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Post by Rich on Feb 9, 2009 10:20:14 GMT 1
We're having a poor season in terms of the standards we have come to expect because of what we have done in the past, but in terms of the resources Blaze have to work with compared to Sheffield, Nottingham and Belfast we are a having a very good season, just not remarkable.
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Post by Steph Cowley on Feb 9, 2009 11:32:01 GMT 1
I dont buy into this no trophies = poor season stuff. How many people think Aston Villa are having a poor season in the Premiership? Its unlikely they will win anything, but I dont see any of their fans calling for players heads. Some of us Blaze fans seem to have become so hell bent on winning we seem to have forgotten that there are 9 other teams continually improving. I think this season has been more about the opposition getting better, as opposed to the Blaze getting worse. We are quick to play down our own team, why instead cant we applaud those around us for catching up? Great post. We're having a poor season in terms of the standards we have come to expect because of what we have done in the past, but in terms of the resources Blaze have to work with compared to Sheffield, Nottingham and Belfast we are a having a very good season, just not remarkable. We are not having a poor season! Sheesh, even if Steelers do win the league Blaze have great chance of finishing 2nd. 2nd out of 10! In what universe is that a bad season?! Blaze's league finishes since the Elite League was formed are 3rd, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st and on course for 2nd. If Blaze fans had been told those standings 6 years ago they would have been over the moon! And I still maintain that until it is mathematically impossible, Blaze have a chance to win the league. |
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Post by thfnick on Feb 9, 2009 18:33:42 GMT 1
We are not having a poor season! Sheesh, even if Steelers do win the league Blaze have great chance of finishing 2nd. 2nd out of 10! In what universe is that a bad season?! Blaze's league finishes since the Elite League was formed are 3rd, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st and on course for 2nd. If Blaze fans had been told those standings 6 years ago they would have been over the moon! And I still maintain that until it is mathematically impossible, Blaze have a chance to win the league. I guess sit depends on how you view things. In my mind 2nd place is first place for losers. You may as well be last having won zero games, it makes no difference. Only the winners are remembered, the rest are forgotten. This club has set out it's standards and goals and this season goal was to retain the league. It wasn't "lets try and win the league but second will be OK". We haven't achieved that goal, we aren't going to and therefore it's a poor season. If you have a winners mentality. |
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Post by Rich on Feb 9, 2009 18:56:58 GMT 1
Steph and thfnick have both made some good points. I agree with Steph, six years ago I would have taken 3rd, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st and 2nd, infact I would have settled for a lot less than that. However we are not living 6 years ago, we are living in the here and now, which is why I also agree with Nick, this season we have not reached the standard that has been set. Whether or not we are right to set our standards that high is a different debate all together.
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Post by Steph Cowley on Feb 9, 2009 21:58:33 GMT 1
I guess sit depends on how you view things. In my mind 2nd place is first place for losers. You may as well be last having won zero games, it makes no difference. Only the winners are remembered, the rest are forgotten. This club has set out it's standards and goals and this season goal was to retain the league. It wasn't "lets try and win the league but second will be OK". We haven't achieved that goal, we aren't going to and therefore it's a poor season. If you have a winners mentality. You're seriously telling you don't care where Blaze finish if it's not 1st? That you wouldn't care if they finished 2nd with 35+ wins or 10th with 0 wins, they are both as bad as each other because it's not 1st? Are you a Blaze fan or a glory supporter?! Get behind the team for the rest of season, you never know what might happen, we still have a chance of winning the league (albeit slim, there is still a chance though.) Thommo and the players haven't given up, why should the fans? And if we don't finish 1st, don't call it a bad season, be proud of what the team have acheived this season and accept that the best team won the league! If you can't do that perhaps you should go and support Sheffield!! Steph and thfnick have both made some good points. I agree with Steph, six years ago I would have taken 3rd, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st and 2nd, infact I would have settled for a lot less than that. However we are not living 6 years ago, we are living in the here and now, which is why I also agree with Nick, this season we have not reached the standard that has been set. Whether or not we are right to set our standards that high is a different debate all together. Doesn't make a difference whether we are told those league finishes now or 6 years ago, they are still the same. If you'd have been told them 6 years ago you would still have seen that we've won the league the last 2 years, and to not win it this year is dissapointing. Let's say we win the league 2 years running again, then finish 2nd in 3 seasons, you'd be happy with that? Cause I know I sure would be! |
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Post by thfnick on Feb 10, 2009 8:28:42 GMT 1
You're seriously telling you don't care where Blaze finish if it's not 1st? That you wouldn't care if they finished 2nd with 35+ wins or 10th with 0 wins, they are both as bad as each other because it's not 1st? Are you a Blaze fan or a glory supporter?! Get behind the team for the rest of season, you never know what might happen, we still have a chance of winning the league (albeit slim, there is still a chance though.) Thommo and the players haven't given up, why should the fans? And if we don't finish 1st, don't call it a bad season, be proud of what the team have acheived this season and accept that the best team won the league! Thats exactly what I am telling you and I suspect that privately Thommo will also be very unhappy with how the season has gone. |
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Post by Steph Cowley on Feb 10, 2009 11:47:16 GMT 1
Thats exactly what I am telling you and I suspect that privately Thommo will also be very unhappy with how the season has gone. I'm not saying the fans, Thommo and the team won't be unhappy/dissapointed, I'm saying that finishing 2nd is still better than anything below 2nd, that is a fact. And I'd be willing to bet a considerable amount of money that Thommo would be happier with 2nd than he would be with 10th. I can't believe you care about coming 1st and that's all, you don't care what else it is if it's not first. Perhaps you really should go and support Sheffield if you are so sure they are going to win the league! Finishing 2nd is NOT a bad season. Considering a lot of fans think our team is worse than last season (including you judging by this post in the "Low point of 2008" thread: The summer of 2008. Not only the loss of fan favourites but recruitment of players that just made you go  Many of the teams around us have improved from last season (the actual teams that, is not neccessarily results) So with a team weaker than last season, against teams stronger than last season, we're still looking good for 2nd, with a slim chance for 1st still. I can tell by reading your previous posts on this forum that nothing I've said will make a difference.....did you give Blaze any chance of retaining the league? Or were you this negative about the team from the start? |
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Post by Bemmemm on Feb 10, 2009 18:15:53 GMT 1
Thats exactly what I am telling you and I suspect that privately Thommo will also be very unhappy with how the season has gone. I'm not saying the fans, Thommo and the team won't be unhappy/dissapointed, I'm saying that finishing 2nd is still better than anything below 2nd, that is a fact. And I'd be willing to bet a considerable amount of money that Thommo would be happier with 2nd than he would be with 10th. I can't believe you care about coming 1st and that's all, you don't care what else it is if it's not first. Perhaps you really should go and support Sheffield if you are so sure they are going to win the league! Finishing 2nd is NOT a bad season. Considering a lot of fans think our team is worse than last season (including you judging by this post in the "Low point of 2008" thread: The summer of 2008. Not only the loss of fan favourites but recruitment of players that just made you go Many of the teams around us have improved from last season (the actual teams that, is not neccessarily results) So with a team weaker than last season, against teams stronger than last season, we're still looking good for 2nd, with a slim chance for 1st still. I can tell by reading your previous posts on this forum that nothing I've said will make a difference.....did you give Blaze any chance of retaining the league? Or were you this negative about the team from the start? From a fans perspective I would say 2nd is not bad and I could live with that. Did I enjoy the hockey this year? is a the next question I would ask myself as a fan. If it's 'yes' then you have been entertained that is why we watch hockey in the first place...if it's 'no' then improvements may be needed. But....as a coach and player any place other that 1st is not where I would like to be. In my view, there are only really 4 teams competing for top honors and it seems there are always only 4 teams competing. There is a 15 point spread between 4th and 5th. Not as competitive as I would have thought despite saying teams have improved. If you end up in 4th then to me that's last if you are considered one of the 4 top teams. You should be winning against the bottom half teams a majority of the time and battling against the upper half all the time. If you are losing against the top 3 other teams then it's not a successful year and improvements are needed. I don't think anyones devotion is in question here just their feelings and all people are entitled to that. |
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Post by thfnick on Feb 10, 2009 19:57:47 GMT 1
I can tell by reading your previous posts on this forum that nothing I've said will make a difference.....did you give Blaze any chance of retaining the league? Or were you this negative about the team from the start? Once the roster was completed I'm on record for predicting a fourth place finish and no silverware. I wasn't impressed with the signings of LeClair, Perras, Kelman and Jamison and said so at the time. I received quite a bit of abuse both on the EIHL forum and THF from Blaze fans. Apparently questioning anything to do with Blaze is heresy. |
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Post by Claret & Blue Army on Feb 10, 2009 20:12:24 GMT 1
Was it Bill Shankly who once said "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser"?
There are only two options Wining or Losing
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Post by Steph Cowley on Feb 10, 2009 20:41:51 GMT 1
I can tell by reading your previous posts on this forum that nothing I've said will make a difference.....did you give Blaze any chance of retaining the league? Or were you this negative about the team from the start? Once the roster was completed I'm on record for predicting a fourth place finish and no silverware. I wasn't impressed with the signings of LeClair, Perras, Kelman and Jamison and said so at the time. I received quite a bit of abuse both on the EIHL forum and THF from Blaze fans. Apparently questioning anything to do with Blaze is heresy. So what's the point in you supporting them? You said before that you think it's a bad season if they finish anything other than 1st, you predicted 4th. i.e. in your opinion this season was always going to be a bad season. |
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Post by Rich on Feb 10, 2009 20:53:34 GMT 1
In fairness Steph I don't think anything that thfnick has said suggest a lack of support for the club, just a lack of confidence in the current group of players. I'm sure he would love them to prove him wrong though.
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Post by thfnick on Feb 10, 2009 22:49:26 GMT 1
Once the roster was completed I'm on record for predicting a fourth place finish and no silverware. I wasn't impressed with the signings of LeClair, Perras, Kelman and Jamison and said so at the time. I received quite a bit of abuse both on the EIHL forum and THF from Blaze fans. Apparently questioning anything to do with Blaze is heresy. So what's the point in you supporting them? You said before that you think it's a bad season if they finish anything other than 1st, you predicted 4th. i.e. in your opinion this season was always going to be a bad season. I wasn't aware that being a supporter meant that you had to have no opinion of your own. |
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Post by Steph Cowley on Feb 10, 2009 23:00:16 GMT 1
I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, of course you can. I'm saying that you don't seem to care about the team unless they finish 1st. IMO that isn't right, you should support them no matter where they finish in the league and no matter how many wins or losses they have in a season. You should be happy they are going to finish at least 4th, probably 2nd, and still a slim chance of 1st.
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Post by thfnick on Feb 11, 2009 8:42:03 GMT 1
I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, of course you can. I'm saying that you don't seem to care about the team unless they finish 1st. IMO that isn't right, you should support them no matter where they finish in the league and no matter how many wins or losses they have in a season. . Are you saying that to be a supporter and to care about your club you should follow it blindly, defend every decision it makes no matter how poor, be happy with losing and delighted at failing to retain your title? It sounds to me that a true fan to you is a happy clapper and you look down on others fans with disdain becuase you feel that you are a superior fan? Perhaps your £15 is a better £15 than mine? Perhaps you should respect the fact that people feel differently about certain things and respect their right to do so. I'm sure you wouldn't be overly happy if I started to tell you how to feel!? |
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