Why I am a Blues Fan

you made me misty eyed. Well I guess it could be PMS and pre-menopause too

Even if you didn’t cuss you would still be a part of this ‘family’.
It’s a place I come not just for hockey updates now but because I’m truly interested in the comments and conversation of those I think of as my hockey buddies.

Srsly, awesome story, Carnie.

And you’re absolutely right about this place being passionate about the Blues while still maintaining some level of n00b-friendliness. Anybody that’s scouted sports blogs for long enough knows how rare a thing that is (*cough*VIVA EL BIRDOS*cough*).

So…keep on rockin’ in the free world, SLGT. You guys are teh awsum.

Right now is one of those times.

Thanks, you crazy Detroiter.

I love these “How I Became a Blues Fan” stories. But when I hear them, I feel like I’m at an AA meeting.

“Hi, my name is Carnie, and I’m a Blues fan.”
All: “Hi Carnie.”
I guess being a Blues fan is kind of like being 43 years sober.

Great post as always, Carnie. Glad you’re on our side.

I also love the community here – to the point where in the regular season I try and shift things in my schedule (within reason) to be apart of the GDTs.

I just wish my story was half as interesting as yours. Although the object of my hockey fanhood was never in doubt, my passion for the sport was rekindled and amplified by discovering SLGT, as has my understanding of the finer points of the game – I only played street hockey growing up. Although one guy who lived around the corner from me used to play for the River Otters and would occasionally join us in the street. Truth be told, the only time I ever played hockey without yelling “CAR” was in a roller hockey youth league, but by then I was too old to be taught the game much – they just played pick-up games.

Coincidence: the last game I played in that “league” was the night of the ’02 Wings Cup clinching victory. Needless to say, that had a very different effect on me than it did for you, Carnie!

She could be a double naught agent from Detwat trying to throw us. Isn’t there some kind of torture we can do like at GItmo or Abu Ghraib to make sure?

It’s kinda funny, because I actually tried to be a Red Wings fan at first, too.

It was 2006, and I started dating this girl from Detroit. She was, of course, a Wings fan, though I will give her some credit. She wasn’t your stereotypical Wings fan. She had a brother that played hockey, and she really knew a lot about the sport and followed it pretty passionately. We started off watching some Wings games together on TV. Being a poor redneck from Arkansas, my exposure to hockey up to that point had been….minimal, so my hockey fandom was pretty much up for grabs. It was only natural that I would become a Wings fan. Kate was excited, of course, as I got more into the game. She promised me a sweater for my birthday, the whole deal. It was legit.

It was a long-distance thing between Detroit & Fayetteville, and we ended up meeting each other one weekend in St. Louis. I bought us tickets to a Blues game on a whim, just so I could see a game in person. As hard as I was trying to be a Wings fan, it was pretty much love at first sight with the Blues. I’ll admit it – it was the sweaters (no homo). Something about that Bluenote. So unique, so clean…damn-near perfect logo. And the sweaters – great color scheme; simple, but in that “classic” kind of way. They were playing the Predators.

While it’s kind of pathetic I didn’t see a live hockey game until I was 20 years old, I’m kinda glad for it because I remember everything about it. I still remember being amazed at the speed of the game – totally different than TV. The violence was so much more palpable. But mostly I remember the SOUNDS of the game – the bodies slamming into the glass, and the reverberations afterward; the staccato CRACK of a slapshot, and the hard, dull THUD of the puck landing off target & hitting the boards; the skates cornering on ice. I was loving every minute. And when the Blues finally scored, I lost it – mainly just excited to finally see a goal (it was 1-0 game with the goal coming fairly late, if I remember correctly), but also because those scrappy guys wearing the Bluenote were already growing on me. Kate was NOT pleased at my excitement, telling me in no uncertain terms that the Blues & Wings were mortal interdivisional enemies. So I tucked my tail between my legs and shut up.

Well, long story short, Kate turned out to be a total slut-puppy who had a “real” boyfriend in Detroit the whole time I’d been seeing her. I found out she moved in with him about 2 weeks after our trip to St. Louis…on facebook. Didn’t even call me. Needless to say, Detoilet was dead to me…along with all of its professional sports teams, MOST CERTAINLY THE MOTHERFUCKING RED COCKSUCKING WINGS. As far as I knew, the Blues were the Wings’ enemy…and thus, a Blues fan was born.

It was pure good fortune that I ended up being accepted to school here in the Lou. My first full year here, the Blues go on their miracle 2nd half run and sneak into the playoffs. I was at both games at the DrinkScotch, and again it was the sound that I remember the most – this time the sound of 19,000+ screaming lunatics trying to will their team to victory with the power of sound. SO loud. I’ll never forget that.

I’m working on enlightening a few of my classmates to the Way of the ’Note, but I have to admit it would be about 10 million times harder to be a fan without all you assholes around dropping entertainment & knowledge all over the damn place.

Let’s Go Blues.

I don’t have some great story. I was born and raised a blues fan. I remember my dad and my uncles taking me to the old checker dome when I was real young. I don’t think I had ever heard as much swearing as I did back then. Every other word was Fuck! Fuck this or Fuck that! It was great! I knew I would be a blues fan for life. I cried for a week after June 15, 1989. It was the day my favorite player was traded, Bernie Federko. I remember it so well even though I was only 6. I was in my aunts finished basement and I went nuts! Like Fucking Batshit nuts. Took like 3 people to hold me down I was so upset. Years later when I went to highschool at Chaminade, It turned out I had a couple classes with his sons, real nice guys. I remember telling one of them how upset I was about the trade when it happend. He laughed for a minute but then turned back to me and said “How do you think we felt, we had to go to fucking Detroit!!” I laughed my ass off! Go Blues!

my story, grew up in st.louis, became a Blues fan

You, young lady, are Da Bomb.

B.

posted this when the season was starting to turn ugly.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/2009/11/20/1167380/why-the-blues

and btw I know how you feel when Cujo was traded I had to decide if I followed him or the team. In the end I had grown to love the whole team and stayed with the Blues

Christine, you should be proud, look at what you’ve inspired!
Great job

I remember making my first comment, my heart was pounding, my pulse was throbbing in my neck. And when no one made fun of me, I breathed a lot easier.

We must have been having an off day.

Unlike the day I posted this…..

Ah….good times…. good times.

(Seriously. Great read.)

Rec’d like Kris Draper:

…in which each of the staffers recalled their own “how I became a Blues fan” story.’ Maybe we should reprint those over the summer, non? And have the “new” folks, and regulars like Carnie, add their story to the ongoing egacy of “game Time.”

This really is like a family… a disfunctional family, but a family nonetheless. And I love you guys. All of you, seriously.

B.

Reminds me of my story of why I’m a Blues fan
Also, Rec’d like Princess Diana

Being tht im only 15 theres not a lot 2 tell.
My Parents have been blues fans since about 10 years after the team was made. something about the drinking and cussing reminded them of home. i went to my first game when i was 1 we lived about 40 mins away from stl so didnt go to a lot of games. then we moved to southern IL both of them with jobs in STL. when i was bout 6 or 7 my mom nailed in the Head with a puck (FUCKIN OTTWA) about 2 weeks before the nets were put up. i was sitting 2 or 3 seats away from her. i was scared shitless. yet with a newly aquired dent in my moms head our love for the blues was unwavering. skipping ahead 2 06’ my rents finally decied 2 make it offical and buy half season tickes. that is when i rele got into the Blues. like carnie Manny was my idol being i 2 am a goalie i wanted 2 punch sum1 for just throwing manny 2 the side of the road. in 08’ we got season tickets. and i began a campain at my school to get people to love them as i did. im happy to say after bringing some of them to games i was sucessful. tht is my story in a nutshell.

as kid my favorite player was tony twist
it is now tj oshie hence the name

…as a kid my favorite player was tony twist

If you’re only 15, then Twister must’ve been your favorite player when you were still in diapers. :D

Just yankin’ your chain… it’s great to see the next generation of Blues’ fans coming up.

B.