Opinion article "Kings Fans Should Be More Gracious"

[Ron*]

You may discount them, but many don't.

I'm not going to go searching for examples when anyone can find them on their own very easily. Fans of all teams are guilty.

When I said I am discounting social media in this discussion, I meant completely.

The remainder of my post was about experiencing first hand this type of behavior. As you said, you "see it all the time." What I was asking for was specific examples of what YOU have seen at Staples, not useless social media rants by immature punks that in the big picture doesn't mean ****.

I would also discount rants by drunks. Give me something concrete that you have witnessed personally...one sober fan telling another sober fan that his allegiance doesn't mean **** because sober fan no. 1 has been a fan since 2005, and sober fan no. 2 has been a fan since only 2007. (That's a crude example, of course. Just tell me something anecdotal that you have seen.)

Now, to the bigger picture of "graciousness." If you are saying that one fan might be calling another fan a "dumb-****" for not knowing the offsides rule, rather than patiently explaining to such a new fan how it works, I get that you might have seen this (or something similar to this). I still haven't seen it.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

When I said I am discounting social media in this discussion, I meant completely.

The remainder of my post was about experiencing first hand this type of behavior. As you said, you "see it all the time." What I was asking for was specific examples of what YOU have seen at Staples, not useless social media rants by immature punks that in the big picture doesn't mean ****.

I would also discount rants by drunks. Give me something concrete that you have witnessed personally...one sober fan telling another sober fan that his allegiance doesn't mean **** because sober fan no. 1 has been a fan since 2005, and sober fan no. 2 has been a fan since only 2007. (That's a crude example, of course. Just tell me something anecdotal that you have seen.)

Now, to the bigger picture of "graciousness." If you are saying that one fan might be calling another fan a "dumb-****" for not knowing the offsides rule, rather than patiently explaining to such a new fan how it works, I get that you might have seen this (or something similar to this). I still haven't seen it.

You expect me to have documented such incidents while walking the concourse? Really?

I would also discount drunks...

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I ranted a bit in the free agent thread regarding the fanbase and got dumped on, so it's no surprise the same is happening here.

The fanbase is different. Success changes people. Even this board has a vastly different tone than it did in 2007 when I first began lurking HF.

I don't know. People like Ron seem to feel they have to defend the honor of the team/fanbase when it's really not that big of a deal. Shocking news, success makes fans pompous and draws in bandwagoners.

 

[Basilisk]

Some truth here. I remember when Gretzky came we all thought.......

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!!! I HATED Gretzky!

When Gretzky came, and all those trades happened in a mad dash attempt to purchase a winning team around Gretzky, when 1st round picks and 20-year-olds were being exchanged for 33-year-olds, I kept telling myself "If we don't win the Cup, we're gunna suck for at least a dozen years after Gretzky leaves"...... And we did. Cups are earned with a culture, not bought with cash. Unless you count the '94 Rangers and the stupid Duck Cup......

 

[Ron*]

You expect me to have documented such incidents while walking the concourse? Really?

I would also discount drunks...

I never said "documented." You said you "see it all the time." You see it all the time but can't tell us what you've seen? Really? Not even one example?

I'd get your memory checked out if I were you.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

I never said "documented." You said you "see it all the time." You see it all the time but can't tell us what you've seen? Really? Not even one example?

I'd get your memory checked out if I were you.

I thought you wanted more specific details.

I've seen incidents of fans totally berating others for lacking knowledge of the game. I've seen fans telling other fans that they didn't belong in the building or that they should be Ducks fans because they're so F-ing dumb.

I too have seen fans *****ing out newer fans for asking for an explanation of an offside or icing call.

I've seen those kinds of incidents many times, and there are others that I'm forgetting, I'm sure. But few games go by where I don't see at least one incident.

 

[Ron*]

I ranted a bit in the free agent thread regarding the fanbase and got dumped on, so it's no surprise the same is happening here.

The fanbase is different. Success changes people. Even this board has a vastly different tone than it did in 2007 when I first began lurking HF.

I don't know. People like Ron seem to feel they have to defend the honor of the team/fanbase when it's really not that big of a deal. Shocking news, success makes fans pompous and draws in bandwagoners.

Nope. I know that a small minority of the fanbase has changed, but not to the extent some blog writers would have you believe from a small sample size. If we get honest reporting, giving all sides a fair deal, I'm all for it. I'm just calling these two guys out, that's all. They need to get real.

 

[Ron*]

I thought you wanted more specific details.

I've seen incidents of fans totally berating others for lacking knowledge of the game. I've seen fans telling other fans that they didn't belong in the building or that they should be Ducks fans because they're so F-ing dumb.

I too have seen fans *****ing out newer fans for asking for an explanation of an offside or icing call.

I've seen those kinds of incidents many times, and there are others that I'm forgetting, I'm sure. But few games go by where I don't see at least one incident.

I don't know, some of this stuff could have been good-natured between friends. I just find it hard to believe that sober people would confront complete strangers and act like this. Emotions get high during games, I get that.

But this has to do with "graciousness." I thought we were talking about calling people out for being on the bandwagon. That's the thing I have never seen, except for my own incident with a Sharks fan.

In any event, I don't want to split hairs. If you say you've seen it, you've seen it. I don't deny what you are telling isn't truthful. Maybe I'm not paying enough attention when I walk the concourses.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

I don't know, some of this stuff could have been good-natured between friends. I just find it hard to believe that sober people would confront complete strangers and act like this. Emotions get high during games, I get that.

But this has to do with "graciousness." I thought we were talking about calling people out for being on the bandwagon. That's the thing I have never seen, except for my own incident with a Sharks fan.

In any event, I don't want to split hairs. If you say you've seen it, you've seen it. I don't deny what you are telling isn't truthful. Maybe I'm not paying enough attention when I walk the concourses.

Oh...I've seen that a lot, too. IMHO, it's all related.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

I don't know, some of this stuff could have been good-natured between friends. I just find it hard to believe that sober people would confront complete strangers and act like this. Emotions get high during games, I get that.

But this has to do with "graciousness." I thought we were talking about calling people out for being on the bandwagon. That's the thing I have never seen, except for my own incident with a Sharks fan.

In any event, I don't want to split hairs. If you say you've seen it, you've seen it. I don't deny what you are telling isn't truthful. Maybe I'm not paying enough attention when I walk the concourses.

Your "could be" response sends us down a slippery slope. I guess I do have to start documenting these incidents for you (not happening).

 

[King'sPawn]

I don't remember reading anything that specified that ONLY one fan base does it. The article did focus on Kings fans, but didn't say that it was exclusive to them. That's something you assumed.

Fair assumption when the article is titled "KINGS Fans Should Be Grateful."

 

[Ron*]

Your "could be" response sends us down a slippery slope. I guess I do have to start documenting these incidents for you (not happening).

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

If you make a such a claim, you better be prepared to defend it. When we are talking about going down "slippery slopes" it is quite evident that "journalism" has preceded us in this manner in the form of blog writing.

In particular, I find it interesting that you are defending this guy. I have read a number of your articles and I find you to be extremely detailed in your writing, supporting your claims with facts.

Then this guy comes along, writes crap about "Kings fans" without documenting a basis for doing so (no, I don't consider two "social media" examples to be documentation), and you staunchly defend him.

I am a Kings fan. I do not like to be painted with a broad brush, as this guy has done. His writing has to be better than this, and be fair in its oratory. If you did this, I would call you on it too. I am not satisfied that this guy did his homework. Seven paltry paragraphs later, I'm not convinced.

What, he had to catch a bus or something?

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Your "could be" response sends us down a slippery slope. I guess I do have to start documenting these incidents for you (not happening).

It is very odd to me that you would offer to document something and then redact that offer seconds later.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I ranted a bit in the free agent thread regarding the fanbase and got dumped on, so it's no surprise the same is happening here.

The fanbase is different. Success changes people. Even this board has a vastly different tone than it did in 2007 when I first began lurking HF.

I don't know. People like Ron seem to feel they have to defend the honor of the team/fanbase when it's really not that big of a deal. Shocking news, success makes fans pompous and draws in bandwagoners.

Easy for you to say when you jumped on the bandwagon in May 2012.

 

[Minor Boarding]

MY 0,02$

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Easy for you to say when you jumped on the bandwagon in May 2012.

Just because THIS account was created in 2012 doesn't mean I haven't been on HF for a very, very long time. I remember Captain Ron and DIEHARD Kings Fan in their heyday. I also remember when Osprey still posted on this forum. I remember Jokinen and Turkey Girl and THIS IS OUTHOUSE.

HF is a different animal than it was years ago, specifically this forum. The "Purple Reign" avatar era were good times.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Just because THIS account was created in 2012 doesn't mean I haven't been on HF for a very, very long time. I remember Captain Ron and DIEHARD Kings Fan in their heyday. I also remember when Osprey still posted on this forum. I remember Jokinen and Turkey Girl and THIS IS OUTHOUSE.

HF is a different animal than it was years ago, specifically this forum. The "Purple Reign" avatar era were good times.

That's DIEHARD The Kings Fan to you

 

[took420s]

Success changes people. Even this board has a vastly different tone than it did in 2007 when I first began lurking HF.

Of course it is. The old guard had a big population of self depreciating pessimists which is completely understandable. Most who built personas around it probably just didnt know how to adjust to the success or found that with success they had less to contribute and dump on.

That being said this board is not a good representation of the overall fan-base. Ron used a game analogy and I will too. Go to any online game message board and its filled with doom and gloom posts about how the game sucks, is dying, or calling new players "noobs" etc etc. However the percent of players who bother to post in the games official message boards is probably a tiny percentage of the overall player-base...the rest are just blissfully enjoying the game and dont care about the politics.

So sure I expect elitism to exist on message boards but have also never seen king's fan on king's fan bandwagon insults at a game either.

Poorly sourced article, just filling space with nothing really substantive must have needed to fill a quota.

 

[DocWest]

The only unsavory things I've seen are a handful of drunk Kings fans falling down the stairs after the game. However, I've encountered awful visiting fans on many occasions. Vancouver, Boston and Philly being the worst of the bunch. Complete scum. The funny thing is not a single Kings fan by me got aggressive in retaliation to those fans. In fact, they didn't say anything and just let those fools mouth off and belittle us the entire game. My favorite was when the rude Boston fans ending up fighting with another group of Boston fans over where they lived. They were so clearly looking for a fight that they had to turn on one of their own when we wouldn't oblige them.

On the flip side, St. Louis, Ottawa, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Phoenix and Chicago fans have always been very classy when I've encountered them at Staples.

All of this is anecdotal though, so to pass it off as fact and paint an entire fanbase with a brush based upon the actions of a few is garbage journalism. I'm sure we have awful fans, but to say that as a whole we need to be better is ridiculous. On top of that, how anybody can defend that type of "journalism" is beyond me. Actually, it's completely embarrassing.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The worst I've heard in the section I usually sit in is offering directions to LAX.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

If you make a such a claim, you better be prepared to defend it. When we are talking about going down "slippery slopes" it is quite evident that "journalism" has preceded us in this manner in the form of blog writing.

In particular, I find it interesting that you are defending this guy. I have read a number of your articles and I find you to be extremely detailed in your writing, supporting your claims with facts.

Then this guy comes along, writes crap about "Kings fans" without documenting a basis for doing so (no, I don't consider two "social media" examples to be documentation), and you staunchly defend him.

I am a Kings fan. I do not like to be painted with a broad brush, as this guy has done. His writing has to be better than this, and be fair in its oratory. If you did this, I would call you on it too. I am not satisfied that this guy did his homework. Seven paltry paragraphs later, I'm not convinced.

What, he had to catch a bus or something?

Commentary pieces have a lower standard. What did you expect him to do? Interview the people involved, identify them by name?

Do you honestly expect me to do the same? That's silly, in this case. Get real. You evidently don't have much idea what journalism really is.

As for social media, you can't just discount it completely. If you do so, that's your choice, but doesn't mean it's not legitimate. Depends on the post in question.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

If you make a such a claim, you better be prepared to defend it. When we are talking about going down "slippery slopes" it is quite evident that "journalism" has preceded us in this manner in the form of blog writing.

In particular, I find it interesting that you are defending this guy. I have read a number of your articles and I find you to be extremely detailed in your writing, supporting your claims with facts.

Then this guy comes along, writes crap about "Kings fans" without documenting a basis for doing so (no, I don't consider two "social media" examples to be documentation), and you staunchly defend him.

I am a Kings fan. I do not like to be painted with a broad brush, as this guy has done. His writing has to be better than this, and be fair in its oratory. If you did this, I would call you on it too. I am not satisfied that this guy did his homework. Seven paltry paragraphs later, I'm not convinced.

What, he had to catch a bus or something?

Seems to me that this is more about defending the Kings fan base than it is about what's really happening.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

It is very odd to me that you would offer to document something and then redact that offer seconds later.

I was being rather sarcastic.

 

[Reclamation Project]

The only unsavory things I've seen are a handful of drunk Kings fans falling down the stairs after the game. However, I've encountered awful visiting fans on many occasions. Vancouver, Boston and Philly being the worst of the bunch. Complete scum. The funny thing is not a single Kings fan by me got aggressive in retaliation to those fans. In fact, they didn't say anything and just let those fools mouth off and belittle us the entire game. My favorite was when the rude Boston fans ending up fighting with another group of Boston fans over where they lived. They were so clearly looking for a fight that they had to turn on one of their own when we wouldn't oblige them.

On the flip side, St. Louis, Ottawa, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Phoenix and Chicago fans have always been very classy when I've encountered them at Staples.

All of this is anecdotal though, so to pass it off as fact and paint an entire fanbase with a brush based upon the actions of a few is garbage journalism. I'm sure we have awful fans, but to say that as a whole we need to be better is ridiculous. On top of that, how anybody can defend that type of "journalism" is beyond me. Actually, it's completely embarrassing.

You lost me Doc.

 

[Chain]

That's not what the story was about...

I know. Which is why I said:

Maybe this isn't the exact sort of thing the writer is talking about but as far as sports fans as a whole go, the Kings have one of the classiest fan bases in pro sports, imo. There are some bad apples in every bunch.

I haven't really seen anything close to a majority of Kings fans calling new Kings fans bandwagoners. I'm sure there are some but most seem happy that hockey is finally turning more Californian heads its way.