To no surprise, Kevin Smith spews venom toward Rangers

I had not yet made my daily visit to NHL.com today and my friend Alan gave me a heads up about a celebrity blog that he knew would get my attention in a hurry.

While I will never show any personal bias toward the New Jersey Devils when writing in this blog in reference to any news stories or important topics involving that team as I cover all 30 NHL teams and beyond, there is a moment here in which I have a few choice words be told. This is one of those rare times.

American screenwriter and film director Kevin Smith left quite an emotional blog entry over at NHL Connect, a community where the average hockey fan like me could blog on the National Hockey League's official site and interact with other fans. At this point, I don't have a blog there. Smith is a Devils fan and probably after watching his prized goaltender Martin Brodeur suffer a scarcely rare brain fart in a 4-1 Game 1 loss to the New York Rangers that began their 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series, he didn't hold back on how he feels about the men in Broadway blue.

"Even so, Devils fans live to hate the Rangers," Smith wrote. "Sometimes, it feels like a large cross-section of those folks in the stands at the Rock (and formerly at the Meadowlands) aren’t there so much to love on the Devils as they are to hate on New York: proof of this can be found when the Devils play any team that’s not NYR, and inevitably, at some point in the game, you hear an ornate series of whistles, followed by a mass shout of RANGERS SUCK! Even when the boys in blue aren’t anywhere near the building, we’re still seething about their very existence."

Umph, I tend to wonder. What is the percentage of fans that say they're Devils fans for only the sole reason that they hate the Rangers? Or maybe this is better put, you just root for the Devils because you're simply and most accurately defined as an "anti-Rangers fan"?

Hey Kevin, how about you can go kiss my New York ass. Trust me, Rangers fans hate "inferiority complex" Devils fans through and through. Need a reference, just ask the Islanders. And another thing, the Devils' very existence was saved from extinction in New Jersey in 1995 by not moving to Nashville. And they seeth the Rangers' existence. Go ahead! Hate us New Yorkers and the Rangers. Your f'ing team could win another few Stanley Cups for the rest of the NHL's lifetime and nearly everyone around here don't give a crap! How sad it is your pathetic excuse for fans to chant "Rangers suck" at your home games when they aren't even playing the Rangers! Makes me laugh with every ripped off whistling of the "Potvin sucks" chant. While I'll just be happy with a series victory, now I hope the Rangers bury your f'ing team with sweep.

But all and all, this is a healthy rivalry despite the existence of ignorant fans from both teams. As the Rangers and Devils square off for Game 2 of their series tonight at the Prudential Center, one thing is certain. It will be another hard fought battle and it's anybody's game for the taking.