Director Kevin Smith says that anyone from Jersey should be a Devils' fan

Amen. Alleluia, praise the lord. I've ranted on this enough. Kevin Smith has said that he doesn't get anyone who doesn't root for the Devils if you live in NJ. Read the Yahoo Puck Daddy Blog here. . . it is worth while if you love Jersey and especially hockey as well.



I will summarize my feelings shortly below:

My father was a Reds' fans and my mom as Cubs' fan - because my dad was from Southwestern Ohio and my mom was from a suburb of the Windy City. Jersey doesn't have a baseball team - so I rooted for the Phillies. I threw my dad's Reds cap out at 4 (when we lived in Ewing) and put on a Phillies' cap - because that was the closest city to us.

Jersey HAS a hockey team and appropriately, I'm a Devils' fan since I have always lived here. My dad and I agree on that (he's not from Columbus). I'm 31, and was 11 when the Devils made their playoff run in 1988.

Ranger fans are allured by the city - pure and simple. The parent argument (like, my father was a Ranger fan - so I have to be) doesn't stick to me for the reasons that I mentioned above. I just tell the Ranger fans who live in NJ (and more importantly grew up here) to remember your Jersey blood when the New Yorkers laugh at you as you board the NJ Transit back to NJ.

My whole point is that I DON'T see how anyone born or raised in NJ UNDER the age of 35 can be a Rangers' fan (with the exception of South Jerseyeans who are Philly fans and can't get the Devils on TV). The Devils were already here. And a Jersey team should be enough . . . especially with 3 recent Stanley Cups! Kevin Smith has come out and said it . . . why can't we all?

Well, up next for me, I'm in the process of creating a joke blog on how we can help our brothers and sisters in NJ, who happen to be Ranger fans, ease their transition . . . and offering them moral support . . . .in their eventual move to New York. That's right, I said it.

DMV links, bridge toll & parking information . . . and even links of reliable movers. Everything to help our dear friends move to where their heart really is - NYC. . . that's why I've been gone from blogging so long, but Devil fans - look at it as a Christmas present coming soon.

Flyer fans - no gripes here - you're safe in South Jersey . . though Smith does have some gripes with you . . . I know . . . it's a long ride up to Newark . . .

I want to go to the beach

And it's not because of the great weather recently. It is because after getting pasted by our cross-river Rivals, the New York Rangers, I am livid. You can read why I love the New Jersey Devils for back information here. But after this series, my feeling is that there are still too many New York Ranger fans who live (and more importantly) grew up in New Jersey for my liking and, admittedly, they did a good job flooding the Rock for the Devil home games (and usually have).

I am writing an Op-Ed on these feelings for an NJ paper and will expand further there.

But I need a vacation. In my observations, it is no surprise that the greatest percentage of Devil fans compared to Ranger (or Flyer) fans is at the North Shore. It is the heart of New Jersey Devils' country.


I could have expanded this map to Middlesex, Somerset and parts of Hunterdon too, but I haven't been convinced of their Devil fan loyalty the way I have with the North Shore.

Considering New Jersey, the North Shore is pretty geographically isolated from both New York and Philadelphia and I am finding the Jersey Pride is the strongest in these areas, in part due to their geographic position. One person told me that their pride is a result of the beaches and the fact that they're not a backwater of any city (though this is debatable).

True, there are Ranger fans in these areas too and all over New Jersey. The romance that people in the northern (and central) areas of the state have for "the city" is tough to ignore (look at me, why do you think I live in Hoboken?)

But I need to be around my fans now without any blue shirts lingering. Read Kevin Smith's NHL blog for more insight why (I recommend his entry on "Live to Hate the Rangers"). By the way Kevin Smith is also from the North Shore.

After playing hockey (in New York) on Wednesday and looking to find a place in Manhattan to watch the Devils-Rangers Game 4 , I was surprised to hear other fans cheering when the Devils scored a goal. It was a punk band, from Asbury Park, catching the game before their gig in the city. It was nice to see and from my whole documentary observations - typical. Right now, I LOVE the North Jersey Shore and am dreaming of the waves to drown out my sorrow.

NOTE: I hold no grudge toward the South Jersey fans of the Philadelphia Flyers, in this instance because, for the most part, they have never been able to get the Devils on Cable TV.

Can you be a New York area sports' fan in South Jersey?

These guys are New Jersey/ New York area sports' teams and they say they live in South Jersey. Go ahead and debate!

See their towns too: Jamesburg and Middletown

Why I love the New Jersey Devils

Even though it is playoff time, I can't blog every game the New Jersey Devils play because this is my North-South Jersey blog. So I am going to start a new blog where I will be blogging and video blogging every day that I possibly can - about the Devils' playoff hunt. True, I am skeptical going in vs. the New York Rangers, their biggest rival, and a team that has dominated them this year. Hockey, like any other sport is very psychological and the Rangers (and Henrik Lundqvist) are in the Devils' heads. But as always, I have faith. Click this link to see my new New Jersey Devils' blog.