An Open To Letter To Oilers Fans

Back in November, I wrote an open letter to the Edmonton Oilers organization about how enough was enough. The message in that letter still stands, this team must do things to improve, and must show signs next season. This group absolutely must find a way to compete for a post-season spot next season, there is no doubting that. Failure to do so should result in lost jobs, from Lowe down.

Today I am writing another letter, but not to the organization, rather to the fans of this team. Oilers fans are a great bunch, no doubt. They provide the best atmosphere in the playoffs, evident by 2006, and have stuck with this team through one of the worst stretches in NHL history by a single team. These fans are die-hard fans, no doubt.

That being said, I have a massive problem with a group of my fellows fans, or rather ‘fans’, of this hockey club. I take you back to December of 2013, when the Oilers were blasted by the St. Louis Blues in a completely embarrassing fashion. The team completely quit, and was rolled over by a much better team.

A fan at the end of that game threw his jersey onto the ice in a display of disgust. I had no problem with it, in fact I kind of liked the gesture. It sent a clear cut message to Craig MacTavish and others, saying that enough is enough, we are pissed off, and rightfully so. It caught people’s eyes, and brought attention to the pathetic state of the Oilers. It was a powerful gesture in a very, very dark time.

Throughout the remainder of the season, we saw this act occur many more times, and needless to say it got really old, really quickly. It happened on opening night (!) this season, and made us look like a bunch of attention seeking fools. Then Friday, February 20th happened. This might be the lowest point for the fans of the organization.

The following quotes are from @mike01_john on twitter, as he describes the latest jersey tossing incident in conversation with TSN 1260’s Jason Gregor.

@JasonGregor I was section 118 row 10. I had an isle seat. He came down from another section I think with his son.

@JasonGregor poor kid was hanging on to his jersey for dear life. His dad ripped it out of his hands and threw it. Felt sorry for the kid.

@JasonGregor I got some of that beer that was thrown all over my coat. I can’t get over the stupidity of some people.

This is beyond disturbing, it’s flat out disgusting and unacceptable. It’s a completely pathetic display of “fanhood”, and an even worse display of fatherhood. I’m not going to sit here and tell people how they should raise their kids, hell I’m only 20, but this is just flat out wrong. Even a young basically still kid like myself knows that. It is wrong, it is disgusting.

I feel badly for the kid, who was mortified by the stupidity of his father, who I believe should be banned from Rexall Place for a length of time to get his priorities straightened out.

Now, onto the jersey tossing, enough is enough people. It was done once, it had meaning then, now it is nothing more than an attention seeking move, a way to get yourself on the news. It looks stupid, and it makes every fan look bad.

I live in the Boston market, and I can tell you that they see this and laugh at Oiler fans, and I know that Boston isn’t the only market that looks at it and says it’s beyond stupid. People think it looks bad, and as a result think the entire fanbase is a joke.

A few idiots have made this fanbase look pretty bad within the last 14 months. Personally, I’m sick of it, it needs to stop, and it needs to stop right now.

The Oilers are 10-11-3 in their games under Todd Nelson, and are playing much, much better even without keys players like Taylor Hall, Benoit Pouliot and Jeff Petry for stretches. That says something doesn’t it? Small improvements have been made, and there are likely more to come.

I’m calling on all Oiler fans to cut the crap, and cut it right now. That jersey, the logo, it is sacred. Don’t toss it on the ice because you can’t handle a loss. It’s an overused, and quite frankly unoriginal attempt at sending a message. It is just a pure disrespect towards the logo.

Yes, I know, this team isn’t very good, but there are other ways, more powerful ways, to show your displeasure towards the team. One of those ways? Just don’t go to the games. You’ll save yourself some money and won’t look like a fool tossing your jersey on the ice.

The first time, it meant something. Since then? We just look like a bunch of people only here to blast the team that we love. It doesn’t look good Edmonton, and it’s starting to really aggravate myself and many others. Knock it off, stop throwing jerseys.