Grypho

Actually, it was nothing more than a simple attempt at humor. Some of the fanbase saw it that way, took it as good-naturedly as I intended it, and said so publicly. Others did not, and rebuked instead. I can most definitely live with that, both the compliments and the rebukes. I never aim to please everyone, and I don't see common courtesy and respect in terms of walking on eggshells. For anyone. In addition, if Matt wants to open up a "Photoshop Niceties" thread, I would be happy to create nice, thread-appropriate stuff for that as well. For that matter, if someone had an idea for a pic that skewered the Sharks in some way (even one that takes pot shots at the fan base), I wouldn't have a problem tackling it, if I thought the idea was good enough. Humor cuts in all directions. No sacred cows here.

Cheers, both. It was fun to make. Dusted off from last year: (I promise not to dredge them all up)

I have thought about this a lot, and wanted to chime in with just my thoughts as well, from the perspective of an expat with residence in China. It bothers me when other foreigners (from all over the world) come to China and act like "patriotic" assholes, complaining about China, and mistreating the Chinese, without an ounce of diplomacy or respect - forgetting that they are foreigners. It really pisses me off, because these same assholes are the very types that would not tolerate this kind of clueless arrogance in their own countries. Other teams' fans are just like foreigners. Guests in someone's house. You can't prevent "the loyal opposition" foreigners from visiting, of course, just as fans from other teams are free to visit other arenas. But I think other team's fans have a common sense requirement to expect and respect that this is HOME to Wings fans, where you alone get to be "patriotic homers" with impunity - just as it is vice versa at their home sites. They don't get have the same license to react with offense to any homer's anger and venting, or to vent in exactly the same way in reverse, as if this was just some neutral free for all web site. It's not. It is Wings territory, first and foremost, and we are not "all in it together". All said, I think a double standard must be employed. A Wings fan can freely be "ugly" about other teams (without being ugly to other teams' fans). If another team's fan wants to be "ugly" about the Wings, however, they can vent that s*** on their own team's site - or be "deported", if you find that they "just don't get it".

I had the same thought! "Now why would a web site be post- AGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Yeah, I signed up yesterday, but no posting privs yet. Hope I'm not taking penalty for being a Sharks fan that usually feels more at home on a Wings board!

OK, following is definitely the most fun one I've put together so far.

Oh, that was bad. And funny. But obviously selective, with lots of time given to the same few people Ken found who obviously knew nothing. Santana row is a popular nightclub strip in San Jose, nowhere near the HP Pavilion. Going there to ask random people about hockey is kind of like going to Fisherman's Wharf in SF and asking people there about the Financial District. There was a similar video that circulated around the internet, trying to show how ignorant "Americans" (as in, anyone selectively included in the video that was somehow a sample of the whole) knew nothing whatsoever about geography, geopolitics, etc., -- effective, too...until similar videos surfaced showing the same (again, selectively edited) ignorance from England and elsewhere across the great divide. I could make a similar video in Hockeytown. Now that would be embarrassing! Just keep interviewing people in Detroit until I find some ignorant nitwits who are full of confidence, proud of the Wings, etc., but know essentially nothing about hockey.

Cheers, couldn't resist!

Too funny, I'd be cursing and saying the same thing if it had happened in reverse. The only ESPN staff I DO NOT want predicting a win for my team EVER is Barry Melrose! I swear that guy is a jinx! SO glad he snubbed us this year. The only one who "favored" the Sharks from ESPN this round was Matthew Barnaby, and that was only with a Sharks win in Game 7. Matthew Barnaby : Sharks in 7 John Buccigross: Wings 7 Scott Burnside: Wings in 6 Linda Cohn: Wings in 7 E.J. Hradek: Wings in 6 Pierre LeBrun: Wings in 7 Steve Levy: Wings in 7 Barry Melrose: Wings in 6 Any team that goes to game 7 has an equal chance, statistically, of winning the series. The Hawks could just as easily have beaten the Nucks, and took their series with a single lucky bounce. So predicting a game 7 winner, to me, is just like flipping a coin, or throwing your hands in the air, but indicating an ever-so-slight edge to the predicted winner. Five out of eight from ESPN predicted our series would go 7 games. Three of them predicted 6, and nobody predicted a series closeout in 5. They are all staying on the safe side, including Barnaby - most citing the basic fundamentals of the last series for each team. I take that as three who actually favored the Wings, and five who said, "I have no idea, so I'll go by the last series for each and let that decide for me". If I took anything from the above, it would be a lot of encouragement, knowing that all teams can adjust quite rapidly in the playoffs, and that series dynamics don't always transfer and follow from one round to the next.

I'm looking around and thus far seeing nothing but predictions favoring the Wings. To me that's predictable - the Wings swept the Yotes, and the Sharks had trouble with a "Kopitar-less" Kings. Ergo, knee-jerk, the Wings will beat the Sharks. Excerpt: Brandon Bibb: Considering the teams I root for, this is a battle between the lesser of two evils. I revel in any Red Wings failure. Red Wings in 5. Pat Iversen: Detroit is well-rested (though not completely healthy)...but the grizzled Wings will find a way... Detroit in seven. Taylor Baird: ...the Red Wings came in and torched the Coyotes...San Jose faced a Kopitar-less Kings team who still managed to put quite a few goals in past Antti Niemi. Detroit in 6. Art Middleton: Nice try Sharks, but I'm not falling for it...the fact remains that you are in fact the San Jose Sharks and thus can't be trusted in the playoffs ever. Detroit on the other hand is a team you should never pick against or count out in the playoffs and the fact that they've had such a long break to rest and regroup doesn't bode well for the Sharks. Red Wings in 6 Brandon Worley: The Sharks have spent the past decade displaying nothing but disappointment in the postseason and there's never been a good answer as to exactly why they can't move closer to the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings, especially with some time to get healthy, just present too many problems for the Sharks to move any closer this time around. Red Wings in 6. That's just one page, of course. I like it, actually, because I see a lot of apples-to-oranges trend following, and also because it takes the spotlight of expectations off the Sharks, who get to play underdog (in some people's minds). I don't see anyone counting the Wings out. That is always a mistake (as well as good for the Wings if they hear about it). I'd rather the counting-out shoe be on the other foot.

True 'nuff, only scoring does that.

Aw, what the hell...

Actually, that was takeout. I've never heard of a waiter serving a bucket of wings. BUT...the waiters you mentioned have never let us down before, and I don't see any signs of them starting to this year. Don't be arrogant or cheap. Even in bad times, be sure to tip your waiter!

Looking forward to it!

I think that pretty much it said it all in a nutshell, and a big part of what will determine the outcome of the series. Force (or wait for) mistakes and capitalize on them. For the Sharks, it's a contagious spiral effect, and the biggest "OH s***" factor. The dumber the mistakes, the quicker the wheels fall off.

FYI, Matt, from the entry page on the site, it takes you to a page where Chicago is shown playing Vancouver in the Second Round. Had to come to this thread to get the right one.

Countries do it, the military does it. Get your sentence there, come back home to face another possible sentence. I think it's the right thing to do for the reason stated, as it takes away the incentive for anyone who wants to retaliate, and removes their feeling that they can be ass "out there", but enjoy immunity "here". It also acknowledges the fact that you are "representing" any forum for which you are a base member. Keep that garden weeded, baby - take out all the rubbish, regularly and often, of which the internet already has far too much anyway, and make room for decent people who don't have time or need for that crap.

All of my images were through imageshack, but you don't "upload" it. LGW isn't there to store images on its server, that's what imageshack is for. Instead, you put the "Direct Link" URL from imageshack into img codes, like this: [img=http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/603/yeoldelaurels.jpg]

Oops, forgot one more thing. If you want to best the Sharks, invest in some diving lessons, for f***'s sake. Yet another way to exploit that weak Sharks PK. And B grade Osgood style acting won't cut it, either. And don't let your bad divers even make the attempt. If it's not at least Setoguchi-class, academy-worthy diving, you're going to get called on it. Worse yet, it will make it all the more boy-who-cried-wolf harder on anyone else who makes the attempt. Sorry, couldn't resist!

Referring to my statement that I had hoped for a Sharks/Wings WCF instead of a repeat of last year: So, in other words, "They are too detested and disrespected to be worthy of being called a rival."? Sounds like so much hyperbole to me. I think there is enough playoff history between the two teams, and enough sentiment expressed just on this board, to call it a bona fide playoff rivalry, without requiring that Wings fans "care" about the Sharks, or even respect them as a team. I don't think most Wings fan "care" about the Hawks or the Preds either, but that doesn't mean there's no rivalry with these teams. Caring would be only something I feel - just me - about both teams, as a Wings fan, second only to the Sharks. I get the fact that many Wings fans see the Sharks as "a gang of whining divers", and that some actually "hate" the Sharks (as stated many times on the boards, for whatever their reasons). I accept that, no sweat here, it doesn't affect how I feel about either team. But "hate", not "care" is the word usually reserved for rivals.