Friday, November 19, 2010
Honeymoon Over
Recently my friend told me she got a Hartford Whalers T-shirt. Cool, I said, as I am a Connecticutioner, and even though I hate hockey and didn't care about the Whalers even when they existed, I take pride in our only, albeit invisible, pro sports team.
The next thing she told me changed my world forever:
"I got it at Urban Outfitters."
So all this time, while I've been noticing Whalers shirts at Fenway and being all psyched about them and even taking pictures of them and posting them on my blog, thinking these were REAL Whalers shirts...all it's been is just another trendy thing. And I'm not some moron who confuses an old-looking "I'm a big deal in Kentucky" shirt with a real thrift-store find, but in this case, I figured since I was seeing them at a sports game, that people were breaking out their old Whalers shirts. Which I'm sure was the case sometimes, but as soon as I heard this was a new, mass-produced fashion statement, it ruined everything. Shortly after she told me that, I was at Union Station in DC and saw some college hipster wearing the Whale. Had I seen him a month before, I would have said, Cool, a CT person! Support the non-existent Whale! Instead, he was just another Whatever-year-this-is dude.
Still, it's a great logo, and part of me can't help to be happy that it's "back," even if some people wearing it probably don't know what it means. (My friend in question does, so it's cool.)
But then today, I think the whole thing officially jumped the whale. I found out the Hartford Wolf Pack hockey team announced they are changing its name. To the CT Whale! They're even gonna use the old Whalers' song (which Fenway had been keeping warm for 13 years)! November 27th, the "new Whale" officially begins play. It's funny how they're logo is like a third-grader's attempt at doodling the old Whalers' logo. I wonder what this will mean for Whalers "fans." Is this what they wanted? A new team to "kind of" take their name and pretty much pretend to be them? Will the people who bought the old logo shirt in 2010 stick with that or get the new one? Will the old, old-new, and new Whale logos all meet up once again at a thrift store in 2025? Will Chester get into the Guiness Book of World Records before he dies? All this and more on the next Who Cares.
The next thing she told me changed my world forever:
"I got it at Urban Outfitters."
So all this time, while I've been noticing Whalers shirts at Fenway and being all psyched about them and even taking pictures of them and posting them on my blog, thinking these were REAL Whalers shirts...all it's been is just another trendy thing. And I'm not some moron who confuses an old-looking "I'm a big deal in Kentucky" shirt with a real thrift-store find, but in this case, I figured since I was seeing them at a sports game, that people were breaking out their old Whalers shirts. Which I'm sure was the case sometimes, but as soon as I heard this was a new, mass-produced fashion statement, it ruined everything. Shortly after she told me that, I was at Union Station in DC and saw some college hipster wearing the Whale. Had I seen him a month before, I would have said, Cool, a CT person! Support the non-existent Whale! Instead, he was just another Whatever-year-this-is dude.
Still, it's a great logo, and part of me can't help to be happy that it's "back," even if some people wearing it probably don't know what it means. (My friend in question does, so it's cool.)
But then today, I think the whole thing officially jumped the whale. I found out the Hartford Wolf Pack hockey team announced they are changing its name. To the CT Whale! They're even gonna use the old Whalers' song (which Fenway had been keeping warm for 13 years)! November 27th, the "new Whale" officially begins play. It's funny how they're logo is like a third-grader's attempt at doodling the old Whalers' logo. I wonder what this will mean for Whalers "fans." Is this what they wanted? A new team to "kind of" take their name and pretty much pretend to be them? Will the people who bought the old logo shirt in 2010 stick with that or get the new one? Will the old, old-new, and new Whale logos all meet up once again at a thrift store in 2025? Will Chester get into the Guiness Book of World Records before he dies? All this and more on the next Who Cares.
Comments:
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I also see now that the CT Whale thing was announced in September. But whadda want, I don't follow minor league hockey news....
Did you ever fill out the forms for the Whalers contests at Stop and Shop? I spent literally a whole shopping trip filling out entries one time while my mom shopped and won the next week.
My proudest moment in ballot box stuffing.
My proudest moment in ballot box stuffing.
Don't even remember this--what did you win, tickets?
Was working at Ridgefield S&S in 92-93, I don't think they had it then. But they had Jimmy Fund Triple Winner game back then.
Was working at Ridgefield S&S in 92-93, I don't think they had it then. But they had Jimmy Fund Triple Winner game back then.
Jere, I was going to say that Howard Baldwin announced the switch from Wolfpack to Ct. Whale in September, with rumors here much earlier. Hey, no matter what jersey they wear, they'll be only as good as their talent allows them to be. That remains to be seen but I only follow them passingly because they play in my XL Center. What can you do? It ain't the NHL. Far from it.
I think the ultimate winner won tickets and Whalers gear, the weekly winners would win a Stop and Shop gift certificate. This must have been circa 1985-1987 or so - it was a little table in back of the checkouts near the vending machines (when they had vending machines).
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