Flyers' History: When Is The Last Time You Felt Good About This Team?

[Chicken N Raffls]

Oh man.

Literally my first thought when I read that.

For me, I started following the Flyers after watching the HBO road to the winter classic special with them and the Rags. Saw the crazy Pens series where even the coaches were ready to drop the gloves, and I was all about it.

Since then I'm basically docrivers.gif

I was lucky enough to go to the 2014 playoff game 6 vs NYR and see Simmer get a hat trick and chant Mason with the crowd. I don't go to many sporting events, so that will always be one of the best experiences in that regard.

 

[Rich Nixon]

What a nice kind thing to say.

You wanted to talk to Flyers fans, right? Hi, nice to meet you.

Your sports misery is your own. It's formative. It binds you to community and experiences. What you've experienced as a Leafs fan is one particular kind; what we've experienced as Flyers fans is a very different kind. Neither is worse or better, they're just different.

You don't just go "ah, to hell with it" and seek greener pastures. It'll never feel real. You'll never truly be part of it. I know this: My baseball team is an adopted one (the worst possible one, too) and it's a weird place to be, even after more than a decade.

And if you're to do something as cynical as that, don't be a fool about it. The Flyers are a random portfolio item within an absolutely maligned cable company which refuses to learn how to staff and deploy them as anything other than a marketing operation designed to bilk cash out of dying nostalgics. They're a scandal-plagued, nepotistic pile of meaningless corporate sloganeering that has relegated itself to utter irrelevance in its own city. They are systemically f***ed under current ownership, only one notch on the dial to the right of the Sabres.

Those of us who are still on this board—and it's a pretty small group—are here because we have to be. It's part of us. Collective bitching and moaning about something that is not going to change for another decade or more. It's a community, but it sucks.

So yeah, if you're gonna just grab onto something, might as well wait to the Finals and latch onto whichever team gets to 3 wins first. It'll be just as hollow, but at least you've got a chance to celebrate something. And if you have to jump sooner, fine: There are 6 teams left in the playoffs and any of them is a better choice. Can I recommend the Leafs? A lot of star power, an enormous fanbase, enough media scrutiny to face some form of accountability, and a hell of a lot closer to a Cup than the Flyers. And a nice long drought to end—only 8 years longer than ours! Gonna be a lotta euphoria when that happens, and you're gonna wanna be a part of it.

Stand by your shit. Your team is prepping for a game 7 in the playoffs right now. You're not throwing away five decades of fanhood now.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hello Flyer fans. Ex Leaf fan here. I am joining the flyers fan base. Colorado and the Leafs were my fav teams but no more. Tired of cheering for futility. I am not a noob to hockey. I am 61, been a leaf fan since I was 4. As a fan, the leafs have disappointed me year after year.

I go back to the Bernie Parent and Bobby Clarke days. I have always been a secret flyer fan and I remember the broad street bully days. I have played my entire life including 3 years semi-pro in Germany. I also coached all levels for 22 years. The flyers are going in the right direction. And I just added the flyer jersey to my collection. Its not a loyalty, bandwagon thing. I lived through the Ballard years. When the leafs play it sends my blood pressure through the roof.

Done.

The flyers have some good pieces and I look forward to cheering this team on for my remaining years.

This is a terrible decision. Pick any other team. The Leafs are million light years beyond the Flyers in all ways

 

[MJL66]

You wanted to talk to Flyers fans, right? Hi, nice to meet you.

Your sports misery is your own. It's formative. It binds you to community and experiences. What you've experienced as a Leafs fan is one particular kind; what we've experienced as Flyers fans is a very different kind. Neither is worse or better, they're just different.

You don't just go "ah, to hell with it" and seek greener pastures. It'll never feel real. You'll never truly be part of it. I know this: My baseball team is an adopted one (the worst possible one, too) and it's a weird place to be, even after more than a decade.

And if you're to do something as cynical as that, don't be a fool about it. The Flyers are a random portfolio item within an absolutely maligned cable company which refuses to learn how to staff and deploy them as anything other than a marketing operation designed to bilk cash out of dying nostalgics. They're a scandal-plagued, nepotistic pile of meaningless corporate sloganeering that has relegated itself to utter irrelevance in its own city. They are systemically f***ed under current ownership, only one notch on the dial to the right of the Sabres.

Those of us who are still on this board—and it's a pretty small group—are here because we have to be. It's part of us. Collective bitching and moaning about something that is not going to change for another decade or more. It's a community, but it sucks.

So yeah, if you're gonna just grab onto something, might as well wait to the Finals and latch onto whichever team gets to 3 wins first. It'll be just as hollow, but at least you've got a chance to celebrate something. And if you have to jump sooner, fine: There are 6 teams left in the playoffs and any of them is a better choice. Can I recommend the Leafs? A lot of star power, an enormous fanbase, enough media scrutiny to face some form of accountability, and a hell of a lot closer to a Cup than the Flyers. And a nice long drought to end—only 8 years longer than ours! Gonna be a lotta euphoria when that happens, and you're gonna wanna be a part of it.

Stand by your shit. Your team is prepping for a game 7 in the playoffs right now. You're not throwing away five decades of fanhood now.

This post is sheer brilliance and one of the best posts I ever read on the Flyers state and on fandom. Well done.

 

[MJL66]

I wish Flyers had never traded B. Schenn and then later Gudas, especially Schenn could have been key player between 2018-2020 while Flyers were still competitive team. Both improved a lot after being traded and still at this time are such a good and impactful players for their teams. Sigh, typical for the Flyers...

I can't remember why they felt the urge to trade Schenn back in summer of 2017? He was still only 25 and in the 16-17 season he was nearly tied with Giroux in points. In exchange Flyers got back only late 1st draft pick and Lehtera, lol. Can't imagine Giroux, Voracek and Couturier were okay with this trade. All in their prime years.

The Flyers got 2 first round picks in the deal. One of them being the 14th overall pick in the 18 draft.

 

[CerpinTaxt]

The Flyers got 2 first round picks in the deal.

I wish Flyers had never traded B. Schenn and then later Gudas, especially Schenn could have been key player between 2018-2020 while Flyers were still competitive team. Both improved a lot after being traded and still at this time are such a good and impactful players for their teams. Sigh, typical for the Flyers...

I can't remember why they felt the urge to trade Schenn back in summer of 2017? He was still only 25 and in the 16-17 season he was nearly tied with Giroux in points. In exchange Flyers got back only late 1st draft pick and Lehtera, lol. Can't imagine Giroux, Voracek and Couturier were okay with this trade. All in their prime years.

At the time he was playing wing and wanted more time at center. They had just drafted Patrick, had Giroux and Couturier. And as was hinted above they did get 2 1sts. At the time everyone it was great value. If you compare having Schenn and Patrick vs Patrick, 1st and 1st I would say the 2nd option does look more enticing. Couturier as well stepped up and actually out produced Schenn up until the Covid lockout

I think in hindsight the trade was still fine. Frost and Farabee turned into fine complimentary players and I don't think they necessarily missed much from not having Schenn. If they'd kept him then I guess it mitigates the loss of Patrick somewhat, but they didn't seem to think he was good enough for center anyway.