by Taylor McIlwaine , Digital Media Producer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
TORONTO, ON. — Does unconditional loyalty ever become a lapse in judgment?
It’s no secret that the last few months for fans of the Montreal Canadiens have been trying ones. It is impossible to escape the dark cloud that looms over the team right now, and I say that living in Toronto, so I can only imagine what it feels like deep in the streets of Montreal.
Thoughts, opinions, critiques, quotes from the opposition – they are everywhere. Twitter has become a nucleus of discouraging reminders, memorabilia around the house serve as a most unfortunate way to start the day and then there are the guys beside me at the gym who, despite a very visible Subban shirt, find it to be the optimal spot to loudly state ‘boy, rough time to be a Montreal fan, eh?’ To them, I say:
Loyalty, very plainly defined, is a ‘strong feeling of support or allegiance.’ However, when you add the word unconditional in front of it, it appears frighteningly concrete. I find myself to be a fiercely loyal human by nature, I take pride in that quality about myself, that being said, with the downward spiral the team has seen this season, I started to doubt that about myself. Was my frustration a sign of disloyalty? were my opinionated tweets an illustration of ‘jumping ship’? Was it wrong of me to second guess wearing Habs gear out in public? So many questions.
When you are a fan of a team with so much history, with so much character and so much impact on the economics of a city, it begs the question to whom or to what exactly are we loyal. Are we loyal to the players? to the organization? the management? or are we loyal to the crest? Oh look, more questions.
So, like any normal human in need of advice and dire self-reflection, I turned to the internet– I asked the question what does it mean to be a ‘loyal fan’ of the Montreal Canadiens and has it changed for anyone over the course of this season?
I got a ton of interesting perspectives from my therapists followers, here are just a few:
@TaylorOliviaMc i'm a big supporter of the "through thick and thin" view but i also don't live in mtl. easier for me to put rosey glasses on
— alana 13/16 (@paciorettys) February 19, 2016
I say loyalty means wanting the best for the team and to see it succeed. Not blind loyalty to the people involved. @TaylorOliviaMc @AllHabs
— Tim Bryant (@TimKBryantYEG) February 19, 2016
@TaylorOliviaMc All of my favorite players are retired or dead. "Loyal fan" to me means I love the jersey and the history. @AllHabs
— Eddy TwoTimes (@Born2Nickelback) February 19, 2016
@TaylorOliviaMc @AllHabs always loyal to the crest. I wear my hat, shirts or jerseys any day of the week. Watch them no matter the mess.
— Ryan Hollett (@Crypticshock) February 19, 2016
@TaylorOliviaMc Through good times & bad. Won't always believe in decisions made or players on the team, but will always believe in the CH.
— Corey Desormeaux (@xCoreyDx) February 19, 2016
The common thread seemed to be that we stay committed because we care about the CH that we so lovingly wear day in and day out on sweaters, caps and jerseys. We recognize that as hard as losing is for us, we probably can’t begin to imagine how those out on the ice each night feel.
Staying blindly loyal to something can be dangerous –i.e. if your significant other kicks a puppy, you should definitely never talk to them again– however, as @TreVoJen pointed out, it’s just a game and at the end of the day, no one is dying over lost hockey games. There is no danger in staying committed to something that has given us so much, including all of the internet friends we cry in tandem with after each loss.
@TaylorOliviaMc @AllHabs in politics, yes. In sports Fan-ship……Show me one danger.
— RedTag (@TreVoJen) February 19, 2016
Let me know what you think about loyalty within the Montreal Canadiens fan community on Twitter @TaylorOliviaMc.
