The Olympic Fantasy
25 04 2010I like to think of myself as an optimistic realist, so my apologies if this post seems too much like a fairytale, but there’s been something bugging me as of late. And it’s not the “Olympic fantasy” you might be thinking of…
Remember just a couple short months ago when the nation was united with pride for our Canadian hockey team? So do I, though it seems like a distant memory. It’s no secret that the Sens lost last night. They played with heart but just couldn’t pull it off. So that ends their Stanley Cup dreams for this year.
My roommate is a diehard Toronto fan. Diehard in the fact that she rarely watches hockey (except for the Olympics and the odd regular/playoff season game) but is vehemently against any team. Last week, when I was watching our Sens take on the Penguins, she was in the background and made a comment about how she was happy the Pens were winning because she absolutely hates the Sens. I always knew she hated the Sens…I’m not allowed to put any Sens memorabilia in the apartment…at all…ever. But what I don’t understand is that you can be so against a Canadian team because, and I quote, she “loves Crosby and will marry a Staal brother someday”…which are hardly reasons, but I digress.
Now here is the issue I have with this, because this is the same attitude I have been seeing from everyone connected to the Leafs…if the tables were turned – that is, IF the Leafs were in the playoffs and the Sens were not, I would be cheering for the Leafs. Just like I am cheering for all the Canadian teams (I will still be watching the Habs tomorrow and cheer for the Canucks).
Does this make me a bad Sens fan? The fact that I have compassion for all Canadian teams (even after all the smack talking I may do during the regular season) because I would rather see a Canadian team get the cup than an American one? Does this make me a horrible hockey fan?
If being a Leafs fan means being against every Canadian team, then there’s another good reason for never becoming one…
Don’t get me wrong…I understand the rivalries and that Toronto has beat Ottawa every time it’s actually made it to the playoffs, and the Sens “choke” yadda yadda yadda, but is it horrible that I’d rather see the cup on this side of the border, even if it means giving the Leafs fans more ammo to sling our way in coming seasons? Please, help me clear up this apparent syndrome of Canadian pride I am showing symptoms of…
Hi Jen, Nice post. I am a Sens fan and a good Canadian. That said, I would rather see anyone win the Stanley Cup (American or Canadian) other than Toronto.
When you get right down to it Toronto is probably less Canadian than most American cities. Perhaps a bit of the Sens choke “yadda, yadda, yadda” sour grapes you mention coming through.
For me – when it comes down to hockey I used to be a Nordiques fan; but with the move to Colorado I don’t feel that my loyalty changed ‘Nationally.’ Sure it would be nice to see a ‘Canadian team’ win the cup – but it really comes down to the players. The players are made up Internationally… I wouldn’t mind the Penguins to win the cup because Sidney Crosby is a great hockey player; and he is Canadian. So maybe my Canadian pride lies is Crosby, a Canadian, rather than the Ottawa Senators where half the team isn’t even Canadian. Just a thought.
Thanks Ian! I agree that Toronto (including their fans) seem to be quite, for the lack of a better term, American. If they keep slinging these sour grapes, the only people they’ll have is themselves, win or lose. Maybe if they focused more on the game than being against the world, they might fair better…
Matthew, good point – it’s sad that it’s not as cut and dry as American and Canadian teams…Having Crosby and Staal on the Pens team makes them easier to like, so I guess I mean Canadian “franchise” instead of “team”. If only there was one purely Canadian team…outside of the Olympics of course.
Hey Jen – it’s a very similar attitude in the UK, Welsh, Scottish or N Irish fans will most often cheer on whichever team is playing against England, although I’ll merrily cheer for the UK team when they are playing against anyone other than England. And when it comes to the World Cup, hmmm, lemme think, which UK team gets there most often?!
Maybe the Leafs fans have to be so dogged, it’s been a dry few years for them.
I’d struggle to deal with such a rigid mindset as the one your roomie has.
At least the guys in red entertained us for the last two games.
Nah you’re not a bad fan. I’m rooting for the Nucks and Habs too purely on the fact that they are Canadian but to be honest I’d find it hard to ever root for the Leafs just because of how hateful and bitter their fans always are. I almost feel they don’t deserve our support. That being said, I was rooting for the Pens all the way last season mainly to see our Canadian hero Crosby capture the cup and bring it back home and this year if both CDN teams get eliminated Im rooting for the Blackhawks to see Toews, Seabrook and Keith get a Cup to go along with their Canadian gold medals.
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While the team itself may not be all Canadian, I get your point it would be nice to see a Stanley Cup parade here in Canada (hopefully on Elgin street in the next year or two
Either way next week you’ll get to experience more Canadian pride with the world championships and you’ll get your truly all Canadian team
I’ve seen the most pronounced examples of this in the States – my family who live in/around Boston hate the Yankees with every fiber of their being… my friends who live in/around NYC certainly aren’t cheering for the Red Sox, but nor are they actively against the team (unless they’re playing one another, in which case all bets are off). I pity the Leafs fans who, despite being the largest and most rabid fanbase in the entire NHL, have to endure seeing their team suck year in and year out. I’d be grumpy if they stomped on the Sens on the way to winning a Cup, but I’d still want to be in Toronto the night they won it because it’d be a party for the ages.
When people let their love of one team turn into hate of another team… it makes me think they need to stop drinking the Haterade. It doesn’t matter what team’s on the receiving end of said hate (I know plenty of Ottawa fans who act the same way towards the Leafs as your roommate does towards the Sens.)