MadDog2020 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Good read on a local kid from Flanders coming home tomorrow. Of course he grew up a Rags fan... But its still cool to see so many more kids from Jersey making the NHL now. http://www.calgaryherald.com/touch/story.html?id=9704938 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Jersey hockey has started to make its mark over the past decade or so. Glad to see another local has made it to the show. That being said, screw Kenny Agostino and his posters of Messier, Leetch, and Richter. Hopefully it will be a disappointing homecoming for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Jersey hockey has started to make its mark over the past decade or so. Glad to see another local has made it to the show. That being said, screw Kenny Agostino and his posters of Messier, Leetch, and Richter. Hopefully it will be a disappointing homecoming for him. Yeah I don't know what it is with these kids from Jersey growing up Rag fans. The Devils have been a superior organization in every way for 20 years. These kids are just fvcking stupid I guess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Drop the shoulders and leave his teeth on the ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Yeah I don't know what it is with these kids from Jersey growing up Rag fans. The Devils have been a superior organization in every way for 20 years. These kids are just fvcking stupid I guess. Bad parenting...and a lot of "You're too young to remember/you weren't even born yet, but back in 1994..." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) I hate to say this but I think a lot of it is socio-economic level. A lot of these kids making it in the NHL are from pretty well-to-do families and at least in my experiences a lot of them tend to be Rags fans. I grew up and lived in Warren Twp in Somerset County (which is a pretty rich town) for over 20 years and I remember there being about a 60/40 split between Rags and Devils fans in my high school. Most of the Rags fans are fans of them for 2 reasons; 1) because their families were Rags fans for years or 2) they had "New York" in their name. Edited April 7, 2014 by DevsMan84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Sorry I need to vent here Have ANY of these young NJ kids in the NHL grown up rooting for the Devils? Because I don't know of a single one. Kenny F'n Agostino grew up in the heart of Devils country, he had Leetch and Messier and Richter posters on his wall? How many fvcking games did he see any of those guys play in their prime? The answer is ZERO. He only saw shadows of them. When Kenny Agostino came of age Messier was a Canuck. He has no recollection of a Rangers cup win and his first memories of the Rags in the playoffs was 2006 when he was already 14. Did you enjoy that one Kenny? “I definitely went to a lot more Devils games than Rangers games just because of the price of the tickets and the location,” he says. “To be honest, whenever I went to Devils games, I rooted against them. Ever wonder who those douche kids in Rags gear are when the Devils were playing the Panthers in mid november at CAA? Kenny Agostino was one of 'em. His earliest hockey memories are Devils winning the division, conference, and Stanley Cup. Yet he still rooted for the blue turds in their dim urine soaked hell hole in the late 90's early 2000's. Part of me blames Lou for his absolute contempt of marketing during that time period. But kids like this should've never been lost to the Rags, even if they grew up in Rag families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Sorry I need to vent here Have ANY of these young NJ kids in the NHL grown up rooting for the Devils? Because I don't know of a single one. Kenny F'n Agostino grew up in the heart of Devils country, he had Leetch and Messier and Richter posters on his wall? How many fvcking games did he see any of those guys play in their prime? The answer is ZERO. He only saw shadows of them. When Kenny Agostino came of age Messier was a Canuck. He has no recollection of a Rangers cup win and his first memories of the Rags in the playoffs was 2006 when he was already 14. Did you enjoy that one Kenny? Ever wonder who those douche kids in Rags gear are when the Devils were playing the Panthers in mid november at CAA? Kenny Agostino was one of 'em. His earliest hockey memories are Devils winning the division, conference, and Stanley Cup. Yet he still rooted for the blue turds in their dim urine soaked hell hole in the late 90's early 2000's. Part of me blames Lou for his absolute contempt of marketing during that time period. But kids like this should've never been lost to the Rags, even if they grew up in Rag families. Wow I didn't read the article but for him to come out and say that he went to Devils games just to root against us because he couldn't afford his precious Rags tickets is beyond infuriating. I hope someone tonight hits this little sh!t-stain into oblivion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I hate to say this but I think a lot of it is socio-economic level. A lot of these kids making it in the NHL are from pretty well-to-do families and at least in my experiences a lot of them tend to be Rags fans. You nailed it, 100%. I'm really not sure how it worked out this way but the more well-to-do the family is, the more likely they are Rangers fans around here; something I've noticed as well. Ever wonder who those douche kids in Rags gear are when the Devils were playing the Panthers in mid november at CAA? Kenny Agostino was one of 'em. It's possible Steve Santini was another one of them! Maybe Bobby Ryan too, showing up drunk on one of those Flyers fan busses on weekend gamedays! Wow I didn't read the article but for him to come out and say that he went to Devils games just to root against us because he couldn't afford his precious Rags tickets is beyond infuriating. I hope someone tonight hits this little sh!t-stain into oblivion. No one will, but I will get people to boo him, keep your ears peeled when you see him touch the puck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 You nailed it, 100%. I'm really not sure how it worked out this way but the more well-to-do the family is, the more likely they are Rangers fans around here; something I've noticed as well. It's possible Steve Santini was another one of them! Maybe Bobby Ryan too, showing up drunk on one of those Flyers fan busses on weekend gamedays! No one will, but I will get people to boo him, keep your ears peeled when you see him touch the puck Well Santini is actually from NY, though not quite upstate but not particularly close to MSG either. Curious who he grew up rooting for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Hate to say it, but there is no community pride in the State of NJ. Feel like this has something to do with it. I dont really subscribe to the economic status theory though. Like Devsman said, a lot of it has to do with the parents passing down their idiocy to their kids. A bunch of my friends became Rags fans that way. #booKenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Sorry I need to vent here Have ANY of these young NJ kids in the NHL grown up rooting for the Devils? Because I don't know of a single one. Kenny F'n Agostino grew up in the heart of Devils country, he had Leetch and Messier and Richter posters on his wall? How many fvcking games did he see any of those guys play in their prime? The answer is ZERO. He only saw shadows of them. When Kenny Agostino came of age Messier was a Canuck. He has no recollection of a Rangers cup win and his first memories of the Rags in the playoffs was 2006 when he was already 14. Did you enjoy that one Kenny? Ever wonder who those douche kids in Rags gear are when the Devils were playing the Panthers in mid november at CAA? Kenny Agostino was one of 'em. His earliest hockey memories are Devils winning the division, conference, and Stanley Cup. Yet he still rooted for the blue turds in their dim urine soaked hell hole in the late 90's early 2000's. Part of me blames Lou for his absolute contempt of marketing during that time period. But kids like this should've never been lost to the Rags, even if they grew up in Rag families. Great post '7'. I really couldn't agree more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Well Santini is actually from NY, though not quite upstate but not particularly close to MSG either. Curious who he grew up rooting for Santini was a Rags fan, a huge Rags fan from what I read. His whole family is. I remember reading an article after the draft where his dad said they're gonna have to switch now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I know John Carlson was a Devils fan (grew up in NJ) and I remember Jeff Halpern saying he was a fan in the '95 Cup run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 It's not necessarily socio-economic - well, perhaps more socio than economic, at least - the Rangers are the status team in the area and always will be. The Devils will never play in Manhattan and they will never have the 'tradition' the Rangers do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 It's not necessarily socio-economic - well, perhaps more socio than economic, at least - the Rangers are the status team in the area and always will be. The Devils will never play in Manhattan and they will never have the 'tradition' the Rangers do. This statement as true but I think it supports my theory more. These well-to-do types tend to really go out their way to show off their status so that is why they tend to lean towards being Rags fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I hope this kid Googles his name sometime and finds this thread Eat sh!t kid Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 It's not necessarily socio-economic - well, perhaps more socio than economic, at least - the Rangers are the status team in the area and always will be. The Devils will never play in Manhattan and they will never have the 'tradition' the Rangers do. Isn't that what the Yankees/Giants/Knicks are for though? People in NJ dont have a baseball, basketball or football outlet with "New Jersey" attached to the name. It is a head scratcher that the Devils aren't more popular considering two decades of success and representing a state with a sizeable population (obviously South Jersey not withstanding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squishyx Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 On the other hand, I grew up in NY and have pretty much cheered for the Devils since I was 6. I imagine it has more to do with what team you are exposed to when you are young. My Uncle and Cousin were Devils fans, so that's why they stuck with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRedStorm Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Sorry I need to vent here Have ANY of these young NJ kids in the NHL grown up rooting for the Devils? Because I don't know of a single one. Kenny F'n Agostino grew up in the heart of Devils country, he had Leetch and Messier and Richter posters on his wall? How many fvcking games did he see any of those guys play in their prime? The answer is ZERO. He only saw shadows of them. When Kenny Agostino came of age Messier was a Canuck. He has no recollection of a Rangers cup win and his first memories of the Rags in the playoffs was 2006 when he was already 14. Did you enjoy that one Kenny? Ever wonder who those douche kids in Rags gear are when the Devils were playing the Panthers in mid november at CAA? Kenny Agostino was one of 'em. His earliest hockey memories are Devils winning the division, conference, and Stanley Cup. Yet he still rooted for the blue turds in their dim urine soaked hell hole in the late 90's early 2000's. Part of me blames Lou for his absolute contempt of marketing during that time period. But kids like this should've never been lost to the Rags, even if they grew up in Rag families. The problem lies in the last sentence. They grew up in Ranger fan families because of the ages of the parents and family they grew up in. If you were a kid born in the 70's and 80's, your parents were Rangers fans and that wasn't changing for the most part even with the Devils arrival. It took hockey people like my family who latched on to the idea of having a Jersey team to call their own. That was a tough adjustment, too, because the Rangers were here 50 years and the Devils were terrible. Even if you were born in the 1990's, there's still a good bet your parents and the kids were Rangers fans, especially pre-1995. IMO, the Devils fanbase has only started to grow when people were won over or influenced by the Cups and when they had kids, those kids were fans as well. I said it before that i truly believe the Devils fanbase is a generation behind. The Devils may have been here 32 years already, but you had a generation that needed to be weeded out of Ranger DNA before you can "home grow" a fanbase and develop the same type of loyalty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Isn't that what the Yankees/Giants/Knicks are for though? People in NJ dont have a baseball, basketball or football outlet with "New Jersey" attached to the name. It is a head scratcher that the Devils aren't more popular considering two decades of success and representing a state with a sizeable population (obviously South Jersey not withstanding) I kind of wish the Devils made a push into south jersey as well. I mean it IS still NJ, and though you can't really expect most of those people to go to games it's not really a good idea to just write off an entire region like that to the Flyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Isn't that what the Yankees/Giants/Knicks are for though? People in NJ dont have a baseball, basketball or football outlet with "New Jersey" attached to the name. It is a head scratcher that the Devils aren't more popular considering two decades of success and representing a state with a sizeable population (obviously South Jersey not withstanding) Many people in the area have strong familial/economic ties to New York City. I didn't, so I grew up a Devils fan, but most of my middle school/high school were Rangers fans. It's not easy to be a fan of a different team than your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I kind of wish the Devils made a push into south jersey as well. I mean it IS still NJ, and though you can't really expect most of those people to go to games it's not really a good idea to just write off an entire region like that to the Flyers. Living in South Jersey, maybe 2% of hockey fans are Devils fans and thats probably generous. Until MSG is available in counties south of Ocean and Mercer, nothing will change. I was actually just thinking about this, but what the hell was the point of paying the Flyers a relocation fee if literally no marketing would be done in South Jersey? I can't attest to the 80s-mid90s marketing but since I've been a fan (1997ish) the only Devils related events down here have been small watching parties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) The problem lies in the last sentence. They grew up in Ranger fan families because of the ages of the parents and family they grew up in. If you were a kid born in the 70's and 80's, your parents were Rangers fans and that wasn't changing for the most part even with the Devils arrival. It took hockey people like my family who latched on to the idea of having a Jersey team to call their own. That was a tough adjustment, too, because the Rangers were here 50 years and the Devils were terrible. Even if you were born in the 1990's, there's still a good bet your parents and the kids were Rangers fans, especially pre-1995. IMO, the Devils fanbase has only started to grow when people were won over or influenced by the Cups and when they had kids, those kids were fans as well. I said it before that i truly believe the Devils fanbase is a generation behind. The Devils may have been here 32 years already, but you had a generation that needed to be weeded out of Ranger DNA before you can "home grow" a fanbase and develop the same type of loyalty. True regarding the Devils being a generation behind. Also though the Devils moved here in 1982 they were absolutely dormant until 1988. That's almost 6 years of being entirely off the radar and making no inroads. Then they followed up the 88 run by not making it out of the first round until 1994, when the Rags won their only cup. Even our 1995 run was in the Rags afterglow. 1998-2006...that was the time to assert our dominance and to market the hell out of this team. But they never did... I still remember during the 2002 playoffs (when we'd lose to the friggin Canes) driving under a dingy bridge in Hawthorne and seeing a small white billboard on the side of it. It simply had the Devils logo and in plain block lettering "Join the crowd...then the Devils ticket number" I thought my god, how half assed is this. Where is the giant image of Scott Steven crushing a Ranger or lifting the cup, or Brodeur making a glove save, or a Cup celebration. It's just the god damn logo and 80% white billboard. What a waste of space Edited April 7, 2014 by '7' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRedStorm Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 True regarding the Devils being a generation behind. Also though the Devils moved here in 1982 they were absolutely dormant until 1988. That's almost 6 years of being entirely off the radar and making no inroads. Then they followed up the 88 run by not making it out of the first round until 1994, when the Rags won their only cup. Even our 1995 run was in the Rags afterglow. 1998-2006...that was the time to assert our dominance and to market the hell out of this team. But they never did... If i had to guess, yeah, it was that time frame. The Devils were among the class of the league and the Rangers were doormats. But, it goes back to what Weber said and he's 100% right. Winning couldn't do it alone. This franchise needed to be marketed night and day as a class franchise with a now winning tradtion. Players needed to have face time and people relate to them without the helmets. It's almost like the organization was happy being the little team that could instead of the big team that can. Weber and O'Neil get this. That's why people should be anxious to see what they can do with a vision and money something the Devils never had in this respect. Remember, the Devils have tradition. They have a beautiful arena. They have money. There's alot to be done here. I just hope something like a Rangers Cup doesn't set these guys back because that might be the worst thing to a team already fighting itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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