Blues Fans Become Fanatical During Playoffs

Chuck Herrmann supports the Blues even after major surgery...
What a fan!

With the St. Louis Blues up 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, fans are showing that they truly do “bleed blue”. They are some of the most interesting creatures to watch as they paint their bodies, their hair, their children, anything they can get their hands on to show the pride they have in their team. One such fanatical fan is Charles “Chuck” Herrmann. He may not paint his body or his hair – I have a feeling his wife would disassociate from him if he did – he has taken to YouTube to voice his desire to see the Stanley Cup come to St. Louis.

Published in March of 2012, Chuck’s video, “We Want the Cup” brought a smile to my face and made me wonder if St. Louis would ever be graced with a Cup winning season. Last year’s playoffs started with much bang, but quickly fizzled out and the Blues went home empty handed. The season before that looked very promising until the Los Angeles Kings splattered the hopes and dreams of the Blues all over the West Coast.

This year, the Blues are scratching their way to victories in overtime. How long will this be able to last? The players have to be feeling the pressure and the rigors of playing extra periods game after game. If they can figure out how to win in regulation, then they may actually have a chance to advance further into the realm of the playoffs. Blues fans are doing their best to lift up their “boys” and show them that they are beloved members of the city. The rallies that have been hosted prior to each playoff home game have brought out a menagerie of characters that have come together to celebrate the Blues as they lay their hearts on the ice night after night.

Blues fans gearing up for Game 2 against the Hawks!

Players have commented time and again about the closeness of the fans in St. Louis. We do have a sense of community when cheering for our professional teams. We live and die with them, our hearts twist and break with each crushing defeat. Fans just like Chuck Herrmann make the Blues a more exciting team to cheer for simply because of the camaraderie between fans, media and players. Rallies and watch parties bring fans closer together and show the city of St. Louis and the Blues organization that they are standing firmly behind their team.

Just Days Away from Playoffs Blues are Plagued with Injuries

The St. Louis Blues are fighting for their dignity and their dreams of a successful playoff run. They have dropped their last five games and have looked tired and amateurish. Injuries to key players have taken its toll on the mental toughness of the team. Superstar goaltender, Ryan Miller, has been less than stellar and is showing much wear and tear. Pinning their playoff hopes on Miller may prove to be the downfall of a good team. I would unfortunately never call them a great team as they are not consistent enough to be a great team.

A Blues’ fan and hockey enthusiast, Charles Herrmann, said it best. “The Blues are sadly not a great team, as much as I want them to be. When you watch great teams play, they are good every night. They may not win every game but you are not scratching your head at the end of the game wondering who you are watching. They do not rely on winning games in shootouts. They grind out three periods and win in regulation.” Greatness and consistency go hand in hand. 

Even with a healthy team, the Blues were never great. On paper, they were phenomenal. Analysts picked them to be on top of the heap when the dust settles, with captain David Backes hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head in triumph. As much as I would be elated to see that sight, I have been skeptical. When the Blues traded their soul for goaltender Ryan Miller and forward Steve Ott, I thought they were grabbing at straws and were desperate. Watching them implode the last five games, I wonder if they have the ability to step up and make magic happen.

Key players have been injured and while the Blues are hopeful to have Brendan Morrow, Vladimir Sobotka, Derek Roy, TJ Oshie, David Backes, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Berglund back for game one of the playoffs, I wonder if these magnificent seven will truly be ready or will the Blues have to limp along with out some, if not all, of them through the first round.

Having to rely on players who are not used to stepping up into playoff intense games is showing on the team. Head coach Ken Hitchcock will have a difficult time on his hands preparing them for a playoff fight. 

Ice Nation UK

I am very pleased that IceNationUK has given me the opportunity to join them in their endeavors and spread the word about what is happening in the ever-volatile world of hockey. This is a great team to learn from and I am looking forward to becoming more acquainted with them.

IceNationUK has been generous enough to give me a warm welcome and publish my first article with them. Many St. Louis Blues fans will revolt at my take on St. Louis Blues: Can They Finally Bring Home The Cup? 

As always, I welcome comments and feedback as long as my readers remain courteous and respectful.

Again, a big thank you to IceNationUK. I look forward to working more with you, especially as the NHL Playoffs begin and the drama unfolds.

Patrick Roy Calls David Backes Gutless

COMMENTARY | The St. Louis Blues made a poor showing when they hosted the Colorado Avalanche on April 5, 2014. The Blues have clinched their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs and are now hunting the President’s Trophy. However, with today’s lack of effort on the part of the Blues, that prize is falling farther and farther out of reach.

The Avalanche’s head coach, Patrick Roy delivered a harsh and somewhat whining opinion of Blues captain, David Backes. Roy outright called Backes “gutless” for a hit that Backes delivered on Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon. Roy complained that the hit on MacKinnon, an 18-year-old, was uncalled for. Correct me if I am wrong, but the kid is playing with the big boys now and should be expected to take hard hits when he steps onto the ice. If Roy is so concerned that the 18-year-old cannot handle the rigors of the NHL, then maybe Roy should send the kid back to his mommy until he is mature enough. It could be that Roy was concerned because the kid missed his afternoon nap and snack time.

I am actually embarrassed for Nathan MacKinnon. Roy made him out to be the biggest sissy of the NHL. He has been portrayed as the wimpy teenager who cannot handle playing with the big boys. Roy essentially put a target on MacKinnon’s back for other teams, especially during the playoffs. He has been painted as a player unable to take a hit and therefore is an easy mark.

I understand the frustration and the fear that Roy may have felt with the playoffs right around the corner and it would not be a complete game without Roy making off-the-wall comments or trying to incite the other team through outrageous accusations. My thoughts would be that Roy needs to clean house and remove the plank from his eye before pointing out the speck of dust in the eye of others. Now my ordination training is starting to come out here. In this case it does fit. Roy is renowned for his dramatic, over-the-top antics as well as his out-spoken, whiny demeanor.

Photo by Mark Buckner/NHLI via Getty Images

To call one of the classiest NHL captains gutless for hitting a player on the ice is ridiculous. Next, Roy will be calling for a player’s age, weight and height to be prominently displayed on their sweater as well as the inception of rules outlining that 18-year-olds cannot be checked by 30-year-olds or some such nonsense. Backes showed his class and integrity by refusing to be drawn into the cattiness of Roy’s remarks. Backes understands the beast of the game and is able to rise above the nastiness of petty players and coaches.

Blues head coach, Ken Hitchcock, also showed his integrity by ignoring the comments Roy made regarding the game and the way players handled themselves during and after the game. Hitchcock’s first priority is to get his team back on track and focus on the daunting task of hunting the Stanley Cup.

The Blues need to rise from this disappointing loss and finish the season strong. With only four games left to play, each game is critical to the mental state of the team and the momentum that they will need to push through the first round of the playoffs.

As for Patrick Roy, he needs to clean his own house before pointing fingers at others. Calling out a player for delivering a hit during a frustrating game is classless and just plain crass. I would have expected more from a NHL head coach, but then again, we are talking Roy.

I am now on Twitter

It is time that I joined the social media circus. I have been avoiding Facebook and Twitter since their inceptions but am finding it more and more difficult to do so. I finally broke down and opened a Facebook account and a Twitter account.

You can follow me on Twitter @themickiholley

St. Louis Blues Host First Ever Faith Night

The St. Louis Blues organization embraced for the first time Faith Night. The St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams already host similar events for fans to enjoy uplifting messages and family oriented activities. I have attended events from all three professional sports teams and as an ordained minister I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I have brought various friends and colleagues with me when I attend these events. Their level of delight has varied depending on the event.

The most enjoyable time I have experienced was during a Faith and Family Night hosted by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinal organization goes all out for their Faith and Family Night. They advertise extensively and offer fans the unique experience of interacting with players, coaches and executives in the organization. Fans are able to listen to how faith has impacted these individuals and where they are in their walk with the Lord.

The St. Louis Rams also offer a similar experience. Although not being a football fan, I only attended one game that was geared towards faith and family. Following the game fans were able to hear from players past and present. The players shared their experiences and offered uplifting messages. The Rams also advertised this event extensively and offered discounted tickets as well as fan packs.

Image from Country Primitive Gatherings

The Blues made a valiant effort in hosting their first ever Faith Night. I admit to being surprised that the Blues organization actually followed through and offered this event. I had written an informative letter to the Blues organization prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season detailing my experiences with other professional sports’ organizations hosting this type of event. I had not heard anything from the Blues organization and to be honest, I did not expect a response. The Blues organization is notorious for less than stellar communication skills. Their number one concern is not excellent customer service; it is milking fans for every penny they can as ticket prices keep soaring as do concession prices and gift shop prices. I found out about this event simply from browsing the Blues’ website.

I was excited to learn that about Faith Night with the Blues, hosted on April 1^st. It was certain to be an amazing game since the Blues were hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blues offered an incentive to purchase tickets in the form of a free hot dog and soda per ticket. Wow, what a deal! For those who do not know me, this is a sarcastic remark aimed at the Blues organization. Fans had the opportunity to hear a message from first Chris Mizel of Child of God Luthern Church and then Troy Merseal of SunRise United Methodist Church. Interspersed before, between and after the speakers were trivia questions about the Blues and some pertaining to current Christian artists. While the speakers delivered excellent messages and I was riveted to my seat as I listened, I was actually disappointed in the preparations that had been made. This was indeed a unique experience for me. Maybe the St. Louis Blues organization does not have players, coaches or executives who wanted to participate in such an event, but the organization as a whole could have offered a little more to the fans that supported their first attempt at Faith Night.

The Blues organization has a long way to go before catching up with the Cardinals and Rams in the fan experience during Faith Night. I am happy to see them taking strides toward incorporating this into their promotional schedule and wish them the best of luck in future seasons hosting this event.

Fans Experience Different Treatment During St. Louis Blues’ Game

COMMENTARY | This past Tuesday, April 1^st, the St. Louis Blues faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers and I decided to conduct a little experiment during the game. I was there with my sister and partner in crime; we had glass level seating and all-access to the Blue Note Lounge. We have never come across a Scottrade employee that has been rude, unkind or unwilling to go the extra mile for our comfort and enjoyment of the game. I gave three young men tickets to the game as well. Their seats were located in the upper bowl of Scottrade Center. They were dressed like typical young guys; clean clothes, baseball caps turned backward, clean cut albeit a little loud and somewhat rough around the edges.

Kristy and I arrived first and enjoyed a nice meal in the Blue Note Lounge. The guys arrived with the general admission when the gates opened at 6:00 p.m. We met up near the Lounge entrance and I watched usher and security reaction to the guys. Security guards remained close and ushers seemed to guard their areas with extra caution. This to me was interesting because I have been able to move freely around the concourse and club sections of the Scottrade Center without feeling as if I were under surveillance or would be barred from certain areas. The guys tried to enter the club level and were immediately barred by the usher. The usher went so far as to physically put his hands on one of the guys. Prior to the start of the game, I invited the guys down to the glass level seating to watch the players warm up before the start of the game. As they enjoyed being so close to the ice, I observed the reactions of those around us. The ushers were friendly and helpful to Kristy and me; however, they kept a close watch on the three guys.

The "Guys" enjoying the game!

We parted company after the warm-ups, the guys made their way to their upper bowl seats while I once again enjoyed the amenities of the Blue Note Lounge. I stopped and spoke to our usher, a very nice gentleman who had just had hip replacement surgery. Kristy came through a different section to get to our seats and was met with helpful and friendly ushers and event security. After enjoying the first period, we all met up again and I had another experiment to try. The game day photographers who snap photos of the fans and hock their wares have a green screen set up where fans can be placed in the locker room or at ice level wearing quirky jerseys and holding beat-up hockey sticks. Kristy and I have had this done before simply for the fun of it. The photographers at the green screen have always been quite funny and easy-going. When we arrived with the three guys in tow there was an immediate shift in the attitudes of the workers. I noticed it immediately as did Kristy. This being the first game for all the guys, they did not know anything was amiss. After getting the photos taken and hearing the sales speech that is always given, one of the photographers became absolutely irate with one of the guys who snapped a picture of the photos that was on the screen for us to look at. Rather than explain to him that it was not allowed, the photographer started yelling at all three of the guys. I will point out that there are absolutely no signs posted that states taking pictures of the photos on the screen is prohibited. Kristy and I walked away unscathed and finding the situation very amusing.

After leaving the green screen area and the rather irritated photographer, I noticed that a security guard was following us as we made our way through the crowd towards the Blue Note Lounge. We parted ways again; the guys back to their seats and Kristy to the Lounge while I headed back to my seat. This time I went through a different section to see if I would get stopped trying to go down to the glass seats. The usher, a smiling, older woman, let me walk right past her without looking at my ticket or questioning where I was going. I walked back to my seats to find an interloper parked there. After telling the enthusiastic fan that he was in my seat, a security guard came up and asked me if I were experiencing a problem. I told him the other person was just a little lost. The security guard told me that if I needed anything, just find him and he would be happy to help. An interesting note is that the security guard allowed the interloper to remain down at glass seats even though he was bragging that his seats were “way up there”.

With about ten minutes left in the game I sent a text message to the guys and told them that there were three seats open right in front of us. The seats had been open the entire game. The usher and security guard refused to allow them down to the seats even though there were others who had been allowed to sit down there. This was a little frustrating and showed a bias against these three young men. They were finally able to “sneak” down before the shoot-out started and the usher let them stay.

I admit that I used these three young guys as an experiment because I had heard other fans complain about their experiences with employees at the Scottrade Center. I have only had one issue with a bad-tempered employee in all the years that I have attended Blues games and events. I do admit to trying to sit in sections where my favorite ushers are located. My absolute favorite usher is a young college student named Scott. He is always so upbeat and willing to go the extra mile to make sure that the game is enjoyable. Watching the trials that the three guys went through during their visit to the Scottrade Center, I can fully understand why people do complain. These guys were followed by security everywhere that I observed them and they were treated with disdain by several employees. While the Blues pride themselves on great game day experiences for their fans, there are preconceived prejudices that prevent certain fans from being free from scrutiny and being shadowed while in the Scottrade Center. I was truly surprised that not every person had the same level of courtesy and enjoyment while attending a Blues game.

I do apologize to the three guys that I observed during the game. I used them for my own investigative purposes and while they claim they enjoyed the game, I did purposely place them in situations just to watch the reactions of the employees. My findings helped to rip the rose colored glasses off my eyes regarding a fan’s experience during a Blues game at the Scottrade Center.