EVERETT – I’m sensing a bandwagon exodus for no good reason.
I’ve been receiving a lot of e-mails about the Everett Silvertips – most, interestingly, of the anonymous variety. Three-quarters are negative, and a quarter of those barely nudge their way into the English language.
They used terms such as “flame-out,” “choke” and “losers.” Some even spelled a few words correctly.
They want coach Kevin Constantine fired. They want general manager Doug Soetaert to leave because of what they consider losing trades. They question the players’ hearts.
I wonder what color the sky is in their world.
I’m certain they’re not the majority. Most fans I run into walk upright and can string together three complete sentences without much trouble.
But I wonder about the detractors, those so vehement that the season is sewage because of the Prince George series.
I have a feeling they’re the same “fans” who throw beer at opposing players and scream “and they still *#@&” after foes kill off a penalty.
Sure, the Tips wanted to win the Western Hockey League title and go to the Memorial Cup. So did 20 other WHL teams. Sure, they dominated most of the regular season and finished with the franchise’s first Scotty Munro Trophy as the team with the best pre-playoffs record.
Was that cool, or what? The team won its third U.S. Division title in its four years on the planet. The Tips have the best regular-season record of any WHL team in that time. Not Vancouver. Not Kelowna. Not Medicine Hat.
Unfortunately, Everett’s success has bred more than a few spoiled fans, inexperienced in the eccentric ways of postseason sports.
Sports aren’t a product of science. They don’t follow a strict formula, one that invariably produces logical champions.
With few exceptions, competitive, big-time sports are Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The St. Louis Cardinals had the worst regular-season record among all playoff teams last season, lost seven of their last 10 regular-season games, yet beat the Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 1, in the World Series.
Ever heard of George Mason University? So has UConn, especially after it lost to the Patriots for a 2006 Final Four berth.
Remember the 1994 Detroit Red Wings? Near-unanimous favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They didn’t make it out of the first round. Remember who beat them? The eighth-seeded San Jose Sharks. The Sharks’ coach? Kevin Constantine.
We love sports, in part, because they defy logic. Who doesn’t love the first weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, when Santa Clara can beat Arizona, when Bradley can defeat Kansas? Remember when Harvard, the No. 16 seed in the West Bracket, beat No. 1 Stanford in the 1998 NCAA Women’s Tournament?
Welcome to sports. Welcome to the postseason.
Welcome to the asylum, where NBA ref Joey Crawford picks a fight with Tim Duncan.
Back to the Tips. I can understand disappointment. I can even understand shock, especially after Game 5, in which Everett blew a 3-0 third-period lead and lost.
But anger? Come on.
I don’t understand the guy who told me he felt ripped off because he shelled out good money for season tickets and they didn’t get past the second round. He said he’s thinking about not renewing. Gad.
Please, people. Take the season as a whole unit and remember the great moments. The Moises Gutierrez hat trick. Zach Hamill, the WHL scoring leader. Peter Mueller’s brilliance. Kyle Beach’s merging of skill and insanity. Zack Dailey’s hustle. Jesse Zetariuk’s booming checks. Leland Irving’s glove saves.
Go ahead and bellyache. If you didn’t find fun in the 2006-07 Silvertips season, you must be a gold-plated delight at parties.
Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com
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