Hey Boston, Remember Hockey?
Written by Victoria, Monday June 29 2009
If you walk into any cafe, barber shop, Irish pub, or T station in or around the city of Boston, cup your hands in a circle around your mouth and yell "Bobby Orr," you'll find that every single person with working ear drums will react positively.
Why? Well, not only was Orr one of the greatest hockey players to ever pass through the NHL, he also played in a time when "Bostonian" and "Bruins fan" were two titles that came hand-in-hand. For instance, if you called yourself a Bostonian, you were also calling yourself a Bruins fan. Bobby Orr means something to all Bostonians because he represents a time when professional hockey was widely supported and its professional players were worshipped like they currently are in baseball, basketball, and football.
When did the Bruins hype fall short to that of Boston's other professional teams; the Sox, Celtics, and Pats? Why do many Bostonians fail to recognize the names and faces of Marc Savard, Tim Thomas, Aaron Ward, PJ Axelsson, Dennis Wideman, Chuck Kobasew, and Milan Lucic? What happened to Bruins' support?
Easy. The last NHL strike that resulted in the cancellation of its 2004-2005 season devastated professional hockey in Boston because the Bruins broke the heart of their fans at the wrong time. The same year that the Bruins ceased to exist, the Sox finally won the World Series, Tom Brady was widely recognized as an NFL stallion, and the Pats made other professional football teams look more like the ones you see on Friday nights playing on dirt-ridden fields underneath rusty lights that desperately need new bulbs. In 2004, Boston fans were feeling the highs of victor; they didn't have any extra time to waste on a team that bailed on them.
The point is, the 2008-2009 Boston Bruins franchise had the team it needed to take home the Stanley Cup, but failed to do so because of the lack of support and morale that exists within its own city. Sure, the playoff games at the Fleet Center ("TD Banknorth Garden") were sold out, but where was everyone that showed up to those games during the last three years regular season? I'm not saying there aren't any Bruins fans out there, I am one, and I know there are more, but a LOT of people in the city do not follow professional hockey like they used to before the strike.
The B's lost all of their home turf shootouts in the 08-09 regular season, but won 4 away game shootouts. What the hell is that? Shootouts are dramatic competitive rushes for a player; the player needs to be pumped up by his own fans to be successful in the play. Could you imagine a basketball player missing every home foul shot, but making every away foul shot he took? Players are used to the pressure of pleasing the fans on their home turf because they have been playing the sport in front of people their entire lives. Players don't cave under home game pressure; they thrive off of it. The Bruins need to be given the attention that other Boston sports receive from the people of Boston, so that the team may have the advantage of having enough die-hard fans to put the pressures and the faith in them to perform well at home games.
What's more is that many people don't recognize Bruins' players when they walk down the streets of Boston like they recognize Sox, Celtics, and Patriots players. The B's need the support and attention that Boston gives its other professional teams in order to have the heart necessary for greatness.
So, Boston, if you aren't already a B's fan like you are a Sox fan, Celts fan, and Pats fan, then start now. The B's already have the stick skills, the shooting power, the skating abilities, the endurance, the teamwork, and the five new Canadian junior league draft picks needed to be the best hockey team in the NHL, so with our support, Boston will bring home the 2010 Stanley Cup.
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You're right, Chriso, but my article isn't about the B's losing the respect of some people upset about the crazy salary cap years. What my article focuses on is the total loss of interest and faith in the NHL organization (specifically the Bs)that the city of Boston has displayed post 04. The B's have been around since Art Ross in the 1920s; when a pro team has been around as long as that, it is inevitable that the team will have to deal with at least one GM making bad decisions. Fans bounce back from that; they did not bounce back from the 04 canceled season. Even when Sinden was around, Boston cared about the B's/pro hockey. Sinden wasn't the best GM, but people liked their B's just the same. After the strike, professional hockey is at the bottom of Boston sports; people are just not intensly involved in it as they are our other teams. It's not up for argument, the Boston Bruins need their city to care for them and the sport they play again, or else they don't stand a chance in the Stanley Cup. Hockey needs heart and heart comes from the fans, who have tossed the Bruins aside after 2004.
But it also goes years back before 2004, years of Harry Sinden and celebrating the winning of the Adams division instead of the Stanley Cup...years of a crazy self imposed salary cap where Bourque had to be the highest paid player while other teams outspent the B's...