The Vig

Way back either just before or just after I began the O-Live blog, Scooter went on a rant on the O-Live forum about how it chapped his hide whenever someone spelled Winter Hawks as one word.  It was two words, he said, with a space and two capital letters.  That lesson immediately stuck with me and I resolved to no matter what always make sure I spelled the name correctly.  It was done out of respect for the little guy, who I loved dearly.  Still do.

It came as a mild shock then on Friday when the Winter Hawks Winterhawks sent out a press release announcing they would henceforth be known as the Winterhawks rather than the Winter Hawks.  I was standing in Northeast Portland when the message came across my Blackberry, but I could still hear Scooter’s head explode in Beaverton.  What the hell happened?  Did someone screw up a legal document?  New letterhead?  A new logo?  The mind reeled a bit as I thought about Scooter and that lesson from many moons ago.  Why the change?

It took me through the weekend to sort it out.  I finally figured out I didn’t care.  Yeah, you could always tell the fans from the outsiders by how they spelled the name.  But that’s such an elitist attitude.  One which shone through on a couple of entries on the O-Live blog.  It really doesn’t matter.  Ultimately it’s Gallacher’s team, he can do with it as he wishes.  Want to call it the Winterhawks?  Have at it.  Rosebuds?  More power to him.  Totems?  Why not?

There are so many bigger fish to fry with the organization both on and off the ice, it hardly seems worth mentioning.  If folks want to get stuck on tradition and sentiment, let them.  They’ll still buy tickets and still come to games no matter what.  They’re not going anywhere.  Gallacher and Piper both know this.  As for me, it’s onward toward the future.  I can’t wait to see whats next.

Update:  Dylan B. ponders the Vancouver Winterhawks.  Oh good.