perks. For example, at the last game I attended, a very cute, very drunk stranger who sat on my right side asked me to dance in the middle of the third period for absolutely no reason. The Oilers were winning, and she was bored, so she wanted to dance. There's nothing wrong with that. I can shake my ass when required.
I must confess I am sick of the suck. Are the Oilers a better team this year from last? Yep. Can we, the fans, see where management is going with this and feel somewhat reassured that the team won't be terrible forever? Sure. But none of this makes me feel better. It's a good thing I'm not the GM, because I would have went coo coo for Coco Puffs a long time ago.
It would have started with firing the coach, and bringing in someone to be a jerk to the lazy and underperforming veterans. It isn't the kids who have cost the Oilers the season. The vets, from goalie on out, have been sub-par at best. Tom Renney, as one person said on my Twitter page, is the Ned Flanders of NHL Coaches. He might be a good coach, and maybe the players like him. But so what? Losing is losing. Get mad or go home. We don't need Ned Flanders, and need Monty Burns.
And what about those vets? Why wait for the last minute to make a deal? Sure, the trade deadline is days away, and because of it, the Oilers will be able to cash in, sorta. They will get more now for a crusty old vet than they would have in, oh, let's say December. But the season is over now. In December, it wasn't. The right deal then could have moved this team forward by a leap. The rebuild has moved at a crawl more than a leap this season, and in my opinion, that sucks. Season ticket holders have a right to feel angry at management's in ability to at least compete for a playoff spot.
The off-season won't be without its charm. The Oilers will pick somewhere between 1st and 3rd at the NHL Entry Draft, and that means we'll get another Eberle in Yakupov, or a Jason Spezza-type center named Mikhal Grigorenko, or Ryan Murray, who could be the closest thing the NHL has seen to Scott Niedermayer since, ummm, Scott Niedermayer. The draft will be great, but it won't be the only good moment. There could be the buyout of Nikoali Khabibulin's contract to enjoy, for example. Or the signing of a defenseman via the UFA route. Or the trading of a lame Oiler or two (think Eric Belanger), so we never have to sit through watching them play for us ever again. This summer will feature plenty of addition thru subtraction, and it's about damn time it happens.
But for this season at least, no more Oilers tickets will be used. I'll be at home instead of at the game. At home I have a fridge full of Diet Coke; a microwave full of popcorn that doesn't cost $8 per bag, and I have my snuggly Oilers blanket. It holds so many of my tears from watching this team lose game after meaningless game.
At one point, the Oilers were so bad, they were good. Now, they're just so bad that they're bad. And bad is bad. I'd rather watch Hillary Clinton stripping or a Taylor Swift video marathon than an Oilers game at this point.
Let it all out Max! Dont hold back. Awesome.
Yes they have been that bad. I already gave away most of my remaining games. Really tired of paying royal prices for a medicore product.
I am not so sure about Kruger either...
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Commented on: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 at 1:51 am
WOW guys, okay! I will TOTALLY take your tix off your hands! I havent been to an Oilers game in three years now... in fact, I'll bet I have listened to more games on 630 CHED than you guys have attended! hehe
Not that I do not understand how you guys are feeling. We have been watching too much pointless hockey for too long. I still love it though, dont think I will ever stop... simply because, in essence, hockey is ALWAYS 'pointless', in that it will not kill me if it disappears... I just love to watch it. From Eberle's ridiculous backhands into the top right corner, to the games where Hemsky is Hemsky.
So yes, I will take your tickets, if you are giving them away, please!
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Commented on: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I've been saying for a while now I'll give some tickets away when my Twitter account has 2,000 followers. Only 480 to go...I likely would give tix to next season at this point.
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Commented on: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 at 12:57 pm
WOW guys, okay! I will TOTALLY take your tix off your hands! I havent been to an Oilers game in three years now... in fact, I'll bet I have listened to more games on 630 CHED than you guys have attended! hehe
Not that I do not understand how you guys are feeling. We have been watching too much pointless hockey for too long. I still love it though, dont think I will ever stop... simply because, in essence, hockey is ALWAYS 'pointless', in that it will not kill me if it disappears... I just love to watch it. From Eberle's ridiculous backhands into the top right corner, to the games where Hemsky is Hemsky.
So yes, I will take your tickets, if you are giving them away, please!
"WOW guys, okay! I will TOTALLY take your tix off your hands! I havent been to an Oilers game in three years now... in fact, I'll bet I have listened to more games on 630 CHED than you guys have attended! hehe
Friesenhan, for listening to as many Oiler games as you claimed, you definitely deserve some Oilers tickets! Jack Michaels is awful! Anyone that can listen to him drone on game after game deserves something special!
Well said Richard.. I especially like the part of the "person on twitter" who compared Renney to Flanders.. I wonder who that might have been?
Keep up the great work!
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Commented on: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I haven't gone to a game this year. Not too sure if I went to one last year, if I did it wasn't memorable. Something about rushing for a parking spot and being pissed off with bumping shoulder to shoulder while I try and find my seat isn't anything that I need to remember.
However, if a free ticket is being waved I'll go through all the pain of getting to my seat to watch a live game.
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Commented on: Sunday 19th Feb, 2012 at 6:14 pm