OT: Most Stressed Fan Base

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

A team that has had the best player on the planet for 6 years with only 1 playoff series win to show for it in that time? Hmm.

 

[GOilers88]

Thanks everyone for their concerns. The stress doesn’t equate to real life stress for me. And I can assure you all blood pressure tests come back great (even during hockey season).

I’m just pointing out the current situation leaves fans to be concerned. If that would equate to stress by a robot analyzing tweets I can understand it as the pressure is mounting on this organization to have a run.

Yeah sorry. Just the idea that fans are "stressed" over a team is maybe the wrong way to have worded it then. But some people do get way too deep that it can be unhealthy. I guess being an Oiler fan is just unhealthy by nature

 

[NeverForget06]

I think sports related instagram pages are mostly run by 12 years olds trying to get some clicks for fun/ troll people

 

[Oilslick941611]

I believe it, This board is a fantastic example of it.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I think it's understandable.

We got a lot of posters who like to analyse what went wrong and vent their frustrations. It's a normal thing as fans, some of us are competitive (moreso than others) and hate to lose no matter what. LOL

I totally get it.

The extent that it gets to during the season is absolutely not normal.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

The extent that it gets to during the season is absolutely not normal.

Analysing and venting after a loss isn't normal here??

I'm speaking from my perspective. Seems pretty normal with my time here on HFOil.

 

[Oilhawks]

Analysing and venting after a loss isn't normal here??

I'm speaking from my perspective. Seems pretty normal with my time here on HFOil.

Oh it’s ‘normal’

 

[MettleMcOiler]

Analysing and venting after a loss isn't normal here??

I'm speaking from my perspective. Seems pretty normal with my time here on HFOil.

It's called desensitization. Oiler fans has lots of PTSD after the decade of darkness. Takes a lifetime to earn trust and a second to lose it. Oilers fans definitely need some healing, and just want to finally see some success after the botch jobs of previous managements. I just hope some fans can let go some of that baggage when we start to see some long playoff runs and, God willing, a Stanley cup.
Fans can't have it both ways, you can't be grumpy and stressed out if your winning.

Learning to enjoy success is just as important as critiquing failures to grow from.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

It's called desensitization. Oiler fans has lots of PTSD after the decade of darkness. Takes a lifetime to earn trust and a second to lose it. Oilers fans definitely need some healing, and just want to finally see some success after the botch jobs of previous managements. I just hope some fans can let go some of that baggage when we start to see some long playoff runs and, God willing, a Stanley cup.
Fans can't have it both ways, you can't be grumpy and stressed out if your winning.

Learning to enjoy success is just as important as critiquing failures to grow from.

Oiler fans in general or HFOil, cause I'm only talking in context to the people on this site in particular. Again, I don't really venture into other Oiler communities on social media to gauge what their stress level is at. So who knows what other fans consider to be 'normal'..

 

[MettleMcOiler]

Oiler fans in general or HFOil, cause I'm only talking in context to the people on this site in particular. Again, I don't really venture into other Oiler communities on social media to gauge what their stress level is at. So who knows what other fans consider to be 'normal'..

I haven't ventured into oilers Twitter, but it's reputation precedes itself. But taking that into account and this forum,
I think Oiler fans in general. I think overall all of us just want to make sure our team and our best players are happy and want to see lots of success for them.
I think oiler fans have a abandonment/rejection trauma with a history of not being a selective spot for star players. So, I kinda get it, we just want the best for our players and we get stressed out when things our not going well and are worried we will lose the players that want to stay here if we don't see success.

Edit: Things are getting better though, and we definitely need to count our blessings as fans with what we do have. We are lucky to have such a talented core to cheer for the next decade.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Oh it’s ‘normal’

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

I haven't ventured into oilers Twitter, but it's reputation precedes itself. But taking that into account and this forum,
I think Oiler fans in general. I think overall all of us just want to make sure our team and our best players are happy and want to see lots of success for them.
I think oiler fans have a abandonment/rejection trauma with a history of not being a selective spot for star players. So, I kinda get it, we just want the best for our players and we get stressed out when things our not going well and are worried we will lose the players that want to stay here if we don't see success.

Edit: Things are getting better though, and we definitely need to count our blessings as fans with what we do have. We are lucky to have such a talented core to cheer for the next decade.

Easier said than done, but people just need to chill out a bit.

I've checked the mains, the gap is a lot closer than everyone thinks. 5% separates the 1st ranked and the 21st ranked.

 

[Broberg Speed]

The most stressed fan base or the most pissed off and fed up with the NHL fan base?

 

[MettleMcOiler]

The most stressed fan base or the most pissed off and fed up with the NHL fan base?

Stress leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to...suffering...

 

[oilers'72]

I grew up with the Oilers from the start (hence the name oilers'72 and not '79). The early years were just cheering on the team and yelling at the opposition. Then Gretzky came along. Lost the Avco Cup in 1979 and then a few years of exciting, albeit learning curve, hockey. Tough loss to LA in '82 then going to the Cup in '83. Got PO'd at the 2 teams we lost to rather than the Oil. Then the glory years of '84-'90, albeit with the bullet in their foot loss to Calgary and Gretzky returning the favour of being traded in '89.

Thus began the decades of darkness (not just a decade). Some good players but pathetic drafting dragged the team down. Fans that used to get excited over a SC now became excited just to make the playoffs and maybe win a round.

2006 came along and a 7th game loss to the Canes (still PO'd at them). No playoffs for 10 seasons. Some players got drafted that we thought would lead the team to the promised land but never came close. Then McDavid and Draisaitl came along. A cornerstone.

What's the difference from the 1980s Oilers and the 2010/20s Oilers? In 1980 the optimism was very high helped with being added to the NHL. The only stress was in a close game and, if they lost, well, there was always the next game. Success would eventually come.

Today, there's the gloominess over so many years of no silverware and of high expectations that fizzled out. Fans lost patience and have dragged that into the present, looking more at management, drafts, trades, player comparisons (not only of skill but of money). Optimism then is desperation now. Fans believe if the product on the ice isn't to their own personal liking, the whole thing will come crashing down like a house of cards. Talent will just walk away like mercenaries. That's the stress we see today.

Of course, when I say "fans", I don't mean all fans. There are those who look at the long term and know it's a process. Not a race to be the next "one and done" franchise.

 

[Oilhawks]

I grew up with the Oilers from the start (hence the name oilers'72 and not '79). The early years were just cheering on the team and yelling at the opposition. Then Gretzky came along. Lost the Avco Cup in 1979 and then a few years of exciting, albeit learning curve, hockey. Tough loss to LA in '82 then going to the Cup in '83. Got PO'd at the 2 teams we lost to rather than the Oil. Then the glory years of '84-'90, albeit with the bullet in their foot loss to Calgary and Gretzky returning the favour of being traded in '89.

Thus began the decades of darkness (not just a decade). Some good players but pathetic drafting dragged the team down. Fans that used to get excited over a SC now became excited just to make the playoffs and maybe win a round.

2006 came along and a 7th game loss to the Canes (still PO'd at them). No playoffs for 10 seasons. Some players got drafted that we thought would lead the team to the promised land but never came close. Then McDavid and Draisaitl came along. A cornerstone.

What's the difference from the 1980s Oilers and the 2010/20s Oilers? In 1980 the optimism was very high helped with being added to the NHL. The only stress was in a close game and, if they lost, well, there was always the next game. Success would eventually come.

Today, there's the gloominess over so many years of no silverware and of high expectations that fizzled out. Fans lost patience and have dragged that into the present, looking more at management, drafts, trades, player comparisons (not only of skill but of money). Optimism then is desperation now. Fans believe if the product on the ice isn't to their own personal liking, the whole thing will come crashing down like a house of cards. Talent will just walk away like mercenaries. That's the stress we see today.

Of course, when I say "fans", I don't mean all fans. There are those who look at the long term and know it's a process. Not a race to be the next "one and done" franchise.

Great post, thank you!

 

[tardigrade81]

It is true. A lot of you stress pretty hard. Need to be more like me and chill. Do what you gotta do. Smoke weed, have a drink, pet your dog. Life is good man! I mean…. It wasn’t great after the sweep against Winnipeg, but regardless.

All my teams suck. Guess I’m just used to it lol. If I wait for the Colts to win another SB or Sens or Oilers to win a cup…. That’s a lot of stress lmao.

 

[russ99]

I definitely have a love-hate relationship with my fellow Oilers fans.

Some of us hold onto certain concepts as philosophical lines in the sand and constantly flip out when we should be enjoying two of the best players in the league in their primes and a team with a better veteran corps than since the last time we had one in 2005 giving us a better chance to progress in the postseason.

When you give up on the ideal that decades of suffering and mismanagement somehow owes our fans a Stanley Cup then things seem a lot less stressful. Cups are earned, and never expected. I'd like to think this team has a chance to earn one in the next 4 years, and if we don't I'll still enjoy seeing them try as a top 10 team in the league.

Maybe most annoying fans to their own fanbase rather than most stressed.

 

[bone]

The one thing I will say though, is that it has been very refreshing to have a team that during the regular season you can relax a bit and still be confident they are on the right track. Over the last 2 years the team really has had only two bad stretches of hockey (late November-December 2019 and January 2021). Makes the losses easier to brush off, when you're confident it won't likely turn into 3+ games.

The playoffs have been another story altogether though, but even then the team generally played well but were outdueled in the net or killed by bounces. 2020-our goaltending and tip shots were the difference, 2021 Hellebuyck was the difference.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I grew up with the Oilers from the start (hence the name oilers'72 and not '79). The early years were just cheering on the team and yelling at the opposition. Then Gretzky came along. Lost the Avco Cup in 1979 and then a few years of exciting, albeit learning curve, hockey. Tough loss to LA in '82 then going to the Cup in '83. Got PO'd at the 2 teams we lost to rather than the Oil. Then the glory years of '84-'90, albeit with the bullet in their foot loss to Calgary and Gretzky returning the favour of being traded in '89.

Thus began the decades of darkness (not just a decade). Some good players but pathetic drafting dragged the team down. Fans that used to get excited over a SC now became excited just to make the playoffs and maybe win a round.

2006 came along and a 7th game loss to the Canes (still PO'd at them). No playoffs for 10 seasons. Some players got drafted that we thought would lead the team to the promised land but never came close. Then McDavid and Draisaitl came along. A cornerstone.

What's the difference from the 1980s Oilers and the 2010/20s Oilers? In 1980 the optimism was very high helped with being added to the NHL. The only stress was in a close game and, if they lost, well, there was always the next game. Success would eventually come.

Today, there's the gloominess over so many years of no silverware and of high expectations that fizzled out. Fans lost patience and have dragged that into the present, looking more at management, drafts, trades, player comparisons (not only of skill but of money). Optimism then is desperation now. Fans believe if the product on the ice isn't to their own personal liking, the whole thing will come crashing down like a house of cards. Talent will just walk away like mercenaries. That's the stress we see today.

Of course, when I say "fans", I don't mean all fans. There are those who look at the long term and know it's a process. Not a race to be the next "one and done" franchise.

Nice post, grew up with the Oilers starting in 72 as well. Went to the WHA games. Hudsons Bay 3 buck ticket club.

The difference isn't just with the Oilers, or Oilers fans. All Canadian teams have struggled. No cups since 93. What changed the NHL for Edmonton, and all small market teams is salary disclosure. At that point highest bidding was always going to attract players. Add to that differential tax bases, climate, amenity etc and star players don't often sign up in the Canadian markets. Remember that allstars like Kent Nilson, Ken Linseman quit their clubs just to be able to play for the Oilers. Several others too that just wanted to be here with an elite group and that helped to get that elite group over the top.

In contrast the only player of similar ilk that wanted to play here recently was Barrie. There just doesn't seem to be the same draw to playing with star players, or in Canada at all for that matter anymore.

Another dynamic that changed is that hockey went from working class players and market, and Rocket Richard being a home province religious figure to upper class game where players from very affluent backgrounds grow up and want it all, and find Canada lacking. A guy like the rocket WANTED to be in Quebec. This continued with the other Habs stars Beliveau, Lafleur, etc. That wanting to play in your hometown or province doesn't exist anymore and due to social media also makes it a dangerous fish bowl to do so. Oilers fans back in the day were every bit as negative and hard on Coffey, Fuhr, Messier on occasion and all were given the gears at games. There just wasn't 24hr internet slagging the players all day.

In anycase the prospects of Canadian clubs being bleak is shared and cumulative. Habs were thrown a big bone last playoffs but in an uncharacteristic run.

 

[oilers'72]

Nice post, grew up with the Oilers starting in 72 as well. Went to the WHA games. Hudsons Bay 3 buck ticket club.

The difference isn't just with the Oilers, or Oilers fans. All Canadian teams have struggled. No cups since 93. What changed the NHL for Edmonton, and all small market teams is salary disclosure. At that point highest bidding was always going to attract players. Add to that differential tax bases, climate, amenity etc and star players don't often sign up in the Canadian markets. Remember that allstars like Kent Nilson, Ken Linseman quit their clubs just to be able to play for the Oilers. Several others too that just wanted to be here with an elite group and that helped to get that elite group over the top.

In contrast the only player of similar ilk that wanted to play here recently was Barrie. There just doesn't seem to be the same draw to playing with star players, or in Canada at all for that matter anymore.

Another dynamic that changed is that hockey went from working class players and market, and Rocket Richard being a home province religious figure to upper class game where players from very affluent backgrounds grow up and want it all, and find Canada lacking. A guy like the rocket WANTED to be in Quebec. This continued with the other Habs stars Beliveau, Lafleur, etc. That wanting to play in your hometown or province doesn't exist anymore and due to social media also makes it a dangerous fish bowl to do so. Oilers fans back in the day were every bit as negative and hard on Coffey, Fuhr, Messier on occasion and all were given the gears at games. There just wasn't 24hr internet slagging the players all day.

In anycase the prospects of Canadian clubs being bleak is shared and cumulative. Habs were thrown a big bone last playoffs but in an uncharacteristic run.

I passed off the player hate back then as those from other fan bases that happened to live in Edmonton and area. Listening to John Short later that evening there was idjit who made some comment about not winning the game right.

 

[craiger17]

I’d say so as well former players have left pretty sour. Then there’s people harassing Mcdavid in a restaurant a few years ago. Then the recent fiasco with people going after bear on Twitter (haha as mentioned Oilers Twitter is ugly). There’s a small group that needs to grow up and not breath down players necks while be poison online. It’s just a game, enjoy it, chill out and celebrate when we have success.

 

[VainGretzky]

So we must be the most passionate fan base as well because these two factors go hand in hand when it comes to sports fans

 

[snag]

The fact that the Kraken aren't last proves this is bullshit lol

 

[MettleMcOiler]

The fact that the Kraken aren't last proves this is bullshit lol

Why wouldn't they be stressed somewhat though?
Brand new team to the league, Will they live up to the expectations that Las Vegas set as a expansion team? How are they going to perform during the season?
It's all new to them. Excitment level will be sky high for them and so a some stress is warranted.