The 5 types of Wings fans
I regret to inform you that you're on this list
Well, we’re a third of the way through what was supposed to be “an eventful August”, according to NHL insiders. The most excitement we’ve gotten so far is…Nathan Bastian to the Dallas Stars? A Pavel Datsyuk interview? We’ve reached the bottom of the bottom of the barrel, folks. What was supposed to be an exciting offseason became a snooze fest all too quickly.
But far be it from Red Wings fans to approach the season with a positive attitude.
Go to any comment section on any social media post from the Wings and you’ll see the same things: a Fire Yzerman guy. A guy crying about no trades happening. A guy who’s given up on the team. The recency bias among Wings fans is genuinely shocking to me.
It makes sense considering that the Red Wings are the most successful hockey franchise in the United States. A huge fanbase is almost inevitable when you’ve got 11 Stanley Cups. Wings fans travel better than just about any fanbase in the NHL. Many of us have spent most of our lives watching the team consistently make the playoffs. Needless to say, we’ve got high standards for Hockeytown.
This, in turn, has brought out some of the worst characteristics among the fanbase. It’s so bad that even polling data suggests that Wings fans are among the most obnoxious and self-loathing in the league.
I’ve divided the Wings fanbase into five distinct archetypes. Each have their own nuance; some even overlap at times. But every fan falls into one of these five categories.
Fan Archetype 1: The Doomer
The Doomer has had a bit of a resurgence these last few seasons. Typically found in comment sections and Twitter replies, this type of fan is quick to anger. They expect Yzerman to sign every top free agent, fleece every team for superstar players, and consistently win the Stanley Cup every year. Anything less is seen as an abject failure.
The thing is, they’re partially right. It’s okay to be frustrated with a slow rebuild. But these types of fans don’t actually want the team to succeed: they just want to be right. They would rather see the Yzerplan fail than be proven wrong. Anger is a secondary emotion. It typically stems from something outside the frustration. The best thing you can do with these types of fans is to ignore them, or, at the very worst, recommend them a therapist.
Fan Archetype 2: The Denialist
Detroit sports fans are broken. We had nearly an entire decade of mediocrity from the entire Big Four. The Pistons were the laughing stock of the NBA, the Tigers had to rebuild their rebuild, the Wings started their long rebuild, and the Lions were, at the time, the Lions of old. It’s almost like something destroyed the psyche of these fans, leaving them unable to feel any sort of hope for their team.
These are the fans that find an immediate flaw to every move Yzerman makes. John Gibson got traded? Oh, well, he’s old. Patrick Kane re-signed with the Wings? Don’t worry, he’ll want out soon anyway. This type of fan isn’t angry: they’re afraid of feeling hope. If they keep their expectations low, they won’t be disappointed. Just remember: it’s nothing more than a defense mechanism.
Fan Archetype 3: The Delusional
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the eternal optimist. They truly believe every move Steve Yzerman makes is the missing piece leading the team to glory. In their minds, John Gibson is returning to peak form, James van Riemsdyk has a career renaissance, and Andrew Copp will absolutely definitely bounce back for real this time. High expectations, to be sure, but they’re not wholly unlike The Denialist.
It’s totally fine to be an optimist about your favorite team. In fact, I encourage it. But there’s a difference between optimism and wishful thinking. Not every move Yzerman makes is God’s Gift to Hockeytown. Every general manager lays an egg once in a while. The thing is, it’s hard to take someone seriously if they’re twisting themselves into pretzels to justify every Jake Walman trade. Nuance is key when it comes to supporting your team.
Fan Archetype 4: The Data Guy
These types of fans don’t see the game of hockey as two teams facing off on the ice: they see it in numbers. The Data Guy is more of a spectrum than a specific type of guy. Some of the more casual types look at box scores and team stats and build their narrative from there. If they see a player underperforming on the stat sheet, they dismiss them as busts or deadweight.
The other more cerebral type of Data Guy, however, lives and breathes advanced analytics. They value players entirely off analytic models and 5v5 contributions/60. The “eye test”, to them, is nonexistent. Numbers are black and white, therefore, they’re the sole source of truth. The reality, however, lies somewhere in-between. Analytics help to paint a picture, but you won’t get the result you desire with just a stat card.
Fan Archetype 5: The Down-to-Earther
The further along this rebuild we get, the rarer this type of Wings fan is becoming. The Down-to-Earther is capable of nuance. They understand that Yzerman isn’t perfect and is capable of making poor moves. They recognize that, until prospects graduate to the NHL, they’re just prospects. This type of fan calls out poor moves when they see them without letting it ruin their day.
Walking the tightrope between optimistic and realistic is their specialty. They can use the eye test and analytics to come to their own conclusions about players. But, again, they’re few and far between with a team mired in a rebuild. Members of the other four archetypes can experience flashes of Down-to-Earther behavior, but this archetype requires a lot of detachment and looking within to master.
Conclusions: Who are you?
If I had to put myself into one of these five categories, I’d probably say I’m Delusional. I tend to give Yzerman the benefit of the doubt with some of his poorer moves (we don’t know what led up to the Walman trade!) and I always take an optimistic approach to every season.
Where do you fall among these five archetypes?
I'm the down-to -earther type. I know Yzerman is trying hard but draft picks take time. And free agents don't always turn out positively. If we are not making the playoffs I'd much rather see some GR players brought up for experience than crappy FA disappointments.
I'm a mostly down-to-earther with occasional delusional moments. Rebuilds take time, no GM is perfect, there have been improvements every year, there have been front office mistakes every year. But. We will never know why Walman was traded and I go into every season full of hope.