No Sympathy For Whalers

I'm glad for the Carolina Hurricanes. I'm happy for Hurricane hockey fans. And I feel bad for hockey fans in Edmonton.

The Stanley Cup is professional sports most cherished trophy (World Cup excluded) and the players and fans in Raleigh deserve their celebration.

But please, I'm over Hartford Whaler fans lamenting their loss. As a benefit to those not familiar with ancient hockey history, at one time, the Carolina Hurricanes were the Hartford Whalers. But that was almost ten-years ago.

Don't get me wrong. Whaler fans can whine. They can complain. They can curse owner Peter Karmanos for moving the team to Carolina in 1997. But I'm offering no sympathy.

None. Nada. Zippo.

I've run out of sympathy. I spent it all on fans from Brooklyn (Dodgers), Baltimore (Colts), Buffalo (Braves), and Quebec (Nordiques).

Besides, Hartford's not a major league town. They lost their major league baseball franchise in 1800-something. If you're from Hartford, you root for teams from New York or Boston. That's just the way it is. Hartford is Albany, with a few more high rises.

It's not like I can't relate to Whaler fans' plight. Until 1995 I was a Los Angeles Rams fan. Ya know what? They don't exist anymore. Their owner moved the team to St. Louis.

LA hasn't had pro football since (the Raiders don't count) . And I don't wear a St. Louis Rams jersey.. ever. But I also don't bemoan the fact that I was denied cheering for a Super Bowl winner in 2000.

I've learned to live with it.

By now, Whaler fans (the few left) should too.