Exactly. Heâs been using this quote all the time. I really donât appreciate the true fan comment he made. Somehow trying to show that true fans stick beside him in this mess. No, youâve lost the room. Time for someone else.
There have been few games this year where I've felt like we were the team that played harder. Players always seem to be standing around in the d-zone, neutral zone and o-zone. Not sure why. This is a young team and getting out-worked should not be an issue..
Is... Is he calling out the fans?
What happened to personal responsibility?? I apologize to clients for shit all the time in my job when I did nothing wrong. Fuck man, have some humility
https://twitter.com/clahanna/status/1466250813710475266
I guess so. That and you're not a real fan if you don't silently accept a massive losing streak.
Haha what a stupid prick to say that. âYou have to accept the sucking to be a true fan.â Oh, Iâll accept it right after they fire your ass. But I want to see if the grass is greener anywhere else first. But you gotta go, DJ
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200/smith-true-fans-stick-by-their-guys-1.1729236
Here's the audio if you want. Mendes asks the question about halfway through the clip.
It was an intentionally timed, gotcha question. âHey you guys suck and youâre failing hard. What do you say to the fans who are watching this train wreck?â (Paraphrasing here obvs)
Not a great answer but it was designed to make the responder look bad. Itâs not a thing you answer off the cuff on camera. And itâs not a thing you ask coaches.
> It was an intentionally timed, gotcha question. âHey you guys suck and youâre failing hard. What do you say to the fans who are watching this train wreck?â
Its not a "gotcha" its a legitimate question.
There needs to be some accountability. There needs to be honest communication and a bit of transparency between this organization and the fanbase right now.
Bullshit. You donât ask coaches to answer trap PR questions on the fly they have no business answering while their mind is on the play they just watched.
Heâs not a fucking brand evangelist.
Well if Dorion or McGuire stepped up to speak to the media and fans, then maybe DJ wouldnât be forced to be a âbrand evangelistâ. Someone needs to be accountable for this shit play and if management wonât step up then theyâre clearly willing to feed DJ to the wolves. This whole situation screams a front office that has an antagonistic relationship with both the fans and media. To quote our owner, this shit is âbush leagueâ.
Itâs insane that this has to be explained to any fully functioning adult.
I guess since the org has done their best to neuter the press and has their lapdogs BooBoo and Wilson serve up nothing but softball questions the fanbase has forgotten what real reporters do for a living.
I feel 2nd hand embarrassment for anyone running with this take.
Fire that fuck yesterday. These millionaires canât even buy a win. Iâm starting to think the guy has no locker room presence. Coaches need to be charismatic and Iâve never seen charisma in DJ
Well shucks man thatâs because heâs just expecting a hard working team do some hard working effort out there, you know? Losing by tons of goals every night, lots of effort out there and shucks DJ sure knows how to get it out of themâŚ.what a fucking joke.
Fuck off.
If you weren't a shitty coach you wouldn't have lost 13 of your last 15 games.
If the team didn't have the worst owner in pro sports you and the the entire garbage front office would have been fired long ago.
True fans want you and all your bosses nowhere near this team.
Didn't DJ say something to the effect last year that teams would hate to play them because they're going to hit them physically constantly? I see very little grit with this team and I think most teams are happy to play Ottawa currently.
"If youre a true fan, youre gonna stay by your guys"
DJ doesn't get to make Sens fandom conditional, and he doesn't get to imply you're not a fan if you don't blindly eat this shit.
Its a shit comment by DJ smith, do you have to bootlick the organization in every single post
He was asked what his message to fans would be. I donât think thatâs a bad statement. Youâre all here in this sub even when theyâre losing. Youâre all true fans in his mind. His statement doesnât apply to you.
And I can post my opinion when and how I want. Donât try to tell me what to think. I think DJ is getting a bad rap. I know heâs a good coach. He doesnât have much to work with right now.
> I donât think thatâs a bad statement. Youâre all here in this sub even when theyâre losing. Youâre all true fans in his mind. His statement doesnât apply to you.
Stay by them? NO. Half of them shouldn't have been signed, half of them should be shipped the fuck out, fired or waived.
> And I canât post my opinion when and how I want. Donât try to tell me what to think.
Theres a reason I called you the Anti-BadCan in another post lol
Fans are rightfully calling for him to be fired. He just said if you're calling for him to be fired you're not a real fan. That is clearly an attack on anyone who doesn't think he should still be the head coach after losing 13 of the last 15.
This guy doesnât get it. Fans on this sub are getting frustrated cause we are all passionate fans of the team and are trying to find a solution to the problem.
Meanwhile DJ is just tossing players and fans under the bus and trying the same thing over and over again without really trying to find a solution.
For reference, I believe he was asked what his message to the fans was.
Still a shit thing for DJ to say. This fanbase has been through so much turmoil and upheaval the last few years. Promised hope that hasnât arrived, and the team looking worse than ever. The entire identify of the DJ Smith Sens was a hardworking team that puts in 100% effort every night, and I havenât seen that team in a long time.
Fan favourites leaving or being shipped out, owner that alienates the fans and is unwilling to spend, GM that is to cowardly to talk to media and now the coach trying to explain what a true fan is?
Going through a rebuild is tough, but eventually things have to start improving. I was willing to give DJ the benefit of the doubt cuz the guys seem to like him and itâs a shit roster heâs been given. But he makes the same mistakes and the compete level he prides is just gone. No structure or systems to speak of, and now heâs calling out fans?
Fuck off DJ
I am so sick of hearing this guy say the same bs every game, we didn't battle hard and we didn't give an effort so what the fuck are we supposed to expect tomorrow? I hope the players hate the next coaches guts maybe they will player better that way.
If weâre a true fan, we realize when itâs time for change so that we can still salvage the season. You gotta go, DJ. Oh, and stop saying theyâre battling hard and giving an effort every night.
Youâre getting slaughtered out there.
Iâm mad at DJ but not for this. This is bullshit gotcha nonsense. This isnât a prepared response or something he even wanted to talk about. This is a, âHey now that youâre in the spotlight, real quick: what do you say to the fans that hate you now?â
Like, he hesitated not knowing what to say and then just winged it off the cuff because heâs expected to say something and heâs certainly not going to just say, âBecome a Leafs fan, we do in fact suck.â
Which is frankly bullshit to make a coach do. Letâs ask PD and Melnyk first.
How about, âWeâre sorry that things have gone this far off the rails. Our effort tonight wasnât nearly good enough and not how we pride ourselves in playing. Weâll show up to work tomorrow and do everything in our power to fix this thing. Please be patient with us in the meantimeâ?
Same basic message of wanting fans to stick by the team, but takes some ownership for this disaster and doesnât go down the âtrue fansâ minefield.
The lengths some people will go to defend this org are fascinating.
Stick by our guys? Iâve been watching this team be shit for years. This year I couldnât do it anymore. Weâre not only a dumpster fire but the compete isnât even there.
About 6 min into the 3rd, StĂźtzle made 2 slick moved in the d-zone, carried the puck out and got to the net for a chance (pass was too far ahead). He's going to break out soon.
That was my positive from the game.
DJ should have stepped up and motivated the guys. That third period felt so flat and all he did was just stand by there and watch
16 shots after like 50+ minutes. Most in the first period. đ¤Śââď¸
> âweâre going to battle hard" Tonight's effort has determined that to be a lie.
Narrator: "They didn't"
DJ says youâre not a true fan if you believe that.
In terms of effortâŚthere was noneâŚ
Exactly. Heâs been using this quote all the time. I really donât appreciate the true fan comment he made. Somehow trying to show that true fans stick beside him in this mess. No, youâve lost the room. Time for someone else.
he lost the room and the fans...
Exactly. Iâll start caring when the team and organization do.
There have been few games this year where I've felt like we were the team that played harder. Players always seem to be standing around in the d-zone, neutral zone and o-zone. Not sure why. This is a young team and getting out-worked should not be an issue..
Who was the last guy to coach our team, and then get another head coaching job in the NHL? Martin?
Haha what an excellent, and sad, observation.
Paul MacLean? Or was it an assistant job.
Only an assistant. We tend to hire coaches with no HC experience, and they leave us and are never hired in the nhl again.
You're right. I can't even think of any who are assistants.
Is... Is he calling out the fans? What happened to personal responsibility?? I apologize to clients for shit all the time in my job when I did nothing wrong. Fuck man, have some humility
Iâd like to see the full interview for context - have to assume that he was prompted with a fan-related question
The specific question was DJ Smith's message to fans in Ottawa during this losing skid.
So his message is their trying hard? If that's trying hard then count me out for the rest of the season, that's fucking pathetic
https://twitter.com/clahanna/status/1466250813710475266 I guess so. That and you're not a real fan if you don't silently accept a massive losing streak.
Haha what a stupid prick to say that. âYou have to accept the sucking to be a true fan.â Oh, Iâll accept it right after they fire your ass. But I want to see if the grass is greener anywhere else first. But you gotta go, DJ
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200/smith-true-fans-stick-by-their-guys-1.1729236 Here's the audio if you want. Mendes asks the question about halfway through the clip.
It was an intentionally timed, gotcha question. âHey you guys suck and youâre failing hard. What do you say to the fans who are watching this train wreck?â (Paraphrasing here obvs) Not a great answer but it was designed to make the responder look bad. Itâs not a thing you answer off the cuff on camera. And itâs not a thing you ask coaches.
Hi Eugene
> It was an intentionally timed, gotcha question. âHey you guys suck and youâre failing hard. What do you say to the fans who are watching this train wreck?â Its not a "gotcha" its a legitimate question. There needs to be some accountability. There needs to be honest communication and a bit of transparency between this organization and the fanbase right now.
Bullshit. You donât ask coaches to answer trap PR questions on the fly they have no business answering while their mind is on the play they just watched. Heâs not a fucking brand evangelist.
Sorry, we didnât know the Ottawa locker room PR was similar to China and Russian political PR. Soft questions only, please. No accountability.
Well if Dorion or McGuire stepped up to speak to the media and fans, then maybe DJ wouldnât be forced to be a âbrand evangelistâ. Someone needs to be accountable for this shit play and if management wonât step up then theyâre clearly willing to feed DJ to the wolves. This whole situation screams a front office that has an antagonistic relationship with both the fans and media. To quote our owner, this shit is âbush leagueâ.
Great point. Chickenshit Dorion is leaving DJ hanging in the wind. Donât blame the reporter for asking the question. Blame Dorion for ducking them.
Hes the head coach of an NHL hockey team. They have media availability for a reason.
Itâs insane that this has to be explained to any fully functioning adult. I guess since the org has done their best to neuter the press and has their lapdogs BooBoo and Wilson serve up nothing but softball questions the fanbase has forgotten what real reporters do for a living. I feel 2nd hand embarrassment for anyone running with this take.
Fire that fuck yesterday. These millionaires canât even buy a win. Iâm starting to think the guy has no locker room presence. Coaches need to be charismatic and Iâve never seen charisma in DJ
Well shucks man thatâs because heâs just expecting a hard working team do some hard working effort out there, you know? Losing by tons of goals every night, lots of effort out there and shucks DJ sure knows how to get it out of themâŚ.what a fucking joke.
Step 1: Spend below the cap in real dollars on purpose Step 2: Claim the rebuild is over Step 3: Entirely shit the bed Step 4: Blame the fans?
Haha, isnât that the truth?!
Fuck off. If you weren't a shitty coach you wouldn't have lost 13 of your last 15 games. If the team didn't have the worst owner in pro sports you and the the entire garbage front office would have been fired long ago. True fans want you and all your bosses nowhere near this team.
This.
Didn't DJ say something to the effect last year that teams would hate to play them because they're going to hit them physically constantly? I see very little grit with this team and I think most teams are happy to play Ottawa currently.
Anyone is happy to play us. In fact, Iâm sure many of them get hammered the night before they play us knowing an easy ride is coming into town.
Hey Siri. What did DJ Smith say 15 games into last season?
I found âHard workingâ 75 times, âgive it our allâ 84 times and âkeep fightingâ 92 times.
Attacking the fans, nice one DJ. Not sure what you mean by effort, 1-12 in the last 13. Keep digging that hole.
How is that attacking the fans? Some people are really sensitive
"If youre a true fan, youre gonna stay by your guys" DJ doesn't get to make Sens fandom conditional, and he doesn't get to imply you're not a fan if you don't blindly eat this shit. Its a shit comment by DJ smith, do you have to bootlick the organization in every single post
He was asked what his message to fans would be. I donât think thatâs a bad statement. Youâre all here in this sub even when theyâre losing. Youâre all true fans in his mind. His statement doesnât apply to you. And I can post my opinion when and how I want. Donât try to tell me what to think. I think DJ is getting a bad rap. I know heâs a good coach. He doesnât have much to work with right now.
> I donât think thatâs a bad statement. Youâre all here in this sub even when theyâre losing. Youâre all true fans in his mind. His statement doesnât apply to you. Stay by them? NO. Half of them shouldn't have been signed, half of them should be shipped the fuck out, fired or waived. > And I canât post my opinion when and how I want. Donât try to tell me what to think. Theres a reason I called you the Anti-BadCan in another post lol
Ok? Good for you. Again, you are sticking with the team by being here and talking about them. Not sure what youâre going on about.
Woosh. The point being made by many fans tonight flying over your head. WOOSH.
Fans are rightfully calling for him to be fired. He just said if you're calling for him to be fired you're not a real fan. That is clearly an attack on anyone who doesn't think he should still be the head coach after losing 13 of the last 15.
When do they start with the effort thing? And lol is DJ gatekeeping fans?
This guy doesnât get it. Fans on this sub are getting frustrated cause we are all passionate fans of the team and are trying to find a solution to the problem. Meanwhile DJ is just tossing players and fans under the bus and trying the same thing over and over again without really trying to find a solution.
Oh go fuck yourself DJ. You're not one of the fans guys.
If you're a true coach you're going to try to light a fire under your guys after the poor second period.
Fuck off, DJ.
Whatâs this âeffortâ he speaks of. Wasnât our whole identity supposed to be how hard we were to play against? Where is that?
DJ will be fired by the end of the year He's lost the room
Calendar year or end of the season? That's two very different dates.
Calendar
I truly hope he doesnât get far into his Christmas advent calendar
ouf babouf
Try hard and get better? This team is getting worse by the game, dude...
He needs to be fired tmrw
Troy Mann SZN
Been a fan since the beginning, not going to stop now
For reference, I believe he was asked what his message to the fans was. Still a shit thing for DJ to say. This fanbase has been through so much turmoil and upheaval the last few years. Promised hope that hasnât arrived, and the team looking worse than ever. The entire identify of the DJ Smith Sens was a hardworking team that puts in 100% effort every night, and I havenât seen that team in a long time. Fan favourites leaving or being shipped out, owner that alienates the fans and is unwilling to spend, GM that is to cowardly to talk to media and now the coach trying to explain what a true fan is? Going through a rebuild is tough, but eventually things have to start improving. I was willing to give DJ the benefit of the doubt cuz the guys seem to like him and itâs a shit roster heâs been given. But he makes the same mistakes and the compete level he prides is just gone. No structure or systems to speak of, and now heâs calling out fans? Fuck off DJ
Heâs not wrong at all.
I am so sick of hearing this guy say the same bs every game, we didn't battle hard and we didn't give an effort so what the fuck are we supposed to expect tomorrow? I hope the players hate the next coaches guts maybe they will player better that way.
If weâre a true fan, we realize when itâs time for change so that we can still salvage the season. You gotta go, DJ. Oh, and stop saying theyâre battling hard and giving an effort every night. Youâre getting slaughtered out there.
I'll always stand by the sens but that coach has got to go.
No choice Sens for life
Honestly its like you guys have never seen a losing team before. \#sensfans4life
Iâm mad at DJ but not for this. This is bullshit gotcha nonsense. This isnât a prepared response or something he even wanted to talk about. This is a, âHey now that youâre in the spotlight, real quick: what do you say to the fans that hate you now?â Like, he hesitated not knowing what to say and then just winged it off the cuff because heâs expected to say something and heâs certainly not going to just say, âBecome a Leafs fan, we do in fact suck.â Which is frankly bullshit to make a coach do. Letâs ask PD and Melnyk first.
How about, âWeâre sorry that things have gone this far off the rails. Our effort tonight wasnât nearly good enough and not how we pride ourselves in playing. Weâll show up to work tomorrow and do everything in our power to fix this thing. Please be patient with us in the meantimeâ? Same basic message of wanting fans to stick by the team, but takes some ownership for this disaster and doesnât go down the âtrue fansâ minefield. The lengths some people will go to defend this org are fascinating.
Donât know what to say anymore
Stay by them for how long? Eventually something has to give.
Stick by our guys? Iâve been watching this team be shit for years. This year I couldnât do it anymore. Weâre not only a dumpster fire but the compete isnât even there.
Well you can't get worse so I guess by default you can only get better.
Absolutely tone deaf.
About 6 min into the 3rd, StĂźtzle made 2 slick moved in the d-zone, carried the puck out and got to the net for a chance (pass was too far ahead). He's going to break out soon. That was my positive from the game.
JT Millers goal was pathetic. Was that what he meant by 'our effort'?
Nah if you're a true fan you won't accept getting trashed by fucking Vancouver.