Ranted: Luongo deserves better
The fact that I have to come out of semi-retirement to Rant about this subject AGAIN, means that yes, Canucks Nation, you’ve done it again – you’ve embarrassed the smarter half of our fan base and, not too unlike the riot, have forced the rest of us to try to repair damages done and gain back some of our dignity.
It’s already hard to be a Canucks fan, and holy hell, you guys aren’t making it any easier for the rest of us.
Shame on every single one of you who jeered/cheered when Luongo was pulled last night for Schneider. If there was a badge earned for being a Canucks fan, this is the point where it’d be torn off your jacket.
Yes, you’re allowed to be a critic – that’s a part of being a fan. But it’s one thing to be a critic, and another to be an idiot.
Being an embarrassment and doing classless things isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms by those with more intelligence than you.
You humiliated us and our city across the NHL last night.
Sound familiar? *cough June cough*
You know it’s bad when Cory Schneider himself is telling these “fans” to lay off Luongo, and that it’s “getting old.”
As my friend Justine of Canucks Corner pointed out, this city has TWO world-class goaltenders, one older, one just starting out, and we’re damn lucky to have both of them. Some hockey markets don’t even have one at the moment.
Ohhhh, but I forgot…It’s Vancouver. Nothing and no one is ever good enough for you, which is why this is known as a “goalie graveyard,” and which is why, in my opinion, you don’t deserve the likes of Roberto Luongo.
It’s a spoiled fan base that has the grapefruits to boo/jeer a goaltender the likes of Luongo, a goalie who got his team within AN HOUR of winning the Stanley Cup, who’s a Vezina finalist and who won Canada the gold medal at the 2010 Olympics when Brodeur couldn’t. And yes, HE is the reason Canada got to the Final – remember the last 10 minutes of the game against Slovakia when Luongo stood on his head with a hungry Pavol Demitra barraging him? (RIP Pavol). Yeah, Sidney Crosby wasn’t the one making incredible back-to-back saves until the clock wound down – that was all Luongo.
But again, it’s much more convenient for some to simply forget the facts and just start yelling things that don’t make sense, like Brick Tamland: LOUD NOISES!
Seriously, I never thought I’d see the day when Canucks fans have surpassed Habs fans in terms of being embarrassing, but it seems, especially after the riot, that this is the season for that. Canucks fans used to mock Montreal for their fickleness and mistreatment of Carey Price, now it’s like looking in a mirror. In fact, I think Canucks fans are worse.
We should get some sort of medal that says, “Most Undeserving Fans in the NHL.”
Last night, some were trying to tell me that if the Canucks won a Cup this year with Luongo in net, that the fans would lay off him, but at this point I’m not buying that. With how bi-polar a huge chunk of the fan base is, all it would take (after this supposed Cup win) for fans to turn on him again would be a mediocre month of October before the “Trade Luongo” hysteria started all over again.
Really, it’s not farfetched.
All I know is it has to stop.
You guys doing this, you have to seriously cut it out, and if you can’t, at least try to hold in your boos and have some class while on national television. If you don’t see or understand why this type of behaviour has made headlines across the country in a very negative way, then you need to stand in front of a mirror and take a lonnnnggggg look at yourselves. (Editor’s note: In case you missed it, Bob McKenzie on TSN last night also called out Canucks fans for cheering the pull. I believe his exact words were, “the melodrama capital of Canada”. – J.J.)
To the rest of the fan base who know it takes an entire team to win the Cup, hang in there. I know ignoring these “fans” is like trying to ignore Lloyd Christmas doing the most annoying sound in the world all day, but you just need to put your earplugs in and bear it.
The Canucks are an amazing team, one of the best in the NHL, and it wouldn’t be that way without all of what Roberto Luongo has put into it.
Remember that.
Final thought: Why are these “fans” so prevalent nowadays? Are less-intelligent fans breeding at an alarming rate and their offspring are overrunning the city?
If this is the case, the rest of us need to sit down and talk to UBC about inventing some sort of sterilization process to put an end to this, because this is getting ridiculous.
I think Bob Barker would agree: please, have dumb fans spayed or neutered.
very nice post Katie. Is getting harder and harder to deal with it. Has led to much more focus and attention to secondary teams of my liking. Which is funny because my other team (Flyers) has far worse goal tending tandem (similar setup as ours, older veteran, younger prospect) then Vancouver and even their fan base doesn’t act half as bad as Vancouver’s
Good post Katie…and welcome back. :p
I too indeed called out those cheering for Luongo getting pulled). in a tweet last night:
“It’s too bad that 5,000 smart fans can’t be louder than 13,500 not-so-smart ones.”
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Nice passionate plea!!! What do you say to the fans that said Luongo should never have come here and since the day he stepped foot in Vancouver have said he should be traded? And most importantly… Professional sports are played at such a high level with such precision that minute fractions are the difference makers, and Luongo needs us behind him, he is to inconsistent for us not to defend him, the fans booing him may (most likely) rattle him somewhat. If for a split second he thinks – hope I play well and don’t get booed while a guy is shooting – in goes a goal. And that is why we should support him – because as athletes will tell you environment has an effect and we are the environment at home games. HE needs our support
Agree with the booing part, really classless. He is a Canuck and we should never boo players on our own team.
But despite how great a player you think Lou is he does have some serious downsides. He’s inconsistent, prone to letting in goals in bunches, and mentally questionable. He played great for some of the playoffs last year (and the years before) and played terrible for some of the playoffs last year (and the years before). I remember him shutting out Boston twice and also blowing games where we could have all but won the cup, specifically games 3, 6, and 7 where he didn’t even give us a chance. You remember the game against Slovakia in the Olympics and I remember him giving up a goal to Parise in the last 30sec of the gold medal game and looking overall shaky before Sid eventually won it for us.
I feel for Lou, I really do, and I think we give it to him more then he deserves, but theres a sizeable portion of the fan base that is never gonna forgive Lou for blowing it last year unless he wins the cup.
The Canucks mocking Montreal was just that, mirroring! More media need to stand up on this topic. Nicely done, Katie! I sent a blasting email to Ian MacInytre of the Vancouver Sun about this. If you want to read it email me at jsfyall@hotmail.com
Serious Canucks Fan.
Scott Fyall
Hope, BC
@ScottFyall
Well played. *applause*
Let’s start focusing on the positives of Lu, not the negatives. There’s a lot more positives than negatives.
Also, is there any way to take care of the bandwagoners and idiots that are making a mockery of a passionate and excited fanbase? Like perhaps pushing them off the wagon?
My point exactly ! I believe Luongo is one of those people, that NEEDS to know the Fans are behind him . He seems to be an emotional Player, and you can almost SEE him lose confidence, after one or two get by him.NO matter if it’s him, or not. He is an incredible Goalie, and Fans aren’t doing him, OR themselves, any favors, by not being Behind him , Win or lose.