This is a very random posting, but it touches on something that's been really bothering me for a couple days. As you may have heard, the San Jose Sharks were knocked out of the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks earlier this week. This is more newsworthy because the Sharks were the top-ranked team in the Western Conference with the best regular season record in the NHL, and Anaheim was the lowest seed in the West. It's even more newsworthy because this seems to always happen to the Sharks -- a great regular season, but a huge letdown in the playoffs. Mind you, they've been to the Western Conference Finals only once and have never been to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Now, I'm not claiming to be a Sharks fan or even a hockey fan by any means. The night they were knocked out, the Lakers won their first round series against the Jazz. That made me more upset than the Sharks losing did. So you're probably wondering why I'm even bringing this up.
Well after the Sharkies went down, I happened to be on Facebook and was immediately flooded with a bunch of status updates. The majority of them were along the lines of, "Dang, the Sharks lost, but we had a good season. Good job, guys!" I'm not sure I've ever seen quite a group of sad, eternal optimists.
Look, I'm all about holding your head high even in defeat, but this was ridiculous. The ass-kissing fest I saw from Sharks fans was a little absurd. This is the FOURTH straight season that the team has been knocked out early. I don't even watch this team and I know that they have a long history of failure in the playoffs. When it gets to that point that non-fans know your ineptness, that's when it's time to face facts. You can't coddle your team anymore. It's time to get mad because the last few years have been straight up embarrassing.
Sharks fans, here's the deal: you should be pissed off at your team. Another year of failure when the expectations were so high is not a time for conciliatory back pats. It's not a time to say, "Well, maybe next year." It's a time to say, "WTF is going on??" Look, I've been there. I watched the Giants for years struggle with this. They couldn't get out of the first round of the playoffs and it would drive me insane. How could our players not step up? What happened to all the good of the regular season? What the hell is wrong with this team?? CATCH THE BALL, JOSE CRUZ!!!!
A's fans also probably know what I'm talking about. My brother would get pissed as hell every time the A's failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs (which was often, mind you). There just comes a point when getting to the next level isn't enough; you need to actually do something when you get there. When it becomes a pattern of struggle, you can't just think of what a good season it was and be proud of what you accomplished. You need to wake the hell up and realize that this is a serious problem and there's nothing to be proud of.
So Sharks fans, next year when you go to the home opener, and if the team raises a banner honoring their best regular season record for the '08-'09 season, I have a suggestion: boo. That's right. Boo. That thing is worth nothing. NOTHING. It should just serve as a constant reminder of how much this team has failed. So when I watch the highlights on Sportscenter that night (because I'm sure as hell not watching a hockey game on TV), I should hear the Shark Tank filled with loud booing. Kick this team in the butt a little bit. Let your frustrations come out and let them be heard loud and clear. No more encouraging pats on the head and gentle hugs. It's time to be real. If being nice doesn't get the job done, maybe intimidation will.
Anyway, go Sharks.
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