I'm shocked at how Leafs fans acted at last nights Sabres - Leafs game in Buffalo. Cheering for your team and trash talking is to be expected, but to boo Pat LaFontaine during his jersey retirement and American National the Anthem is way over the line. Not to mention saying what a crap hole Buffalo is. Being from Buffalo, I'll be the first to say that it's not the greatest place in the world, but I always thought you show respect when you're in someone else's house. I'm surprised there weren't more fights. This is not meant to villify anyone on this site, but I thought it needed to be said.
What do you expect from Leafs fans? Most of them are jerks.
(I cheer for the Leafs, and I guess that makes me a Leafs fan. But like Hip fans, I do not belong to the group of people that non-fans picture when they think of Leaf fans or Hip fans, if that makes sense.)
Leafs suck ballsack! GO SENS!
Write to your government and tell them to give us our $5b in softwood lumber taxes in softwood lumber you be owin' us and we'll stop booing the national anthem. 8)
Nothing could be less consistent with American principles than to judge the many by the actions of a few. Don't let a few jerks color your opinion of all leaf fans.
p.s. Even though I feel bad about Lafontaine and the inexcusable booing of the national anthem, I still feel strongly that the Sabres stink. Go Leafs!
It wasn't meant to be political. I was talking about respect, something I've always shown Canada on ny many visits.
joehipfan Wrote:It wasn't meant to be political. I was talking about respect, something I've always shown Canada on ny many visits.
Out of curiousity, why was Lafontaine's jersey retired? I'm not trying to be a prick here - I'm being 100% serious. I know he had a great season in 92/93 but in three of the six seasons he was there he played less than 25 games. And it's not like they had any long playoff runs with him.
Anyway, it just struck me as strange. It would be like having the Penguins retire Paul Coffey's number.
It wasn't meant to be political. I was talking about respect, something I've always shown Canada on ny many visits.
cferneyh Wrote:joehipfan Wrote:It wasn't meant to be political. I was talking about respect, something I've always shown Canada on ny many visits.
Out of curiousity, why was Lafontaine's jersey retired? I'm not trying to be a prick here - I'm being 100% serious. I know he had a great season in 92/93 but in three of the six seasons he was there he played less than 25 games. And it's not like they had any long playoff runs with him.
Anyway, it just struck me as strange. It would be like having the Penguins retire Paul Coffey's number.
I agree. He played his best years in long island right?
But, I didn't think he was getting political either. Could have just as easily been talking bruins, hawks, wings, etc.
The political thing was meant for longseason. It got reposted by mistake. Anyway, LaFontaine's best season was in Buffalo, when he had 148 pts. It is debatable whether the Sabres should have retired his jersey. He only played about 250 games as a Sabre over 6 years, but when he was on the ice he was awesome, and his work in the community was huge.
Lalalalalalalalala lafontaine (HILLARIOUS!). I couldn't stop laughing. I wouldn't want to be remembered like that.
What LaFontaine did for the city of Buffalo (on and off the ice) is probably a heck of a lot more than a lot of great NHL players did for their city. As a kid growing up, he inspired my hockey playing years. He was all heart and if there was one player to model as a person and a player, it was Pat LaFontaine.
I was there and I thought the Leaf fans in my section were great (except for one drunk fan that fell down into the row in front of him and landed on some little kid). This smart Leaf fan, got up, walked out and took the first period off as not to get the crap kicked out of him by all Buffalo fans in the area.
Anways, Pat is very deserving, in my opinion, and I see where some of you are coming from in questioning the retirement of the jersey (it was the debate on sports talk radio all week here), but there may never be another player in Buffalo history that can match some of the things he's accomplished around here. No way can you compare it to Coffey in Pittsburgh, not even close!
I thought the Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalala Fontaine was a great way to go out. That line is famous around here, and only Buffalo fans can truly appreciate that one!!
Go Sabres.
I'm sorry, but I don't know how in hell you guys in Buffalo can listen to that play-by-play guy (Jeannaret? sp?). Even from listening to the clips they use of him on the highlight shows makes me want to throw a rock through the TV. I can't imagine having to listen to him call all the games of my favourite team... might as well shove an icepick up my nose!!
Anyway, regarding Lafontaine, I agree the Leaf fans in attendance shouldn't have booed, but he seemed to go on and on forever... I know it's a huge honour and everything, but try not to ramble on for a half-hour, it's ridiculous. My opinion is that is what caused the booing (at least, whatever booing that was not caused by drunkenness or people being an ass on general principle). I'm not one of those stereotypical jerk Leaf fans, but in any case you can take my comments for what they're worth.
I would never boo the american national anthem, but it goes both ways. I've been to a few sporting events where Americans have booed the Canadian national anthem.
I was at the game on Friday night. I did happen to notice that almost all Leaf fans in the building (myself included) gave Lafontaine the standing-o when he was introduced. Moreover, I felt privileged to be there for the retiring of the jersey of a guy I really enjoyed watching growing up.
It is true that Pat really did ramble on, though. You would expect maybe ten minutes. He was up there for more than twenty.
Anyway, I didn't hear any booing of the American anthem (though I don't doubt it happened). There were many Canadians in my section and all of them were very respectful during the American anthem, as the Americans were during our anthem.
I went to the Leafs game on the following night, and they had a ceremony celebrating Tie Domi's 1000th Game. As he began his speech, he said something along the lines of 'I won't make this a long one, like Pat did last night..." and now I know what he meant. I though Domi was riffing on Pat Quinn!