2004 Stanley Cup - Calgary, Tampa Bay, or Neutral?

[Robbie]

In the Football Forum, there are at least three polls and several other discussion threads dealing with which team you want to win the Grey Cup on Sunday. The general consensus that I see on the polls and discussions is that more of you want the Montreal Alouettes to win. It seems like it all comes down to the fact that Edmonton knocked BC out in the western final, preventing the Lions from winning the Grey Cup at home and therefore, you are finding it very hard to change your allegiances to support a team that you were booing just a few days earlier. As Lions_Fan_4_Life stated in his poll: ?Montreal, can't cheer for the Esks.?

But what I?m trying to figure out is how easy is it to shift your allegiances to support a team that defeated your team, and that?s why I?m creating this poll. In the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, were you supporting the Calgary Flames or the Tampa Bay Lightning?

I was personally indifferent to which finalist team won the Stanley Cup in 2004. Since neither the Flames nor the Lightning were based out of the CITY of Vancouver, then I didn't really care about who won. Despite the fact that the Canadian media made such a big deal about the fact that the Calgary Flames almost became the first Canadian-based team to win the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, I see the NHL as a league featuring competition between CITIES and not COUNTRIES. Since neither the Flames nor the Lightning were based out of the CITY of Vancouver, then both teams were opponents to Vancouver. Unlike most people, the fact that the Flames were based out of a Canadian city didn?t mean anything to me as the NHL is not Canada vs. USA but rather, city vs. city.

But my impression was that most people in Vancouver were very supportive of Calgary and hoped that they would win the Stanley Cup ? despite the fact that Calgary knocked Vancouver out in the first round of the playoffs in the close seven game series. It was the first time in 11 years since 1993 that the Canucks finished first in their division and they were in good shape to reach the Stanley Cup finals again for the first time since 1994. But then along comes the Calgary Flames and dashes those hopes and dreams with their upset win. So how come most people in Vancouver were able to shift their allegiances for the Flames and cheer for them, unlike what they are unable to do for the Eskimos now?

I already mentioned some of this stuff in the CFL vs. NFL thread, but I?ll repeat it here. I have some questions regarding the issue of patriotism for Canada. What if the Canadian CITY comes into conflict with the COUNTRY? Then who do you cheer for? I assume your favourite NHL team is the Vancouver Canucks and in international competitions, you support Team Canada. Then what if:

#1.
Let's say Swede Markus Naslund captains the Vancouver Canucks to the Stanley Cup in 2006. But at the same time in the 2006 Winter Olympics, he captains Team Sweden over Team Canada in the gold medal game. So what do you think about Naslund - love him or hate him? On the one hand, he helped your Vancouver Canucks win the championship, but on the other hand he helped also an opponent defeat your Team Canada for the championship.

#2.
As a real-life example, Canadian Joe Sakic was the tournament MVP in the 2002 Winter Olympics as he led Team Canada to their first gold medal in 50 years. But at the same time, he led the Colorado Avalanche over the Vancouver Canucks on their way to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. So Joe Sakic - love him or hate him as he helped your team win but also helped an opponent defeat your team as well.

During their amazing drive to the Stanley Cup finals in 1994, the Canucks drew the Toronto Maple Leafs as the semi-final opponents. During this time, the people in Vancouver clearly showed their animosity towards Toronto and the local media held contests to see who would be the most creative about naming things to hate about Toronto. And I suppose the fact that the Argos defeated the Lions in the 1983 and 2004 Grey Cups didn't improve Vancouver's vision of Toronto. But despite all that, why did Vancouver get so excited then when the Toronto Blue Jays win back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993? This love-hate relationship disgusts me.

My personal observation is that the people in Vancouver care more about their local teams than the national teams. The atmosphere in Vancouver when Team Canada made it to the Olympic Gold Medal games in 1992 and 1994 and winning it in 2002 wasn't nearly as excited and celebratory as when the Vancouver Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1982 and 1994.

[Yank In BC]

I try not to live in the past.

We are not Rider Fans ya know.

:lol: :lol:

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

I voted for Calgary cause they're canadian but in the grey cup all teams are canadian (now a days) so I cheer for one team... its frightening.... BC!

[Charlene]

Calgary sucks


But i always cheer for Canadian teams in the Stanley Cup...even if they beat the Nuckleheads.

[KnowItAll]

I cheered for Calgary because,

- I had more calgary players in my pool
- They were the underdog

As for international hockey, I find that its more enjoyable to just enjoy the play of all my favorite players, regardless of what country they play for, and not care too much who wins. However, I see no conflict in cheering against a Canuck in international play, or in cheering for a team Canada player who plays for the "enemy" in the NHL. Everybody shakes hands when its over.


As far as CFL goes, I cheer for Montreal, not because Edmonton beat the lions, but because I cheer for Mathews. As for cheering the team that beat your team, I usually like to cheer for them because we can then say, we lost only to the best.

[TROOPER]

Interesting thoughts Robbie, personally speaking when it comes to the NFL I happen to fall into the category of casual fan. However, I tend to root for Seattle, Minnesota and Green Bay. Which I find interesting since all happen to be teams in the Northern US. Does this mean I tend to have some sort of geographic affinity for these teams? Eventhough, I've never attended games in either of these cities just as I've never attended NFL games in the Southern US?

For many people in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals I think they felt more of a connection towards Calgary since you can drive there from BC in the same day that you left. I had many friends travel out to Calgary not to attend the games but rather to take in the atmosphere of the city during the 2004 finals. So maybe some Canucks fans having been to Calgary feel more connected to the Flames than the Lightning as many of us have never been to nor plan on visiting Tampa Bay anytime soon.

But despite all that, why did Vancouver get so excited then when the Toronto Blue Jays win back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993?

Contrary to my first thoughts......

It's interesting to look back on the 1992 and 1993 Blue Jays victories and how they seemed to captivate the entire country. Huge numbers of Canadians made the trip down to the King Dome to cheer for the Jays, a team that plays in a city three time zones ahead, rather than the 'local team' the Mariners. An affair that was not lost on the Seattle media and fans.

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

Calgary sucks


But i always cheer for Canadian teams in the Stanley Cup...even if they beat the Nuckleheads.

what SHE said!

[hexx]

there are many factors at play for different people and different teams.

personally, i would be happy if naslund had success vs. canada, but i would be primarily cheering for canada.

i would never cheer for joe sakic as long as he's a member of the avs, because the avs are my most hated team in hockey.

i have a soft spot for calgary teams, because i was born there.

i think that part of the reason why canuck fans cheered for the flames is just that they were completely disillusioned after the bertuzzi incident.

as for the BJs, you can chalk it up to the fact that they were the first canadian team to do it, while the closest team to vancouver - the mariners - were mediocre. the back to back world series by the BJs spawned a generation of good baseball players from out west. at my school back then it was crazy during those world series... it was all anyone talked about. a kid from my school, adam loewen, is now a pitching prospect in the baltimore orioles farm system with a shot at making the bigs.

since then, toronto's been mediocre and the mariners have had a few good years. mariner fans are now far more prominent.

if vancouver got a major league baseball team, mariner fans and BJ fans would all but disappear.

before the canucks existed there were only 2 kinds of hockey fans in vancouver - leaf fans and hab fans.

[MacNews]

I voted for Calgary cause they're canadian ...

That's mis-placed nationalism right there. It's not Canada vs US but simply Calgary vs Tampa. Two hockey teams. Save your spirit for international play.

[Dexter_h]

I am Canadian yet I was rooting for the lightning

[Dan_Payne_fan!!]

I cheered for T bay because people were bullying me cause i like the Nucks and cause they have lots of good players like St Louis Lecalvier and Richards