A Fan Base Divided:
It’s been a tumultuous off season for Edmonton Oilers fans. Peter Chiarelli was brought in last year to change the face of the club and attempt to reshape the team into a winner. Whether you like his moves or hate them, he’s certainly not gunshy and has dramatically transformed the roster since taking over. The summer and preseason saw fan favorites Nail Yakupov and Taylor Hall moved, and these two trades may have split the fanbase more than any others in the last 20 years.
With Chiarelli’s “bold moves” comes ample amounts of both criticism and praise. On the one hand, you have fans who are openly critical of many of management’s decisions, and on the other hand you have those who feel that Chiarelli can do no wrong. The majority of Oiler fans likely lie somewhere in the middle. The problem is that a very public, and often personal, war of words has broken out on social media between the two former groups.
Oilers fans are a special breed in the NHL. Vocal, extremely passionate, and often lauded as “the smartest fans in the league” (largely by our own media), hockey in Edmonton is sacred. No matter which of the aforementioned groups you might fall into, chances are if you’re an oiler fan; you have an opinion on the current state of the team that you aren’t afraid to share with others.
Internet Fights
There is of course no harm in disagreement. Whether you loved the Hall trade or hated it, there is someone out there who isn’t going to agree with your opinion. The same applies for any number of subjects involving the Oilers. From the Yakupov situation to the goaltending, from Kris Russell to Milan Lucic – nobody is going to agree on everything 100% of the time. Perhaps the only issue fans might be united on completely is Connor McDavid. Where I get miffed, though, is when fans decide that any sort of dissenting opinion constitutes “negativity”, and is deserving of censorship.
When it comes to NHL teams, if there is one team in the league that should not be immune to scrutiny, it’s the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers tied a league record held by the Florida Panthers last season for most years out of the playoffs. There is a very real possibility that they will break that record. With a constant carousel of coaches, GM’s, 1st overall picks, players, and support staff; Edmonton has run out of excuses, and it’s time for the team to show results. After such a dismal record over the last decade, it’s only natural that fans will want to see tangible progress, and criticism should be expected in ample amounts. Anyone who is demanding eternal optimism from this fan base after so much misery is living in a fantasy.
The optimists among us will say that the team needs time, and that it is unfair to write the season off before we’ve even hit the 20 game mark. They are 100% correct. It IS too early to write the Oilers off, or to throw in the towel, and a lot can happen in this league over an 82 game schedule. However, just because we’re only one game into the regular season doesn’t somehow immunize Oilers management from criticism. Controversial trades aside, the Oilers missed out on Kris Versteeg (who took a contract with the Flames) and failed to shore up their right wing depth at all with what could have been an easy waiver claim. Inaction when the door is wide open to improve the team for free is inexcusable for a club with such a poor track record and pointing out failures like this does not make someone “negative”, it makes them observant.
Eternal Sunshine of the Optimist’s Mind
For those of you who remain eternally optimistic, I salute you. I have no idea how you do it after so many years of ineptitude but my trust in the Oilers was shattered years ago, and until they provide me with actual results I will not give this GM or any other a free pass. Yes, Chiarelli has only been in the captain’s chair for a year, but not all of his transactions have been home runs, and given the fact we live in a free country, I will exercise my right to point it out if and when I please.
Social media is a double edged sword. On the one hand it gives us a platform to express ourselves freely and share our thoughts with people around the world. Unfortunately, it seems to have given some (especially lately) the impression that others don’t share that same privilege if they happen to have different opinions.
The great thing about it is that most of these sites give you the ability to insulate yourself against the sometimes uncomfortable reality that not everyone agrees with you. If you don’t like someone’s opinions, you’re free to block them, mute them, or just ignore them. One thing you shouldn’t consider yourself entitled to do is to tell others how they should and shouldn’t think. It’s the internet, so you’re free to do so, but when you become the thought police you’re only making yourself look bad in the end.
The worst of this comes out on twitter, where some people have taken it upon themselves to demean and degrade others for their hockey opinions. We can all get riled up over the sport we love, and sometimes we say things we later regret (I’m just as guilty of it as the next person). But when people start subtweeting others and bashing them, that is cowardice. If you want to have a debate with someone or call someone out for disagreeing with you, be my guest, but have the character to do it in a manner that allows them the opportunity to respond.
If you wish to live in a bubble where everything is wonderful and the Edmonton Oilers can do no wrong, it’s your right to do it and social media apps have given you the tools to do so. Just don’t tell me how to think or brand me as being “negative” because I don’t live in the same bubble you do.
Big Brother is Watching
Imagine a world where everyone agreed with you 100% of the time, and no matter how terrible things were, you couldn’t say anything critical without being branded “negative”. Doesn’t sound like much fun to me. Are we on Oilers Twitter or living in George Orwell’s 1984?
Look, I get it. I really do. People are tired of losing. They’re tired of all the B.S, and there really are things to be optimistic about in Edmonton. A new arena. Connor McDavid. An actual defense core that belongs in the NHL. But pointing out that there are still issues with this team shouldn’t be considered “negative” after so many years in the basement. It should be considered common sense. If the free expression of ideas bothers you so much, maybe the internet isn’t the place for you?
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