Blob Mckenzie wrote:
I am a Canucks fan through and through but there are some guys on this team I don't like and I can sure as hell see why fans of other teams hate the Canucks.
For the record, I'm also a dyed-in-the-wool Nucks fan, but yup, I agree with Blob. Vancouver fans have rose-coloured glasses on if they can't see why people have a hard time with this team.
I'd also add in the easy despise-ability of characters like Torres (psycho) and Bieksa (smugness and - gasp! - unsportmanlike Marleau beater-upper) last season, and it just got worse.
Vancouver fans like to take shots at McLean for his crucifixion of Burrows, but he was really just saying what most people were already thinking. Burrows certainly was - at that time - one of the most hated guys in the NHL. By everyone but us. He's since cleaned up his act, but he can't outrun the rep.
And before this turns into a dogpile, yes, I know Marleau challenged KB3 to the fight.
I know the finger got stuck in Burrows' mouth.
I also know that Auger was in the wrong no matter what sort of player AB is/was.
I know all about everything, but it doesn't change the fact that Vancouver is an easy team for others to hate.
Personally, I don't give a flying unlubed fuck if the fans and the media buy into that. Let them have their feeding frenzy. It's sort of fun to watch anyway, and it's not a role Vancouverites as a whole are used to playing. Interesting times.
Where I care is if the League and the players of other teams buy into it. The former because I think it does actually affect the refereeing of the games, and the latter because I think it could affect how attractive our team is to FA's in the future.
In a perfect world, I'd like to be a mildly hated team - say about #10 of #30. Then we'd have the best of both worlds.