Okay, so maybe hate is a strong word, but there are many, many reasons to strongly dislike the so called “dynasty” teams of the last 10 or 20 years. From the Cowboys to the Yankees to the Patriots to the Bulls, you could always find reasons to route against them. Right now, the Detroit Red Wings are the benchmark for NHL greatness…and yet, I can’t dislike them.
By all means, tell me how stupid I am when you’re done reading this, I’ll post your comments. But the Yankees spent/spend money like nobody’s business, from A-Rod and Damon to Clemens and Matsui. The Bulls had a coach who wasn’t affable and had an extremely superior attitude. The Patriots? Their coach isn’t the most likable fellow. And the Cowboys were the brash, cocky, womanizing bunch that just kept winning. But the Red Wings? Friendly, gracious, genuine and deadly effective.
3 reasons I can’t hate them. First, it’s class. From Ken Holland to Mike Babcock to Nik Lidstrom to Chris Osgood, this team demonstrates the utmost class in the media, to the fans and on the ice. There are no barbs thrown at other players in the media. There are no post-whistle scrums. Mike Babcock doesn’t bark at the media when they ask “stupid questions”. It’s just an organization based on class in everything they do, which is the main reason why it’s just so hard to dislike what you see from them.
Second, their front office dealings are done with deadly efficiency, and I can’t do anything but nod my head and respect that. They find diamond in the rough draft picks in Henrik Zetterberg (7th round), Johan Franzen (3rd round), and Pavel Datsyuk (6th round). They’ve brought in free agent gems out of nowhere in Mikael Samuelsson and Brett Lebda. And they fit the big name free agents into their system perfect…see Marian Hossa and Brian Rafalski. They pinpoint players, they set them loose in the AHL, and then usher them into the NHL. And when another batch of players leave, Derek Meach, Ville Leino and Jimmy Howard are ready to step in.
Finally, I find them just too damn fun to watch. I know some people hate it! but I sit back and can’t get enough of watching the Red Wings play. It’s hockey at its purest form at points. The way they utilize the back pass and the quick outlet on the wing is second to none. They play speedy hockey that has lots of finesse in it, but they aren’t soft. Montreal is soft. Detroit may not overwhelm you physically, but they can match you physically, and they’re almost impossible to hem on the boards. For me, I just sit back and marvel and enjoy every minute of watching the Red Wings play.
Will the Wings win this series with Chicago? Probably (they’ve won 8 straight series when leading 2-0), but it’s not over yet. Is it premature to crown the Wings Stanley Cup Champions? Yes, absoloutely. But it is fair to say the Wings are the benchmark for consistency in this league. And yet, it doesn’t bug me.
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