Tuesdays With Hildy: How important is it to the future to focus on the past?

by hildymac on Dec 15, 2009 2:49 PM CST

Veteran leadership. Those words are bandied about quite a bit, especially in reference to a few players on the Blues that are the defacto old guys. The leaders who have about seen it all. The guys who have been in the league more than 10 years... Jackman, Walt, Sydor, and Brewer (I guess) are usually named as the guys on the team that the young Blues look to for advice and guidance, and inspiration when things are down.

Things are obviously down. The vets on the team have been leading in the practices, trying to show the kids dedication, but for whatever reason the team seems to have stagnated. What better way to light a fire under their asses than with a Brett Hull night!

Wait, what? Been done? Failed? *sigh*

This group of young Blues, though, has "foundations of the franchise" stamped all over it, and we'll remember that once they break this funk. Could seeing one of the greatest players ever to wear the jersey, even if it was the fugly one, get honored for his induction into the HHOF be an inspirational moment for them?

Hull, like him off the ice or not, was iconic in St. Louis during the 90s. You mentioned the Blues outside of the town, and the first person who came to mind was him. He was to us what Gretzky was to the Kings, and having him walk for nothing is something I'm sure that the team regrets. Very rarely do you get a player winning a Cup with 2 other teams saying "Yeah, those were nice, but I *really* wish I could have brought it to..."? Brett's still a part of the organization in some way. Look around the arena tonight and count how many Hull jerseys you see. Pull out your hockey card collections from the 90s, and count up how many Hull cards you have (mine? Is "butt ton" a number). He's going to have a statue out front - is this something for the kids to want?

To be an icon, you have to play like an icon. Last season we got glimpses of Oshie's crazed pinball-ness, Backes' grit, and Mason's skill, amongst others. This season, though, it seems stuck in the mud. Will these young kids, some not even born when Hull was traded to St. Louis, let alone when he was drafted, look at him tonight and think "God, I want that to be me one day. I want that for St. Louis and myself"?

Or, will they fulfill the stereotype of this generation (and something that I see every day) and just go "Pfft. History. Whatever. This is now."?

Poll

How important is the past to the present?

Very much so - the team needs a goal, and history builds loyalty to a team, both from the players and the fans.

58 votes

Not much - the young kids should be able to build their own future without looking to someone else for inspiration.

9 votes

I don't like thinking about how our young kids were born after Hull came to StL. I feel old.

20 votes

87 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

look

it ain’t steen’s team, or cola’s, or junland. it’s ours. if we don’t have the pride why should players who devote only 3 years of their careers or so per team?

I know damn well, cos the players always say it, that when the fans are up for a specific rival, or game, the players know it.

so if we boo or cheer wayno, they will know, we hate the canucks and they will know, and if we could care less about the hurricanes they will know that too.

now if they KNOW but don’t CARE they ain’t going to be one of our Blues for very long are they?

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Dec 15, 2009 2:54 PM CST reply actions

You know...

You raise a very valid point…

Sure the season has been less than spectacular thus far, but if you look at the results & the teams that we’ve played, we’ve beaten (or kept it close) the most hated rivals or the teams that should kick our asses with one hand tied behind their backs. Yet when we play the teams ~~no one~~ we don’t really care about or that don’t “matter” then we shit the bed like we did against Edmonton last week. Yes, it STILL hurts. Yes I’m STILL pissed. But YES I still wore my Blues hat to rec hockey on Sunday.

Maybe it has more to do with the fans ~~support~~ ~~volume level~~ drunken-ness, or the “doing the impossible”. We care & are super into the game when its a big opponent yet we (team & fans) don’t care as much when its someone say like…oh, Columbus? Sure its probably not as much fun to beat up on the Jackets Leisure Suits as it is to pound Detwat into the ice and we as fans prove that, and the players know that…and maybe game play reflects that.

Hopefully the Chicago games will change that. We always kick the shit out of Chicago & I can’t wait for tomorrow night or January 2nd. You can bet your ass I’ll be ~~loud~~ ~~drunk~~ cheering on my Blues & drunk!

LETS GO BLUES

Put your big girl panties on and deal with it!

by BluesFanFromNE on Dec 15, 2009 3:28 PM CST up reply actions