As a fan that has followed the Jets from almost Day 1 (WHA, 1973), I have suffered through some terrible seasons. This season is just a blip on the radar compared to a few I witnessed whilst being a Jets 1.0 supporter. To those who aren't old enough to remember, the first incarnation of the team was lucky enough to play in the same division as the Oilers and Flames, who shared 6 Cups between them in an 8 year period - yeah, that was fun. And the one year the Jets actually had a team good enough to compete, the coach played a hunch and started one of the franchises worst goaltenders in a pivotal playoff game against Edmonton, and the Jets never recovered and watched the Oilers go on to win it all. A 30 game losing streak, choosing Scott Campbell and Morris Lukowich in the WHA/NHL merger draft, naming Mike Smith as GM, drafting Jimmy Mann and Sergei Bautin - the list goes on. Be grateful TNSE has their collective hands on the tiller, and not the owners of the former Jets.
Am I happy at where the Jets find themselves after 2+ seasons? No, I'm not, but I also know it's a process, and the management of this team knows that also.
Will I continue to support the team, even through these difficult times? Yes, because I was in the old barn for both "final" games, and never want to experience that again. When our turn finally comes up for season tickets, you better bet I will be handing over the money.
The above defines only my fandom, and if there's other fans that feel different, well that's their perspective, and I'm not going to preach about how to be a "better" fan. But, the reality is, is that TNSE is not going to make very much money bankrolling the Jets, so if we want to watch NHL in Winnipeg for the forseeable future, we'll have to pony up the cash. Luckily, True North's principles are just as big of fans as the rest of us, which to me bodes well for the future.
The other point I'd like to touch on is that the Jets really need strong 2nd and 3rd lines. The 1st line is fine, and if it had more support from the 2nd and 3rd, wouldn't have to do it all themselves. The Jets basically have a 1st line, and a 3rd line masquerading as a 2nd, and two 4th lines. The teams that have endured continued success over the past two decades (continued success defined as consistently finishing amongst the top ten, getting through the first two rounds of the playoffs more often than not and being able to sustain a high level of competitiveness in the face of major injuries) have all shared the same factor: depth through the 2nd to 4th lines, and 3rd to 6th d-men.
To put that in perspective, Chris Osgood won Stanley Cups playing in front of a very balanced Red Wings team. Well, that and Nik Lidstrom.
)) is just damn entertaining to watch.
