FORT WAYNE, Ind – Dear Ft. Wayne Komets Fans, First off, I don’t mean ALL Komet fans. Just some of you. You know who you are.
I have been sent by the fans of all other minor league hockey teams, as well as the Jedi Council, to deliver a very important message to you.
Please listen very closely. I will try to make this message as clear and succinct as possible.
Shut up.
Yes, you read it correctly. Shut. Up.
Zip it. Pipe Down. Be still. Hush.
Again, I want to state for the record that I don’t mean to suggest that each and every Komet fan is logging on the internet for hours every day whining and crying about the abysmal record the Komets currently possess – it just seems that way.
Your hockey team is having a lousy season. It a well-established fact. We were already aware of that.
By all means, you should talk amongst yourselves about the problems your team has and how to improve it. When you do, though, you might want to remember others are watching and listening. Handling “not winning” (AKA “losing”) with grace is tricky. You might want to try finding a little perspective. It appears to be something you’ve lost over the past several years.
As a Cub fan, I know losing. Trust me, you haven’t even hit the tip of the iceberg, where losing is concerned. Fans of some other hockey teams think so, too.
Some fans have never seen a winning season or the playoffs – ever. I know many teams that would swap the past several seasons’ records with you.
Some fans don’t even have teams this year. I can think of a few cities where 6 wins in 25 tries would be extremely welcome because it would mean they had a professional hockey team.
Sure, the IHL was a paper tiger. That’s all in the past now, though. Using the term “Three-time Turner Cup Champion” this season is a lot like listing “Miss Marigold, 1976” on a current resume – it doesn’t really apply here. Oh, and trust me on this one, the next iteration of the IHL is not really an answer.
Look, even the Yankees have off years. The Miami Heat are beatable. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day in the NFL, these days. The Komets are just having one of those seasons. Your team made some mistakes. Signing all those players before the merger was probably the biggest of those. Hey, it happens. Who knew?
Now, far be it for me to buck up Komets fans, but you’ve got to ask yourself, “How long is this going to last?” Best case scenario, the worst is already behind you. Look at the CHL playoff scenario. This is the easiest playoff to qualify for – ever. Changes are already being made. You need to have a good team by March. The March Komets will not resemble the November Komets.
Worst case – you don’t make the playoffs this year. Seriously, do you think the Franke family would suffer through another season like this? I don’t think so. I don’t want the 2011-12 Komets on my schedule if they didn’t make the playoffs the year before. No, not at all. That’d be a team on a mission. It is highly unlikely that the Komets will become a perennial doormat.
Whatever the case, change takes time. Make good use of that time. Re-evaluate your priorities. Put things in perspective. Learn to endure. Just make sure, whatever you do, you do quietly. Contact Shaun.Bill@prohockeynews.com
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