Why do you like the Red Wings?

[Guest micah]

4.) Pass Sports

Oooh, I forgot to mention that. Pass Sports ruled.

[wingfan4ever 0]

I'm a local gal. I was born in and grew up in southeast Michigan, and remember watching the Wings with my family who are big hockey fans. My dad used to play hockey (not professionally) when he was younger, and has always been really into hockey. When I was younger I would watch Wing's games with him and my siblings sometimes, and then the rest is history. Overtime, I eventually began to really enjoy the Wings and learning more about the team. Since then, I've watched them through the good and bad. I remember when I watched them win the Cup in '97 when I was 7. It was something that I will never forget.

Today, I am a proud Red Wing fan, and always will be. Stevie will always be known as "the Captain" to me, and I will always smile whenever I see the "Hockeytown" logo or the Winged Wheel being displayed.

GO WINGS!!!!

Edited May 12, 2009 by wingfan4ever

[ifonlyicouldskate 11]

Man Its hard to remember that far back!

I saw my first televised game when I was young I don't even remember how old I was but I think it had to been in the late 80's. A childhood friend and my self were getting ready to go do something (more than likely something that would get us in trouble) and we had to go to his house to get something and his dad was watching the Wings on PASS which was a pay channel at that time. We didn't get it at my house and Wings games were only really seen on tv if they were playing a canadian team, on the CBC channel 9 in my area. When it came time to go, I didn't really want to leave. I wanted to stay and watch. We ended up leaving anyways. But I was one excited kid when PASS became part of the basic cable lineup. I have been hooked everyday since.

Since about 1992 my life has revolved around the Detroit Red Wings schedule. I ended up going to my first game in 98, more like several games, Even got to go to several playoffs games that year and the 1st game of the finals against that caps. I have been to several games since and finally made it back to catch a final game last year.

Sega NHL games played a big factor in my obsession with hockey back in the early 90's I can still remeber sitting in front of the TV playing the video game and people would walk in the room and say Detroit vs Detroit. None of us wanted to play with another team . So it was always Detroit Vs Detroit. The best part about it is, Detroit always won!

[betterREDthandead 58]

Hometown team. No other reason necessary. I mean, when you're seven years old, it's kind of inconceivable that you'd do anything other than root for the hometown team.

[xtrememachine1 795]

I watched my first hockey game on TV and it was the Penguins vs Red Wings at the Joe in like 1987. The Pens won 6-5 in OT and both Mario and Stevie scored hat tricks. I became huge fans of both players and both teams. Even though I was a fan of both teams, after years and years of seeing me wear Red Wings jerseys and t-shirts, everyone began associating me with the winged wheel and the Wings began to feel like MY team, while the Pens were everyone else's. After years of having to listen to "Hey! What happened to your Red Wings? HA HA", I got the last laugh in HS when they won it all in my senior year (1997) and really got a great laugh last year when the Wings beat the Pens.

Since then my fandom and love of this team has skyrocketed. I got engaged to my wife in a hotel in Detroit that's right near the Joe. My son, who's middle name is "Yzerman", was born in the same season the Red Wings win the Cup in Pittsburgh at the Mellon Arena which is 2 minutes away from the hospital he was born in. It was really special to me to have the Wings win it last year because someday I'm going take him to a Wings game in Detroit, point up to the rafters and tell him "They won that for you the year you were born."

Winners or losers, this team will always be special to me.

Edited May 12, 2009 by xtrememachine1

[wmubronco420 25]

cuz im from michigan, and i grew up in a hockey family. been cheering for them as long as i can remember

[Guest Shoreline]

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.

You spiteful lil'..

Glad you did though.

[bruisebrother15 29]

My Dad was a baseball man through and through. Everything was baseball all the time. I was a fast kid so in Little League I always played outfield and was bored out of my mind. When I was 9 I joined some kids down the block in a street hockey game. I was hooked instantly. I told my parents I wanted to try ice hockey and my Dad didn't know what to think. He got some tickets from work to a Wings game and we went.

It turned out to be the Buffalo game where Yzerman fought and Probie knocked Barraso's helmet off with a punch. They brawled for a long time and the game was great! The next day my Dad bought me some ice skates and I made it all the way up to juniors when I tore my ACL. We haven't missed many Wings games since that first game and we watched them go from bottom feeders to champs while becoming one of the most respectable organizations in all of sports. I couldn't list all the highs and lows I've gone through with this team as well as all the amazing things I've witnessed over the years but I'm glad I got to see it all. They were rich with history before me and they have created so much more since I have been a fan.

People hate the Yankees because they spend money to get all stars. People used to hate the Wings for the same reason, but now they just hate them because they win. Salary cap or not.

GO WINGS!!

[SoDakWing 8]

steve yzerman made me a wing fan since i can remember.

i was born in 86

started getting into hockey around 94, my uncle got me into it and introduced me to the wings. Even though none of my family are from Detroit or Michigan for that matter.

But Steve Yzerman did it 100% for me, watching him give everything he had to give every shift of every game and having his team follow that sparked my interest.

[VM1138 1,921]

I have vivid memories of watching Detroit win the Cup over the Flyers in '97. The euphoria around was intoxicating, and even for me, an eleven or twelve year old, it was exciting, even though I really didn't know what was going on before that. Ever since I've been hooked. For some reason the '99 and '00 seasons are a blank to me, but the 2001 playoffs against LA are still burned in my mind. And of course I rememeber everything afterwards. I will always be a fan, even if I move away. Hockey is the only sport I follow passionately and the that's just a part of who I am now.

[ehorn3 2]

my dad use to work the parking lots at the old arena in St. Louis as a second job. When I was little I use to go in during the second periods and watch the Blues. I remember hating the North Stars and Blackhawks as a kid in the late 80's early 90's. I always wanted a hockey jersey, but never really had any money and my parents wouldn't buy me one. One night the Blues had free jersey night for kids 18 and under once again I got to go in during the 2nd, but the usher and one of the attendents wouldn't let me have a jersey because I did not pay even though there were boxes upon boxes of them just sitting their. The ownership and management group in St. Louis back then really sucked. I had to find a different way to get a jersey so one of my friends that i played hockey with in the school yard had two extra beat up jerseys. I traded him three baseball cards for an ironed on logo jersey. Then one night while watching the Blues on tv I saw my jersey. Since that day back in 91 I've been a Red Wings fan. I now have 9 jerseys, 5 pucks, 5 Stanley Cup glasses, 4 posters, a blanket, the DVD set, 6 hats, 10 t-shirts, and just about anything else I can get my hands on that is Red Wings.

[Vladifan 680]

I can start with the fact that I know and understand it's part of the game but I don't appreciate the violence in hockey - even though I relish seeing players like Pronger, Jackman and Perry get pounded. Mainly because they're cheapshot artists and that shouldn't be part of the game.

Meanwhile...even though I was born and raised near Chicago, we spent a lot of good years in Michigan. I fell back in love with the Wings when the Russian Five came together. I never ever saw hockey played like that. And there probably will never be another phenomenon like them. Ever. It was like watching human billiards except there was unbelievable puck possession and passing added to the mix. To me, they still are one of the best examples of the class, wisdom and finesse of the Red Wings.

And as VladyIBelieve says: 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.

I totally agree and understand where she's coming from.

I really feel that by the grace of the hockey gods, I am a loyal fan of the Detroit Red Wings. I also truly believe there's no athletic team on the face of the earth that epitomizes the very best in every aspect of the game, from its history and from management on down. And as we speak, I predict Hossa will stay with the Wings. Not because I want him to but because he knows there's no better place for him anywhere.

GO, WINGS!! GO, SWEET OZZIE!!!!

[jollymania 162]

i grew up in troy during my childhood years which included 92-98 then i moved back to WI, while i was in MI though every one of my friends was a morbidly insane wings fan so naturally i was.

[gowingsgo 3]

Both parents are from Detroit.

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

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.

Great game.... I'm going to make little Wayne's head bleed:

[skippy_kenn 0]

I first heard of Hockey at the age of 10 when I won tickets from the cub scouts at a meeting and went with my Uncle. Wings vs Kings when they wore the LA Laker jerseys. it was '84 and there was a young guy my uncle said was going to be a great player. I have been and Yzerman fan ever since and will always be a Wings fan.

Edited May 12, 2009 by skippy_kenn

[Wingsin09 0]

Grew up in the D. Mom is from Canada, saw my first game in the old Olympia Stadium in 77 when I was 5. Don't remember much of it except, the wings were playing the Flyers, one of whom was hit so hard, he was bleeding and convulsing on the ice (ahh the good ol days) Been a die hard ever since and have the tat to prove it. Was a fan in the lean years, and not afraid to admit that I cried in 97 when Stevie raised the cup.

*spelling*

Edited May 13, 2009 by Wingsin09

[Jake Ryan 1]

Grew up in the D. Mom is from Canada, saw my first game in the old Olimpia Stadium in 77 when I was 5. Don't remember much of it except, the wings were playing the Flyers, one of whom was hit so hard, he was bleeding and convulsing on the ice (ahh the good ol days) Been a die hard ever since and have the tat to prove it. Was a fan in the lean years, and not afraid to admit that I cried in 97 when Stevie raised the cup.

My parents are from Trenton. I watched all the teams my dad watched when I was growing up.

[Guest Shoreline]

Great game.... I'm going to make little Wayne's head bleed:

Hah. I had been into football before hockey, and I was abso-*******-lutely addicted to Tecmo Bowl and the first NFL/Madden games. I obsessively collected cards at that time as well as read history books and memorized names (first for football, then after that hockey), so it was no surprised my hockey knowledge both of the game, history, and players shot up not long after I got into the games, especially as they expanded around 97/98 to further show their view of a player's skill set. One would be surprised how well hockey games can help convey knowledge of the game, both with fundamentals and with knowing who's-on-what-team.

Ironically, I did a report in my English class in high school on both Steve Yzerman and Wayne Gretzky (this was around 98 or 99), while they all pretty much did theirs on the same person.. Bill Clinton. The entire class was bored as hell from my report, but tough s*** for them. As I mentioned several times, I was banned in high school from wearing my Shanahan jersey because it contained the number "14" and the number was in "red" (home jersey at the time, which is today's away jersey), which was noted for a Hispanic gang, Nortenos. Me, being a blue-green-eyed white guy with dark brown hair.. yeah. Made lots of sense. Growing up it was quite tough to be a hockey fan. Very few people to associate with, except one friend of mine who was from Chicago who I'd play basketball with throughout middle/high school. He was a major Blackhawks fan and boy was he ever pissed when Cheli came to the Wings.

[ryan91 0]

The first Team i played for when i was like 4 or 5 years old was a Red Wings team in the Toronto area, same red and white jerseys the wings had so when i came home from my first game my dad turned on the tv and the Detroit Red Wings were playing, so I thought it was my team playing on the TV. He then explained to me where our teams jersey came from and i have been a die hard fan since.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

I was born in a wings jersey. my dad has been a wings fan his entire life, and me growing up sitting beside the old man on the couch watching the likes of yzerman and probert, shanny and federov, vladdy and lidstrom on to todays crews of dats and z, hossa and mule, still lids thank god and raffi.....what's not to love about a team that keeps giving us fans the best?!?! on top of the players, the style. i hate watching teams that do nothing but dump and chase. the wings possession and attack style keeps things interesting, and they have the skill to do it. and of course watching the wings beat the jets whenever they came here were some good memories...go wings!

[SuperNovaXll 124]

I started watching them in the '91 season. We were playing the Blues in the playoffs and it was game 4. We won the game 4-3 and took a 3-1 series lead. While watching the game I thought that who ever this #19 was, was the coolest player I ever saw. Of course we lost the next 3 games in a row and lost the series...but the whole off season I was looking foward to seeing this kick ass team in red play again with whoever #19 was leading them lol.

[NGKEIB 32]

I only support winning teams. I hated the Wings before 1997, but then I jumped on the bandwagon and it sure has paid off!

Just kidding...

I'm Swedish and was born there, but when I was three I moved to Brussels. No hockey in Belgium, so what little exposure I got was through going to Sweden for holidays and stuff (and watching international stuff on EuroSport). Initially I got hooked on famous Swedish players as opposed to NHL teams (Lidström, Forsberg etc.), and was a huge supporter of the Swedish national team. However, as I got older I eventually picked an NHL team to support, and chose Detroit mainly on the basis of Lidström and the other big stars like Yzerman and Fedorov that got coverage in Europe (and that I could play as on the NHL games). There were also a few American kids at my school who were Wings fans, so they also influenced me I guess. However, while I supported them in spirit, I never really had the chance to watch that many of their games on TV (or in real life - I have family in the States, but they're all in New England/North East or Chicago - and the only NHL game I've been to is a Philadelphia one, long after I started supporting the Wings), and had to resort to highlights and taped stuff borrowed from friends - until the glorious advent of streaming/downloading/etc.

Sorry for the long answer, I've never really thought about it. It just seemed a natural choice, based on the big names on the team and the fact that I had friends who were Wings fans.

[FedorovGurl 2]

I grew up in a hockey family. Daddy worked as a goal judge in the IHL. He loved the Wings and took me as many games as we could afford ( and as much as my mom would let me stay out late - we are almost 2 hrs from Detroit). He would mutter "rotten bastards" toward any of our competitors; didn't matter which team, they were all rotten bastards to him if they weren't wearing the red and white. I miss him so much.

(It wasn't always easy being a Wings fan though. I lived in Montreal for 3+ years and its brutal there for a non-Habs fan. Barely made it out alive.)

Wings are a proud and storied franchise and I can't imagine being a fan of any other team!

[paul19010 14]

i live in philly but never followed the sports teams here, i like players, im not one to root for a team just because they play down the street. so as a kid I loved the Hartford Whalers, and I loved when they got Brendan Shannahan cause he was such a bad ass. I never had cable so it was very hard to watch games and i would tape the few times the flyers would play hartford on local tv and watch those games over and over. in the rare instances the Whalers made the playoffs i would go over to my grandfathers to watch them get swept, usually by Boston. a few years passed and I really got into the NBA and the Knicks, and since hockey was not much on television i stopped watching for a long time. my focal point was the whole knicks bulls, nba thing for a while. when the Knicks traded Patrick Ewing in 2000 it left a heavy void in my sports fandom world, and the NBA started to really really suck, and one night I happened to turn on a hockey game, this was like 2001-2002, and I remembered how awesome of a sport it was. And this was much more clutch and grab back then, not like now which is even more awesome.

anyway since i was an adult and had directv it hit me, why the hell dont i get nhl center ice? the whole directv sports package thing was newer to me at the time. now of course there was a big problem, and that was that the Hartford Whalers no longer existed, and there was no way I was going to be a Canes fan after they left Hartford and took away my beloved Whalers. So I looked around and I saw that Shannahan was still in the league, and I began watching the Red Wings. I was really disapointed in the NBA and the lack of effort that many of the players put on every night, and was struck me was the Wings were the total opposite of that, of course you can argue hockey players in general are that way.

so that was that, I became a wings fan in 2001-2002. Of course winning the cup that year was awesome, and the final goal shot by Shanny in game 5 against Carolina is one of the greatest sports moments of my life.

Sadly this was followed by some of the most devastating losses I would ever experience as a sports fan, more devastating than anything ever felt as a Knicks fan. And if you kept up with 90's NBA you will realize that the Knicks had some of the most devastating losses a franchise could have.

After the 02 cup it was really bad, the 03 sweep, the Game 6 OT loss to calgary in 04, then the lockout which I thought was the end of the Wings being contenders possibly, then probably the single most devastating game I have ever expereinced which was game 6 of the Oilers vs Wings series.

In 07 I was just happy they got out of the first round, and they did it with some drama in OT against Calgary. While the loss to the Ducks hurt, I was just happy to see them go far, it had been a while.

I really also love Mike Babcock, more than any coach in any sport, no matter what happens, no matter how bad he stays the course. always even keel. i thought he really became an elite coach after keeping it together after the game 5 loss against the Pens in triple OT. And I tell you if the Wings beat the f***s tonight, after losing in triple OT, and then getting robbed in game 3, and somehow pull this off and repeat, Babcock goes to near legendary status in my book.

This has been a hell of a run, I have to pinch myself, my teams never win titles, and there is a chance the Wings will give me a 3rd. Its crazy.

Hockey used to be number 3 on my sports list, ever since the rule changes in 06, its number 1, and its to the point where I dont even care that much about my other teams in other sports. I never won a super bowl or an NBA title, and have 2 Cups, I would rather have the Wings repeat, and make it 3, then win either a Super Bowl or NBA title.

Hockey is the purest, greatest sport ever. and im very proud to be a fan of the greatest franchise in the history of sports.

man, glad shannahan wasent on another team in 01-02. lol