Apathy - what was your last straw?

[dougieL]

I hear people calling into shows on SN650 saying that apathy is beginning to set in for them. I'm certainly in that boat. 

 

If you are also in this boat, I'm wondering what the last straw was for you. 

 

For me, it was the absurdity and recklessness of the OEL trade. So many people could see immediately that it was going to hold this franchise back for years. If Guenther turns out to be a player, we could be regretting this trade well after even OEL finally retires.

 

I can actually live with the blown leads. It's the prospect of years of OELs contract holding us back (and the lost opportunity with Guenther) that makes it difficult for me to cheer for this team.

 

[RU SERIOUS]

1 hour ago, dougieL said:

I hear people calling into shows on SN650 saying that apathy is beginning to set in for them. I'm certainly in that boat. 

 

If you are also in this boat, I'm wondering what the last straw was for you. 

 

For me, it was the absurdity and recklessness of the OEL trade. So many people could see immediately that it was going to hold this franchise back for years. If Guenther turns out to be a player, we could be regretting this trade well after even OEL finally retires.

 

I can actually live with the blown leads. It's the prospect of years of OELs contract holding us back (and the lost opportunity with Guenther) that makes it difficult for me to cheer for this team.

 

It's Aqua-lini's endless medling and stupidity allowing JB and his AHL side-kick coach green to stay in for so long when we all knew and were begging for them to be fired years earlier.    Aqua-lini is problem #1 for this franchise.  Has no brains and knows nothing about managing an NHL team - properly!

All his decisions in running this franchise have been disasterous and he is a the cancer on this team - that must be removed.

[Alflives]

For me it’s only this team.  Hate all the rest.  But I do agree there are a lot of fans lost over the last decade.  The Benning years cost this owner a great deal of money.  When other NHL teams were all going up in value, his went down.  That and add an entire generation of young fans that follow other teams and sports because the local club was (is) so badly managed.  

If there was a clear direction where fans could see the club had a plan to rebuild properly that would have helped.  But our owner refuses.  So we continue to spin our wheels trying to compete and lose fans.  

[van_ws]

For me, I guess apathy should have come a year or two ago but this poor start to the season is the last straw with this core. If you don't count the covid bubble then it would have been 6+ years straight with no playoffs. In a salary cap league with lots of parity that streak of ineptitude is laughably bad. I am just tired of not seeing any improvement, lack of prospect development and no direction.

 

I do feel bad for the fans who only started following this team post 2016, they have had very little to cheer for. At least I could fondly look back on the 1994 and 2011 cup final runs. These seem like a very distant memory. After 2011, I thought the team could contend for a few years longer than what they actually did.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Haven’t hit apathy yet.

 

Got close under the last regime, and definitely had a few moments that felt like “last straws” with Benning and company. But they’re gone now.

 

I’m a Canucks fan. I will never stop caring about this team.

 

The tough times weigh heavily, though. And this current stretch has been difficult to watch. I’m definitely not as “up” for games as I’d usually be. Have turned the TV off a few times this year.

 

But, even though the new management chose a direction that wasn’t necessarily the one I wanted, I’m still giving them a chance to prove themselves.

 

I want to see how this year plays out. I need to see how management responds to what we’re seeing on the ice and what kind of course they chart (and if there will be a “course correction”) moving forward.

 

They really missed an opportunity this off-season. Fans were so ready to support a real change in direction and approach. Management could have been a lot more aggressive in turning over this roster. I think fans would have supported a plan with some short term pain for long term gain. Whether you call that a rebuild or a deep retooling or simply “building,” as JR seems to prefer.

 

I still think they can make significant changes, and fairly quickly, to put us on the correct course that sees this team “built” (or rebuilt) in a way that eventually leads to a truly complete roster (forwards, defence, and goaltending) and a contending team, within a reasonable timeline. It’s gotten a bit harder, after the Miller re-signing, and some other spending, like devoting a big chunk of cap to a luxury signing like Mikheyev (who I do like as a player), but it’s not impossible.

 

I want to see how this management assesses this roster, in light of what we’re seeing on the ice this season, and how they respond.

 

But if they don’t respond adequately, and we get back into spinning tires year after year, spending to the cap on a series of losing teams, and never making the deep cuts necessary to address core issues, then eventually I could see myself reaching my “last straw,” going into full apathy mode, and taking a bit of a break from Canucks fandom.

 

I’m still a long ways off from there, however.

 

Sure, everything sucks right now, but I’m still going to give management time to sort things out and an opportunity to convince me, through their actions, that they know what they’re doing (or not).

I survived eight seasons of Benning with my Canucks fandom intact. 

 

I can give this new management group more time than mere months.

 

[Dazzle]

I'm already apathetic, to be honest. I'm good if this team becomes a basement dweller for the sake of getting a high pick like Bedard. The team was built with flaws, but new management didn't address them. That being said, I give them credit for their free agents which have already been better than what Benning had ever brought in. It should be mentioned that new management screwed themselves by re-signing Miller, and it's more obvious than ever. Saving cap space is important for making changes, and right now, we have no space to improve the team.

[StiffStick33]

Somewhere between signing JT and his comments on jerseys being on the ice, "Their jerseys, their money, if they want to throw them, it's on them". Then proceeds to wipe the floor with teams reputation. You come to realize how much the team has given up to keep guys like this around. Guys that never shared the same vision- 

Imagine someone like Crosby or the Henrik saying that for sec. Mind blowing.

[dougieL]

8 minutes ago, Dazzle said:

I'm already apathetic, to be honest. I'm good if this team becomes a basement dweller for the sake of getting a high pick like Bedard. The team was built with flaws, but new management didn't address them. That being said, I give them credit for their free agents which have already been better than what Benning had ever brought in. It should be mentioned that new management screwed themselves by re-signing Miller, and it's more obvious than ever. Saving cap space is important for making changes, and right now, we have no space to improve the team.

The Miller signing was the straw after the last straw for me.

[DrJockitch]

No apathy, concerned but still care. 
‘Frustrated that we still believe the false narrative that Canadian teams won’t tolerate a rebuild. 20 years ago when the Canucks were bad people didn’t show but not anymore.

‘If you communicate clearly to the fans that we are going to rebuild and give them some high end prospects to look forward too, this market will absolutely support it. Part of being a Canadian market and knowing the game is we can see that this is how the NHL works. You are either working your way up the ladder or jumping off and starting again this team is not working it’s way up the ladder but it is only the fans jumping off because we can see that the only place this team can get to is the middle of the pack.  
We are rebuilding Oilers style, general managerial incompetence but without lottery luck. We are not going into a clearly planned out and communicated rebuild like Toronto or Montreal who built up pics, used their financial resources to gain assets and dropped to the bottom of the league where you get the high end talent. Yes Toronto pulled the plug on the rebuild too early when they signed Tavares, it was not a perfect rebuild but a lot better plan then ours. 
‘I want this team to build to something that can be competitive for a number of years and this team as built isn’t it. 
‘Management needs to come out and say this needs a full tear down and this is the best year to do it. This is the best top end of the draft in many years. We have done it so far with general managerial incompetence, let’s shift to a more focused plan that has a goal better than drafting mid round small wingers and calling it a victory. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by DrJockitch

[MaxVerstappen33]

When we lost the draft lottery and got the worst place possible thanks to the new Oilers rule , I completely tuned out the team.  I never seen Louis Errikson play a game. I only knew they made Bo captain after driving past Rogers arena and seeing the mural. 

 

Yes. I came back in 2021. But taking time away from the Canucks does help you skip over some of the dysfunction. 

[Eddie]

This season... The Montreal game was my final straw as they didn't even look like they cared at all - and are fresh out of excuses for bad performances. Didn't even watch last night as I knew exactly what would happen, and it did. I and have better things to do than spend a depressing night getting hosed by leaf fans. 

 

Waited since 2019 to see this core come together and start to fulfill their potential but its been the same old story every year just with a new narrative when the real truth is this team is just not good enough.  The core players aren't good enough or collectively consistent enough on their own and the D is god awful.

 

Got suckered back in last year by the Bruce bump but even the promise of a repeat of that is completely useless - turning the corner now realistically just moves us further from a draft position that can help us rectify the last 10 years of failure. This team has no playoff future. 

 

Add to that - looking at the prospect cupboard is even more depressing - not a single player I have faith in there, it looks as empty as when Benning first took over. 

 

Honestly don't care anymore until we start to make some smart decisions and get some luck going our way.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Eddie

[klw604]

JUST WAITING FOR THIS DAY TO COME...

[-DLC-]

Hindsight isn't something a team has the luxury of....although, using history to make wise decisions is.

 

I am no expert so rarely weigh in on this stuff. But it's getting harder to defend the team and search for answers. I certainly don't have them...but there is a team of paid "experts" who need to work this out. Too many cooks in the kitchen for my liking and I really think some of the voices behind Bruce may be creating some uncertainty with the players. They seem confused (again)...like they did before. Just go...play like Bruce told them. Aggressive forecheck where they go at them rather than wait and allow plays to develop. Some good hard hits in every game, just to set a tone and not be passive. More crashing the net and ugly goals and less picture perfect attempts. Mix it up.

 

People say it's the players and I've argued that last year they showed us what they were capable of. But no denying, that was with Demko firmly in place. With him off, it sheds a new light on things. Every single damn player has to step up and want this (bad) or it's not going to happen. Fight for it.

 

I don't know. I don't have a last straw because I'm here for the long haul, period. I feel bad for the team and want them to win and will continue to support them through the rough parts. Again.

[aGENT]

5 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Haven’t hit apathy yet.

 

Got close under the last regime, and definitely had a few moments that felt like “last straws” with Benning and company. But they’re gone now.

 

I’m a Canucks fan. I will never stop caring about this team.

 

The tough times weigh heavily, though. And this current stretch has been difficult to watch. I’m definitely not as “up” for games as I’d usually be. Have turned the TV off a few times this year.

 

But, even though the new management chose a direction that wasn’t necessarily the one I wanted, I’m still giving them a chance to prove themselves.

 

I want to see how this year plays out. I need to see how management responds to what we’re seeing on the ice and what kind of course they chart (and if there will be a “course correction”) moving forward.

 

They really missed an opportunity this off-season. Fans were so ready to support a real change in direction and approach. Management could have been a lot more aggressive in turning over this roster. I think fans would have supported a plan with some short term pain for long term gain. Whether you call that a rebuild or a deep retooling or simply “building,” as JR seems to prefer.

 

I still think they can make significant changes, and fairly quickly, to put us on the correct course that sees this team “built” (or rebuilt) in a way that eventually leads to a truly complete roster (forwards, defence, and goaltending) and a contending team, within a reasonable timeline. It’s gotten a bit harder, after the Miller re-signing, and some other spending, like devoting a big chunk of cap to a luxury signing like Mikheyev (who I do like as a player), but it’s not impossible.

 

I want to see how this management assesses this roster, in light of what we’re seeing on the ice this season, and how they respond.

 

But if they don’t respond adequately, and we get back into spinning tires year after year, spending to the cap on a series of losing teams, and never making the deep cuts necessary to address core issues, then eventually I could see myself reaching my “last straw,” going into full apathy mode, and taking a bit of a break from Canucks fandom.

 

I’m still a long ways off from there, however.

 

Sure, everything sucks right now, but I’m still going to give management time to sort things out and an opportunity to convince me, through their actions, that they know what they’re doing (or not).

I survived eight seasons of Benning with my Canucks fandom intact. 

 

I can give this new management group more time than mere months.

 

Pretty much this.

 

I too think they largely pooched this spring/ summer and missed a clear chance to revamp what, to some of us, was a clearly flawed roster (granted with some good pieces to build around).

 

I'll always be a Canuck fan, but my potential apathy likely rests on how they manage to pivot and course correct here. I'm already not invested in watching every minute of EVERY game this season. It's hard investing in and watching the team you knew needed "more", blow leads and games. 

 

They need to rip the band aid off. PIVOT HARD.

[Goal:thecup]

The last straw for me was buying straw mulch for my asparagus patch.

That straw blew all over the place, and started growing like weeds where no weeds are supposed to be.

The only things that liked it were the rats; they made tunnels through it and just had a great time licking each other's noses.

I love the Canucks and look forward to every minute of every game.

GO CANUCKS GO!

BONUS:

[BertaNuck]

Started snow balling after we chose virtanen over tofolli for me 

[DSVII]

If we don't sell this TDL that'll be my final straw. 

[DSVII]

1 hour ago, MaxVerstappen33 said:

When we lost the draft lottery and got the worst place possible thanks to the new Oilers rule , I completely tuned out the team.  I never seen Louis Errikson play a game. I only knew they made Bo captain after driving past Rogers arena and seeing the mural. 

 

Yes. I came back in 2021. But taking time away from the Canucks does help you skip over some of the dysfunction. 

The best part...they changed the lotto rules just when we've build the perfect bubble team l rather than our prime bottom out years.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, DSVII said:

If we don't sell this TDL that'll be my final straw. 

 

For me it's kind of similar except that I don't have a "final straw" that will make me not watch the Canucks, but I would be rather miffed if:  

 

- We get to game 25, we have less then 25 points, and we are not pivoting to sell this season.  

 

I'm getting more and more sick of watching this team not showing enough fight on the ice.  Schenn looks like a man amongst boys on most nights. 

[AV.]

I don't know that it works in a way that there are straws or instances where a defining moment happens to completely tune out or tune in to a team.  I've often said it's one step forward, three or four steps back with this team, so it's created for a lot of chaos and mixed emotions in the last decade or so, where fans have reason to believe and reason to doubt things, simultaneously.

I'm currently in the "don't care" phase, but if the team were to, for example, commit to selling off ageing players, proactively move players like Horvat (maybe even back track on Miller and move him out), possibly secure a high pick in the draft, I'd find myself more optimistic and interested in things.  But, as I said, it would need to be a committed process.

Ultimately, there's two things that need to happen to render engagement or consumers caring:  The team needs to be winning/generally playing well and trending in a positive direction OR needs to be on a clear path toward a long-term goal (i.e rebuilding).  We're doing neither of those things at this point in time, so it's not surprising to see many fans are disengaged and indifferent to what's going on.

Edited November 13, 2022 by AV.