This blog was originally posted on Friday May 23, 2008 @ 01:31 PM EDT, at www.nhlconnect.com
This is supposed to be a country where we cheer the underdog. This is the land that knows more about Rocky Balboa than Barack Obama.
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Where we love to build you up and then knock you down, just because we want you to crawl out from the depths so we can love you again. A country that prides itself for its “common man” image, for being “good people, salt of the earth, crust of the pizza”.
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(I cannot believe I had to paraphrase Dubya to make this point, I feel quesy…)
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And yet throughout these playoffs, the amount and quality of Detroit bashing from the media and that which has made the internet rounds is more than a little disgusting.
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It is one thing to talk trash about an opposing team, and quite another thing to insult, chide and try to humiliate on the basis of geography or community in the scope of a sports discussion. It’s base, shallow and exemplifies a decided lack of intellect or knowledge of your sport.
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In other words it makes you look like a total deuce-bag, (ahem, Mr. Cherry).
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I don’t live in Detroit anymore, so I am well qualified to defend the city. Its my hometown, I grew up in the suburbs, and then I moved away. So I have lived both sides of the coin. Despite now living on the west coast, I have a deep seated love for that city and its people. (Pre-emptive strike on your “Juice is not qualified to defend a city when she moved away from it” argument: I simply could not take the cold weather anymore I wear sweaters and uggs when it’s 60 degrees. I am not a snow bunny, I am more the surfer girl type.)
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But before I defend the D, I have some theories on why outsiders feel the need to come after a city and its people instead of sticking to the topic at hand.
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1. The Excellence Theory: Simply put, there is nothing negative to say about this Red Wing team. The naysayers have scratched their heads, picked their noses and still can’t come with anything more than: “McCarty is a thug” “Chelios is old”- Clever. Indeed. (A crooked eyebrow icon is implied here)
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2. The Mentally Challenged Theory: As stated above, people who disparage the “D” and its community in the scope of a sports rivalry are base, shallow and intellectually challenged.
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3. The Jealousy Factor: Lets face it, Detroit sports franchises are always championship caliber. In fact at this very moment, we have two major league teams who have gone quite far in their respective playoffs and a baseball team that isn’t too shabby either. The Wings and the Pistons are perennial playoff contenders. 17 straight years making the playoffs is the record for ALL major league professional sports, and our Red Wings earned it despite salary caps and lockouts. There is no sports town like the D.
a. Go ahead take yer cheap shot at the Lions, because my darlings, my rebuttal is simple: The loyalty with which Detroiters continue to support the blue and silver exemplifies that we are tried and true- not fair-weather Los Angelean type fans- we stick with our teams, dance with the girl that “brung” us. No matter what. (check and mate.)
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4. The Anger Management Theory: I get this one from those random Avs, Dallas (and now) Pens fans who show up on websites like the “Freep” or the Wings NHL page and try to pick fights. WTF is wrong with these people? Srsly. Why do they have so much free time that rather than pay attention to their own team they decide to pick fights with people who don’t care whether they exist or not? Cripe- I see less anger on the freeways of Los Angeles than I read in their sad little hornet nest stirrings. Then again, maybe they venture into enemy territory out of fear.
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5. The Fear and Ignorance Theory: And how could you not fear the Red Wings? Fear and ignorance create hate, combine it with Theory No. 1 above and the haters have got no one else to poke but Red Wing fans. How very (very) sad that your fear of such a great team overwhelms your faith in the abilities of your own team.
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6. The “Just a Human Loser” Theory: Sort of an elaboration of No. 2 above, but needed to be said; people who can’t support their own teams with facts and faith, people who instead choose to ridicule the opposing teams fans are “Human Losers” (props to Bruce McCullough of KITH for such a fun and appropriate phrase).
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You can pick any of these theories to explain haters and naysayers, but none of it takes away from the fact that the Detroit Red Wings are solid, amazing and ready to go. And you show your weakness of character and faith when you shift your attack to a city and it’s people.
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Detroit is obviously one of the major cities in this country hit the hardest by the nation’s economy. But no matter where you are, I know you are feeling it too. So tell me, do you taunt your neighbor as he packs up his life’s possession and the kids and moves out of his house as the bank forecloses? Are you the sort of person who enjoys driving by an unemployment office with feelings of superiority? Do you enjoy watching people struggle to decide whether filing up the car with gas is more important than buying milk?
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Because that is exactly what you are doing when you disparage a city like Detroit.
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Oh, and do you really think any city’s mayor/governor/council is less corrupt than Kwame? Two words: “Eliot Spitzer”.
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Bottom line, picking on one of the coolest cities in the country and its community is ultra pathetic: Detroiters and Metro Detroiters are some of the hardest working, tough, down to earth people. And I am not the only person who says it. Wherever I go, when I tell people I am originally from Detroit, the collective response is (paraphrased): “Everyone I ever met from Detroit is seriously cool.”
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Detroiters are no nonsense, bad asses who can take a hit(Draper). We are loyal to a fault (Lions) we are trustworthy (Kwame excluded). Detroiters are fun and sincere- good people who love and know sports.
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So for all those haters and naysayers who think they are so superior to Detroit, here’s your challenge: prove it. Find a way to cut our Wings down, to accurately, and without ripping the city or the community apart say something supportable and negative about the Wings.
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And PUUUHLEEZE: if you still feel compelled to take your sad little pot shot at the “D”- try to come up with something more timely and relevant than that 1977 “armpit” joke.
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Because there is only one thing worse than an inaccurate hater, and that is an irrelevant one.
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Copyrighted 2008, all rights reserved by Behrgreer Ltd. and the author. No reproduction or use without the express written permission of the author.
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