Bossnass

I live in Edmonton. I like hockey, I'm a big Oilers fan.

It pisses me off when people at the games act like ignorant assholes. Like when they boo during the American national anthem. Like when they throw beer cups and other garbage on other fans and onto the ice. I fully understand and agree when the crowd boos if the ref misses a penalty call, but I don't understand why they boo when it was an obviously dirty play and the right call is made.

I'm a (very) part time bartender, in a place that is sports pub by day and club by night. Its great business and I like the extra tvs that we put out. I don't even mind the "extra-drunk, extra early". I love the extra tips when the Oil wins. I appreciate a good clean hit in hockey. The cheering and the frenzy when a Red Wing or a Shark is knocked down is ridiculous. I really think I can appreciate a bit of violence, but I'm embarrased by hockey fans. I think I'd be scared to be a spectator in the Roman colesieum.

I also live on 84th Ave. For reference, Whyte Ave = 82nd. I took a trip and visited the Red Mile during the 04 Calgary run. Calgary fans were a great big cheering happy laughing group. If glass was broken, it was usually accidental. Against my better judgement, I took a walk down Whyte last night. It was an angry mob. The chant I recall the best is "Fuck You Chee-Choo". I expected flags and cheering and a general good time, perhaps the odd lady flashing and a couple very drunk guys. Instead people were near rioting. Trashing bus stops. Jumping up and down on top of anything they could get onto; phone booths, light posts, storefront facades, any vehicles that weren't cleared before the strip was closed to traffic. I seriously thought one guy was going to get electrocuted/fall to serious injury as he climbed a light post and hung a flag on a powerline. People pushing. I've heard there was two stabbing incidents. The line of black-riot-geared police standing about half a block off actually gave me a small sense of security, but when the mob started chanting that 'you can't do nothing' to the police, I decided it was best to not correct the double negative and just get out of the area.

the_marq

Wow, I live in Calgary and there was all kinds of out cry this year when the Police cracked down a on the whole Red Mile thing. I guess what you are describing is just the kind of thing they were trying to avoid. The whole outcry over the crack down was silly in my POV, the fact is, if someone had been killed or raped the outcry would have gone the other way IE: "Stupid pigs shouldn't have let it get out of hand" instead of "Stupid pigs should just let us have our fun." there's just no pleasing some people.

Now, as for your first paragraph, I tend to cheer when my team gets a good hard hit on an opponent. I don't know just what sort of 'frenzy' bothered you so much, but yeah when Temu Selane gets nailed, it's a good thing

Finally as for booing someone's national anthem... that's just fucking wrong. Hell I get pissed when Canadian fans don't respect our anthem (hats on, drinking beer etc...), booing someone else's is just pathetic.

So, in closing, I agree with part of your post, but not all of it.

GO OILERS (and maybe the Senators)!!!

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Bossnass

The specific time I had in mind was Laraque taking Cheecho's face to the glass in game 3. I'm sure georges' is frustrated because he isn't fast enough or skilled enough anymore, but it crossed the "Bossnass Aribtrary Line of Violence". The bar was in a bloodthirsty frenzy, cheering and clapping as they showed replays of the contact and Cheecho crumpling. Then they booed when Laraque was given the 5 minute and game misconduct, which I thought was just.

Leto

Ahhh, now I know why the San Jose fans were booing our Anthem last night. It was a classless retaliation to a classless act.

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Coppertop

I feel your pain Bossnass. Though I imagine living in San Jose is much different from living in Edmonton, there are some here who'd be right at home with the people you describe. Rabid fans anywhere are a nuisance. It would seem that sportsmanship is less important to some than winning. But rest assured that there are those of us here in San Jose who feel the same as you do.

Willravel

I second, as a San Jose resident, and huge Sharks fan. Yes, I get really pissed when the Sharks lose, and I feel pretty great when they win, but the behavior as of late has been inexcusable. Cheer for your team, enjoy the game, enjoy time with friends. Stop rioting and acting like 1st graders, please. I don't want to see hockey ruined after we finally get past the strikes.

BigBen

I thought it was the Carolina game. I just caught it on the Highlight reel.

Was it San Jose? I want to be accurate.

And as far as the riot squad being called out (oh, pardon me. Riot Squad is very politically incorrect. Crowd Control Unit. What? That has changed, too? Public Order Unit? Oh, give me a fucking break here) I have no problem with that.

I think drunken people acting like animals should be treated harshly, just like animals. Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas and a good 5 ft piece of hickory across the ol' bean will teach the good citizens out there to respect public property, authority, and to not be an animal.

I dislike the folks out there that use any excuse to start shit. They should be shot.

Imagine that coming over the intercom : "ATTENTION CITIZENS: You have 1 minute to clear this street, or deadly force will be used. I SAY AGAIN: You will be killed if you do not disperse."

The drunkards on Whyte avenue would not know whether to shit or get off the pot.

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streak_56

Now, lets not forget that the red mile also had family activities pre and during the games and after 11 or so rolled along the drunk people would take over the street for a party. I do support people going down onto the red mile.... I think you deserve to get ticketed or arrested if you do anything illegal.

Now, the whyte mile... I don't really want to put down Edmonton but sorry.... it's kind of the take off point for many oil sands/drillers/rig-pigs and most of which are young. They had the same problem on the Red Mile, it became a younger crowd that really doesn't know how to act in a public party setting. I would rather be having a good time, drunk in public than to be an idiot and wrecking a frickin bus stop.

Bossnass

And it got worse. Bunch of fricken savages. I'm embarrassed by the actions of the few. 29,950 of the fans were just out to have a good time. Shame about those other 50 assholes.

I was on a stag pubcrawl on Saturday. Being a stag, part of the pubcrawl was a strip club. Being in Edmonton on a hockey night, the last stop of the pubcrawl was on Whyte.

I swear I saw more topless girls on whyte than I did at "Diamonds". Which, all things considered, was good. Girls don't flash during the riots, the bonfires, the vandalism.

I count myself fortunate that I left early, before things got ugly and made international news.

metalgeek

One difference between the "Blue Mile" (stupid rip off..) and the red mile is that the saddledome is actually on 17th, so people from the game would flow directly from the game to the street, where as whyte ave is pretty far away from rexall place.

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Ace_O_Spades

Bob to the rescue

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