LA Kings Bangwagon Thread - LA sports fans

larryallen73

I am not in LA as I was in '93. The bandwagon that year was HUGE. Everybody became a hockey fan that year. One friend in LA suggested it was because the Lakers missed the playoffs that year (the only year in modern time I think) so is not as big this year. Plus they had Gretzky on the team that year. Though there have always been hardcore hockey fans in LA it's a small group. Curious how the bandwagon is this year? I am on it, up north, but curious how it is back home. I love LA but it really is a horrible sports town in terms of the fans.

WTCG

I was in SoCal most of last week and I couldn't believe how many impromptu Kings fans I saw. It was only in 2006 when the Ducks won the cup that SoCal finally learned they had a hockey team. This year they've learned they have two area hockey teams. Is this year's bandwagon bigger or smaller than that 2006 version? I can't say for sure but there are definitely more fans now than there we're a month ago.

As a fair-weather San Jose Sharks fan myself (best friend is a hard core true Sharks fan), I'm actually cheering for the Kings to win this series. If they do it'll give the Sharks fans more justification to feel snake-bitten about the team.

57loaded

<< <i>As a fair-weather San Jose Sharks fan myself (best friend is a hard core true Sharks fan), I'm actually cheering for the Kings to win this series. If they do it'll give the Sharks fans more justification to feel snake-bitten about the team. >>



i am borderline die-hard Sharks fan. i'm not a "puck bunny" lol

anyway the Kings are playing great hockey. a few players are over the rail and Quick is on his head. having Sutter as coach is a bonus.

it's just the "Go Kings Go" is nails across a chalkboard to me.

hey BTW the Devils use a similar goal /song chant as Sharks (Rock and Roll 2)

IMO the Sharks need to grow some new ones. it seems many have truned into geldings.

benderbroeth

i dont usually root for L.A. but when i do it's not the lakers...GO KINGS!!!

Tabe

<< <i>Hey BTW the Devils use a similar goal /song chant as Sharks (Rock and Roll 2) >>


You'd think teams would have stopped using that song considering who performs it:

Gary Glitter

Tabe

larryallen73

Let's get it done Kings!

itzagoner

it's nice to see them do so well, although, i readily admit that i've taken a greater interest in this year's team only recently and learned the names of some players.

they have been a pleasure to watch because they are playing a winning style of hockey, so this is nothing like '93.

i was on the bandwagon long before the Gretzky madness began, in fact, i jumped on in 1967. GO KINGS GO! win it tonight.

btw, for any who care to hear it, i'll share a story i love to tell, BECAUSE i attended every playoff game that fateful year.....the seats i was able to acquire from a season seat holder i knew was awesome, first row loge section, directly behind what used to be a small capacity private seating box, which was being occupied by celebrities and the like, so we had a good time schmoozing with whomever was there that night.....well, for Game 6 vs. the Leafs, which was a do-or-die game for the conference title, the private box was used by some pretty high ranking NHL dignitaries, who escorted guests and wives into their seats just as the anthems were dying down and the crowd was out of their minds, they were about to drop the puck and the digs in front of us were still standing and we couldn't see the players at center ice, so my buddy, the season seat holder, hollered at the guy in front him to "SIT THE F%$K DOWN!!!!!!"



so, the gentleman turned around, smirked, and nodded at us. then, he sat down.

it was Gary Bettman. the commissioner. of the league.

OMG.

bigdcards

<< <i>I love LA but it really is a horrible sports town in terms of the fans. >>



Yawn

57loaded

<< <i>

it was Gary Bettman. the commissioner. of the league.

OMG. >>



he does get booed often if not all the time he appears, but you gotta love those LA bourgeoisie fans.

itzagoner

larryallen73

Go kings!

57loaded

i'm happy for Sutter and GM Lombardi as well.

they were both at SJ at the same time and i remember Lombardi was blamed for everything that went wrong...

WTCG

<< <i>i'm happy for Sutter and GM Lombardi as well.

they were both at SJ at the same time and i remember Lombardi was blamed for everything that went wrong... >>



I think a lot of Sharks fans are convinced the HP Pavillion was built on top of an old burial ground. It's not the coaches or management and the players are great on paper and during the regular season but when the playoffs come it's inexplicable.

57loaded

<< <i>

<< <i>i'm happy for Sutter and GM Lombardi as well.

they were both at SJ at the same time and i remember Lombardi was blamed for everything that went wrong... >>



I think a lot of Sharks fans are convinced the HP Pavillion was built on top of an old burial ground. It's not the coaches or management and the players are great on paper and during the regular season but when the playoffs come it's inexplicable. >>



since Jamison left, i'm pretty sure there is no CEO or Pres.

just a commitee.

a couple of the majority owners know squat about hockey so expect nothing unusual like blowing up the team. butts need to fill the tank and a blow-up rebuild would crater attendance

Here are your Sad Jose Sharks!

WTCG

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>i'm happy for Sutter and GM Lombardi as well.

they were both at SJ at the same time and i remember Lombardi was blamed for everything that went wrong... >>



I think a lot of Sharks fans are convinced the HP Pavillion was built on top of an old burial ground. It's not the coaches or management and the players are great on paper and during the regular season but when the playoffs come it's inexplicable. >>



since Jamison left, i'm pretty sure there is no CEO or Pres.

just a commitee.

a couple of the majority owners know squat about hockey so expect nothing unusual like blowing up the team. butts need to fill the tank and a blow-up rebuild would crater attendance

Here are your Sad Jose Sharks! >>



Mark Purdy at the Merc wrote a pretty good article about this a month ago. In essence he stated that given the aging veterans and the inability to advance in the playoffs this would be a good time to blow up and rebuild the team centered on new prospective talent and youngsters like Logan Couture. It would result in at least three or four losing seasons but in the long run things could pan out. The problem is that San Jose isn't Canada where people watch hockey because they love hockey so one (or half of a) bad season will gut attendance beyond repair. In 2003, the only year the Sharks didn't make the playoffs, season ticket sales subsequently dropped by nearly half. So in the name of financial interest the ownership is probably content with fielding a a weak playoff caliber team with no legitimate chance at winning the cup as a method to keep the team in financial black.

I agree with him.