My feelings about the Flames chances are well documented. I think the road to the kind of consistent success enjoyed by a team like the Detroit Red Wings involves starting over. Don’t think that’s easy for me to say — it means a lot of losing over several seasons, and that’ll be tough (just look at those sad bastards in Edmonton). I might not think the Flames are very good, but I’m still a fan. I still buy tickets, watch on TV and listen on the radio. I still wear my Flames jersey. I still want them to win. I just don’t think they will.
I’ve advocated to blow the whole thing up, trade the players we’ve spent years rooting for in order to stockpile prospects and picks. I think it’s time to hit reset. Bringing in a $6-million player in January is the opposite of hitting reset.
And it got me excited.
I might be a pessimist, but I’m still a fan. As I fan I remember that Mike Cammellari scored 39 goals in a Flames jersey and as I fan I’m excited to have him back (especially if the cost is the talented but infuriatingly inconsistent Rene Bourque). As a fan I’m hoping this is what it takes to get this team into the top eight, to playoff hockey, where anything is possible.
Is it a good strategy for the long term? No. Will it actually work? That turd they dropped on Saturday — which I had the honour to see in person — isn’t encouraging. But I’m still excited.
We’ve been down this road before, of course. I wanted to blow it up when they missed the playoffs two years ago after selling Dion Phaneuf for spare parts. Then they brought back two other former Flames in Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen and I got excited. I was ready to blow it up when it looked like they’d miss the playoffs a second time, then they went on a late season tear and I got excited.
And now this. Mike Cammellari is a Calgary Flame.
So alright, Flames, let’s take another run at this. The odds are long and I love an underdog. I’m in. Committed to the cause. Ready to ignore your infinite capacity to disappoint me. Buy the ticket, take the ride, right? Bring it.
One last time.
Until, of course, the next time.