Pride and Disrespect

by gallagher on Oct 31, 2008 4:14 PM CDT

[This article originally appeared in the Oct. 30 issue of St. Louis Game Time.]

The Plagers wouldn't condone disrepect for a jersey. Why would you? My son started playing organized hockey this fall. So far, I have to say that I couldn't be happier with the experience he's gotten. Not just the improvement in skill and increased interest in the game, but more importantly, his overall education about the sport, the traditions, the teamwork and the sportsmanship. I lay most of this at the skates of his coach. The man is the best coach that my kid has had in any sport as long as he's been involved in sports.

One of the first items that the coach addressed was pride in one another, in their team and in their jersey.

"There will be no jamming our jerseys into our hockey bags," directed Coach as he handed out the uniforms, "They come to the rink on hangers, they go home on hangers. In between, we represent this jersey proudly in the way we play and carry ourselves. We never let our jerseys hit the floor."

The jersey in and of itself is not what's important, obviously. What's important is what they symbolize: pride in our team and our players. Pride in themselves and their friends.

Jeffio used to tell the story every so often about how no matter how soaked in Wild Turkey and Budweiser he might get at a game, his Blues jersey never hit the floor at his house. No matter if he could walk a straight line or not, his jersey always made it onto a hanger and into the closet. In Jeffio's story, the rule was not lifted for anyone. Whether it was friends, family, or say a new girlfriend named Beth, their jerseys always made it onto a hanger, too.

The symbol was the same in his example. Jeffio could have gotten away with tossing it onto the pile with his shoes, jeans, recently-emptied wallet, smokes, shot glasses and assorted other game day mementos; just pick it up and dust it off in the morning. But he didn't. The jersey is a symbol of your dedication to the team you follow with all of your money, free time and sanity. It's a symbol of all the other crazies who you call friends 41 times a year and see seldom else.

There's pride in being a die-hard fan. That jersey is a symbol of it.

Bobby Plager tells a story about the early days of the franchise when his brother Barclay snapped up a fellow teammate and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that there would be respect for the Bluenote on this team. The crest was never to hit the ground. It was worn with respect and pride. It was, and still is, a symbol of everything the players play for: each other, their management, their fans, their city.

Respect for the jersey and the crest is taught at the lowest levels. It's taught to children as an indisputable fact. It's carried on by fans throughout the world. Even supposedly jaded professionals talk about the logo on the front meaning more than the name on the back.

And that is why I vehemently hate this new "1,001 Uses" bit that the Blues are doing at every game.

I get that the fans love to see a Red Wings jersey get treated badly. I understand that people think it's funny. I also would bet that this came from another arena first, where someone else took that first step to treat our jersey like a piece of trash.

I don't care. It's a total disgrace and our management should be ashamed of the whole idea.

I've heard the arguments, from ‘screw those guys,' to ‘the players don't care,' to ‘whatever it takes to get under an opponent's skin.' I think that's all bullshit. Would you like to see the Bluenote treated like that? Even worse, could you watch the Blues' jersey dragged through a gutter and not care?

Not me. I'd call out the organization that did it as classless punks with no regard for hockey's rich tradition. I'd probably call them worse. So, now I guess I have to say it about our organization: This little nugget of in-game ‘entertainment' is a discredit to the team, the franchise and over 40 years of proud hockey history. It is an embarrassment and it should be stopped immediately.

If pride in our jerseys is still something that is being taught to our youngest players and being adhered to by fans and still respected by players, how can we justify destroying someone else's jersey?

Or even worse, if no one cares about pride in their jersey, whether it be players or fans, then I think it speaks to yet another example of this being just another business. And that makes us not fans, just customers.

-Sean "if it hits the floor, you'd better be in it" Gallagher

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Truth!

by LosBri on Oct 31, 2008 6:00 PM CDT reply actions

ok. I’ll pick a nit. this does not seem to gel with your “the fans don’t own the team” propositions over the year. the reason i hate slugs like nash and janssen and koci is because of the pride in the jersey. whenever i suggest they disgrace my team. my jersey, the object of respect, i’m hammered pretty hard :)

by Childhood Trauma on Oct 31, 2008 6:34 PM CDT reply actions

I agree – if I saw another city jumping on the Note on a mini-trampoline and some of the other stuff they have done I would be seriously pissed off and feel disrespected. I liked make the people in red wing jersey’s look like they can’t answer the question “what is icing”. There has to be a better way to give the other team shit without resorting to the 1001 uses. Would love to get Mr. Plager’s take on it. I will recant my distain if and only if Mr. Plager thinks it’s funny but I seriously doubt he would…….

by Diana on Oct 31, 2008 6:38 PM CDT reply actions

You know Sean, I’d originally been mildly amused by the 1001 uses shtick, but what I hadn’t done is put the shoe on the other foot. After thinking about how pissed I’d be if some Detroit douche was using the Note to clean his gutters, I have to agree with you man. There’s no need for this kind of attitude in hockey.

by Dan on Oct 31, 2008 7:06 PM CDT reply actions

Also? They’re not funny.

I’m with Gallagher.

by Johnny Hangover on Oct 31, 2008 7:47 PM CDT reply actions

This is what I’ve been saying all season, but I just haven’t been able to say it as well as Gallagher. Can someone make sure this article finds its way to the hands of Mr. Davidson? This makes the Blues look like a minor league team.

by hullnoates on Oct 31, 2008 8:24 PM CDT reply actions

Also, I don’t understand why some people need to jump all over guys like Nash and Janssen. Sure, most of them lack even rec-league talent, but they stand up for their teammates, give the team a boost now and again, and help to draw penalties and control the pace of the game. I know this type of player seems to appeal most to the mulleted yokels in the crowd, and whenever I hear someone rip on Janssen, I tend to think it is their quasi-elitist way of distancing themselves from the fans who would be just as happy at a WWE event. But come on, can you really hate a guy who puts his ass on the line for his team and is willing to go toe-to-toe to defend the Paul Kariyas and David Perrons every night? Explain to me how that is disgracing the jersey.

by hullnoates on Oct 31, 2008 8:37 PM CDT reply actions

Actually, CT, I previously argued that fans are more “St. Louis Blues” than either the owners or players.

by gallagher on Oct 31, 2008 9:00 PM CDT reply actions

A hearty here, here!

This feature of the in-game entertainment is a thorough disappointment. I haven’t been able to fully appreciate why I abhor it so much until now. Before I read your column last night I thought it was becasue the idea had potential that just wasn’t being realized (they are so unfunny, it hurts me). But, you are absolutely correct; I just hate the idea and the disrespect.

by Condo Bait on Oct 31, 2008 9:11 PM CDT reply actions

I agree…..respect one another’s colors…..When I go to the game, I make it like its my battle armor…..put on my jersey and my cap and Im ready to do battle. And Ive had people make fun of me for this tradition, but its those little things we do for our team. I mean, Fuck Detroit and Chicago Sucks….but this whole 1001 Uses bullshit…..there are better ways to motivate the fans……maybe some good hard rock and roll music. Something that isnt techno and make The Trade sound like a techno-gay bar.

by Big G-Man on Oct 31, 2008 9:46 PM CDT reply actions

I’m gonna agree with hullnoates here. While Janssen shouldve scored a goal on thursday and often looks like he doesn’t know where he needs to be, I like knowing that it’s not just our guys getting beat up out there.

by Dave S on Nov 1, 2008 7:59 AM CDT reply actions

I’remember that then next time the blues dis me with some scrub wearing my uniform. Sean will be on my side :)

by Childhood Trauma on Nov 1, 2008 8:12 AM CDT reply actions

Gallagher speaks the truth. I had been kind of mum on the “1001 uses” segment…but I bet if the organ-i-zation asked “#5 in your program” what he thought of that segment, it would be immediately.

Let’s Go Blues.

Fuck Detroit.

by JGB on Nov 1, 2008 9:47 AM CDT reply actions

…immediately retired.

Is what I meant to say!

by JGB on Nov 1, 2008 11:17 AM CDT reply actions

and then the blues management could hang “1001” in the rafters on some thurday night vs the lightning game!!!

by Childhood Trauma on Nov 1, 2008 2:39 PM CDT reply actions

This is one of the first times I’m not 100% with Gallagher. I found them to be funny but I also didn’t think about about I would react to seeing a Blues jersey being treated poorly. Then I step back, regroup and realize I only want to see past Blues hits, fight and goals on the jumbotron while play is stopped. If I’m not in my seat at that time, I’m in the corridor challenging people to a push up contest.

I just plain don’t care about any other team and what they really do. I just want them to hate us (the fans) and hate playing our team. If a gay-assed shortfilm makes them mad then I say go for it.

by Answer-Man on Nov 2, 2008 6:01 PM CST reply actions

Gallagher’s alter-ego checking in…

I know I’m late on this, but to those who are defending Janssen’s presence… when has he actually taken on a legitimate fight? Guys like Jackman, Backes, and even Brewer are the ones who perform on-the-spot correction for the other team’s action on the ice. Janssen simply meanders around until he can manage to find someone dumb enough in the other jersey to fight just for the sake of fighting. It’s not a motivating tool, either – it’s a fucking sideshow.

He’s an embarassment (see: his empty net, gift-wrapped opportunity for career goal #2 on Thursday night), and there’s little chance that I’ll ever see him any other way.

by Adam on Nov 2, 2008 10:31 PM CST reply actions