No excuses I screwed up plain and simple when I should have ignored the person rather than allow him to get under my skin. I came off looking like a child and rightfully so cause I was so dumb to play his game.
Oh I know exactly how he got under my skin as it was the thinking that I had met a person who would rather see the Rangers fail than be proven wrong because he so hated the Dolans and Glen Sather.
He kept on with his "I am right" nonsense even when I offered to agree to disagree because being right was more important to him it seems. Hey oh well if he wants to think there is no hope because of his "I know I am right I got the record" then feel sorry for him.
It is sad too because there are people out there besides myself who have been seeing with their own eyes the promise of the future. If you do not wish to believe me when I say a prospect has a future I can point you in the direct of several others who also watch prospects and you can see what they say.
Yes the Rangers have made many a mistake, nobody knows that better than I do as I have watched the Rangers shoot themselves in the butt with their selections. Even worse is watching them either screw up a prospect's development or trade a kid away before he had a chance to prove his worth.
If you want a list of the mistakes then tonight is not your night as here is the Ranger draft history as tonight is about why I have faith and hope. It has nothing to do with Glen Sather or the Dolans so if hating on them is how you get your thrills have fun cause not here either tonight.
See tonight is about Chris Kreider, Christian Thomas, Carl Hagelin, Dylan McIlrath, Ryan Bourque, Roman Horak, Jason Wilson, Andrew Yogan, Jesper Fasth, Michael Del Zotto, Scott Stajcer, Oscar Lindberg, Evgeny Grachev, Tomas Kundratek, Jyri Niemi and other prospects within the Ranger system.
It has been 20 years since the Rangers could say they had as many quality prospects as they have today. Sure not all of them are going to become stars but with everyone like Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stephan, Ryan McDonagh, Artem Anisimov, and Michael Sauer as part of the core there is honest to good reason to have faith as each prospect adds a little more to happier days for Ranger fans.
In years past when the Rangers have signed way too many a free agent; nothing ticked me off than to see them almost never say "I am here to help the Rangers win the cup" as it normally was more like "The Rangers offered me the better deal."
Nothing offers more hope than talking with a prospect who says becoming a Ranger and playing for Ranger fans is an honor as well as a privilege. I have a hope of a better tomorrow because I hear it from the prospects themselves.
I have a hope when instead of seeing just 5-6 names doing all the scouting (amateur and pro), I can count as many as 20 different people who go out and look over the prospects. Hate Sather's record all you wish but give him credit for fixing a system that was bankrupt and empty.
Hate Sather for being what he is but as much as we will hate saying this he will earn the credit for hiring Jim Schoenfeld, Tom Renney and Gordie Clark. Yes that trio has done wonders in building a scouting and development program from the ashes of Neil Smith and Glen Sather.
As much as I wish someone else is owning the Rangers, I can not help but acknowledge that the Dolans built a practice facility that the prospects say is nothing like they have ever seen. Almost every single prospect has named the Ranger's practice facility as the first thing that left the biggest impression on their first trip to New York.
I have hope that I will not have to wait until I am 89 in 2048 before I get to see my second Ranger's Stanley Cup. It is a hope that is fueled by a faith that if the Rangers stick to building up their core foundation from within then it will work.
I know that I am right because that is how 90% of the teams who win Stanley Cups do it. It begins with a core foundation of homegrown players then filling the holes via trades of free agents.
It ends by having some hope and a lot of faith. It has taken me almost 13 years to find that hope and faith once again but it is there.
Sorry if you do not have any as it is your loss because most of the fun in being a fan is believing this is the year.
(Ranger logo courtesy of the New York Rangers)
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