There seems to be this crazy insane trend going around lately that is really disrespectful, and no I’m not talking about Daniel Tosh’s comments the other night or the fact that ESPN is forcing sports fans to gaze at Brad Richards in the buff. No, I’m talking about something way more personal to the sport of hockey.
I’ve always been taught to live with respect and that there are certain things that are bigger than me and my grasp of the world. And I know I’m not the only one that’s been taught to live like this. Every time you watch a player (or fan) refuse to let their sweater touch the ground, the rituals that go into folding them up, the painstaking steps players take to avoid the team logo on the locker room floor, and every other quirk/ritual the players have when it comes to their team, their gear, and the cache that comes with all of the above, you witness that respect and have the understanding that the history. The players get how much bigger the history of hockey is than them. Players might be a part of it, they may help shape the fate of the team, but at the end of the day, they are just a small part of that history.
And guess what? Players get that. Players move on, players join other teams, but they never lose respect for the game. I’m not talking about the NHL, because you see jaded players all the time. But I’m talking about the sport of hockey. The history of hockey itself. The NHL is part of that, and in North America, it’s a big contributor to hockey. But don’t think I’m just limited the expectation of respect to this one example:
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING BURNING YOUR JERSEYS??!!? Stop doing that! Seriously! I cannot believe people are thinking this is a great way to express their disappointment. I know I’m about 5 days behind on this but it’s taken me this long to not write a post that was “Fuck you, asswipe” 500 times over. I cannot believe that a fan would do something like this.
I’m not attacking the New Jersey Devils fan base, yeah, they are allowed to be upset that their captain went on to greener pastures, but this guy no. You write an angry tweet, publish a blog that expresses your frustration, you stand around the water cooler and wish negative things on a player, you do not turn your backyard into a cremation station.
This guy has no respect for the Black and Red. He is not part of the Devils Army. Contracts for players end, your love of the team shouldn’t end. You’ve invested a couple hundred dollars into that jersey (okay not really but work with me here!), you’ve give a part of you to that team. And you decide burning that part of team history is how you’re going to show it? If that’s the case, they you are not a fan of the team, you are a fan of the player. That is perfectly acceptable but do not call yourself a Devils fan (in this case), you are a Zach Parise fan. I know plenty of fans (both Devils and Rangers) who still walk around with Scott Gomez jerseys on. If they can suck it up, so can you.
Your respect for the jersey shouldn’t change just because the player on the back is no longer part of the team. You are a fan of the front of the jersey first and foremost. Players come and go, but the team and its history is forever.