Civil unrest in Canuck Nation
Five, maybe six weeks ago, the Vancouver Canucks couldn’t do anything wrong.
They were beating teams with a backup goalie who has the respect and backing of his teammates and coaches while showing that hockey was once again fun to watch in this city.
The signing of Swedish forward Mats Sundin then sent this city into a ridiculous little frenzy while the term ‘Stanley Cup contender’ was tossed around more times than one could count as people, including those in the media, once again lost all perspective about the NHL. What else is new?
After dropping two games this past weekend to St. Louis, the last place team in the Western Conference, and the top team in the west from San Jose, the band wagon is feeling the effects of a light load and might have to file for bankruptcy like the Phoenix Coyotes will likely have to do at the end of this season.
Today, on the Team 1040 radio station, the poll question asked if the Canucks were a bunch of “lollygaggers”?
According to www.team1040.ca, 66 per cent of the loyal Canucks fan base were saying “yes.”
“Attention folks, our next stop is Four Game Losing Streak. We’ll be letting about 50,000 passengers off the bandwagon here, but we are expecting to add another 75,000 at The Return of Roberto Luongo stop in about two days,” says the conductor of the Canucks bandwagon. The voice was done by me, Cam Tucker.
I hope Canucks fans aren’t as bad at changing their minds when it comes to marriage as they are with a hot-not-so-hot hockey team, because if that’s the case then God help our insane province because there will be a lot of people filing for divorce then changing their minds when they see their soon-to-be former spouse scoring again. Good one, eh?
For what it’s worth, yeah the Canucks do need a wake-up call and yesterday associate coach Rick Bowness decided to lower the boom and the local media ate that up like Christmas dinner because a coach got fired up at practice.
What did anyone expect? The Canucks have lost their last four home games and now would be a good time to remind everyone that hockey is not a gentleman’s club and coaches as well as players tend to get a little emotional when things don’t go as they want.
But getting back to the bandwagon jumpers, who with their constant jumping on and off, must be the most physically fit people in this part of Canada.
Not knocking Team 1040 for running such a poll question, after all they need to include the audience in order to run their business, but I think a new poll should be taken tomorrow.
Ask the loyal fans out there if those 66 per cent who say the Canucks are lollygaggers were the same people five to six weeks ago that thought this team was a Stanley Cup contender?
Honesty is key here people. When this team wins and kicks the crap out of other teams - like a game against Nashville back in December - people rant and rave about how tough this team is and how hard they are to play against because of their edgy style of hockey, but when they lose a few and start to slide, people have no problem jumping ship and saying the Canucks can do nothing right.
The Sports Corner’s new poll question: How many of you out there in Canucks Nation are flip-floppers?
Want my prediction for over and under? I’m saying OVER 75 per cent. I beg you to prove me wrong.
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You of all people talking about bandwagon jumpers? This is so far beyond the pot calling the kettle black… This is like Leafs fan calling a Canucks fan stupid.
Vancouver fans are the biggest bandwagon jumpers out there. We booed team Canada during the ‘72 Summit Series! Who boos team Canada?
That is one reason that I couldn’t listen to the Team 1040. A good 80% of the callers are ignorant and call for ridiculous changes that would never ever happen.
Just watch them get right back on when Luongo comes back and Sundin gets in shape. It is bound to happen. I love the Nuckers but all of the bandwagon fans drive me crazy. I’ll take the Nucks win or lose. (Hopefully win though)
Most diehard hockey towns have their fair share of bandwagon jumpers, the Oilers and Flames have the exact same thing. Really they are the ’swing’ fans that the league courts and probably spends too much time trying to keep happy, not the true fan who shows up night after night, spends their last cent on tickets and supports their team rain, hail or shine. It is a little annoying to see it happen all the time. I agree listening to talk back radio alot of the time will make you want to rip the radio out and throw it through the closest available window, some ‘fans’ have Eklund like ideas or feel they are the couch expert and call to complain about the smallest of things they have picked up on.
But as long as there is hockey there will be bandwagon fans. I have several in my family, all of them were Avalanche fans in the early 90s, purportedly because of Joe Sakic. Well when the Avs started to go backwards with Roy’s retirement then all of a sudden, hey the Canucks aren’t the chopped liver we were whinging about or picking apart during our Avs days …..
Haha my favourite part of this article is that I can imagine Cam saying that “bandwagon conductor” quote in a manitoba accent, haha.
Well that’s why I avoid listening to call-in shows, reading canucks.com message board, and talking to people who don’t know hockey. Simple as that. And another loss tonight, release the hounds!
Sanford on waivers today to be demoted if not claimed, if he is demoted they’ll try to deal him. Labarbera has been a lot sharper since he arrived, not stunning, but sharp and good enough to relieve Luongo on the occasional night. The Canucks have been pretty brutal of late, after all the hype around the reasonable performances minus Luongo and then the signing of Sundin.
For the record T Mill…I was always a Canuck fan, I liked the Oilers however because well Ryan Smyth was and still is my favorite current hockey player, hense the Oilers Ryan Smyth jersey.
I liked the Boston Red Sox well before 2004 and was never a Seattle Mariners fan. I liked the Bluejays because they are from Canada -albeit Toronto- but I cheered for the Sox whenever they played the J’s. I am in no way a bandwagon jumper or whatever you want to call me.
I will say this: I jumped onto the New York Giants bandwagon last year after they made me a ton of dough by winning the Superbowl, so I figured my fanship was the least I could do to repay that team.
Thank you, no further comment at this time…