Why do you like the Red Wings?

[hockeysattva 8]

Its that time of year when I get a bit nostalgic about my favorite team in all sports.

The Red Wings embody an ethic I believe is both remarkable on and off the ice. I came to know it because of a friend of mine who is a huge fan of Russia, and really marvelled at the Russian five... ther are the kind of team that is easy to root for.

What about the rest of you, are you fans, because its the team you grew up watching? or did you go to school with one of the players, or what -- how did you become a fan?

[Possibly my last post here ever, just thought I would leave on a good note.]

[JayUp88 1]

I was born here so I grew up watching them, through the hard times and the good times

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I was 9 years old I believe and growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. At the time there was no NHL team in Ohio. I had been playing hockey but there was little tv coverage and I was young enough that I wasn't really following pro sports alot.

One day, goofing around a Big Lots store my mom bought me an Offical NHL guide and record book for the 86 season. It had Gretzky and Coffey on the cover. I probably read every single inch of that thing a million times. I got to no player names and stats and then I really wanted to find a team to make my own.

The two closest teams to me were the Penguins and the Wings. Even though I was young I was sure of one thing. That nobody from Cleveland roots for anything from s***tsburgh. So I went with the Wings. Still didn't get to watch much of them until many years later but I loved the name. I loved the simplicity of their uniforms and color scheme. I loved Yzerman and eventually Probert and Kocur and they became my team.

Coincidentally, I still have that NHL guide book on a shelf in my office with my other hockey-related books. It's paperback, about 1 inch thick and has tape all along the spine and edges which I must have done 20 years ago. Funny thing is about 6 years ago somebody got me an updated version for x-mas and it's like 5 inches thick now!

[uk_redwing 495]

NHL98 demo on the PC when I was little gave me the choice of a red team (Detroit) and a black team (Philly)

I chose the red team cos I like red...*sigh*

[irishtemper14+25 11]

born in 89 so I grew up watching a stacked team....and what little boy won't fall in love with his hometown team when it has a captain like Stevie. My fav player growing up was Paul Coffey and then Shanahan when Coffey left.

[blikst 1]

Lidstrom.

[hockeysattva 8]

For most of the 80's (living in the South) all I got was the Braves on TBS, and NASCAR on the weekends, and College football. In Alabama I like football, and rooting for Bo Jackson on Auburn Tigers, but watching sports really wasn't my thing.

I moved out to California just a bit before the Great One did, but I always hated him... I just thought he was a cherry-picker and didn't know what the big deal was.

Then Freshman year of college, I started watching with my buddy, and after watching 60 plus regular season games and all the playoffs the Wings won their first cup in a long long time... I was hooked. ...

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Grew up in Arizona with no hockey team, parents from Kalamazoo and hockey fans. For some reason I adopted the Lions too.

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

My stories a little longer.

My sister is 8 years older than me. She met her husband when I was 14 years old. Jeff's from Michigan originally. He's a huge, huge wings and hockey fan. During the past 22 years he's been like a brother to me, moreso than my own brother has been.

I've watched them through good and bad and I have to say I love the organization and the players and what they symbolize. It's definitely kept me going over the years and they have gotten me through some tough times.

My first trip to the Joe was in 2004 with my brother in law and sister for one of Jeff's nieces wedding. It was amazing. I cried as we approached the entrance. The guy on the bus with us was like "Wow first timer." I said most definitely. We won that game it was Game 5 against the Preds.

I took my brother in law to Yzerman's retirement ceremony for introducing me to the Red Wings. If it hadn't been for him, I would've missed some pretty amazing things.

So here's to the Red Wings and all the things they've meant to me over the years and I'm glad that my brother in law is going to the game tonight as well as one of my very close friends who could be like my sister!

GO WINGS!!!

[Opie 308]

Watching Yzerman (80s) against the Leafs with my grandfather, he was a Habs fan and hated the Leafs, and I just seem to remember it being the Wings all the time. I just liked watching Yzerman play and after a while I got to spend the nights when the Wings played (side note my Grandfather made the best popcorn). Had to watch it on the French Channels because the lack of coverage, but due to the high Franco American population where I came from the french channels were a part of basic cable (only available at Grand father as my parents who lived 10 minutes away cable did go that far into the sticks). So I never was able to listen, don't speak french, I would just watch.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

I was born here so I grew up watching them, through the hard times and the good times

Same here. There was a lot of hard times too (prior to 96-97), much heartbreak. But you never give up on your team, ever. Eventually, it all works out. Unless you're a Cubs fan.

I was a Ciccarelli/Probert guy back then. Dino was incredible in front of the net (much like Homer), and Probie....well, Probert was king!

Original 6, Howe, Sawchuck, Octopi, Yzerman, Probie,Shanny, McCarty, Konstantinov , Game 5 vs. Avs in 1997, Datsyuk, Franzen....there's more legend and tradition in Detroit than in all of greek mythology. I'm incredibly blessed to have grown up with the Red Wings.

Since then I've moved to Southern California, and have lived here for 9 years, and I truly miss just about everything about Michigan on a daiily basis. I get particularly sentimental come playoff season. Last year, I was lucky enough to be back in MI at this time, and as i wore my jersey around town, I was reminded once again why Michigan is such an amazing place. People everywhere were stopping to talk hockey with me. People would just say hi and start talking to each other. People were just good to each other. We get it right in Hockeytown.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Bad Vlad Forever

[zata20 4]

Born into a family of Wings Fans in Grand Rapids, 1986.

[redwingslady87 130]

From a hockey family, watching the Wings when I was growing up was just the way it was. Everybody watched hockey, everybody played hockey. My mom has video of when I was probably 1 1/2 -2 yrs old with a bottle in one hand, and pumping my other hand and screaming "scores" after a goal. It's just been a way of life for me.

[Guest mindfly]

I think there are three (or 4) types of fans

1. People in detroit, and the state of Michigan will of course support their own team, or people with other connection to michigan (e.g originally from there but moved away, dad/mom's, relatives etc, and probably people in nearby states near the border)

2. Europeans, in particullary swedes due to the swedish connection and the european history in detroit since the early 90's

3. Hockeylovers who love the puck possestion style and the overall skill that a detroit team always maintain

(4.) People who have their favourite player playing on detroit will probably support the team (e.g Yzerman, Z, Datsyuk, probably a few slovaks just because of Hossa)

I'm a mix of 2 and 3.

Edited May 12, 2009 by mindfly

[kook_10 1,705]

My parents got me skating at 4 yrs old in 1979 at Canfield in Dearborn Heights. They took my brother and I to games at the Joe to get us excited about playing. [i dont think I went the Olympia before the Joe opened, but I honestly dont remember that far back]

[wingedone 0]

Heredity. My father was a fan of the wings going back to his days in North Dakota in the 40's. Took me awhile to get hooked up, but when we started getting the games regularly on TV in the 80's/90's around Lansing, I started watching.

Hockey is probably the one sport that I like to watch, even if the home team is not playing. Always exciting and fast paced. I believe in supporting the local team (Michigan teams) so the Red Wings are my team. I am very lucky to have a team that is so good for so long.

[vladdy16 2,154]

Two older brothers, one TV. Red Wings, Three Stooges, Star Trek and Bugs Bunny were mandatory back then. Gordie Howe was the be-all and end-all of existence.

[Guest micah]

My folks were from Michigan and were fans. I remember appreciating that the Wings were tough and seemed to stand up for eachother. I liked that even though Bob Probert was skilled enough that he didn't have to fight, he would fight every chance he got, just because. When I was a kid they seemed to be the biggest badasses on the NHL block, and I'm a loyal kind of guy so I stuck around. I'd like to see a little bit of a "don't you dare f--k with us or I will make you hurt" presence on the Wings. Hockey players are expected to play to the best of their ability - I like players (and people, really) who go above and beyond that. It isn't enough just to do your best, I like people who show no fear and aren't afraid to risk getting KO'ed to send a message that you do. not. eff. with. this. team.

Maybe again, someday.

Hoping.

[soultrain 43]

i was born in '82. family from detroit....but steve yzerman made me a wing fan since i can remember.

[hamip1998 3]

I was 9 years old I believe and growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. At the time there was no NHL team in Ohio. I had been playing hockey but there was little tv coverage and I was young enough that I wasn't really following pro sports alot.

One day, goofing around a Big Lots store my mom bought me an Offical NHL guide and record book for the 86 season. It had Gretzky and Coffey on the cover. I probably read every single inch of that thing a million times. I got to no player names and stats and then I really wanted to find a team to make my own.

The two closest teams to me were the Penguins and the Wings. Even though I was young I was sure of one thing. That nobody from Cleveland roots for anything from s***tsburgh. So I went with the Wings. Still didn't get to watch much of them until many years later but I loved the name. I loved the simplicity of their uniforms and color scheme. I loved Yzerman and eventually Probert and Kocur and they became my team.

Coincidentally, I still have that NHL guide book on a shelf in my office with my other hockey-related books. It's paperback, about 1 inch thick and has tape all along the spine and edges which I must have done 20 years ago. Funny thing is about 6 years ago somebody got me an updated version for x-mas and it's like 5 inches thick now!

I am a lot like you in that when I got interested in hockey, there weren't any NHL teams close by other than Detroit or Pittsburgh. Growing up in NE Ohio, there wasn't any way in hell I was pulling for a Pittsburgh team.

I also had a lot of Navy buddies later on from Michigan who were HUGE DRW fans. We didn't get many games overseas, but my buddy's mom used to videotape them and send them over to us. That late 80's - early 90's team had so much personality, history, and hadn't won a championship in so long I had to pull for them. I got hooked and have loved them ever since. Win or lose, this will always be my favorite team.

[ChitownWingsfan 54]

Family moved to Grosse Pointe when I was 10 and one of the first friends I made there was a huge Wings fan so I used to watch all the games with him and became obsessed with the team myself from there. When my family moved back to Chicago, I kept my love for all things Red Wings.

Edited May 12, 2009 by ChitownWingsfan

[Electrophile 3,554]

Because I wanted to. And it pissed my dad off, seeing as he's a Blackhawks fan. So anything that annoys my dad is good by me.

[Guest Shoreline]

I've always been a California native. Dad was from Livonia (born there and moved around between there and Dearborn -- he played goalie in college until he f***ed his knees up), and very much a Detroit-everything fan (his hero was Steve Yzerman and subsequently mine has always been too) even after he moved with most of his brothers out to California. He died, I went to see family in Redford, especially my distraught uncle who was just as visibly hurt at the funeral as I was, they introduced me to hockey (both by TV and especially by the way of NHL 93 for the Sega Genesis, the latter of which my cousins were at fault for), as well as introduced me to my first shot in the ass due to extreme strep throat (thanks Michigan weather), and the rest is history. They sent me the next morning Freep at the 97 cup victory, a Wings sweater which I still covet today, as well as a slew of old/new jerseys. By all rights I should have been a Sharks fan if one considers locality, and it would have been much easier to cheer for the local team and see games (before I had satellite I had to patiently wait for the local KICU Sharks games to show them vs. the Wings, until we got cable and could watch ESPN.. and trust me it was funny watching the Sharks lose so often back then) but since my dad was a Wings fan, my family out there introduced me to hockey, I found it respectful to be a Wings fan, have never regretted it, and never looked back.

So there you have it.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Shoreline

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

1.) Steve Yzerman

2.) Living in Michigan

3.) Dino, Probie, Kocur, Gallant, Burr, Racine, and Chiasson

4.) Pass Sports

[Electrophile 3,554]

See, you became a fan to honor your dad. I became a fan to piss off my dad. LOL

I started rooting for the Wings in 1994. Pre-Stanley Cups, pre-dominance, pre-just about everything. We were still called The Dead Things back then. Ooof. It wasn't easy being a Red Wings fan in Chicago, but you make it work.