Rangers vs. Islanders: "The Little Brother Syndrome", everything to lose, nothing to gain
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Dec 16, 2009 1:37 PM EST
in New York Rangers Analysis
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New York Sports is replete with inner rivalries. The Yankees and Mets, the Giants and Jets, the Rangers and Islanders, and even the Knicks and Nets, although I can't say I've ever heard anyone ever get really excited for a Knicks-Nets game.
But each of these rivalries has a big brother-little brother complex to them. The Yankees have been around over 100 years, average a championship every 4 seasons, and have a worldwide fan base, while the Mets haven't had a team identity in over 20 years, and have just two measly banners to their credit, and years of futility and underachievement in their history.
The Giants and Jets follow a very similar path, with the Giants being one of the oldest teams in the league, numerous championships, and really only one prolonged bad stretch in their history (the 70's). The Jets have always lived in the shadow, and continue to live off a championship that happened forty years ago. (Yes Joe, we've heard the "Guarantee" story, at this point I can tell it better than you.)
That brings us to the Rangers-Islanders. The Rangers, with their 80-plus years of history, the flashy names, the bright lights of Broadway, and when newspapers pay attention to hockey: the headlines. The Islanders? Sure, they had their amazing dynasty in the early 80's, but they still suffer the same fate as the Mets, Jets, and I guess the Nets. I call it "The Little Brother Syndrome".
If you have younger siblings, remember when you used to play games with them? You'd beat them, usually by a wide margin, but you were supposed to. You were the big bad brother or sister: older, smarter, and presumably with more tools and resources for defeating your younger opponent. It felt good to win, it usually does, but there was also something missing because you felt like you were just doing what you were supposed to.
When the Yankees and Mets play, if the Yankees win, the Yankee fan mostly takes it in stride, its just another day at the office for them. Same goes for the Giants when playing the Jets, and Rangers when playing the Islanders. It's just big brother doing what big brother does.
But when little brother gets the best of you, your life becomes a living hell. Jet fans live to beat the Giants, and some Met fans would be ok with the Mets being 6-156 as long as those 6 wins came against the Yankees. Same rule applies for Islander fans; when the Isles beat the Rangers it makes their whole year. If you've ever been around an Islander fan after they've beaten the Rangers, you will know what I mean.
And in the case of the Islanders, baby bro is catching up to the Rangers. They are a hard working team that has played better than their record, and they have a flashy new toy in John Tavares. Meanwhile, big brother is struggling right now, his head isn't quite screwed on straight, like his girlfriend dumped him or something. But the Isles are still the little brother, and a couple of games against little brother may be just what the Rangers need to get their confidence going again.
Let's hope so, because nothing is worse than losing to your little brother.
Also, we are doing a Special "Blueshirt Banter Radio Rally" at 5:30 PM, leading up to the game. You can click the link below to listen to the show:
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mindblasting
i enjoyed that analogy by far
Ill be at the game
oh God
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Beg to Differ
Interesting thought, Jim. But I don’t see these as the best comparisons for a couple of reasons. I’ve never really known Jet and Giant fans to get at one another. Maybe it is a case of not hanging out with the right (or wrong) fans. In fact, most of the local fans I know would like to see a Jet-Giant Super Bowl at some point, as unlikely as that may be. I suspect this is because they rarely play one another.
The Yankee-Met analogy has some more juice to it, but even this strikes me as something created out of the hazy days of the Yankees late 1990s dynasty. Perhaps others can correct me if I am mistaken, but there did not seem to be much to this rivalry in the halcyon days before interleague play. Did anyone really care about the Mayor’s trophy? I’m sure four out of five dentists would agree that it was meaningless and the fifth simply had too much Trident gum in his mouth.
The Ranger-Islander rivalry has an entirely different aura to it because these are divisional rivals. The intensity to this rivalry has lost some momentum with recent bouts of suckiness on both sides – thankfully one much longer than the other – but also, I suspect, due to the restructuring of the playoffs. I miss the good old days of Patrick Division playoff series.
Then again, I was the youngest of many. So take it all with the proverbial grain of salt…or I’m telling Mom.
by Reginald Perrin on Dec 16, 2009 3:16 PM EST reply actions
agreed
The Ranger-Islander rivalry has an entirely different aura to it because these are divisional rivals. The intensity to this rivalry has lost some momentum with recent bouts of suckiness on both sides – thankfully one much longer than the other – but also, I suspect, due to the restructuring of the playoffs. I miss the good old days of Patrick Division playoff series.
This is why the Rangers vs Islanders rivalry is the only true rivalry in New York sports. I don’t truly agree with the post, although I get what Jim is trying to get at. The Rangers vs Islanders and Rangers vs Devils are much bigger monsters than any other sports local rivalries due to the playoff implications.
by GarysBasem3nt on Dec 16, 2009 5:17 PM EST up reply actions
Rob didn’t write this. lol
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Dec 16, 2009 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
I'm an Islanders fan who is an only child...
…so this is an analogy that I can’t understand. I mean, when I was very young, the Isles were always the better team, and it was Ranger fans who were crying to mommy. Seems to me that as long as Ranger fans continue to chant “Potvin Sucks” 20 times a game, they are still crying. “Mooooooooommmmyy, Denny hurt Ulfy back then, why didn’t you ever ground him?”
Anyway, over the next 2 night both teams have a ton to prove, but I think the Rangers have more to prove to themselves than the Isles do. The Rangers have to win these games, because they are supposed to. If they don’t, or let the Isles win tonight and then give them a point tomorrow so that the Isles are ahead of them again in the standings, if be more of a disaster to them than if it is vise-a-verse-a. We’re not supposed to be a playoff team anyway. If the Rangers do out-work the Isles, get some grinding goals from the 2nd and 3rd lines and win both of these games, it can definatly be the shot-in-the-arm that their offense needs to get them back to where they are supposed to be. Just be warned: My young Islanders absolutely will be pumped, since for some players it will be their first visit into their rival’s den, and you can expect a couple of tough games. I’m just glad that Gervais is a scratch so he can’t turn over the puck to Gaborik over and over.
I wonder how the players feel about these “rivalries”.
the amount of turnover in the rangers locker room alone is enough to put doubt in my mind that the players even care this is the rangers v islanders.
to them its a division game against a team right along side of you in the playoffs. that alone should get them to bring their game up, but will it?
i believe this rivalry is mainly between fans. its not as if gaborik has been grinding goals against the isles for years and its time the isles get vengence or whatever.
Chris higgins might know what its like (as would gilroy) growing up on long island and dealing with the fans there. But in the end i just dont know if this is going to continue to be a mean spirited rivalry like it use to be. players come and go but i dont know if they understand that to the fans this is almost like a consolation for not winning the cup… beating the other local sport team to a pulp to shut up their stupid annoying fans.
As a Mets, Jets and Rangers fan, I find it disheartening whenever people tend to lump the Islanders with the Mets and Jets. I understand that at one point, 30 years ago, those three teams played in a closer vicinity to one another, but as a Staten Islander with family in Brooklyn and Queens – rooting for the Mets and Jets came naturally… and the Rangers are the only team officially in this city. Getting to an Islanders game as a naive youngin’ would have been a serious trek.
Gary you have to admit they are all regarded as the stepchilds of their respective sports
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Dec 16, 2009 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
What a joker
Jim, you are a dumbass. To say that an Islanders fan season is made by beating the rangers is a joke. I started watching the Islanders in the 70’s and guess what? They were the better franchise for 15 years. Thats a little more than blip on the radar. They had argueably one of the top 2 or 3 dynastys in the history of the NHL. And if you look at the all-time series vs the rangers, its a virtual tie. The rangers in no way have a more distinguished history and you cannot compare them to the success’s the yankees and giants have had. You can tell yourself whatever you like to make your self feel better, but the truth is, your no big brother. Dumbass.
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Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York Rangers
|
51 | 33 | 13 | 5 | 71 |
|
Philadelphia
|
53 | 30 | 16 | 7 | 67 |
|
New Jersey
|
53 | 31 | 19 | 3 | 65 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
54 | 30 | 19 | 5 | 65 |
|
New York Islanders
|
52 | 22 | 22 | 8 | 52 |
(updated 2.9.2012 at 9:25 AM EST)
Rangers Schedule
Next 5 Games
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Tampa Bay
|
Thu 02/09 | 7:00 PM EST |
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@
Philadelphia
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Sat 02/11 | 1:00 PM EST |
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Washington
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Sun 02/12 | 12:30 PM EST |
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@
Boston
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Tue 02/14 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
Chicago
|
Thu 02/16 | 7:00 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
|
New Jersey
|
Tue 02/07 | L 0 - 1 |
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Philadelphia
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Sun 02/05 | W 5 - 2 |
|
@
Buffalo
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Wed 02/01 | SO - W 1 - 0 |
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@
New Jersey
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Tue 01/31 | SO - L 3 - 4 |
|
Winnipeg
|
Tue 01/24 | W 3 - 0 |
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