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Why do people think that being a fan and being critical are mutually exclusive concepts? If those who didn't get angry when the team plays like s*** didn't care about the team, they wouldn't get angry.

I started rooting for the Wings because they were the team that won the Stanley Cup the first year I started watching hockey. If that makes me a bandwaggoner, so be it. Oh yeah the Cup I saw them win was in 1955 so I guess that makes me a Connestoga waggoner. No matter how bad the posters of today think they are, they are by FAR better than the dead wings era.

Grew up listening to the RW on the radio. I live in the Grand Rapids area and hockey wasn't on TV and going to a game was to far most of the time. Those of us in Michigan have been spoiled by some truely great radio men over the years: Bruce Martyn, Ernie Harwell, Ufer, etc..... Hockey was almost dead in GR at that point. IIRC the greater grand rapids area was down to 2-3 sheets of ice in all of kent and ottawa counties. It was the radio and the Red Wings that kept the game alive untill PASS started in the mid/late 80's. Yes some of us remember when there was no cable TV. As for the questions in the OP. Many of us have been fans for far longer than any player has played for the team, coach has coached the team, or even owner has owned the team. Like I said, fan since the 70's (was born in 69). I have cheered and cried a lot with the Wings. But that is the point. I cheer for the Wings. The pieces change, but the Wings are eternal.

You told us so? The guy hasn't played all year, he has barely skated all year and you are the guru that told us so?

50 / 50

He'll sort his s*** out. A full offseason of workouts and training camp will do wonders for him. He's basically had to make it up as he goes. He's seen the league now and knows what it's all about. Count on him to be stockier and more consistent next season.

I'm with the others saying you can't judge Brunner by this season. Next year is going to be crazy different. Also don't care if he is skinny, Gretzky was skinny. Haha no comparison between the two, Brunner can put on weight though so I'm not worried about that.

During the course of this season there have been several posters who have criticized this team's Coach, GM, Owner and all of the players (if not most of them). So, it got me to wondering: Why do you cheer for the Red Wings? For me, I cheer for this team because of the character of the organization. From Illitch to Holland to Babcock and all the players. There is something about the members of the organization that seems to come across as competitive, yet humble. We have had some great players and some great success, and now in facing adversity, the players, Babcock, Holland and Illitch all seem to still be focused on winning. So why do you root for the Red Wings?

I hope we get all of the players we control signed and playing in the minors by next season. We have 2 minor league teams-46 roster positions, fill them up! Let's find out what we truely have/don't have. If all these guys are signed, then you can start building some line combo's so they can develop together.

I can't put a percentage on it, but something deep inside me believes he'll stay for another year or so. I don't know. I plan on doing some heavy duty groveling at training camp.

I just wonder what the excuses will be if he tanks next year too (if we sign him). I can see it now, "It's his first full season, the workouts, the preseason, training camp, playing original six teams..he's tired and needs to adjust" blah blah blah. Good players show up. Bottom line.

I'm all for Eaves getting more playing time. Don't understand why he's the odd man out lately. I think he's starting to look better after being out for such a long time.

No matter whether he stays or goes - those jerseys are an encapsulation in time due to their very nature. Any player's jersey that you get will be representative of that one particular game.

Haha. I love it when people label pessimism as "realism." Anyway, you're wrong; back problems that don't require surgical intervention are often completely recoverable.

But strangely satisfying.

Regardless of whether he stays or leaves, he will always remain a Red Wings legend. People still wear Howe and Yzerman jerseys. They'll be wearing Datsyuk jerseys for decades to come too.

I love this. If their game turns around they have him to thank for having the guts to publicly shame his team for their lack of effort. The last paragraph regarding Chicago and Calgary...read up Red Wings.

Eaves has a hell of a shot, I don't know why they don't use him whenever they need a winger for Datsyuk. Helm's absence is really hurting this team. It's like night and day when he's in/out of a game. I was hoping to get him back in time for playoffs. Now I just hope he comes back someday.

Ugh. Thanking the Ducks and Canucks? I feel unclean.

You're definitely right on the first part, I had that lineup wrong. Thanks for the correction. As for the rest, I'm not necessarily sure that I need you to pontificate about handling adversity. I don't think a losing sports team is any "adversity" at all. It's a sport. I do, however, watch sports to see the team win championships, if I wanted to see a team compete moderately successfully just for the sake of participation, I'd go watch High School sports. We're talking about a professional sports team I pay good money to see win, there are no participation trophies. And when I see that team get further and further away from that goal with every passing season I begin to formulate theories to explain why. Furthermore, when the same things are (or in this case aren't) being done to address the problem year after year, it becomes pretty obvious what a big part of the problem is. Injuries are a form of adversity. Squandering talent and watching your team get less and less competitive is mismanagement. One I can deal with, the other irritates me.

If Filppula is really looking for around $5 mil, he can walk. 14 points in 32 games? See ya. Cleary has had a solid career since coming here after the lockout, but he is no longer effective. 12 points in 39 games. We need to start getting younger. Cleary needs to go. Bertuzzi and Samuelsson need to go. Both are extremely injury-prone. We need to get younger.

Once again why I with those 3 to name a few were offered 1 year deals. But anyways, I hope you're right. Sammy and Colo have been injured the whole year basically and Colo has been mediocre when he has played. Quincey, we could at least hope to trade to a team like the Oilers or Islanders who are beyond pathetic on D. A way to improve this team is to have a healthy Helm on the team and in no way traded. He's our 3rd/4th line centre until he retires a Wing. How many games have you watched this year? Dude hustles as a constant. He's not so tough, but as I stated in a different thread, he's in his 1st NHL season against big competition and he'll benefit from a summer in an NHL weight room. I wouldn't cast him aside. He'll be retained over Emmerton for sure and would get a spot well above Ferraro and even Sheahan.

He's a younger Samuelsson from 05-06 very good secondary scorer, not quite top line material. With a little more speed, and less strength and defensive responsiblity. His ceiling may be higher, but he's still 27, so not that much time to grow. Excited to have him though, he's a great addition and very good player.

We don't have great scoring depth but our bottom 6 solid, could use some more physical players but guys like miller and andersson are proving to be gems. It is our top lines that are underachieving whether it be Franzen or Filppula simply not producing points or samuelsson and bert constantly injured.