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Tailing the Komets

Retired numbers

On another post a debate began about retired numbers, and the possibility of Colin Chaulk someday having his number 91 retired. The old rule was you had to play 10 years and they made exceptions for Steve Fletcher who played seven and one UHL game and for Reggie Primeau at eight years. I think they should stick with 10 years, which means Guy Dupuis would be a possibility and that is all until someone reaches that plateau again.

The Komets' current retired numbers:

5 Terry Pembroke; 6 Lionel Repka; 11 Len Thornson; 12 Reggie Primeau; 16 Eddie Long 18 Robbie Laird; 26 Colin Chin; 30 Robbie Irons; 77 Steve Fletcher. There is also 40 for Bob Chase, 58 for Ken Ullyot and 59 for Colin Lister.

To me, that should be it for a very long time. I'm a purist in that I think you have to go back to playing at least 10 years, and that means Guy Dupuis would be the last one to come up for consideration after this season. Retired numbers should be for exceptional players, and it's supposed to be very hard to achieve.

That's also a reason why the Komets re-started their Hall of Fame, to be able to include everyone else who has made sizeable contributions to the franchise.

What do you think?

As another debate, if the Komets had to name their five greatest players of all-time like is being done now in the Major League Baseball promotion, which five would you pick? That ought to keep you busy all weekend. LOL

Posted in: Komets

Comments

Hit Somebody!!!
Thu, 08/03/2006 - 6:45pm

Too Many Men!!!!!!!!!
Shoot!!!!!!
Pass the Puck Guinn!!!!!
Say something Chief!!!!!!
You suck Hawthorne!!!!!
Stop chewing on those bic pens Super Fan!!!!
We're gonna beat the h.........!!!!!!
Stop dumping the Puck!!!!!!
Hit Somebody!!!

chuckitt
Thu, 08/03/2006 - 8:16pm

i heard that at the first meeting of the ohic that theyve invited in a third grade teacher who will conduct a spelling class. thanks too to the mc for getting tough on people who leave their seats. the only problem is that some of the red coats dont really care and some just stand there and hold their cards while people wisk by them! lets get some real security in the place and get really tough!

scoops
Thu, 08/03/2006 - 8:34pm

I can live with the decision if its because of GG's criminal background (which I actually forgot about). If that is the reason then I fully stand behind the decision not to use the song....but I still loved it when Larry brought the house down with a single push of a button. LOL To me its just a song but teams and organizations boycott stuff like this all the time. I'm okay with it.

I kind of like the "Whoot, There It Is" idea. That is something the crowd can get into and chant along. One of the best suggestions yet.....

Hoss
Thu, 08/03/2006 - 9:00pm

There are much better choices than "Whoot!"

Skate
Fri, 08/04/2006 - 1:46pm

Compromise:

Get the 6,000 people who participate to modify to DA DA DA DA DA "you STINK!"

And "we're gonna beat the HECK out of you."

But, I am sure, two people who attend two games a year (when they get free tickets) will complain and say "I'll NEVER come to another Komets game AGAIN." And we'll have to come up with something else.

Or, you could just satisfy the 98% of the people who either participate or simply don't care and be done with it.

You want to hear bad language, go to the mall.

Mike
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 4:42am

These are some good songs:

Fire by Hendrix
Mexican Hat Dance

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:30am

Skate the stuff I hear as a Side Judge from irate football coaches is 100 times worse than anything I hear from a hockey crowd lol.
Here is the problem as I see it...and I am going to try to put this where I do not offend anyone because it really is not my intention to do so...
I am not the most religious person around but I have the upmost respect for those who are (of all faiths)
That being said..I think it was this past season, I show up to my seats and down below me is a family of 5, kids look ranging from around 6-15, all with Bible in hand reading during the warmups. I found it a bit strange but I figured there were alot worse things they could be reading. Well, I swear to you, the entire game, this family sat, not making one sound no matter what happened and even though they stopped reading to watch the game, they clutched those books as if they thought the gates of hell were going to open up at center ice. And whenever anyone around yelled ANYTHING you could see them looking at each other as though they were sitting in a room of people who were going to be walking through the above mentioned gates.
My point is, I know Fort Wayne (and much of Indiana) is a very religious area. I think in most cases it is those values that make the people as kind and good natured as they are. However in some cases it does makes them very conservative (and I can say that as a Republican) and very judgemental of others who they perceive to be going down the "wrong path". And some of them will get in your face and tell you! If these are the type of people who pressured management into changing the music then I can see why they might have felt pressured to change.
The bottom line for me is, I don't like the G.G. song from the standpoint that a child predator should not be paid royalties for his music if at all possible.
But if they play it, it isn't going to bother me so much that it ruins my enjoyment of the game. It is hockey, it is entertainment. I will be entertained no matter what music is played.
Off my soapbox for the weekend ;-)

JR
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 9:20am

People who sit in thier seats making no noise, probably did not go to the consession stand for any refrershments( cause that food is the food of the devil), and pass judgemnet on everyone else are great.... I mean that is exactly the kind of patrons I want at the games... There is nothing better than to hear complete silence after a goal... I can totally understand catering to that group of people. I mean that 2% could make or break you.... What a joke. I'm sure there are gonna be several of you who jump down my throat for this post; but come on, this is exactly the reason why hockey is suffering in popularity... They are making the game boring on the ice AND in the stands. Why dont we just bring in 89.1 to do the music and releave Larry of the anguish of trying not to offend people who may come to 2 games a year..... You can have your soap box back now Tony...

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 10:26am

JR I think management is in a tough position. They know there is a size of the population in their area that makes the Church their life or at least are what would be considered "ultra" conservative. They don't want to discourage that and they don't want those people to not feel welcome at games. I mean you don't want to turn away a paying customer.
This is a case of not being able to make everyone happy. You try to offer something to every segment of the population but in the end, you can't make everyone happy with every aspect of your production. All in all I think the atmosphere at Komet games is one of the most friendly around. You don't see fights in the stands, foul language is kept to a minimum and you don't normally see anyone drunk out of control. For the most part everyone tries to have fun without impeding those around them from also enjoying the game. That being said there will always be those who think that things should be done differently and if a business doesn't at least keep an open ear, they might let the occasional good idea slip by.

SPAM WARNING BELOW THIS LINE
-----------------------------------
Tony E hourly soapbox rentals....$19.99 an hour....unlimited rants.....special weekened and offseason rates.....

blake
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 11:57am

Um, foul language is not kept to a minimum in the stands. It's downright embarrassing at times.

What's this city's nickname? The city of churches. I would bet the majority of the citizens attend church. And with that I'm off to mine.

DNL
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 12:35pm

How about AC/DC's Thunderstruck as a post goal song? Not really something to sing along to, but it does get the crowds going. Plus, you couldn't really put a 'you suck' part in there if that's still a worry.

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 1:15pm

Lol I have heard City of Churches...City of Showgirls....City of Buffets...
Seriously the Churches in Fort Wayne and the surrounding area do a world of good both for the people who attend and the community at large. Being of a different faith I of course never went to any services but I did participate in several fish fries and other events at various churches and always felt welcome.
I would agree with Blake that probably 9 out of 10 folks attend Church and of that number I think only a tiny tiny percentage try to impose their will on the masses so to speak.
I think this situation all comes down to trying to respect the people around you and at the same time, realizing that part of the fun of going to games is an outlet to yell and scream (as long as it isnt overtly offensive)
I myself have only had a handful of situations where language or what was being said offended me (that guy calling Duhart a child molestor story I have posted before tops that list)
Common sense...decency...respect....having fun. It is a delicate balance that you will never get 100% of the people to agree on.

On the "you suck" chant. I can see where some might be offended and honestly it doesn't make the fan base sound classy. That being said I just choose not to yell it while I am standing and cheering. I don't look down on those who do. Life is too short to let something like that offend me.
I do sincerely hope I have posted in a way that makes it clear I am not in any way being critical of the general Church going population. I posted the story above as an example of one family of fans who were clearly offended by not only the chant but even regular cheering. I hesitated to post it and reread it 3 times because even though I am not religious, I react strongly to attacks on my faith. I would never attack anyone or any group for their faith or beliefs.

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 1:18pm

On the subject of music...what happenend to the organ?

Skate
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 3:27pm

In this situation, the word "SUCK" is 21st century slang for "STINK." If some poeple want to attached another, more risque meaning to it, they do so at their own option.

Until someone made the comment about Gary Glitter and his problems, I had no idea they existed. For anyone to complain about playing his music because of that is, I believe, a real reach.

Lastly, as far as religious beliefs -- to each his own. But, PLEASE KEEP THEM TO YOURSELVES! I can say that absolutely the very worst screwings I have ever had in business and personal life came from the people who claimed to be teh best, most devout, "Christians."

Jim
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 5:32pm

Hey,Tony i know everthing.i see your back from vac.i hope you had fun. i know we all did

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 5:57pm

Hey Jim, yes I had a blast. Thanks to high speed in hotels I didn't have to lose touch with the blog.
Remember, I don't know everything....YET!

KimK
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 5:58pm

While the following is only one reference... I believe I could spend a bit more time and find further documentation that the source of the phrase "you suck" is indeed sexual. So I heartily disagree that the phrase simply means "stink". To assert otherwise is naive. Personally I am not offended. But, unless the stands can be filled every night with a beer swilling, belching, "you suck" yelling crowd - then the owners of the team have to also cater to church groups, scout troops, families with kids and other groups that find the phrase offensive. And the owners have every right to take action to discourage its use. And if not being able to yell "YOU SUCK" after a goal makes you want to stop attending Komets games, then you are aren't much of a hockey fan and you are attending for reasons other than watching and enjoying the game.

The following is from...
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=suck&searchmode=none

suck
O.E. sucan, from PIE root *sug-/*suk- of imitative origin (cf. O.S., O.H.G. sugan, O.N. suga, M.Du. sughen, Du. zuigen, Ger. saugen "to suck;" L. sugere "to suck," succus "juice, sap;" O.Ir. sugim, Welsh sugno "to suck"). Meaning "do fellatio" is first recorded 1928. Slang sense of "be contemptible" first attested 1971 (the underlying notion is of fellatio). Suck eggs is from 1906. Suck hind tit "be inferior" is Amer.Eng. slang first recorded 1940.

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:07pm

Wow!! And I thought I was close to knowing everything LOL!
Good research KimK. I agree with you for the most part. I think when fans yell You Suck they are doing it in the manner that Skate said.

You are very right though that as a business, the Komets need to cater themselves to the community at large including groups, individuals, young people, seniors and everyone in between. It is very hard to make it where everyone will be happy. I bet if Blake posted a survey asking fans to rank in order what they feel is most important when attending a game (product on ice, food quality, food prices, music, seat comfort, fan language, bathroom lines.......) etc, you would get many different answers.
I think it is a safe bet though that if a scout leader, respected religious leader, or someone like that contacted management and said they could not bring groups back unless the You Suck thing went away, it would not be good business to turn them away. MOST People are not going to stop coming to games just because they can't yell a certain phrase during a song. If the scout and Church groups stop coming though, alot of revenue is lost and you alienate a fairly large group of people.

KimK
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:18pm

Tony... once again you have proven that you are THE voice of reason on the NS&JG Komet blogs. Between you, Blake & Justin there must be times you feel you are a solitary voice crying in the wilderness...

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:34pm

Lol if I am the voice of reason we are ALLLLLL in trouble ;-)

Shutterbug
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:40pm

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cheapseats/articles/0805chinmusic0805.html

Shutterbug
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:46pm

Sorry, you might have to fill out a "Age and zip" questionnaire before reading the Arizona article about the 'Yotes new on-ice dance team.

Tony E
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 6:59pm

Oh gheesh. Thankfully the Jeep Girls are not much more than prize gophers.

Bob
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 9:35pm

Tony, It still puts more of the "casual fan" in the seats.....I used to help out with a lot of the promotions on and off the ice for several years....but I guess the fan that attends say 2-6 games a year, if he/she wins a prize wants to have it delivered by one of the Jeep Girls instead of an overweight 40 something guy wearing a nice shirt and tie. At least I'm saving on my dry cleaning bills! LOL!

Bob
Sat, 08/05/2006 - 9:43pm

Actually, I seem to recall that someone told me that the Komets had cheerleaders for like a year or two....but this was a long, long time ago when Bob Britt owned the team in the mid 1980's before Welker bought the team.....At least that's what someone told me....this was a few years before I started attending games on a regular basis. 1987 is when I started going to games consistently. Jeff, Blake, do any of you guys remember anything like that?

blake
Sun, 08/06/2006 - 7:22am

Kim, there you go trying to inject logic into this dicussion. How dare you. LOL. These guys don't want logic. Sometimes they don't even want rational, reasoned discussion, especially on this topic or fighting.

You go girl!

JungleMonkey
Sun, 08/06/2006 - 7:27am

Seriously.... When I shout you suck... I am not requesting fellatio from the Kalamazoo Wings. I hope I'm not such a prude when I get old.

KimK
Sun, 08/06/2006 - 9:12am

Being a prude has nothing to do with it.

Recognizing that the phrase has two meanings, the former begetting the latter, has everything to do with. And to not recognize that there are people in attendance that find the phrase offensive is closed minded, selfish, and just downright inconsiderate. And to not realize that the owners of the team see the phrase as a threat to their bottom line is lacking, shall we say, a certain depth of thought.

And seriously... when you shout you suck at the Wings, you are not requesting, you are clearly stating in a most emphatic way that they do.

JR
Sun, 08/06/2006 - 9:21am

Incredible.... This is hockey, not a tea party where we sit around dicussing world hunger. People love sports because its a place where you dont have to be rational!!! Sports are a release, wether your playing softball or your watching an event at home or in person. And if indeed it is bible thumpers that are complaining about it then I say this..let them stay at church. These same people that are complaining about songs at a sporting event are probably the same people who flip you the bird in the parking lot. You know the type ,the people you over hear at the grocery store talking down about another parent who yells at thier kid in the middle of the store only to find them smacking THIER kid in the car in the parking lot!! Hypocrites!!!!! Like Skate said, I too didnt know a thing about Gary Glitter until someone brought it up, and I assume that most didnt have a clue about him either.

Tony E
Sun, 08/06/2006 - 9:33am

The Komets had cheerleaders??? Say it isn't so!!!!
I found out about the Glitter thing reading the Toronto Sun online a few months back. He was actually facing a FIRING SQUAD in Vietnam for his crimes. I never saw anything covering it in the U.S. possibly because while many know the song, nobody knows who "sings" it.

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