To our Charger, Raider, and Rams (I guess) commentists.
I feel for you, I really do.
I felt your pain 21 years ago.
I am originally from the small city Winnipeg, Mb. In the summers it is fucking ace but it the winter it is the coldest, most bleak place ever since a windowless Krokodil shack in Siberia. All life you are brought up, to be an Ice Bombers (Jets) fan. You learn to skate before you walk, always skate on outdoor ice; where the only solace in the winter is that the Jets are playing which would take your mind off being so cold. The Jets were ingrained inour community. Good or bad the Jets were the only show (sorry Bombers) in town and they made you feel like you actually lived in a city not a Podunk town like Regina! From the Avco cup win to the night that Teemu Selanne shot at his glove, they were what everyone associated with the cold, oh so cold prairie town. For the last 2 years the writing was on the wall and we all knew that they would be leaving. I went to every game in their last series against the Ice Lions. It was heartbreaking in Game 6 when they waived goodbye.
The last season that they played we were already aware they were leaving which obviously is unlike the situation in San Diego but eerily similar to Oakland. I have been to both NFL Stadiums and had a great time with the fans at the tailgates who all welcomed our group in to drink beer. In one case we were forcefed all the bbq we could handle from a very large man named Jerome. He was one of the funniest guys we met in Oakland. I asked him about moving and a new stadium his reply was priceless. “They leaving because fans like us don’t pay the bills.”
In the stadiums I give 0 fucks about how great the amenities are, I am there for the experience whether it is shiny and new, or an old dump like the Kingdome was. Was it an experience? Yes. Could I buy beer? Yes. Did we still have stories about each game? Yes.
We in Winnipeg had very few concessions that didn’t sell Labatt Blue or Canadian Club which was just fine. It also included the largest portrait of the Queen, no urinals here friends, just the good old trough. Community.
Our owners did not display the douchebaggery that Spanos has shown; I commend that gentleman firing up the double birds at the press conference.
When it all happened in Winnipeg no one knew who to cheer for anymore and it sure as fuck wasn’t going to be the Coyotes. You sort of cruise in this limbo for a while and cheer for players and not teams and it is liberating. My Charger friends up here say that they sure as fuck will not cheer for the Lachargeres but will instead cheer for their fantasy players. I agree with this as as much as I am an Iggles fan, I have RedZone for fantasy football purposes.
In closing I feel your pain for losing your team and 8 fun days to tailgate out of your winter at Qualcomm/Alameda. However, enjoy your time now as a free agent supporter as maybe one day a new incarnation will move back to your towns AND INFURIATE YOU UNTIL THE BRINK OF MADNESS ALL OVER AGAIN!!
http://2.media.collegehumor.cvcdn.com/83/54/23792f4cdd499b40f00a1572860bca7c-kick-ass-construction-worker.gif
My Dad was a, I apologize for saying this, a New York Baseball Giants fan. He was 7 when they left. He hopes for the Mets to do well because I became a fan. That is it. 50years and he hates Horace Stoneham almost as much as ho-ckey? fans hate Bettman.
Thrasher? I barely even know her!
/Seriously though, NOBODY cared about the Thrashers, right? Not like Texan/Titan nobody caring, I mean a grand total of zero people
With all due respect,
And sheeeeeeittttt, we forgotted to formally congratulate Litre_Cola on breaking his authorship cherry. Mozel tov!! Surely with the wee one on the way, there will be tons of free writing time on your hands.
Thanks, the EURO dispatches were kinda a 3rd party type thing!
Time on my hands Huzzah!
Boots on the Ground at it’s finest IMHO.
A coworker asked me this morning if I was “over the Chargers moving yet?”
I spent this weekend removing most of the merch that I had on the walls throughout my apartment, with so many memories flooding back as each one came down. I shared a very long and awkward hug with an LT plaque that I bought after he won MVP, and putting him in that box with “Traitors” sharpied on it felt so wrong and caused so many emotions.
I replied meekly with “I don’t think I ever will be.” And what did he say back?
“I feel your pain. After all, I’m a Bears fan.”
Did BOLTMAN nearly jump out of my facehole and flay him right there in the break room? You had better fucking believe it. Prick.
I want to like this, but I can’t because it didn’t end in violence.
BOLTMAN DEMANDS BLOOD
Three simple words.
Real. Femur. Drums.
He is one of the higher ups here, so that’s really the only reason I held back at all.
Don’t worry, I’ll have my revenge, by continuing to spend hours of work time on DFO and conveniently not responding to any of his email or other requests.
http://115.imagebam.com/download/Xxmpv_7Batht3PtmCvZHQQ/48331/483300292/825158.gif
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chris-Farley-Smile-to-Shock-Reaction.gif
“I CALL DOWN THE VENGEANCE OF THE ELDER GODS!”
You have to admit it was considerably more sympathetic than Jay Cutler’s response.
Hahaha. Goddamn.
This reminds me of the comment sections of this season’s WYTS where Bears fans bitched endlessly in other team’s posts wondering when they’d get their turn. This fanbase is truly underrated in its sense of self-importance.
I was going to the University of Manitoba during that final season. That whole month of April felt like one long funeral dirge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLlsjEP7L-k
I am SO GRATEFUL that my Pandora station introduced this to me as I whittled away my carbon-based existence in the office.
Do you have a cat? Then don’t listen to “Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure” because it will turn you into a sobbing, blubbering mess.
God fucking bless The Weakerthans. One of my favourite bands of all time.
Well done, my friend.
I wish I could write about the departure of the Colts from Bawlmer, but when I think about it, all I want to do is fly to Indianapolis and shove hot fondue forks into everyone in the Irsay family until they bleed out.
Luckily, I am in control of my anger these days.
At least Jim Irsay wouldn’t feel any pain
And on the no-fly list.
“Winnipeg, Mb”
Megabytes?
If Pamela Anderson is not an indictment against everything the United States of America stands for, i don’t know what is:
http://images.lifeandstylemag.com/uploads/posts/image/68894/pamela-anderson.jpg
Fun fact: Former Chargers long snapper and longest tenured player, David Binn, used to date Pam: http://legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20061111/news_1s11chargers.html
I apparently still haven’t found a way to shut off this part of my brain yet. More alcohol should help.
While I hate Roger Goodell, I have a special level of hatred for Gary Bettman. He is the devil incarnate.
Oh yeah. You hockey people HATE Gary Bettman.
I’m not really even that much of an Ice FOOTBAW person, and I hate that motherfucker with a Trumpian intensity. Doesn’t hurt that he resembles fucking Putin, keeps the embers of fury burning HAWT.
HOT TAKE WARNING:
I met Gary Bettman once, and he was really nice.
That’s not a particularly hot take. Unrepentant assholes don’t advance to high positions like that unless they can turn on the charm when it suits their purposes.
Exhibit A: The United States Congress
Exhibit B:
I don’t know how it works in other cities, but the local flagship station here is the ‘home’ of all local teams — Suns, Cards, Coyotes, and Dbacks . I’m not sure if they have rights to ASU football/basketball but I’m 99% sure they do. I don’t think anyone covers the Mercury or if they’re even still around.
Anyways, so the local sportstalk station will bring on the Coyotes coach or face of the franchise……yeah, this is going to take to long to tell. Bottom line, no one cares that we have the Coyotes and, when Glendale Trumped-out and terminated the lease with the Coyotes, fans were actually like, “They suck and if Winnipeg wants them back at all, that probably means they’ll appreciate them more than we ever will.”
As of this time, it’s expected that we will build them a new stadium over next to ASU in Tempe which, actually, isn’t a terrible location.
Very similar to how my city (Raleigh) was gifted the Whalers, and aside from a scarily feverish handful of local civic boosters…nobody gives a tin shit.
The attendance was boosted for DECADES by giveaways and steep discounts, and when those stopped to make season ticket holders feel “valued” it just got embarrassing.
Now, you just get attendance for the games against teams with strong dislocated Yankee followings (as was always mostly the case) otherwise you might as well shelter the homeless there.
That is HARTFORD’s team, goddamnit. And it has no place in the South, putting the wrong colour red in my alma mater’s sterile, over-capacity basketball arena.
Obligatory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJtiepwpKFw
Still wear my Ron Francis jersey with pride. Fuck, those are some of the best sports apparel of all time, those green jerseys.
I have never hated a city more than I hate Phoenix.