OT: Call out to ALL HF Sens Posters - Why aren't you posting as much?

[ISensFanI]

We need more comedians.

 

[BonkTastic]

I know that these boards became far more palatable after I stepped down as a mod.

... probably for a few other people, too? Haha...

 

[mat_sens]

Anyhow, I will always remember the day when one of our posters (don't recall which one) started a thread when he "hitchhiked" to Canadian Tire Centre. It's been a couple years since, but still hilarious.

 

[Caeldan]

Anyhow, I will always remember the day when one of our posters (don't recall which one) started a thread when he "hitchhiked" to Canadian Tire Centre. It's been a couple years since, but still hilarious.

I vaguely remember that...

 

[jason9090spezza]

I just lost interest in the team. Sure, I'll still cheer and follow the team, but it has gone to the point where it's obvious to anyone's eyes that the organization doesn't care about winning.

1: Lack of dedication to winning: It's simple. When a team doesn't have a winning attitude, it's hard to cheer for them.

2: Getting rid of key players: The tendency with Sens fan I see is that they would ride this "anti-@@@(players name)" train but when the player actually leaves, they cry and whine about it. Example, Alfie and Spezza.

3: Organization as a whole COMPLETELY stunted: Since there hey-days, the team and the management as a whole has completely stunted. It's like there stuck in a mud, and they don't know how to get out. 6-7 years of this so-called "rebuild" is just laughable, and this "change the coach year-by-year" tradition that's been built in this town is pathetic and embarassing.

4: Justifying and Damage-controlling: A MAJORITY of the Sens fan will try to justify/damage-control about something that is CLEARELY wrong and bad for the organization, to the point where a normal hockey fan would think they've lost their mind and sanity. I think Sens fan are one of the worst when it comes to average hockey IQ, and it's been like that since the Cup run.

5: Issues in pretty much EVERY field: One would believe that after over half a decade of rebuild, the team will show SOME signs of development...but be honest, have u seen one from this team? The team has gotten worse since they broke the core/depth players in 2009, and started talking about "rebuild". Sure, there has been additions that have been a huge plus for this team (Karlsson and Turris), but its not enough. The prospect depth isn't that strong as well...which is pretty disappointing.

I mean, there are a lot more...but I guess those are 5 main points for me.

Remember thesensforum.com (talking to those users who were posting heavy at that time)? There was some real quality discussions being talked in that forum, and IMO was the main Senators blog for a short period of time (a huge chunk of the main users left from the official Sens blog). Since I can't even find a trace of it, I'm assuming that it's already gone but that really made me realize that not only those bandwagons in the Cup run, but also the majority of the hardcore Sens fan just stopped posting or giving out opinions. Why? Because the team isn't appealing and interesting. Simple as that.

And the sad thing is, it's probably going to get worse.

 

[mat_sens]

I vaguely remember that...

Found it:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=729993&highlight=hitchhike

Definitely worth a read! Still laughing about it...5 years later. Ohh and it was Masterplan.

 

[HavlatMach9]

4: Justifying and Damage-controlling: A MAJORITY of the Sens fan will try to justify/damage-control about something that is CLEARELY wrong and bad for the organization, to the point where a normal hockey fan would think they've lost their mind and sanity. I think Sens fan are one of the worst when it comes to average hockey IQ, and it's been like that since the Cup run.

i don't think it's fair to say that

 

[mcnorth]

I was pretty frustrated early on when I started posting, it offends me when posters call out the entire board - we have this policy where you can't say poster x is an idiot... but you're allowed to say everyone here is an idiot except for me. There's some seriously arrogant people around here who turn off a lot of members. The only reason I still post is I started blocking people and it's made it much more enjoyable for me.

Maybe 'dumb newb' rants are a turn off, but I think the senior posters have a real responsibility to cultivate the quality of the posts and not act too entitled and above reproach, because we're not building any community if new people don't have a reason to engage.

 

[Six Assets]

I know that these boards became far more palatable after I stepped down as a mod.

... probably for a few other people, too? Haha...

I remember you rage quit HF for a little while

 

[DrEasy]

I was pretty frustrated early on when I started posting, it offends me when posters call out the entire board - we have this policy where you can't say poster x is an idiot... but you're allowed to say everyone here is an idiot except for me. There's some seriously arrogant people around here who turn off a lot of members. The only reason I still post is I started blocking people and it's made it much more enjoyable for me.

Maybe 'dumb newb' rants are a turn off, but I think the senior posters have a real responsibility to cultivate the quality of the posts and not act too entitled and above reproach, because we're not building any community if new people don't have a reason to engage.

OMG so much this.

 

[DrEasy]

Aww

I've noticed the comment about people ignoring stickied posts more than once (like when I mentioned the directory thread during the injury discussion)... Do a lot of people actually do this?

Which threads do you feel actually have use being stickied?

I'd unsticky the following threads: Bingo, Prospects, Around the NHL. These are threads I would read and contribute to if they were part of the regular threads.

I don't care about the other stickied threads since I won't read them anyway.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

I always ignore the stickied ones too.

Yep. Count me in as one who ignores stickies completely.

It literally has the reverse effect it's supposed to have. Unsticky the bingo thread, I say!

I want to hear more about this epic mod back in the day. Was it a 24 hour reign of terror?

 

[DrEasy]

It's going to sound weird but here it goes: I also feel like we had more participation back when we had a team full of Swedes (NHLer and prospects). We had guys like SteffeG giving us updates on Silf in the Swedish league, we had guys rooting for Rundblad etc. It may be just me, but those teams were more fun to root for than the current one.

For others it's the fact that Spezza's gone. This stuff adds up.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Yep. Count me in as one who ignores stickies completely.

It literally has the reverse effect it's supposed to have. Unsticky the bingo thread, I say!

I want to hear more about this epic mod back in the day. Was it a 24 hour reign of terror?

I have no idea why it only lasted 24 hours, maybe someone else can chime in. But then afterwards people would always playfully bust his balls about it, he got really upset and I think just eventually left instead of rolling with the punches.

 

[FuriousSenator]

Frustration and anger for me. I am just so fed up with this team. The Murray's have ruined this franchise and created a culture of losing. They took a perrenial playoff team coming off a Stanley Cup run and ran it into a perrenial bottom feeder - with no signs that things are ever going to improve.

I am so tired of watching this team lose over and over and over again - and nothing being done about it. When your GM says "We have a playoff team" when clearly EVERYONE knows it is not a playoff team, then your GM has lived past his expiration date.

Plus, I am sick of all the lies and BS. Since the offseason Murray has been promising us some kind of trade or move to help this team. Everytime he gets in front of the mic its the same BS lie. All season long we have been waiting for a move to be made and nothing.

I can't wait until this franchise rids itself of the Murrays. Only then will we have a chance at changing the losing culture they gave us, into a franchise that has the chops to win again.

Oof it's posts like this one that make me never want to post again...

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Found it:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=729993&highlight=hitchhike

Definitely worth a read! Still laughing about it...5 years later. Ohh and it was Masterplan.

Oh man, that's in my top-5 HFSens threads for sure. Thanks for digging that out!

I miss that guy.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Posters should post more. The more post's you have the more respect you get on these boards duh.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I just wanted to point out that our mods on the sens board are pretty good, helpful, and lenient. We're pretty lucky.

Every time you go on the main boards and get in a heated debate, you log back into hf,see the blue at the top right corner and cringe. And its never the thing you thought it would be. Its always something ridiculous that you're like " THAT got me infracted?!"

You shouldn't be on a message board with the feeling "i want to say something but i know it will be a back and forth and i'll get infracted so i wont".

That's a big one. I also see some mods in the main forums don't even read an entire post and get a bit ban happy. Simply saying something along the lines of "you're not getting a pile of gold for a tweener third line guy" is enough on the main boards sometimes to freak out.

Also seems to be quite a bit of privilege extended to Leaf and Habs fans on the main boards. How dare anyone say anything negative about those teams....heck, I've gotten slapped on the Sens board from (iirc) a Hab mod for critiquing their team on one of our own threads a few years ago. It's like, stick to your own board, buddy. This is a sanctuary for Sens fans, not an extension of your little Habs board.

 

[Pothier]

The quality of discussion has really taken a dip for the worst in the past 4-5 years in my opinion. Not a whole lot worth reading here anymore to be brutally honest. A lot of the key veteran posters have moved on, and such is life.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

It's going to sound weird but here it goes: I also feel like we had more participation back when we had a team full of Swedes (NHLer and prospects). We had guys like SteffeG giving us updates on Silf in the Swedish league, we had guys rooting for Rundblad etc. It may be just me, but those teams were more fun to root for than the current one.

For others it's the fact that Spezza's gone. This stuff adds up.

To me it seems the boards were just more fun when the team was successful, or at least trying to be instead of hoping to win on a budget. It's a challenge to find the humor in it these days so naturally, we complain more and cultivate a negative atmosphere.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I was pretty frustrated early on when I started posting, it offends me when posters call out the entire board - we have this policy where you can't say poster x is an idiot... but you're allowed to say everyone here is an idiot except for me. There's some seriously arrogant people around here who turn off a lot of members. The only reason I still post is I started blocking people and it's made it much more enjoyable for me.

Maybe 'dumb newb' rants are a turn off, but I think the senior posters have a real responsibility to cultivate the quality of the posts and not act too entitled and above reproach, because we're not building any community if new people don't have a reason to engage.

Yeah, I've mentioned that one a few times in the past. One thing I can't stand are posters who sound like they're sitting in an ivory tower looking down on the rest of us riff-raff, and acting like they're doing a public service by "educating" the rest of the people here on whatever. That kind of arrogance is a real turnoff.

 

[Sens Rule]

Oh man, that's in my top-5 HFSens threads for sure. Thanks for digging that out!

I miss that guy.

Holy crap. Just read that whole thread. That was epic.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Let's start a petition to bring back the likes of Pancakes, Masterplan, Papa Lazarou, DG, Golden, Redden Hogalot, Silvercup, Germz, and many of the oldies that are posting in this thread.

Is it possible to un-ban some of these guys?

 

[Bileur]

I've thought about it a little longer, and actually read through this whole thread and considered your posts.

It's funny, just a few days ago someone mentioned that I was one of the old guard and I looked up some of my first posts and was hit with a wave of nostalgia. 10+ years, wow.

Like many of you have said, it seems the boards have devolved into a hive of negativity. Personally I think this city and by extension these boards are taking on the persona of some sports reporters in this city who seem content to tear down players to generate hits on their blogs or sites (or sell papers). Some posters seem to not see the forest for the trees I guess. It's depressing around here sometimes.

You're right to a certain extent jbeck, those were the days. We were on top of the world. I mean god damn, Alfredsson, Hossa, Havlat, Neil down the right side? Chara, Redden (when he was good), Phillips (in his mid 20's), vets like de Vries, and young guys like Volchenkov and Pothier on D? Spezza, Fisher and Vermette all in their early 20's coming down the middle? Man. Amazing. Even the prospects were fun to speculate about. Guys like Kaigorodov, Mirnov, Platil, Schubert were real enigmas, boom or bust, real discussion points. Not to mention Spezza coming up.

Even further, the team wasn't only pretty dominant but it was also involved in several rivalries, the leafs the flyers etc. it was an intense time. The on-ice intensity spilled out onto the boards and I remember massive arguments with leafs posters comparing our prospects or discussing who won a fight or whether a hit was clean.

There was definitely more to talk about, more to discuss.

The quality of subject matter is only a part of the equation. Back then there were far more posters on here with real knowledge and well thought out, and well written opinions. I think nanuuq said it, as a rookie poster you felt you had to really think things through because people would call you out on ridiculous opinions or baseless comments. It felt that your reputation mattered.

I'm chuckling as I'm writing this because I sound like my father talking about old time hockey and respect on the ice but it's the truth. I remember starting out in 2004 and being borderline apologetic about starting threads asking questions I thought might be stupid.

The truth is I learned a ton about hockey by reading these boards. Hashing out different opinions and coming to respect different points of view helped me grow as a fan and as a person. I really appreciate the opportunity this board has given me to learn about hockey and discuss my team.

The truth is, back in the day, to me, the boards were more than that. I remember working on a term paper in an introduction to law class and getting some advice at 3am from more than one poster on here who I knew were lawyers (you know who you are). It might seem insignificant but that advice certainly helped me ace that class and helped solidify my interest in going to law school (I've been a lawyer for several years now). These boards literally helped shape my career.

Petersidorkewicz also hit the nail on the head. There was a hilarious sarcastic vibe on the sens board which couldn't be found anywhere else on hfboards or anywhere else on the web. It was a blast, I remember being proud to post on the sens board. I cried of laughter more times than I can remember.

I guess what I'm saying is that the sens board used to be a community.

Unfortunately, many members of that community have moved on to other boards or moved on to other things in life, getting older, getting jobs or having kids.

What's really sad is that in many cases they moved on because of overly strict and authoritarian decisions by the powers that be and that's really a tragedy. We had a great community here and it's been dismantled much like the dominant sens team of the early 2000's was dismantled. Worse, it's like the Réjean Houle job on the habs back in the 90's.

I got the invitations to other boards, and I felt like a traitor sticking around, but I guess I stuck around out of loyalty to a place that gave me so much over the years. I know the glory days are gone but I do hope the quality around here can improve.

Some of those key posters have popped up in this thread so I won't rename them but I'd give a few more shout outs : Nyquil, discostu, Preds77, PapaLazarou, Murphy, moz, MarsVolchenkov, Silvercup, Voodoo, Hossa, Bingosensfan, DG, Golden (etc) you guys were the best, I know I'm leaving out a bunch, I hope you understand it's not because you aren't on my list (mostly because it's getting late and I'm getting old).

TLDR: I miss the old posters.

 

[TheSenator]

I find there's not much to talk about. The Sens are kind of rolling along, trying to win with a low budget. They added some young players and some vets. It's all very middle of the road which doesn't leave much room for interesting discussion, IMO. If they traded the vets or boosted spending to get vet players there would be something to discuss.

I don't get anything out of critiquing the team. I think the team tries hard and seems to have improved under Cameron. They lose because they aren't that good - what can you do? For that reason, I didn't find reason to critique MacLean. While I think Cameron has them playing better, how do you diss a coach trying to win with this roster?

As for Murray, what do you expect with a $55 million payroll (last in the league). The team is outperforming it's budget. While he has not been a miracle worker, Murray has done ok. Maybe a different GM does a better job and gets them up a spot or two in the standings, so what? No one is winning with this budget.

Fantasy trade talks are boring because trades rarely happen in season and this team hasn't really shown it is going to add good players via trade.

I don't get anything out of trashing the vets. We haven't bought over the hill guys and thought they would be stars - Legwand etc are honest players but not what they used to be. Same thing with long time Sens, they are slowing down but they try.

Prospect talk is somewhat boring now too. When I was younger I loved talking prospects and had all kinds of ideas. Now I know that it's pretty much a crap shoot and don't pay much attention to the kids until they hit the NHL or are considered big time young stars (haven't had one of those in a while).

I was very into the Sens in the summer when the Spezza deal was going on etc. That was the interesting time. Not so much now. In the current NHL, decisions are made in the summer and then you just play out those choices in the regular season.
Maybe next summer will be interesting. Maybe Ryan re-signing is an indication the Sens will make moves to make the team better. I don't know.

Bottom line, this team is a bottom payroll team that has not gone with a total youth movement. It's treading water at best. A commitment to winning or re-building would be something to discuss. Right now it's like critiquing a person who brought a knife to a gun fight. Melnyk hasn't allocated the resources needed and unless you want to have endless discussions about Melnyk, there's not much to talk about.

This is how I feel.