The Logo
April 13, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles
Bill Parcells once said (and I’m paraphrasing) “They’re not rooting for us, they’re rooting for the jersey.”
Parcells who is a Jersey guy and who began his head-coaching career in the NFL in the early eighties with the New York Giants, knows about fan loyalty and its opposite. No crowd is tougher than a New York football crowd (yes, I’m aware of Celtic and Philadelphia Eagle crowds).
Being a fan is part of the culture of New York. Perhaps like no other city in North America.
But Parcells was talking about a phenomena that isn’t always apparent. Many fans will cool towards a player when he leaves the local team.
It’s the jersey that’s important. It’s why legends can walk away from the game and stadia and arenas don’t crumble to the ground.
There is always next season.
For many, many seasons my view was with us or against us. The same attitude. Even when my first sports idol, Guy Lafleur retired and then reappeared four years later with the New York Rangers, there was no way I was going to switch allegiance to the Rangers.
Lafleur appeared in the Montreal Forum that season and I think most fans, certainly myself, wanted Lafleur to do well. The ideal scenario? Let’s hope Lafleur scores but Montreal wins.
We got what we wanted that night. Lafleur scored twice but the Canadiens won the game, 6-4.
I share this because in recent years I realise that it is harder to bid adieu and let a player fade into obscurity with his new club.
Yes, my loyalty to the jersey is still there. That hasn’t changed. But where I would soon forget the Shutts, the Herrons, the Robinsons (gasp!) and not keep up with their exploits, sometimes even resenting them if they blocked Montreal’s path, I find these days it’s different.
These days we watch far more games. In the seventies, in Quebec, only one game was available per week. The odd time, we might get a second.
I think in my case, I feel more familiar with the players. As such it’s harder to say goodbye.
Thankfully, with the internet and the cable sports packages, we can keep up with our favourites even if they move on.
Perhaps this feeling is more than just familiarity. Maybe I’m just more and more prone to becoming a weeping shambles in general.
Age has mellowed me and I am far more sentimental and sensitive to things. Yes, we don’t know these guys personally. But in watching closely we get a glimpse. In listening (to interviews and such) we get an idea.
We fancy we know a bit more about the dudes skating around Bell Central. It’s inevitable.
That said, if Michael Ryder scores a few goals on us in the upcoming series, I’ll be happy. But I’ll be even happier if the Red jersey team wins.
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