Why New York Rangers Fans Love Sean Avery

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Sean Avery.

The man needs no introduction.

Easily one of the most polarizing, controversial players in the NHL's recent history, the man has done absolutely everything imaginable, both on and off the ice. 

His name has a somewhat negative connotation among most NHL fans. But let's take a minute to figure out why I, and other New York Rangers fans, simply love the guy.

The Agitator

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Players on the receiving end of Sean Avery's tactics have retaliated in strong ways, both physically and verbally

Just ask Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas.

When Avery is on the ice, literally anything can happen.  While we understand how annoying and aggravating it must be to be one of Avery's opponents, us Rangers fans can't help but smile every time the gloves drop and Avery is somewhere in the middle of it.

The Energizer

There's something about Avery's on-ice presence that energizes the Rangers. 

If you don't believe me, take a look at the beginning of this season.  The Rangers were 3-3-3 early in the season, a sub-par opening to say the least.

The Rangers called up none other than Sean Avery.  With just 3 goals in 15 games, averaging the lower side of 7 minutes of ice time per game, Avery brought a different feel to the team.

They just ground it out better when the infamous #16 was laced up and ready to go.

Just a side note, if you would kindly look to the video on this slide: There are few players on the New York Rangers, let alone in the NHL, that can get a home-crowd reaction the way Avery does.

The New Yorker

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What does Sean Avery have that makes him so lovable to New Yorkers?

I believe it's something I like to call a "New York attitude."

When Sean Avery gets pissed, he's not one to care about consequences.  He acts on impulse.  He tells people how he thinks things should go.  He gets in people's faces, whether he can realistically beat them or not.

He's resilient.

He stands up for himself, though he's wrong at times. 

In short, he has the mindset of a New Yorker.

Sean Avery is loved by New York because, in all honesty, they just get him.  They know attitude.  They know grit.  They know what it's like to confront and be confronted.

He doesn't give a damn what other people think about him, and many New Yorkers, myself included, just eat it up.

The Underrated

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"Underrated" is thrown around a little too casually these days. But truly, Sean Avery is a highly underrated player in terms of his value to the Rangers.

His once cocky, aggressive, reckless attitude used to cost his team penalty minutes and big-time games.

He has developed into his role quite nicely, however. His attitude may be there, but it is suppressed.

He may not be known for goal scoring, with just 90 in his career, but he seems to score those goals at the right time.

What you see on the stat sheet isn't always what you get with Avery.  He's a grinder, a good skater, and an all around good player when he's on his game.

It's Avery's intangibles that play a great part in why New York fans love him, and his intangibles that made him, in my opinion, a great part of the New York Rangers.

A Nearly Unexplainable Love

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Many New Yorkers just love Sean Avery.

This slideshow was a decent explanation, but our feelings towards Avery go further than words, as corny as that sounds.

He has that "it" factor.  Something about the guy makes him shine in the spotlight. 

Though the man has done many a questionable thing in his NHL career, he has been a strong part of the New York Rangers when called upon.

For his aggressiveness, his attitude, his clutch goals, his hustle, his grind and his determination, Sean Avery will be favored by New York fans for many years to come, regardless of your opinion of him.