Yesterday, in my micro-recap, bullet points post about the Avs 5-4 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames, I wrote this:
Ryan Smyth got something similar to a hat trick, only it wasn’t. Smyth got 2 goals in the game, and a shootout goal, which does not count. So, what do you call that? A not-trick? Before anyone deems the act stupid, the fans at Le Can were looking for some kind of release from the tense third and overtime periods, and threw hats for the not-trick. They are not dumb, just having a good time.
I edited that for two typos, but that’s what I said. I put it out there more towards the fans who like to take potshots at fans in other cities, the ones who get snarky at the slightest breach of hockey etiquette. You know, the ones who say there are only two fans in Denver, and all that smack talk. I did not expect the hear about it from an Avs blogger, much less one who works for the Denver Post. From Adrian Dater, and his All Things Avs blog:
A lot of Avalanche fans lost their hats for nothing the other night.
When Ryan Smyth scored in the shootout, hats rained onto the Pepsi Center ice, but they shouldn’t have.C’mon now, Avs fans - you knew that goals scored in a shootout don’t count toward a player’s official overall goal stats. Right?
Do we have to ride our own fans into the ground? I’m sure Dater means it all in jest, but if you can’t understand why someone would commit such an unhockey crime, you need to get out more. Hell, it was probably pretty funny to a bunch of the fans who threw their hats on the ice that night. I can imagine the conversation in the stands. “Sure, I know it’s not a hat trick, but hey, their my Avs.”
Dater isn’t done:
To that point, Smyth had been credited with two goals, and his shootout goal was the one that sealed the shootout win over the Flames. After the game, they even took away a Smyth regulation goal and gave it to Marek Svatos. So, even those fans that want to say, “well, he put three pucks in the net that night, I’m still glad I threw my $25 Avs cap onto the ice” can’t even feel that satisfaction anymore.
No, they can’t, Mr. Grinch.
So, now you know. If it happens again, I’m going to put you all into the box for two minutes, for failure to read the rule books.
Man, that was just harsh and unnecessary. But, that could be a great giveaway, a rule book for the first 10,000 fans in the door. So, I have a proposal for Mr. Dater. The next time he feels the compulsion to write a sharp tongued blog post about the fans at Le Can, he should spend one game in my box, namely Sobo 151, the great Czech hockey bar. There he can have a beer or five, eat some Czech garlic dip (which is awesome), and see a game with some true fans of the sport. He can get away from the stuffy confines of the press box, and let loose, allow himself to be a fan for a night, and maybe, just maybe, enjoy a hockey game. You never know, it could be infectious.
“They are not dumb, just having a good time.”
There will be no fun at hockey games as bylaw of rule 801.b-2 in section 104.a of the NHL rulebook.
Hadn’t you heard?
But yeah, I chuckled when I saw it happen but didn’t make anything big of it. The Sportsnet announcers jumped on it and said “And you wonder why hockey isn’t popular in America”.
I guess it’s not popular b/c people enjoy it? Sure makes a lot of sense *rolls eyes*
Thanks for calling out Mr Dater. He is getting a biy stuffy!
Garlic dip? Sounds good to me. Where is this bar?
Not sure what is going on with Dater. His attitude seems to have changed a bit over the last year or so. He makes it a point to talk about being detached from the game (which I respect…I want honest reporting and not homerism) and not being a fan of the AVs yet he still finds the time to take AVs fans to task over what he considers slights to the game (throwing hats out on the ice after a goal scored in the shoot-out?) While talking about this I must ask….didn’t Dater’s first story on the AVs v. Flames also say that Ryan had two goals? The last time that story was updated was at 12:24 on 10.17….what changes exactly where made to that article? I understand he had a publishing dead-line to make and that the change most likely happened after he submitted his article…but still…
I’ve just kinda figured he’s been feeling a crunch in his line of work because more and more fans are turning to blogs and boards for hockey information and that probably means a loss of revenue at some point for sports writers with a local paper.
I’m not a Dater-hater, but outside of his book on the great rivalry between the AVs and Wings, I’m not a big supporter of him either. Most of his articles carry themes if not complete thoughts that have been discussed previously on boards around the internet hours, if not days, before his stories hit the market.
As a hockey addict…why would I wait to hear what he has to say, when I have so many opportunities to discuss and debate in real-time the game that I love?
If anything, the internet is probably going to bring about the demise of a sports beat-writer because of the immediacy (sp?…spelling has never been my strong suit…Dater has a leg up on me here) it offers. The only new thing sports writers seem to be able to offer are “quotes” from the locker-room…but as more teams own their own broadcast networks (like Altitude) even those quotes are given to fans right after a game more likely than not…There is no need to wait until the next morning to read them.
I don’t want to call him a dinosauer…but geez….I wouldn’t want his job either. Not because it wouldn’t be fun to fly with the team and report on them, but I just don’t think there is good job security there. It’s a fine gig if you can get it, but by all means, make sure you have another option available to you in the future.
Also, as a word of advice to Dater, if I might be so bold….don’t berate they folks who are most likely to be reading your columns. Keep that crap up, and it might be your last column.
Oh yeah….Garlic dip sounds great to me too….What do they serve it with? Chips or some kinda flat bread?
Adrian - Wait a minute. You live in Denver, cover hockey, and have never been to or know about Sobo 151? It’s the best hockey bar in Denver, where everything else will take a backseat to an Avs game (as it should be). It’s located at 151 South Broadway. Have a Czechvar, if you enjoy good beer.
Mike - (whispers) dude, he’s right there.
The garlic dip is served with lightly toasted bread, like a french bread. It is mostly cheese and garlic, served cold, and wonderful stuff. When drank with a Czechvar, which they have on tap, you will want to stay there forever.
The blogging universe is definitely a threat to the print media. Otherwise, why would papers start blogs? But I have a whole post cooking in my head about the MSM and blogs and all that.
Dang i drive passed that bar all the time iam will have to stop in and watch a game sometime and adrian it’s about alameda and broadway.