From: gerry@skatter.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Fickle Edmonton Fans(Was Re: Damphouse)
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 06:26:48 GMT

From article <1992Sep8.125250.9838@idacom.hp.com>, by kenl@idacom.hp.com (Ken Loo):
> In article <1992Aug30.012100.29625@access.usask.ca> gerry@skatter.usask.ca writes:
> 
>>By biggest reason for disliking the Oiler franchise(rather than the players or
>>team) is the fickleness of their fans. It really grinds on me that a city with
>>so many people can't get 17000 (~7-10% of the *adult* pop.) out to their
>>games. If fans in Edmonton don't want a team that only occasionnally wins a
>>SC but plays well enough to always be in the hunt, well that's fine by me
>>they can just send it East about 4 hours, Saskatoon will show them what fan
>>support means. 
>>
>>Edmontonians have shown their fickleness with the Eskimos and now its coming
>>out with the Oilers. It isn't surprising at all to me that their attendance
>>is down, I expected it to happen once the team became only good rather than
>>great.
>>
>>City of Champions == City of Chumps.
>>
>>Go Habs!!!
> 
> I think this comment on Edmonton fans is really unfair.  The same can be
> said of most North American cities, "fickleness" is relative to the success
> of the sports franchise.  Hell your precious Montreal is probably the most
> fickle city in Canada!  They couldn't support the Alouttes, they almost 
> killed the Expos last year, and they continously dumped on the Habs all
> of last year despite the fact the Habs won first place in the Adams!
> 
> The only cities which appear immune to this "fickleness" are the big
> cities which should have the population to weather out these dips in
> attendence.  By "big" cities, I'm referring to New York, Chicago, LA,
> and Toronto.  Although Montreal kinda blows a hole in my "big city"
> theory.
> 
> - Ken Loo
> 

So you think my comment unfair, prove me wrong. Show me that people in
Edmonton actually care about how their team does(good or bad). Look were not
discussing a franchise that has been pathetic for 5 or so years. If we were
I could understand why the Oilers are having such trouble selling season 
tickets(are they up to 10,000 yet?).

Now as far as Montreal goes I haven't ever been to the city so it's not
precious to me. The team known as the Habs that happen to play in Montreal
are "precious" to me. If you want to say people from Montreal are poor
football and baseball fans that's fine by me, the evidence seems to indicate
this is true. Heck I've chastised the city in the past for not supporting the
Expos. However there is no way in hell you could say they're fickle hockey
fans. I will freely admit that fans in Montreal are harsh on the Habs, too
much so for my liking. They do at least care how the team does though. 
Regardless of how bad they think the team is playing they still support them,
still go to games(I was actually surprised to see that they had 4 non-sell-outs
last year). Heck I suspect they go to games at times just to voice their
displeasure.

So now lets compare this to Edmonton. Sure the Oilers haven't been around as
long, but in the relative short period of time the Oilers have been in the
NHL they have established a winning tradition to (almost) rival the Habs.
The Oilers have certainly won more cups during the period of their tenure then
the Habs(in the same period). I haven't seen the Oilers not makeing it to the
playoffs recently. As the other Gerald pointed out the Oilers have been to
the final four all of the last three years winning the Stanley Cup in one of
those years. This is hardly a record that should prompt their fans to stop 
going to games. If you want to complain that the team might be able to play
better, or the team should spend more money for free agents go ahead it may
at times be true, but don't quit supporting your team when their still doing
well. In fact Edmontonians should be proud of the job their young group of
players has been doing, this is the time to be cheering them on not to be
letting them down. 

So I'll wait, maybe I'm wrong, maybe Edmontonians aren't fickle hockey fans,
go ahead prove me wrong. However don't expect me to hold my breath. When
the Oilers once again make the playoffs(as they will) and my older brother
wants me to go to a game with him I certainly won't worry about getting tickets
too early since I'm sure there will be plenty good ones to be found.
--
Gerald Gryschuk            Saskatoon,Saskatchewan = a place with 9 months
gerry@sask.usask.ca           of hockey and 3 months of poor skating.
Go Habs!!!
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey