Yep, I'm new (though I lurked on the old board since 2002) and a Flyers fan. Worse, for me (and, I guess, for our relationship on the Sports board) is that I'm an Eagles fan. And a Phillies fan. And a Sixers fan. Sports life has not been kind to me since '83 ('85 if you count Villanova).

If it makes me better accepted, I loathe the Rangers more than the Devils. Actually, I don't hate the Devils all that much (though I wish they stayed in Denver), as I've always respected Brodeur and have come to grips with the fact that the Flyers can't beat them when it matters. The 2000 Eastern Conference Finals still burns.

I can't help but think that it would have all turned out different if they had just kept "Vancouver" off the sweaters.

Well, on the bright side, I suppose this season's debacle will help make them less popular than they already were. I'm certain now that the "City on the Sweater" plague is being manufactured in the NHL's secret laboratory by Bettman's little flying monkeys. Presumably as a superfluous aid to brain-dead channel flippers in Miami Beach.

Is it time for predictions?

San Jose to win the West, especially if they avoid Anaheim.

Montréal takes the East.

Final: Habs win in seven

(outside shots: West: Minnesota. East: NY Rangers)

Welcome, then. I'm not sure what Jason The Saint's name is now, but he's also Eagles and whatever the new MLS team is called.

In fact, Philly may be the most represented city on otf, as terrifying that may be to anyone who doesn't like hot dog fights...
http://deadspin.com/376178/the-usual-dash-of-dollar-dog-night-bacchanalia

But who doesn't like hot dog fights? Anyway, thanks for the welcome. I promise I've never once thrown a hot dog in anger, nor booed Santa Claus, nor got locked in the jail at the Vet. I may have thrown snowballs at the Cowboys bench, though.

Well hey, everyone except Mr. WindUpBird (our resident DallAssian) would approve of that.

Congratulations, Reed, on the Caps beating the Panthers to clinch the playoffs. Even better (for my hopes of the Flyers playing in DC), the Bruins lost to the Sabres, which means that the Flyers can get the sixth seed if they beat the Pens tomorrow.

It's very exciting. I haven't got my head around what a comeback they've made.

I'm actually hoping that we draw the Senators, because we seem to have their number this year and Flyers fans are far more obnoxious (present company excluded, of course) and likely to infiltrate Verizon Center.

I've already bought two tickets to the first game, although I don't know when it will be.

It is pretty damn exciting, I love going to playoff hockey games (I'm hoping my brother's firm is going to come through with tickets).

Flyers fans would definitely be more, um, full-throated, though I'm not sure that would be a bad thing. I haven't been to a Caps game since the lockout, but, before that, the Caps crowd was the worst hockey crowd I've ever seen (and I used to go to Florida Panthers games). It seemed that, at most, 1/4 of the crowd actually knew what was going on and was paying attention. The rest either seemed to be there on company tickets, or because they'd heard that Jagr was supposed to be important.

I wouldn't be surprised if things are better now, as this Caps team seems to have grabbed the district's imagination a bit (my nephew and all his friends watch the game regularly, whereas 3 years ago they mocked the idea of watching hockey), but a little Flyers-exuberance wouldn't hurt that much.

For the record, I've always thought that the Flyers were the best of all the Philadelphia fans. They were rowdy, but not close to as bad as Eagles fans, and they are fairly knowledgeable.

Gaaaah....Series now tied 2-2. Bloody Zurich beat us 3-2 in their manor, with a bit of luck apparently. Cunt of a ref did not stop play with one of our guys lying on the floor in a 5vs3 powerplay and they scored...Anyhow back to square one really, 3 games left, two at home. As usual videos available on the GSHC website.

In the LNA/LNB promotion/relegation series, it looks like the ghastly EHC Basel is about to bite the dust, with Bienne 3-0 up after winning their second away game of the series.

Jason the Saint is now just JtS.

You still have the upper hand, Y, all you need to do is win at home.

Karpat won the first match against Blues, and Ufa won at home to tie their series against Yaroslavl.

It's nice to see meaningful hockey games return to North America. I also am one of those who think that a Caps-Pens series in the first round would not be a good thing, better that they meet later.

It has gotten a lot better since then. I went to games during that era. It was pretty awful, especially after it became clear that Jagr wasn't the savior we had hoped for.

It should be noted, however, that the atmosphere at Wizards games in those years was even worse. As the area around Verizon Center develops, its become a more appealing destination for people who want to make an evening of it. I recall that when it first opened there was concern that suburbanites were afraid to venture into that area.

As soon as the Caps signed Ovechkin to a long-term deal earlier this year, attendance improved. And in the last week or so, attendance has been near 100%. The faith of the core fanbase has been fully restored and is beginning to attract new fans.

The problem is that the Caps core fanbase are mostly people who can't afford to go very often, like me, but also a lot of people who live further out in Prince William, Bowie, Frederick, etc. And because this is such a shitty sports town overall and attending a hockey game on freebies doesn't have the "cache" of the NFL, MLB or NBA, the lobbyist/corporate graft market isn't as strong.

Also, that middle level of club seats is always mostly empty because the Caps can't market those. They "belong" to Abe Pollin.

QUOTE:
It has gotten a lot better since then.

That's great to hear. You are also dead on about the Wizards fans, and how that has changed with the building out/gentrification of the Metro Center area (Gilbert Arenas probably deserves a little credit there, too).

I also agree about the general crappiness of the DC sports fan (at least of the non-Redskins variety), which is directly tied into the pricing out of the lower income-types, but made worse by the fact that corporate/rich folks are made up largely of transient DC-ers.

The "transient" aspect of Washington transcends sports. I think a lot of this city's problems are exacerbated because so many of the local residents - especially the ones with money and education - aren't from here and don't expect to be here very long so they don't really care about the long-term.

I'm the opposite, I don't really like Washington and want to leave, but as long as I'm here I'll support the local pro teams.

That's very true, and also happens to be true of Frankfurt (of all places). It is a malaise from which administrative capitals (be they political, economic, or both) that lack a deep history in their own right are more or less doomed to suffer from. I am pretty sure the same phenomenon exists in Canberra and Brasilia.