Chris Osgood: Tearing Fans Apart Since 1994

by Amerinadian on Oct 29, 2010 7:00 PM CDT in Opinion

Now before you get all a-flutter about this, let me state early that this is not a "Chris Osgood should start/Chris Osgood should die of gonorrhea" kind of thing. I will get to my feelings on the matter later. However, in light of some recent arguments that have taken place throughout the interwebz, it's only fitting that I, as a blogger, give you my completely unsolicited and unwanted opinion on this whole Chris Osgood thing.

First, let me ask you one thing: has there ever been a player in Red Wing history that has caused this much controversy or animosity among the fanbase as Ozzie? The only two I can think of off the top of my head are Sergei Fedorov and Todd Bertuzzi. Now, Fedorov was reviled for many things, but one thing no one questioned was his overall talent; the man was a hell of a hockey player. With Bertuzzi, the questions have surrounded what he can do for the Wings along with his obvious history, but I think it was well understood by most people that the Tuzz was only signed to be a secondary offensive player, so our expectations for him have always been lower. But Chris Osgood is the goalie, a position that has plagued the Wings for many years. Some think he's a Hall of Famer; others think he owes his success solely to the team he played on. Me? I'll go wishy-washy on you and say he's somewhere in the middle. Follow me after the jump when we dissect Osgood and his impact on the fans.

So before we get into how Ozzie has caused tears and pain, let me explain where I stand. I love Osgood, and respect what he has done for this franchise over the years. I have always maintained that his role has been misunderstood, as he was never the type of goalie to steal a playoff series or stand on his head to win a game for the Wings. What he was able to do was maintain focus over a 60 minute game in which he saw few shots, but he could make a big save when the team needed one. In short, he was the exact opposite of Manny Legace. Now, however, it's getting clearer to me that Osgood's skills have diminished, and he is becoming an increasing liability in the Red Wing net. Case in point Thursday: the third goal. As I said in the recap, that is a save that must be made at that point in time. The Wings are down 2-0 and looked awful. He had let in two "questionable" goals to that point, and the team was reeling. The Wings get a power play and looked poised to start their comeback, and then that goal happens. Shorthanded. From 50 feet out. Unscreened. Unacceptable. I'm not ready to pull the plug on him completely yet and say that he should just up and retire, but I do know that his leash with me is extremely short, and I am done defending him. Basically, I'll point out when he has a good game, and I'll note when he has a bad one, just like I do with Jimmy.

But therein lies the issue: Jimmy Howard gets the benefit of the doubt, but talk to any Red Wing fan and they have an opinion on Osgood, and they'll let you know what it is. There are two very distinct groups: the pro-Ozzies and the anti-Ozzies. Now, this is not to say that one group likes him and the other doesn't; the groups are divided in their belief on whether he should play or not. I don't know that one of them is right and one of them is wrong: that's not the point here. That's the type of thing that is being debated time and time again, both in blogs and on Twitter. What I am getting tired of is the constant back and forth between the fans about this, and being called out for believing one thing or another.

To the pro-Ozzie people, I understand. I know that you feel a connection to him since he has been such a big part of the team in the past, and it's hard to let go of that. We pride ourselves as a fanbase as being like a family, and we don't want to cast off one of our own. You point to his 3 Stanley Cup rings and his stats and say that he's a good goalie. I don't dispute that, but I think you're deluding yourself a little if you believe that he is the goalie he was from 15, 10 or even 2 years ago. Ozzie's reflexes are leaving him, and only the most die-hard supporters can really maintain that he gives us the best shot at winning night in and night out. I get that he's not going to get better without playing time, but the starts he has gotten over the last year and a bit have shown that he is not as good as he was. It's time to take the blinders off and accept that.

To the anti-Ozzie crowd, here's a question: what's your alternative? Do you want to bury Osgood in the minors and bring up Joey MacDonald? Remember, Osgood's on a 35+ contract, so there is no getting that cap hit off the books. However, putting him in the minors would give us a whole $100K off of Ozzie's salary, making Joey Mac a $1.8M backup with less experience and skills than Osgood. Or we could force Osgood to retire, thereby making Joey Mac a $1.9M backup since again, we have to pay Ozzie his salary. Maybe we trade him? To who? Who's going to take a washed-up backup goalie that can't make it on the Red Wings? Face it; we're stuck with him this year, so all the pouting, bitching and moaning won't change that one bit. Suck it up and deal with it. Just as the pro-Ozzies have to accept that his skills may be in decline, you need to understand that there is still the possibility he could revert to 2008 playoffs Osgood; we can't dismiss him entirely just yet . Also, don't bring up how you were right about Ozzie and knew the team was going to lose, especially to the opposition. No one gives a crap, and all it does is make you come across as a giant asshole (as a side note, the opposite is true: declaring yourself to be "right" after a win is just as annoying. No one "knows" what's going to happen, whether it be a specific play or in the game itself). Shut the hell up and cheer for the "team", even if you believe that one of the players is not cutting it. It's like sitting on the deck of the Titanic saying "I knew the ship was going to sink"; whether you knew it or not, you're still about to drown.

Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: fan on fan violence. I don't mean this literally, although I question whether fisticuffs would occur if some people got together in person. I don't care if you are pro-Ozzie or anti-Ozzie, let's remember that we are all on the same side here: we all want the Red Wings to be better. Criticizing a player, or a coach, manager, move, or trade for that matter, does not make you a bad fan. If anything, it shows your desire for the team to win, and your passion since you are not blindly accepting everything that is happening. Do you think the fans in Toronto have enjoyed seeing all the idiot moves their team has made recently? Are they bad fans for voicing their displeasure? I say "no" on both counts. Some people are more critical than others, but in so doing, that does not make them lesser or worse fans. Stop looking at everything as being so black and white, because brothers and sisters, that is not how the world works.

The other thing I can't stand? When fans disagree, and one is inevitably told that they are not a true "fan" of the team, or it is suggested that they switch allegiances. Give me a break. I don't know when this happened, but all of a sudden it seems like there are some sort of "standards" that make one a Red Wing fan, and to not abide by these means one is not a "fan". Bullshit. For example, if I say that I think Tomas Holmstrom seems to be on the decline and that it's time to seriously start looking for his replacement, I don't want anyone telling me that I am not a "fan"; I also don't want to be told I need to go cheer for another team if I say that Mike Modano was a terrible signing; I am merely ensuring that the team continues to enjoy the level of excellence they have enjoyed for the last 20 years. I also don't like to be told that criticism = failure to support the team. Just because I say that "Player X" is not getting the job done and needs to be gone does not mean that I don't support the team. I don't tell people how to cheer for the Wings, and I don't want people to tell me how to either. We all show our support in different ways, and I get a little tired of people believing they are the arbiters on who is a "good" fan or not. Think about your own family: do you agree with them 100% of the time? When you do disagree, do you tell them "you're not a true member of this family" or "why don't you go be a part of the Hendersons"? I'm guessing probably not. If you feel the need to criticize the way a person cheers for the team, take a look in the mirror first and ensure that you haven't said or done anything that makes you look like less than a "stellar" fan; none of us are perfect, but since we're all Red Wing fans, we're pretty darn close.

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Awesome post.

Whenever I hear Ozzie arguments, I’m going to refer EVERYONE involved back to this post. Hopefully that’ll shut them up quick.

by crperreau on Oct 29, 2010 7:33 PM CDT reply actions

I agree with so many of your points. I’m pro-Osgood. I love the guy.

And maybe those of us who still think he can play, Osgood himself included, are deluding ourselves. He has clearly declined since possibly even 2 seasons ago, though Matt had made a good point that he tends to need to get into a groove to play his best, and given his current role as backup on the team, that’s really no longer possible. On the flip side, he needs to take that into account and adjust accordingly. Maybe 2008 (though let’s not forget the 09 playoffs either—he was the bright point in that opening series against CBJ) was a brief moment of stars aligning that has since passed.

But at the same time, the guy deserves some of the same benefit of the doubt that Howard receives. What drives me crazy about the anti-Osgood crowd is the histrionics and the sheer vitriol. If he majorly effs up and costs the team the game, then yes, he deserves the criticism. But there are those who think that he should be pulled the minute he gives up a goal against, regardless of the situation, which I find simply ludicrous.

He’s always going to be polarizing amongst fans, but I can’t stress enough how much I agree with your end statement that letting difference of opinions on Osgood influence whether or not you think someone “deserves” to be a fan is absurd and needs to end immediately.

by inhyung on Oct 29, 2010 7:54 PM CDT reply actions

Love the post

:) good article Amerinadian

excellent read that couldn’t be more true (on dividing the fan base)

Keep them coming

by Igorzba on Oct 29, 2010 8:25 PM CDT reply actions

No respect for Wings goalies

As a VERY long-time Wings fan, I can remember when the team had one all-star goalie after another: Lumley, Sawchuck, Hall—all in the Hall of Fame. Even Roger Crozier. Since those long ago days, they really haven’t had a guy with such elite status. (O.K., there was Hasek, but he was a rent-a-goalie). However, it seems that Wings fans have unrealistic expectations. The goalie is just one part of the team. If the Wings hadn’t folded in 2009, Osgood probably would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. But the team let HIM down. I’ve often wondered if that experience didn’t tear him up pretty badly, because he hasn’t been the same since.

Speaking of goalie history, the Wings could have signed Hasek for a song in the late-1980’s. Guess the Euro. scouts dropped the ball on that one.

by dorfarm on Oct 29, 2010 8:29 PM CDT reply actions

Anti-Osgood ALL THE WAY

His comments last year just screamed out douchebag to me and he is one of the worst goalies in the NHL right now at this point in his career.

by adamgreuel on Oct 29, 2010 11:05 PM CDT reply actions

“Chris Osgood should start/Chris Osgood should die of gonorrhea”

“Shit — you can die from gonorrhea?” — Alex Ovechkin

The Triple Deke

by TDTyler on Oct 29, 2010 11:59 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs

Very much in agreement.

I’ll be the first to say Ozzie deserves HOF considerations…especially given how he played in 2008 and 2009 playoffs. Heck, he could have (should have) won the Conn Smythe in 2009, despite the WIngs losing the cup! He’s not a shoo-in obviously, but damnit he deserves to at least be considered at some point.

But that third goal last night…that shows me he’s not what he once was. I will fight tooth and nail with anyone who says he’s a bad goalie, but I won’t deny that his days are numbered…I would wager that this should be his last season as a pro goalie, barring an amazing resurgence in his game this year (doubtful). He;s been plagued by bad goals his entire career…but that third goal last night was worse than bad, it was UGLY.

I’ve never understood the “he played in front of a good team” argument to when people say he won 3 cups…you know who else played in front of Detroit’s net? Curtis Joseph, Manny Legace. Heck, you may even lump Dom Hasek in there because of what happened in 2008! hasek won the cup in front of a littany of veteran stars in 2002…why doesn’t anyone ever say he’s overrated? I mean, obviously he isn’t, but come on. Sure, Ozzie was on some pretty darn good teams, but they couldn’t have won without him. Remember game 6 against Dallas in 1998? It was a shutout. Remember games 1 and 2 of the SCF in 2008? Shutouts. I’m not saying he’s the best goalie to have ever graced teh hockey world, but to dismiss his accomplishments is asinine.

by tehGOALIE on Oct 30, 2010 12:43 AM CDT reply actions

My take

I always thought Osgood was unfairly criticized for playing on good teams. So what if he played on good team? Martin Brodeur has played on some pretty damn good teams, but no one says two shits about his level of play (although he is the winningest goaltender of all time, so he’s got that going for him). Good teams usually win the Stanley Cup, that’s what the damn trophy is for. Bottom line: Ozzie’s got the wins and the rings to back up his spot in the HOF, but his skills are in fact on the decline. It happens to everyone, especially when you near that over-the-hill age range. I don’t think he’s ever going to return to that 2008 form again, but if Jimmy Howard keeps progressing we won’t need him to.

Back off man, I'm a scientist

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by Ryan Weiss on Oct 30, 2010 1:58 AM CDT reply actions

You're (not) a true "insert noun" if you "insert accusation."

That is one of the lamest arguments on any level. Be it sports or national politics. No one likes it being used again them as far as insults go it strikes on several levels while making the person making the argument a total douche who’s unwilling to listen to reasonable counter arguments. And you’d be right for pointing that out.

Kudos, Amerinadian on the outstanding post.

We all can agree that we are passionate Red Wing Hockey fans. WE can agree that we want to see this team raise Lord Stanley to a booming Joe Louis Arena. So lets do ourselves the courtesy of never having to use the “You’re not a TRUE Red Wings IF…” argument. We all want to be right all the time but that’s not going to happen. Being right doesn’t mean your argument was well thought out, intelligent and reasoned one. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. We owe it to ourselves to make an intelligent argument. As Red Wings fans we owe each other the courtesy that we are all Red Wing fans.

Osgood has given us the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly memories in Red Wing history. He is on the decline and he has to play smarter than relying on agility to help us win. He’s no Lidstrom between the pipes but it would help if he can correctly anticipate the play more often than not. When he finally leaves the team and retires we’ll give him one last cheer. So crack a cold one and enjoy the emotional roller coaster of Red Wing hockey and, be the Hockey Gods’ will, we never return to the Dead Wing Era. LET"S GO RED WINGS!

On a side note: JLA = Justice League of America and Joe Lois Arena. Coincidence?

by Idle Drifter on Oct 30, 2010 6:49 AM CDT reply actions

lame and pathetic

And it makes me want to stab people in the genitals when they start acting as though someone died and named them all-powerful god of determining what is a “true fan.”

There are nearly as many ways of being a fan as there are fans. I never judge the validity because no one knows what is in another person’s heart. (Same reason I generally avoid the term “bandwagon” for fans. Fans can be rookies or veterans, just as much as athletes can be, but it doesn’t mean they care any less – just that they have cared for a longer or shorter time.)

And I’ll shut up now and stop rambling because this gets me incredibly irritated. :)

Random Ramblings from a Somewhat Scattered Mind

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)

by Baroque on Oct 30, 2010 8:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Family ties

You dont tell them to go live with the Henderson’s because they have their hands full with that sasquatch.

by Zachariah Pifer on Oct 30, 2010 8:28 AM CDT reply actions

Shut up, Amerinadian. What kind of fan are you? Not a true Wings fan, that’s for sure. A true Wings fan is supporting Joey MacDonald in his second tenure with the franchise. A true Wings fan is wondering where Manny is and cursing Larsson for leaving. A true fan still despises Carolina for trying to snare Federov and hate the Ducks not because they are a dirty team but because they did steal Federov. All you do is talk about Osgood. Osgood this, Osgood that. True fans know that we need to convince Cujo to come out of retirement here. True fans know that we should have passed on Modano and signed his Star brother Marty instead and gone 0-49 in 41 regular season home games. Howard? What has he done? Stick Hasek and Vernon out there (they both went down with groin issues, I vote they count as half a goalie/man each) and then we’ll be talking.

While we’re at it, who the hell is this Mike Babcock? Why is a Duck, partially responsible for stealing the almighty Federov away from us, coaching us when Dave Lewis was trained by Jesus reincarnated, Scotty Bowman, to be the greatest coach the world had seen since Scotty Bowman? A true fan should be complaining about having the brother of the enemy on our fourth line. A true fan is hating Philly for stealing Finnish Gold from the end of our rainbow and wanting to punch Stevie Y in the face for swiping Ritola from us.

No, none of you are true fans. The only true fans are the ones who hate everything we have and hate it even more when we lose those things. Learn to do this and you can learn to be a true fan.

By the way, screw you British Columbia.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 30, 2010 10:50 AM CDT reply actions

Your comment about Mike Babcock

Made me think of something…some fans are truly clueless. I watched numerous forums (not this one) rag on Babcock saying his team play was UNACCEPTABLE and Babcock should be FIRED because he DOESNT CHANGE THE LINEUP ENOUGH or something like that…they kept saying things like BENCH BERTUZZI when he was one of the bright spots at bad times last year, and when you bench him who exactly do you put in his place? Maltby? LOLZ!

They said Babcock should be FIRED because he is a HORRIBLE COACH who benefitted from a great team in front of him when they won in 2008. Same lame argument, different person.

And, I kid you not, I saw some people saying Holland should be fired as GM. Yup, that’s right folks…they said the best GM in all of sports should be fired because his team had ONE (1) off year due to a plethora of key injuries and a change of the guard at goalie.

Some fans will never ever ever be satisfied. But its a good problem to have, because we fans expect great things from the Wings, because they’re so good year in and year out. Sometimes I feel spoiled. And I’m very grateful for that :-D

(BTW, yes I know you were sarcastic, obviously. Derp.)

by tehGOALIE on Oct 30, 2010 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions

This is a fake post, right?

God I hope so.

Milton Bradley apologist

by sanford_and_son on Oct 30, 2010 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Okay I think my sarcasm detecter fixed itself, nevermind.

Well played.

Milton Bradley apologist

by sanford_and_son on Oct 30, 2010 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

if it had been real

There would have been WAY more typos. And a plethora of exclamation points, too. :)

Random Ramblings from a Somewhat Scattered Mind

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)

by Baroque on Oct 30, 2010 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Way MORE typos? Are you insinuating that I, a true Wings fan, made typos?

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 30, 2010 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions

What a mindless tirade!!!

You must of been drunk when you composed the above message. The last Wing goalie who was a loyal Red Wing was Dom Hasek, when he played he gave 100% in fact my knock on him was that he overplayed, especially when the team seemed disinterested.

by Jim P on Oct 30, 2010 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions

The 2008 playoffs were Osgood's ultimate fuck you to all his doubters and haters.

He probably should have hung it up after that, but hindsight is 20/20 so what can you do? He’s far past his prime but still serves a purpose as a backup, I suppose. I’ll always have fond memories of the guy as he was one of my favorite goalies as a teenager back when I would attempt to play goalie for my local team.

Milton Bradley apologist

by sanford_and_son on Oct 30, 2010 1:50 PM CDT reply actions

Ozzie

I think everyone will agree this is Ozzies last year as a Wing. Let’s face it Ozzie is not a loyal player, he went after the dollar, and that has hindered him. He returned to Detroit and sort of revitalized his act after his banishment. Quite honestly he is a lazy so-in-so, he is quite happy to sit on the bench and collect his salary and that leaves a bad taste in his teamates mouth. When he does play, he deflates the team with poor goals, you can’t fool the bench about who is responsible for a goal. Two bad goals and half the team gives up. I’m sure when the team hears who is starting in nets there is a bad feeling. Someone has to back him up, he needs to be pulled after a bad goal, maybe a little embarasment will help. Maybe the team needs to get on,him verbally to pull his weight or quit. Babcock is hand tied when Howard can’t go, it is a delemma. The team’s only chance is to go out and score about 3 quick goals, then Ozzie will put in an effort. Let’s hope Ozzie shows up ready to play the Preds with some passion, how about it Ozzie? pretend this is game sevemn of the SC final tonight.

by Jim P on Oct 30, 2010 2:55 PM CDT reply actions

You lost me at "he went after the dollar"

by tehGOALIE on Oct 31, 2010 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Your lack of Wings history knowledge is almost amusing. However, it’s actually rather annoying.

In the summer of 2001, the Red Wings acquired goaltender Dominik Hašek, a six-time Vezina Trophy winner, from the Buffalo Sabres. After numerous attempts to trade Osgood, the Red Wings left him unprotected in the waiver draft and he was acquired by the Islanders on September 28, 2001.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 31, 2010 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Good article.

But this is not true with Ozzie alone. I have always been pro-Osgood even when he donned his Halloween costume to resemble the proverbial Mr.Hyde. However all good things have to come to an end and to me Osgood has swam enough and must wash himself up on the shore (and by that I mean don ‘effectively’ the role of a backup and more importantly the role of a mentor to Jimmy).

by bharatwaj5 on Oct 30, 2010 3:40 PM CDT reply actions

correction...

please disregard ‘But this is not true with Ozzie alone’

by bharatwaj5 on Oct 30, 2010 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree... Great Article!!

No doubt this is a sore spot amongst Wings fans, one of the very few at least. Good to see someone finally address it in full and just throw everything out on the table.

I am and always probably will be pro-Osgood. I’ll quote the mighty D-Mac and say “his record speaks for itself.” Now when it comes to the question of should he still be playing? That’s a bit more difficult. In recent years the Wings have never really been strong in the goaltender area… and thankfully that haven’t really needed to be. I think that’s the big difference. If the forwards begin to slack in any way the first place it’s going to show usually… is in goal. Or atleast it may seem that way, even if not all the way true every night.

But you said it pretty good when it comes to fans questioning fans about their team loyalty, etc. It’s a bit silly if you really think about it. That’s what makes fans… fans. In the same way it makes people… people. Difference in opinion helps make the world go round (and sometimes stop, haha)

To some it up… Katt Williams said it best.. “Haters gonna hate” When it comes to this Wings fan though, I love the guy and always have. Ozzie hasn’t been your average goalie, per say.. but hell, the Wings aren’t your average team. From his first days before the islanders, to his 2008 mid-season “Ken Holland reset button” which eventually led to him coming up BIG come play-offs and ol’ Stanley!! Not to mention 2 more!! …and now leading up to today’s mentor-like roll over Jimmah. Ozzie has always and will always be a true Red Wing!!

In Ozzie we…ummm…I… TRUST!!!

STAND TALL, FLY STRAIGHT, USA ALL THE WAY!

by DetroitALLtheWay09 on Nov 3, 2010 3:02 PM CDT reply actions