Confirmed with Link: Celebrate!! Celebrini signed ELC 3 years x $975k ($4.475m AAV with bonuses)

[Barrie22]

the sharks have been incredibly difficult to watch for at least 6 years now........

We have been difficult to watch since before the 1 cup finals and 2 conference finals stretch ended?

 

[TheBeard]

You do you, but you're still judging people for their post count. How do you know who was still engaged, or a better/worse fan, just because you couldn't see them posting on HFB? Seems unnecessary and a smidge insulting to me.

I couldn't care less about post count. I'm embarrassed by how much I post here. He was also the one that said he was checked out so i'm assuming they weren't engaged based on their own words. Again, I don't blame em as others have said. It's also pretty standard for every fan base to have people check out when things don't look so rosy. Nothing wrong with it. I don't think I met a single Chiefs fan prior to 2019.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

I think that no matter the weather that you fair and beautiful-looking fans may find yourselves in right now, I myself am sitting here drinking this scrumptious ice-cold glass of teal Kool-Aid muttering to myself
"Playoffs 2024 baby, playoffs 2024 baby, woooooo go Sharks."

 

[Star Platinum]

I hope you don't deal with relationships the same way.

To each their own. I don't believe in the concept of "real vs fake" fan.

The difference with relationships would be that if my romantic partner was sleeping with someone else, I wouldn't wait around for her to come to her senses and come back to me. I'd ditch her and find a new partner that wanted to be with me.

With sports teams, my philosophy that I decided on at a young age was that I root for the local squad. In the cases where there have been two local squads in the same sport, I picked one and for whatever reason, I picked the San Francisco teams over the Oakland teams (even though the Raiders used to have their summer camps in my hometown and I never disliked them. I just chose to put my passion into the other team). But when I feel like my team is being mismanaged or putting profitability ahead of trying to be good, I don't ditch them and go looking for a new better team to associate with. I just wait for them to get someone in charge who knows what they're doing and gives me faith that they're really putting forth their best faith effort to try to win, even if that day is years off in the future as it will be with the Sharks.

As I've aged, I've come around to the feeling that sports is really just another entertainment option that is competing for your time, especially considering how expensive it's become to attend games in person across all sports. If it's fun for people to put their time and energy into rooting for a team that's putting forth a subpar roster for the express purpose of getting the highest draft pick possible, I say more power to those people. I would never presume to tell people how to spend their time and passion. And I 100% support what the Sharks did to get the #1 pick. It needed to be done. But that doesn't mean I needed to ride and die with the team during that process.

I think rooting for a team on the way up, even if they're at the very beginning of that process, is in some ways more fun than rooting for a perennial winner. The problem with rooting for a perennial winner, especially in sports where the regular season is so long is that the regular season games start to lose meaning - you're just waiting for the playoffs to start and the regular season success that was so fun on the way up is now expected and not as satisfying.

 

[TheBeard]

I think that no matter the weather that you fair and beautiful-looking fans may find yourselves in right now, I myself am sitting here drinking this scrumptious ice-cold glass of teal Kool-Aid muttering to myself
"Playoffs 2024 baby, playoffs 2024 baby, woooooo go Sharks."

There is, however, a big difference between fair weather and mentally unstable.

I think rooting for a team on the way up, even if they're at the very beginning of that process, is in some ways more fun than rooting for a perennial winner. The problem with rooting for a perennial winner, especially in sports where the regular season is so long is that the regular season games start to lose meaning - you're just waiting for the playoffs to start and the regular season success that was so fun on the way up is now expected and not as satisfying.

I think you're very much mimicking my sentiments. I do think it's also important to grasp (not you, just in general) the concept of watching a loser team and appreciating that sports can still be enjoyable even with a bad team to root for. The lack of pressure and the acceptance that eventually sunny days will be ahead so don't take it so seriously now. I'll reiterate my mention of the Knights and their fans. They're going to be absolutely awful to deal with when the bottom falls out because they have absolutely no concept of how to enjoy hockey without their team being a major contender.

 

[Star Platinum]

I personally have no issue with fair-weather fan as everyone is allowed to root and cheer the way they want to.

For me personally though, I'd rather celebrate the high times with the people who I commiserated the low times with. Otherwise I'd just be a hypocrite the way I continually call out the Vegas fanbase.

I definitely agree with you that winning feels sweetest when you were around for the losing end of it. And in my case, every team I ever rooted for has at some point in my fandom not only been a losing team, but the worst team in that sport and for all of those teams, they were my team when they were that bad. And the feeling of that first title after your franchise has been wandering in the desert for not just years, but decades is the sweetest feeling there is as a sports fan.

The Sharks are my last demon to slay.

 

[Star Platinum]

I couldn't care less about post count. I'm embarrassed by how much I post here. He was also the one that said he was checked out so i'm assuming they weren't engaged based on their own words. Again, I don't blame em as others have said. It's also pretty standard for every fan base to have people check out when things don't look so rosy. Nothing wrong with it. I don't think I met a single Chiefs fan prior to 2019.

Taylor Swift was riding or dying with the 2012 Chiefs and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise...

 

[TheBeard]

Well, if AI says it, it must be true.

But seriously, this is absolutely a fair weather era for the Sharks. Just because we won't be winning a ton of games doesn't mean that isn't the case; this is the most exciting and fun time to be a Sharks fan since... maybe 2010? I'm dead serious.

Again, because it doesn't seem like I'm being clear enough, I have zero problem with people who only follow the team in good times. I have no problem with people taking a break from the team if it's not bringing them joy. I welcome them back into the fold warmly and I don't think that makes them fake fans or anything like that. We need both new and returning fans in addition to the die-hards if we're to return Sharks hockey to greatness.

But the folks who suffered through the last three seasons of nonsense? Yeah, I think that there is a separator between us and the ones that didn't. Not a superior/inferior split or anything stupid like that, but the feeling of being 'rewarded' for sticking it through makes it all that much sweeter.

Not Hodge though.

Taylor Swift was riding or dying with the 2012 Chiefs and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise...

Now you're just trying to bait me,

 

[sharski]

if a sharks fan can make it through last season, you can make it through any season... it was quite the doozy

 

[one2gamble]

We have been difficult to watch since before the 1 cup finals and 2 conference finals stretch ended?

Ok, 5 years,, they played mind numbingly boring hockey

 

[Star Platinum]

This is all fine, but the conversation started when you responded to Star's post by saying "I hope you don't deal with relationships the same way."

That's hard to interpret as anything other than an insult, as is calling someone "fair weather fan."

It may not have been meant as an insult, but most people will take it as one. I think the best move here is for everyone to agree that calling someone fair weather is unnecessary, and judging them for avoiding the hopeless times is unnecessary, and move on from there trying not to do those two things to each other.

FWIW, I don't mind what @TheBeard said at all. Plus, this is just a sports board.

 

[Star Platinum]

Well, if AI says it, it must be true.

But seriously, this is absolutely a fair weather era for the Sharks. Just because we won't be winning a ton of games doesn't mean that isn't the case; this is the most exciting and fun time to be a Sharks fan since... maybe 2010? I'm dead serious.

Again, because it doesn't seem like I'm being clear enough, I have zero problem with people who only follow the team in good times. I have no problem with people taking a break from the team if it's not bringing them joy. I welcome them back into the fold warmly and I don't think that makes them fake fans or anything like that. We need both new and returning fans in addition to the die-hards if we're to return Sharks hockey to greatness.

But the folks who suffered through the last three seasons of nonsense? Yeah, I think that there is a separator between us and the ones that didn't. Not a superior/inferior split or anything stupid like that, but the feeling of being 'rewarded' for sticking it through makes it all that much sweeter.

I almost wanted to kick my own ass when AI came to my defense. I felt dirty.

But inasmuch as I agree that this is a pretty exciting time to be a Sharks fan, that 2016 Cup run was pretty exciting (though I didn't have a lot of hope we were gonna win that final). It sure washed away a lot of past conference playoff frustrations.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I almost wanted to kick my own ass when AI came to my defense. I felt dirty.

But inasmuch as I agree that this is a pretty exciting time to be a Sharks fan, that 2016 Cup run was pretty exciting (though I didn't have a lot of hope we were gonna win that final). It sure washed away a lot of past conference playoff frustrations.

I loved 2016. That was the most exciting time for me as a fan. I was able to visit family in Atlanta during the playoff run and road tripped with my mother to see them play in Nashville and in St. Louis including some front row splurging in St. Louis. It was a great time. Went to game 6 in the Finals too just in case it was their only time there even with the awful result and cost associated with it. What we have now is very similar to how it felt in 2006 when we traded for Jumbo. That team was obviously much better as a foundation than what we have now currently but they have something that looks like a future foundation that they haven't ever really had to this extent since both Marleau and Thornton were prime-aged players when they made that deal. Celebrini made last season worth every bit of frustration that came with playing guys like Hoffman and Labanc on the regular.

 

[Munnyro]

I don't see it as gatekeeping at all. I don't see anyone here defining anyone as being a better or worse fan. I just see it as the experience does change. For example (and it's a dumb analogy), if two people come from nothing and make something of. themselves I think they'll have a different perspective, a different appreciation for what they went through to get to where they are than two people who were born already in a good situation. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that upbringing (for lack of better word) either. It'll be nice when we're good to be able to sit around and laugh at how awful we were in those two back to back ten goal games rather than being "oh shit, that happened? Yeah we must have sucked back then".

I was being a bit tongue and cheek here (I also learned it is tongue IN cheek :O ). Adding an AI description so I don't feel left out.

 

[timorous me]

I think they've got a plan going forward and I think even in the unlikely event that Celebrini doesn't pan out (the only way I could really see that happening is if injuries became an issue), they are replenishing the dearth of talent issue in their talent pool that was killing them in the late Doug Wilson era.

The thing that makes me put down really following a team for a while is when I feel they're not really trying and they're just going through the motions of competing to fool a fanbase into buying tickets. That's the attitude I have with the Giants right now which is why I don't follow them at all and can't wait for Zaidi to get the boot. Even when they had that one lucky year and won the division, my attitude was "Well this is nice, but it's only gonna matter if there's young guys coming up behind to replace all these overachieving short-term vets."

Life's just too short to put a lot of time into a team that's going nowhere. I want to enjoy myself when I watch sports, not feel like it's a chore where I'm just toughing it out to win some imaginary "Real Fan" trophy that nobody cares about.

The interesting thing here is that the Sharks--after Grier came in--did what the Giants haven't (tearing things down), and that's the reason we have hope for the Sharks and the Giants are sort of perpetually sputtering in mediocrity.

I'd say the anger toward Zaidi is misguided because I sense it's a bigger organizational philosophy to try to rebuild (refresh, in Doug Wilson terminology) without bottoming out. You can only do so much with first round picks in the 13/14 range (some years lower). This strategy did enable the Giants to have that amazing 2021 season, but that only pushed the cart further down the road because that season wasn't sustainable because the best players were near the end. You could probably say it was comparable to the Sharks' WCF run in 2019.

The Sharks had that same organizational philosophy until it really turned sour for them and DW departed and Grier convinced Plattner that things needed to change. It was a painful process, and some fans were lost during it, but we saw what good half-measures would do. With the Giants, I don't know what they do at this point because they're fully committed to this process. I guess build the best pitching rotation they can on the backs of homegrown guys like Webb and hopefully Harrison and Birdsong (and a stud free agent mixed in) and hope like hell that Eldridge pans out and some others outperform draft projections and such.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I almost wanted to kick my own ass when AI came to my defense. I felt dirty.

But inasmuch as I agree that this is a pretty exciting time to be a Sharks fan, that 2016 Cup run was pretty exciting (though I didn't have a lot of hope we were gonna win that final). It sure washed away a lot of past conference playoff frustrations.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the 2016 and will never forget the feeling of when they clinched the WCF. I remember exactly where I was, the chills, how loud I shouted. But everything post-2014 was a little tainted by the DW vs. Jumbo nonsense, so the excitement wasn't as "pure", maybe? I dunno, there was a little bittersweetness associated with the team in that era.

Right now is pure, unadulterated, fresh, brilliant joy for me. I've wanted the Sharks to rebuild basically ever since the 2014 offseason, so to me, seeing what has been to this point an extremely well-executed tear-down and rebuild is what dreams are made of.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Don't get me wrong, I loved the 2016 and will never forget the feeling of when they clinched the WCF. I remember exactly where I was, the chills, how loud I shouted. But everything post-2014 was a little tainted by the DW vs. Jumbo nonsense, so the excitement wasn't as "pure", maybe? I dunno, there was a little bittersweetness associated with the team in that era.

Right now is pure, unadulterated, fresh, brilliant joy for me. I've wanted the Sharks to rebuild basically ever since the 2014 offseason, so to me, seeing what has been to this point an extremely well-executed tear-down and rebuild is what dreams are made of.

There was certainly some jaded feelings at the time stemming from the reverse sweep but I was able to put it to the side because the players put the work in. I can understand feeling a little more fresh about where we're at now compared to then but I just can't help myself when that sort of success came to the team that didn't have it at that point.

 

[Star Platinum]

The interesting thing here is that the Sharks--after Grier came in--did what the Giants haven't (tearing things down), and that's the reason we have hope for the Sharks and the Giants are sort of perpetually sputtering in mediocrity.

I'd say the anger toward Zaidi is misguided because I sense it's a bigger organizational philosophy to try to rebuild (refresh, in Doug Wilson terminology) without bottoming out. You can only do so much with first round picks in the 13/14 range (some years lower). This strategy did enable the Giants to have that amazing 2021 season, but that only pushed the cart further down the road because that season wasn't sustainable because the best players were near the end. You could probably say it was comparable to the Sharks' WCF run in 2019.

The Sharks had that same organizational philosophy until it really turned sour for them and DW departed and Grier convinced Plattner that things needed to change. It was a painful process, and some fans were lost during it, but we saw what good half-measures would do. With the Giants, I don't know what they do at this point because they're fully committed to this process. I guess build the best pitching rotation they can on the backs of homegrown guys like Webb and hopefully Harrison and Birdsong (and a stud free agent mixed in) and hope like hell that Eldridge pans out and some others outperform draft projections and such.

Baseball is weird. It's almost the opposite of hockey, where the large majority of the players who make it to the big league were drafted in the first round with a scattering of guys from the other rounds who beat the odds. In baseball, you'll get guys who were drafted in something like the 37th round who end up being good players while the bust rate of high first round picks is probably higher in baseball than maybe any other major sport. The teams that tend to do best at building strong minor league systems tend to put a lot of resources into scouting and development and not all teams make that same commitment.

I just have zero faith that Zaidi knows how to do that and the results bear it out.

 

[TheBeard]

I was being a bit tongue and cheek here (I also learned it is tongue IN cheek :O ). Adding an AI description so I don't feel left out.

View attachment 907592

lol I originally wrote it tongue n cheek but it autocorrected.

 

[TheBeard]

There was certainly some jaded feelings at the time stemming from the reverse sweep but I was able to put it to the side because the players put the work in. I can understand feeling a little more fresh about where we're at now compared to then but I just can't help myself when that sort of success came to the team that didn't have it at that point.

For me there were two moments that made it easier to accept the inevitable slaughter in the finals. 1) they got revenge for the reverse sweep and 2) they made their first final. Pitts was such a buzzsaw that postseason that I’d already just accepted those two things as the definitive aspects of that run.

 

[Tw1ster]

the sharks have been incredibly difficult to watch for at least 6 years now........

And it’s gonna make it that much sweeter when they start winning again!

 

[timorous me]

And it’s gonna make it that much sweeter when they start winning again!

Also, let's not forget that six years ago they were just starting a season that, while far from perfect, ended up being simultaneously magical and frustrating.

Let's call it five years, although that does diminish our pain tolerance and self-worth.

 

[coooldude]

There was certainly some jaded feelings at the time stemming from the reverse sweep but I was able to put it to the side because the players put the work in. I can understand feeling a little more fresh about where we're at now compared to then but I just can't help myself when that sort of success came to the team that didn't have it at that point.

2016 felt like a breath of fresh air. Everything was bouncing our way after years of feeling snakebitten and all the aforementioned negativity. We scored early in so many playoff games. As you said, it was grindy but skilled and it finally was working. The bottom 6 was not only contributing but actually dominating at times (through the West anyway). After so many years of hoping they could close teams out, they actually did it. We felt like the team of destiny and it was cleansing.

I went to every home playoff game in 2016 because it felt like it might never happen again. Cost be damned, I flew home every time. And I don't regret a second of it. Even watching Sid skate the cup around the tank. It felt like we very likely wouldn't get that close again with that iteration and the cup was so damned shiny.

Even 2019 didn't feel as special at all for me. I never really believed, even after the miracle comeback. And once we lost in the WCF I knew we'd seen the dead cat bounce and it was over from there. Then just the three painful years of no hope and no direction and waiting.

This is an exciting time as a fan for me, but nowhere near as exciting as 2006-2014, or 2016. There is hope but we also have to buckle up for all the pain of actually seeing this team turn into a mediocre one, starting to doubt our great hopes, watching beloved prospects fail, etc. We aren't out of the woods yet but at least we have a direction, and a really promising one at that.

 

[Alaskanice]

Every October is exciting for me. A new season of Sharks hockey. There is nothing that compares.

 

[TheBeard]

Every October is exciting for me. A new season of Sharks hockey. There is nothing that compares.

For me the end of game 82 compares because that means I didn’t have to watch another sharks game for a few months.