Let's Talk About My Needs

Self-Actualization RuLEz ...

Shall we?  If I may be so bold as to assume the mantle for select college hockey fans around the nation to examine what it is that we (me) need out of our team this season.  When I say select what I mean is that any and all fans of teams that have won something significant can piss off now.  That's right gtfo.  I ain't talking to, about or for you.  Bye ... 

What I think we need (the plethora of college hockey fans who have never experienced the joy of a significant championship) isn't a championship this year.  What I think we need to be satisfied this season ... is a collection of wow moments.  I recently watched the last few minutes of BU's come from behind victory over Miami in the National Championship game a couple of years ago. 

And what really captured my attention was the scene of one particular fan in the stands with a look on his face that I recognized.  It was a look that I cannot remember having on my face for quite some time.  It's that ultimate "Wow ... I'm so fucking happy I just saw that or I wouldn't have believed it possible."  Yes, I cheer for a team that hasn't given me too many of those moments over the years.  In the minds of the fans I chased out of here in the first paragraph that means I'm a loser.  That's why they suck as sports fans.  They don't get it.  It's easy to adopt or cheer for a perennial winner.

But, I support my team because they're my team.  I vicariously live and die with them.  If they lose a close game, I'm disappointed.  If they get blown out in ugly fashion, I die a little.  When they win a well earned victory in a close game, I'm happy.  But I honestly can't remember feeling the way I saw that one BU fan feel.  Well at least since the early 90s.

I'd guess it was the first time that UAA won it's own tournament.  Steve Bogoyevac snagged a puck behind the net and wrapped around a sweet OT goal for the win.  And 6200 people in the Sully shared a moment just like that BU fan I saw.  I remember the feeling ... barely.

Well damnit, I (we) fans of teams that haven't won something in a long fucking time need some of that this year.  There is nobody to look to in order to satiate that need other than the players on our team.

So dearest players; come on ... please.  Give me (us) some of those moments this season.  We (I) really fucking need it.  Never for a second doubt that we don't love you guys.  We do.  But we can love you more.  When you make our heads explode with a great comeback or a dominating win over some elite fucking school ... we love you more.

For us Seawolves fans that means a few things.  It means winning our tournament.  Then it means winning Fairbank's tournament.  Then it means taking no prisoners in the WCHA and winning more games than we lose.  Then it means shutting Fairbanks up with two clean wins over them at the end of the season.  Then it hopefully means getting to the WCHA Final Five and representing well and perhaps getting back to the NCAA's after a long long absence.

For us long suffering fans ... it's just time.  I will not be like some other bandwagon fan and abandon you for greener pastures just because local boy Scotty comes back to play in the ECHL during a strike. I'll be here.  You can (if you choose) suck big time and I'll swallow my pride and keep writing the most positive stuff I can.  Please don't suck though.  It doesn't make my blogger life any easier.

I know players want to win for us fans.  I played sports, I get that.  And I recognize that sometimes the other team is just better.  That's fine too.  What I'm hoping for is something that only fortuitous circumstances can manufacture.  Yeah ... the hockey gods gotta help out here and there for me (we) to have one of those moments.  But as true as that is ... it doesn't happen if 20 guys in the jersey I'm cheering for don't believe in themselves.

If it doesn't turn out that my Seawolves provide those moments this season ... I won't be thrilled.  But maybe just maybe some other school that isn't Minnesota or Wisconsin or DU or UND or Boston College or Boston University or Michigan can give their fans that moment of awe and joy I saw on that dude's face.

I hope my team plays with the cocky fucking arrogance that only a true rebellious underdog can feel.  I hope they get it into their heads that they are better players and even human beings than the opposition team.  Because I already feel that way.  Get some FUCK YOU ALL attitude this year Seawolves players ... and have some of those moments where you get to point up to the scoreboard in response to some privileged draft pick's weak sauce taunt in the corner during a scrum at the end of the game.  You'll like it just as much as we will.

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In some unrelated needs ... I'm pretty down about the traffic on this page in September.  It was almost exactly half of what it was last September.  What the hell?  Did that many folks that were interested bail out on reading my bullshit?  Or are folks just not visiting here 6 times a day anymore?

I need some more people to get enthused enough about this year's team and visit here more often.  I know I'm making an effort to make this place more welcoming.  I've laid off the politics quite a bit.  I've added features (take a look just below the banner pic and you'll see several new sections) like the Fan Forum I installed yesterday.  And I don't F-bomb in every other sentence anymore.

So what the fuck happened?  I dunno ... anyway bookmark this joint and come back multiple times a day eh?  Thanks in advance.

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I need one other thing.  I need an out of town fan to volunteer to moderate the game day chat rooms  on home weekends.  I really hate to stick the out of town fans with the low-rent Chatroll room but I simply cannot run the CoverItLive chat room if I'm at the game.  If someone can step up and do this for me then everyone will get the better chat platform.  If not ... then low rent it will be.

So please, someone volunteer.  Email me and we'll work out the details to get you up to speed.  It isn't complicated ... hell I do it ... so you can too.

That's about it for today.  I'll have some sort of tournament preview by Thursday at the latest.