Sickman Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 (edited) The worst part of playoff hockey is the morning after a tough loss. It sucks. It's one thing to stew over a lost game after it has concluded but to me the loss never fully hits home until you wake up the next morning and realize that you're just one day closer to possibly saying goodbye to your team for the rest of the spring/ summer. No matter how many years that go by this feeling never changes. While I am by no means waiving the white flag here, the reality of the situation is that we're in a hell of a bind right now. NHL history reads that only 37 of 280 teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to start a best of 7 series. Numbers don't always tell the story but here they do. The odds are very much against us. I have never been one to play GM and try to figure out what the Devils don't have or what they should have done to improve. That's Lou's job and that is why he gets paid the big bucks to do what he does. Sure I will point out things I wish the club would be better at but my approach has always been to enjoy what has been given to you and support through thick and thin no matter what. I like to think of myself as a good fan. In the end it's just a sport but through the years the boys in red have given me something to feel good about, something to feel part of. Simply put, this team means a lot to me and when they don't do as well as you would have hoped, it hurts. Either way, as a fan you have to be in it for the long haul. Whether you're cheering a team full of Arron Ashams or a team full of Scott Stevens', the one thing that binds us all is the crest on the front of the Devils jerseys. That's what it's all about. Its about being able to deal with the obnoxious a$$hole Ranger fans who come into our building and mock our franchise player. It's about being able to deal with the fact that no matter how successful we become we will always be outnumbered by those j.o's across the river. It's about knowing that no matter how much sh*t that gets flown our way, we all support a team that has held it down and been a legitimate force in this league for 15 years running. It's about knowing that no matter how much you try to knock us down, whether by taking our best players or handicapping the skills of the players we still have, that we're gonna get right back up and still be in your face. Commitment, dedication and most of all success. This is what the Devils crest represents. There has been so much talk of how this team doesn't have enough talent, how bad they suck, etc.....I don't see that. Maybe I'm seeing to much with my heart but when I look at this team I see a sh*t load of veteran players who in the past have made many big plays for us and have shown the ability to get it done in the clutch. I'm talking to you Elias. I'm talking to you Madden. I'm talking to you Marty. I'm talking to you Langs. When you consider that I have not even mentioned the strong younger players we have like Parise and Martin, we've really got a good group of guys here. It may not seem like that compared to the teams that we've seen in the past but for all of their drawbacks, this years club really isn't that bad and they really try hard to be successful. They may not make the best decisions all the time but they certainly work their asses off. We have lost a lot of quality veteran players over the last few years. This is a big reason why I feel the Devils are having a lot of trouble getting it done in the 3rd period against the Rangers. For the majority of the games the devils have given the Rangers all the trouble in the world and have been right there, if not better then the Rangers. Once the 3rd period comes however, we always seem to find a way to lose these games. We can't forget that there are a lot of young players on this team who really don't know what it is like to go through a deep playoff run, or to lose on a truly grand stage like the Stanley Cup Final or even a Conference final for that matter. It's all a process and I don't think the boys are there yet mentally. I guess my point of this whole post is to try and rally the troops up a bit and get some positive vibes going. Some of us are bickering with one another while others are already planning for next October. This post is about NOW and the fact that we're still in this fvcking thing no matter how bleak it may appear. I won't try to blow smoke up anybodys ass and tell you to ignore reality. the truth of the matter is that we are in a pretty bad spot right now but it's been done before. If the team was playing like absolute crap and being outclassed, then I could see the reason to waive the white flag, but this isn't the case. The one thing I'm most proud of being a fan of this franchise is that they have shown me what it truly means to believe in something and to be inspired. Have they been perfect? No. But I'm talking about the times when you could just feel the energy from the team and know that they were about to do something special. We've been dealt a bad hand right now but when you consider the opportunity this team has right now, you would have to have zero pulse to not get excited. We have been getting abused by the Rangers and their fans all fvcking season long. We all know that is not the Devil way no matter how entitled those pompous morons in Ranger blue feel. How grand would it be to rise from the ashes and salute those mofo's with a giant F.U. into the offseason? To be inspired. BELIEVE Edited April 12, 2008 by SickMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Wow, amazing post bro. Might be the most thought out, in-depth, true die-hard fan post I have read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Fan Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 I think game 3 will decide the series.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggy Spandex Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Goddamnit I want to come back in this series so badly. It would be the ultimate insult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Think how much better it's going to feel when the Devs come back from this hole and win this series. I, for one, am gonna love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theamazingtiny Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Think how much better it's going to feel when the Devs come back from this hole and win this series.I, for one, am gonna love it. In 2000 going into game 5 down 3-1 my dad didn't even want me to turn on the game. He was glad I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 solid post. just win ONE. then the next three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEVILS>Rangers Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 DEVILS IN 6 KEEP BELIEVIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 See now this I like...optomism without overconfidence Come out angry in Game 3, take it to them early and often - winning a laugher would be nice though eventually we are going to have to win a couple of these nail-biters too. Even at 2-1 it's a much different series. And we have played them better in the Garden this year than at the Rock anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 (edited) I think game 3 will decide the series.... ya think? *sarcasm* Edited April 12, 2008 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devs4LIFE Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 You should mail that the to the players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadds3424 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (edited) You should mail that the to the players. i was about to say that that was one of the best threads iv read in a while Edited April 14, 2008 by Dadds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davemaleyfan Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Absolutely perfect post, Sickman! You have definitely been one of the positive ones since this series began. I wish I could feel the way you do!!!! Truth of the matter is, as soon as this matchup was set in stone I was dreading it. That still doesn't mean this hurts any less. As fans, I've always felt that sometimes we take this stuff even harder then the players do themselves. As a youngin' I went to a handful of games, and, like a lot of people, really caught on in the latter half of '88 when that magical run was taking place. I can remember plain as day, crying my 5th grade eyes out after they lost game 7 to Boston. From that point on, I've obsessed over everything Devils, putting together stats, what if scenarios and the such. It's what we all do and feel! Despite the fact that I feel hopeless right now, that doesn't mean for one minute I haven't still invested everything of myself into following this team, no matter who coaches or laces 'em up. If the Devils were to go on a miserable mediocre run, I'd be right here with them...I'd be peeved, but I'd be right here with them.....we all would (hopefully ) This is why we are fans. This is why we want to throw the remote control through the wall. This is why we think "If so and so were in my living room right now, I'd go OFF on him and probably throw a few punches". Everything from the players, the team, and even that miserable old arena are reasons we are here. My old man and I had season tickets from '88 to '96...I basically grew up at the ol' barn, and will take those memories with me until the day I die. I know my pops feels the same way. It's something we will both cherish. I know many folks here don't like Bill Simmons, but he wrote a great article after 9/11 talking about, in a nutshell, how he hates when people say "well that puts into perspective what's important, not a game." And, like him, I say hogwash. Some of the most important moments of my life occured while either watching or attending sporting events. This past Super Bowl, I dropped to my knees and got choked up. I remember being at The Stadium for Game 6 of the '96 World Series when the Yanks beat Atlanta. I remember everything about it, and will never forget it. I remember the feeling when Brylin and Chambers scored in the 3rd period of game 4 in '95. I remember the punch-in-the-stomach pain when the Devs were down 3-1 to Philly. I remember the joy when Elias scored late in game 7 to finish the improbable. And, I remember, strep throat and all, screaming like a 7 year old when Friesen netted the goal to make it 3-0 in Game 7 of '03. Ask me what I for dinner last week, I don't know, and I don't care. Sports, I care about you....probably too much sometimes. Gut check time......Sickman, you've made me feel good with this post. It'll take a huge (dare I say) miracle to pull this one out, and until the final buzzer of the final game, I'll be here, pacing, getting the heart rate up, getting angry, feeling joy, etc. with all of you. Wow, wrote down a lot more then I thought I would........ Guess you just go through the list of cliches here: -One game at a time -One shift at a time -Punish the D-men -PUT THE PUCK ON NET -Play your hearts out...if not for your teammates or the fans, for yourself!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilinLA Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Very inspiring and eloquent post... Optimistic and Realistic......makes me proud to be a Devil fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdss4 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Very inspiring and eloquent post...Optimistic and Realistic......makes me proud to be a Devil fan. True dat. See, this is the kind of stuff that I feel about the Devils but I don't go through the trouble to write a post like that. People CAN be "realists" without being called pessimists, I just don't bother going through all that to convey it to a bunch of people I'll never meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neutral Zone Trap Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 True dat. See, this is the kind of stuff that I feel about the Devils but I don't go through the trouble to write a post like that. People CAN be "realists" without being called pessimists, I just don't bother going through all that to convey it to a bunch of people I'll never meet. Guilty as charged, however, we are "family" if you will, we all support the same cause, I think it is good to go to lengths to explain things. LGD, I'm sure you're with me NJDSS4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 The worst part of playoff hockey is the morning after a tough loss. It sucks. It's one thing to stew over a lost game after it has concluded but to me the loss never fully hits home until you wake up the next morning and realize that you're just one day closer to possibly saying goodbye to your team for the rest of the spring/ summer. No matter how many years that go by this feeling never changes. While I am by no means waiving the white flag here, the reality of the situation is that we're in a hell of a bind right now. NHL history reads that only 37 of 280 teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to start a best of 7 series. Numbers don't always tell the story but here they do. The odds are very much against us.I have never been one to play GM and try to figure out what the Devils don't have or what they should have done to improve. That's Lou's job and that is why he gets paid the big bucks to do what he does. Sure I will point out things I wish the club would be better at but my approach has always been to enjoy what has been given to you and support through thick and thin no matter what. I like to think of myself as a good fan. In the end it's just a sport but through the years the boys in red have given me something to feel good about, something to feel part of. Simply put, this team means a lot to me and when they don't do as well as you would have hoped, it hurts. Either way, as a fan you have to be in it for the long haul. Whether you're cheering a team full of Arron Ashams or a team full of Scott Stevens', the one thing that binds us all is the crest on the front of the Devils jerseys. That's what it's all about. Its about being able to deal with the obnoxious a$$hole Ranger fans who come into our building and mock our franchise player. It's about being able to deal with the fact that no matter how successful we become we will always be outnumbered by those j.o's across the river. It's about knowing that no matter how much sh*t that gets flown our way, we all support a team that has held it down and been a legitimate force in this league for 15 years running. It's about knowing that no matter how much you try to knock us down, whether by taking our best players or handicapping the skills of the players we still have, that we're gonna get right back up and still be in your face. Commitment, dedication and most of all success. This is what the Devils crest represents. There has been so much talk of how this team doesn't have enough talent, how bad they suck, etc.....I don't see that. Maybe I'm seeing to much with my heart but when I look at this team I see a sh*t load of veteran players who in the past have made many big plays for us and have shown the ability to get it done in the clutch. I'm talking to you Elias. I'm talking to you Madden. I'm talking to you Marty. I'm talking to you Langs. When you consider that I have not even mentioned the strong younger players we have like Parise and Martin, we've really got a good group of guys here. It may not seem like that compared to the teams that we've seen in the past but for all of their drawbacks, this years club really isn't that bad and they really try hard to be successful. They may not make the best decisions all the time but they certainly work their asses off. We have lost a lot of quality veteran players over the last few years. This is a big reason why I feel the Devils are having a lot of trouble getting it done in the 3rd period against the Rangers. For the majority of the games the devils have given the Rangers all the trouble in the world and have been right there, if not better then the Rangers. Once the 3rd period comes however, we always seem to find a way to lose these games. We can't forget that there are a lot of young players on this team who really don't know what it is like to go through a deep playoff run, or to lose on a truly grand stage like the Stanley Cup Final or even a Conference final for that matter. It's all a process and I don't think the boys are there yet mentally. I guess my point of this whole post is to try and rally the troops up a bit and get some positive vibes going. Some of us are bickering with one another while others are already planning for next October. This post is about NOW and the fact that we're still in this fvcking thing no matter how bleak it may appear. I won't try to blow smoke up anybodys ass and tell you to ignore reality. the truth of the matter is that we are in a pretty bad spot right now but it's been done before. If the team was playing like absolute crap and being outclassed, then I could see the reason to waive the white flag, but this isn't the case. The one thing I'm most proud of being a fan of this franchise is that they have shown me what it truly means to believe in something and to be inspired. Have they been perfect? No. But I'm talking about the times when you could just feel the energy from the team and know that they were about to do something special. We've been dealt a bad hand right now but when you consider the opportunity this team has right now, you would have to have zero pulse to not get excited. We have been getting abused by the Rangers and their fans all fvcking season long. We all know that is not the Devil way no matter how entitled those pompous morons in Ranger blue feel. How grand would it be to rise from the ashes and salute those mofo's with a giant F.U. into the offseason? To be inspired. BELIEVE POTY. RIGHT ON DEVIL BROTHER!!!!!!!!!! I AM INSPIRED!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empulse27 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden... some great words to live by from an inspiring individual Competitive Greatness- "A real love for the hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at your best when your best is required" "Failure to act -- lack of initiative -- is often the greatest failure of all." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-ZPop1915 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I like to think of myself as a good fan. In the end it's just a sport but through the years the boys in red have given me something to feel good about, something to feel part of. Simply put, this team means a lot to me and when they don't do as well as you would have hoped, it hurts. Thank you. This is exactly the way I feel with this team. COME ON BOYS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oconnellrules Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 (edited) we got one...3 more to go great post, its a shame its just a post and not a speech. this should get tacked to the top of the forum for the remainder of the series!!! Edited April 14, 2008 by oconnellrules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msweet Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 GO MY BELOVED DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggie B Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Great post, Barrack "Sickman" Obama. You didn't think your identity would stay hidden for long, did ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatansDevils Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 B-E-L-I-E-V-E!!!! One down three to go. ONE game at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RolandNJD Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Loved the post. It got me pumped! Bring on game 4!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 We're 2 and 2 against the Rangers in the past 4 games, let's look at it that way... I can't wait for Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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