Rejects Sparks Outcry from fans
It was a shot not many expected coming from one of the Winnipeg Jets own key media partners and corporate sponsors. The piece in particular ran in the Winnipeg Free Press after the signing of TJ Galiardi was announced on Friday with the headline Jets Sign Flames Reject.
While the authors of the piece do not write the headline, those four words caused much outcry amongst a large segment of fans. Many opinions and thoughts expressed were of the ‘shame on you’ variety towards the Free Press, a publication many want to see more from in their coverage of the Jets. Huh?
Well we can’t have it both ways, especially if you live in the blogosphere or online. Not because the standards are lower but they are different…and that’s worth remembering. What the crux of this debate comes down to is another identity crisis for Winnipeg. The psyche of the city is once again showing it’s frail and feeble resiliency to criticism and perhaps reality.
Context
I’m not a native Winnipegger. I’m not ‘from’ here yet it has been my home for over 10 years. While firmly embedded in my community, a former president of a high profile professional association and involved in the business community, I’m still a bit of a safe landing spot for many. I hear gossip that people feel is ‘safe’ because I’m not ‘from here’ and not part of any long-standing social circles or relations. The conundrum is that Winnipeg has a weird identity issue within it’s populace. The city as a whole wants respect and appreciation but underneath there is uncertainty of trust as well as a lack of confidence. Thus when one of its own makes a realistic statement on affairs about or within the city and it’s not flattering uproar happens.
So why is the word ‘reject’ offensive? One point made was how welcoming is Galiardi going to feel as a player? Another position was is ‘reject’ even accurate? Is Olli Jokinen a Jets’ reject in Nashville let alone the 2 other centers they signed from other teams? In all fairness only Ribeiro could be seen as a true reject but semantics are not the issue here.
Understanding the fan base is important, as this is where the psyche part comes into play. Is a ‘reject’ the only kind of player the Jets are capable of signing now, one that takes a 1 year 2-way contract for not far above league minimum? ‘Not in our city!’ they cry. Winnipeg is a city that had the motto ‘one great place’ and it really is an attempt to say, to anyone who cares, that Winnipeg is better than you think. That’s what most here will tell you. ‘We’re better than you think’ and it’s not the hockey team that is being talked about.
Away from the print, the radio, and TV the cold reality becomes clearer though. For those who can spend their time talking to agents, managers and other players the message is the one that fans in Winnipeg fear. “At least he wanted to come here,… said one reporter.
The underlying feeling for fans is that the word ‘reject’ brings up some harsh feelings. Not because one of the few free agents the Jets could sign is another team’s reject but because the city seems to be rejected often and by more than hockey players. That’s reality.
The fans here waited patiently for a hockey team to return. They wait for a winner and competitive team to be built. They wait for the city to grow and develop a reputation as a world-class location. The bitter taste of rejection sitting back on the palette, never quite disappearing from memory, is always there. The signing of TJ Galiardi, another team’s reject or not, is hardly the problem. It’s that more favourable players seemingly reject the team and city.
There’s nothing wrong with the term ‘reject’ but in Winnipeg it means much more than the quality of player that can be acquired. The term hints at a long-standing feeling and emotion for the population, in and away from hockey. In time that can change but as many point out it will take success for others to take notice of the city and team. The question is how much time?