Lots of booing and hissing during the Star Spangled Banner...

[OpSomBlood]

...in Calgary for the Stanley Cup Finals.

It's pretty shameful what Bush* has done to our respect around the world.

[Roaming]

1. But it's also pretty shameful when our neighbors to the north, to whom

we've never done anything horrible that would justify this behavior, would show disrespect to us in that way as well. The American athletes who were there certainly didn't deserve that.

[whosinpower]

3. I agree

common courtesy would at the very least be silence. Booing is uncivilized.

[Liberal Veteran]

14. Can't agree. Some of the nasty things said about Canada...

...by our government, from claiming they are chickenshit for not supporting this fiasco in Iraq, to our government claiming Canadian drugs aren't safe (the notion being Canada is just some third world country) to some of the nastiness from the White House trying to tell the Canadians how they should run their own country from gay rights to marijuana decriminalization and trying to blame lax security in Canada for 9/11.

I can't blame Canadians who are tired of the US.

[wildwww2]

57. Your correct. And Americans boo everytime I go to a Marlins game.

Booing sounds like freedom of speech to me. Rude maybe. But I see alot of Americans who are rude. And do not have the courage or honesty to admit when they are wrong. Unless the Canadians murder innocent people for WMD`s that do not exsit. I do not think it will bother me that they boo the anthem of a country that commits war crimes for fun and profit. 9-11 is an excuse to murder and steal oil from folks who did not attack us. But not a good one.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[OpSomBlood]

59. Go Fish!

n/t

[Eloriel]

40. Normally I'd agree -- but not this time. here's why

We've unfortunately reached a stage where it is incumbent on EVERY American citizen to do wht they can, in a somewhat urgent and expeditious way, to effect some pretty significant changes in Washington. The whole world has been trying to tell us goin' on 2 years now that we need a course correction. Not enough people have been listening. I think it's entirely appropriate for them to get just a little noisier about their displeasure with the U.S. -- and if that makes some Americans uncomfortable, so be it. Hopefully they'll be made uncomfortable enough to get the message.

[patrice]

4. Right.

I dislike piling-on even when I don't like the "bad guy".

[liberalhistorian]

5. No, they didn't, but the point he was trying to make

was that mild-mannered Canada has very rarely done anything like that, even when we've pissed them off. So by this event, we see just how much Shrub has fucked us up globally. Canada resents, like too many other nations, what we've done in Iraq, and how that's affected the international community. At least they understand that, unlike most of the sheeple in this country.

And look at how this country has reacted to other nations, particularly with regard to the insane frenzy of French-bashing and hatred, which didn't distinguish between that country's leaders and its citizens. Our hands are certainly not at all clean in this regard, certainly much dirtier than Canada's.

[camero]

6. Um

There are more Canadians on the Lightning than the Flames. They have a point in booing.

[OpSomBlood]

9. Come on...they were NOT booing the Lightning, they were booing the U.S.

It was fairly obvious.

[camero]

15. Duh I know that

I was refuting the poster's point about American athletes.

We invade much of the world and expect people to like us? Come on yourself.

[OpSomBlood]

18. My bad, I misread your post.

n/t

[camero]

22. It's ok ,it was easy to miss.

Should have clarified that.

[calimary]

21. If they're booing American athletes there, imagine what will confront

our athletes during the Olympics, 'eh?

Not gonna be pretty.

Frankly, because of our cavalier treatment of most of the rest of the world, and the "Old Europe" snubs we gave them, and considering the rest of the world that warned us against invading Iraq was loudly condemned and scorned and heaped with derision by a lot of OUR people (anybody remember "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"?), frankly I don't blame 'em. I don't like it. I don't like seeing it come to this. But I CANNOT say I blame them. How nice have WE been when other countries have done something we objected to?

[camero]

25. I can't blame them either

Geesh, why doesn't anybody get this? I'm agreeing with you.

[OpSomBlood]

27. I don't blame them either.

If we are going to pre-emptively occupy sovereign nations in the name of "freedom" and "patriotism," we shouldn't be surprised if we lose our respect.

I don't blame the Canadians. What they are doing is disrespectful...do we deserve respect right now?

[camero]

29. No, we don't n/t

[drdigi420]

8. never done anything horrible?

we gave them the war on drugs, thats pretty damned horrible, if ya ask me

the war on drugs kills thousands of people every year

it causes crime, inflated stock markets, police corruption, and general disrespect for law

it also puts police in the extremely dangerous position of trying to enforce unenforceable laws

i'd say we've done something horrible to the entire world by exporting the counterproductive war on people that use certain drugs

[Sapphocrat]

19. Actually, we have done the same and worse...

I'm not saying it's justified -- but don't forget that Americans have indeed booed Canada during games -- and a lot of morans have taken their misguided warmongering hostility out on Canadians in countless "small" ways for Canada's refusal to join the U.S. in pResident Pinky-and-the-Brain's "war".

A few examples: The jerk in Atlanta who refused to honor a winning eBay bid because the buyer was Canadian... Jerks in North Dakota vandalizing and peeing on cars with Manitoba license plates. ... Florida's WENG dropping a five-minute-long, Canadian-produced show it had aired for 25 years because of Canada's anti-war stance... So-called "ambassador" Paul Cellucci admonishing Canada to "control" its citizens (specifically, the not-so-liberal Liberal Party)...

And so on and on it goes. Certainly, booing any nation's athletes is quite disrespectful and unjustified, and no, there is no excuse for it.

But there are plenty of reasons for it.


On edit: Just a dumb typo.

[candy]

31. What the hell ever happened to sportsmanship?

[dutchdemocrat]

33. Right

Bush made a mess didn't he?

The Canadian Flag and the National Anthem aren't as sacrosanct for most Canadians as the US glorious patriotic worship of symbols. That's half the problem.

Americans know the words to the anthem and can't sing it and Canadians sing to an anthem that they don't know the words too.

Don't like being boo-ed?

Same thing happened south of the border. Soccer. Oh Mexico doesn't like it - the oil imperialism either that is.

Don't wave the flag too hard in Athens. According to instructions.

Don't blame Canadians, they are acting out their disagreement with the the current regime in control of the US. Nothing against DU. Canadian lads are fighting in Afganistan. Lots.

Oh, no, you have never done anything horrible to the Canadians. Well, besides fucking over your northern neighbours on NAFTA at every chance... there is history.

The last time you were at war they burnt Washington to a crisp.

The British (Canadians) appeared near success in the late summer of 1814. American resistance to the diversionary attack in Chesapeake Bay was so weak that the British (Canadians), after winning the Battle of Bladensburg (August 24), marched into Washington, D.C., and burned most of the public buildings including the White House. President Madison had to flee into the countryside. The British (Canadians) then turned to attack Baltimore but met stiffer resistance and were forced to retire after the American defense of FORT MCHENRY, which inspired Francis Scott KEY to write the words of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Now Canada doesn't have a chance, and it will be 'owned' sooner or later.

Too bad.

[seabeyond]

34. dont agree. they have the right to express also

we have told the whole world to shut up and let a handful of white males direct the whole world what to do and say. this is the repercussion, and we have to have the courage and understanding to embrace why they feel as angry as they do. they dont want to hear that song of honor associated with america. i havent been able to feel the same way about this weekend, like i have always in the past. this is what bush has given us. this is what we need to see from the world. so we truly understand the effect we have on all people.

and that is the responsibility, with the power we have acquired and created over the years.

yes shame on us

and this isnt painful for me to experience or see. i can own our part, and i accept what we are given, and i say, voting bush out and in time, maybe we can become a grander person as a whole

[BillZBubb]

39. Oh, Please!

"we've never done anything horrible". Give me a break.

Americans sure do have short memories! Just over a year ago American wingnuts were saying all sorts of things about the Canadians because they wouldn't join in the criminal acts of BushCo.

If they want to boo, more power to them. I don't blame them one bit.

[Kiliki]

45. It wasn't that bad...

and lots of people cheered the anthem.

And there were Americans who were just as rude, I heard at least one air horn repeatably go off during the Canadian anthem.

[moof]

48. Nothing horrible ??!!!!!!

and what do you call being murdered by an american air force fighter jet ?

quick without looking how much time have the two trigger happy jet jockeys spent in jail so far ?

[Kiliki]

49. I disagree with this logic...

if America is considered horrible enough to boo during the anthem (though again, I didn't hear many) and should be held accountable for the incident you refer to, then isn't it hypocritical of Canadians to even accept an honorable challenge on the ice rink to begin with, to buy tickets to see the event, to support network advertising efforts, etc.?

I could buy righteous indignation if the movement were to boycotrt the game altogether. The occasional hiss or boo during the anthem don't amount to much of a protest of political statement at all.

[moof]

54. sorry to confuse, the response was in dispute of "Roaming" saying,

"But it's also pretty shameful when our neighbors to the north, to whom we've done nothing horrible"....

As far as the logic goes, don't have knowledge of how any of the corruption involved in sports works but it seems unlikely that the rich and powerful people that run the games are going to cancel out
games with other teams in the (league?) and people most likely have season tickets and want to see their team play even if it happens to
be against an american team. What is wrong with the opposing crowd using the occasion of the national song of a country involved in the questionable invasion and of two countries and numerous unquestionable war crimes to voice their displeasure verbally, afterall it can't be worse than a little fraternity hazing.

[Heddi]

50. Wait...you say

we've not done "anything horrible" to our neighbors to the north...but what about the "Accidental" killing of their soldiers when our "highly trained" soldiers were all hopped up on goofballs and fired on the Canadians thinking they were enemies?

I guess that's not "horrible" because it wasn't Americans who died. Remember---it's only horrible when Americans die. Any other nationality and it's just 'regretable'

[leesa]

55. Bullshit. Those poor little athletes suck it up as representaives, well

let them have it. You guys want to bury your heads in the sand via sports, well you aren't going to be allowed to.

[newyorican]

60. While we haven't done anything lately...

we did try to invade and got our asses handed to us in the past...

No excuse for present day sentiments, just some historical reference.

[Sticky]

2. I'm sorry about that!

America IS NOT George Bush.

Gotta go - game's starting! :bounce:

[TN al]

7. I must have been paying too close attention to DU

I don't recall any booing.

[OpSomBlood]

11. It was definitely there.

Fans yelling loudly during the anthem, too.

[TN al]

17. Black Hawk fans have always yelled during the anthem...

...does that make them pre-emptive america haters?

[Kiliki]

46. I was waiting for it and was surprised at how few I heard. n/t

[Lisa]

10. it's kind of bizarre, given that ...

... Alberta tends to be the most pro-US province.

I'm sorry to say that a lot of my fellow Canadians kind of lose their heads when it comes to hockey. We'd even watch the parliamentary debate channel if our politicians put on helmets and pads! I'm sure that this is more motivated by overexcitement about the Cup, than by dislike for Americans (or even US foreign policy).

Instead of watching the game, I'm on DU -- I guess that shows how abnormal I am.

[calimary]

26. Uh... there's a game on somewhere?

Sorry - just goes to show you what a sports enthusiast I am.



(NOT!!!)

[freetobegay]

12. Fuck any Canadian there that booed! n/t

[drdigi420]

28. are you mad at them or turned on by them?

quite an ambiguous statement there

:)

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. Lot of Western families have lost their livelyhood due to the US ban

.
.
.

all for one mad cow that never even got into the food chain . .

and not too well known,

is the fact that the US is pressuring the Canadian Feds to not let the Canadian farmers test all their cows, for fear the World will buy Canuk beef b4 Murikkan beef

Pretty bad when the Murikkan greed for the $$$ ruins Canadian livelyhoods

and our own Government cowers to the tune of Bu$hco . .

(sigh)

[Zuni]

16. thats sad

but it is utterly amazing to me that Canadians would be that disrespectful because they do not like our President.
I would not boo their anthem even if they elected some Pat Robertson clone as their PM

[caber09]

20. BOOING STARTED BACK IN 2002

Hockeywise..I attended this game..1st Round of Playoffs...Islanders vs Maple Leafs....Islander fans booed the Canadian National Anthem because Canada had demanded an apology for us killing some of their soldiers in Afghanistan in April 2002 and had been very critical of Bushs handling of the war...unfortunately the disrepect was started by Americans on Long Island....everything since then has just been fuel thrown on the fire

[2Design]

36. Your right 'Friendly fire" that was such a mistake

The scared and "trigger nervous" usa troops did not check before bombing Candians out on manuevers at night..... and just like they don't apolgize for a "wedding massacre" they had some @#$@#$@# excuse of why they did what they did.....

I remember that. It was awful. Those guys were helping us and the attitude in USA was awful......I remember thinking why would anyone want to send troops over to help USA when we are the ones to kill them because we didn't check things out before firing, dropping bombs, etc...

It is this night time bomb dropping...so impersonal...like a video game ......

I can't see why Canadians would not be happy. The news cares the same arrogant BS around the world. No apologies from USA. Just excuses or blames the rank and file....

I am so sorry that happen to your guys. They should have never been killed by the USA.

[Preening Fop]

23. Only 37% of Registered Voters Going to the Poles in the Last Election.....

We may just deserve the boos...!!!!

With 330,000 military troops occupying 126 nations,
enforcing our predatory wal-mart capitalism upon the world
at the point of gun.

[devilgrrl]

24. They're booing Bush not America.

there's a difference. They hate us for our pResident!

[Yupster]

30. Canadian hockey fans have booed the US

a lot longer than since Bush was around.

Here's an article from 1996 wondering why the Canadian fans cheered the Russians and booed the Americans in the World Cup.

http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyWorldCup/sep9_boo.html

[specimenfred1984]

32. Shamful yes, and even worse

Lying about weapons that can destroy entire cities, falsifying intelligence, outing agents, lying to NYC about air quality, killing 1000s of civilians, adopting a policy of pre-emptive killing whenever the U.S. feels like it, assassinations, torture camps, installing puppet regimes, smearing everyone who speaks the truth, etc...

The rest of the world knows, even if some dumb sport fans don't.

[Monte Carlo]

35. When the anthem was booed in Montreal this year...

... when the Canadiens were beating the Bruins yet again, the Boston fans reciprocated by cheering the Canadian anthem extra loud.

It was classy. The Montreal fans did not repeat what they did.

[mmonk]

51. In our (Hurricanes) series with Montreal two years ago

in the playoffs, we sang their anthem and so they thought that was pretty nice of us, so they didn't boo in our series (except a comeback game when we came back 3 goals down in the 3rd).

[NNN0LHI]

37. Gosh. And all we did was Shock and Awe some defenseless country...

...into oblivion to steal their oil. And then we murdered, raped, and tortured their citizens. Can you imagine what the Canadians would have done if we had did something really bad?

Don

[GiovanniC]

38. We've Done It Too

I can't remember who we were playing, but it was a Detroit Red Wing game. I'm a huge Wingnut, and I was SUPER P-I-S-S-E-D when Detroit fans started booing during "O Canada".

I'm not saying two wrongs make a right, but we're not exactly blameless ourselves here in the U.S. of A.

[AbbeyRoad]

41. Their boos do not offend me personally

I know why they boo. The boos are directed at the Bush admin. and the manner in which they've lead or, better yet, dragged this country.

There aren't many ways besides sporting events that Canadians can get their point of view across to a mass audience of Americans.

The Canadians have felt slighted by us at sporting events as well. If anyone remembers there was an incident during the World Series between the Blue Jays and Phillies back in '92. Here's a small passage on it:

"The series will long be remembered for an error by the U.S. Marines before Game 2, when the ceremonial marching band appeared carrying a Canadian flag upside down. The snafu sent ripples of indignation across both sides of the border, and President George Bush issued two apologies to the Canadian people."

[mmonk]

42. It wasn't as bad as it could be

and I'm pulling for Calgary because of Martin Gelinas (he used to play here in Raleigh for the Canes and was on our team that went to the Cup).

[Kiliki]

43. I didn't hear that...

I heard a few boos, mostly cheers though and a large loud applause at the end.

Naturally the Canadian anthem had louder applause, it is being held in Calgary afterall.

[Kiliki]

44. Oh and they were not nearly as bad as the idiot who...

kept hitting the air horn during the Canadian anthem. I assume it must have been an American, it was incredibly rude.

[markses]

47. The point is not to praise or condemn the booing

But to figure out just what the fuck happened to produce it.

Blah blah blah it's horrible.
Blah blah blah it's justified.

But what is it, really? How does it function? What are its parts? Out of what is it composed? A much more difficult move, precisely because the move doesn't allow us to feel self-righteous on either side.

[lanparty]

52. It's sneaky Johnny Knuck again!!!!!

They're a threat to our nation we have to invade THEM next!!!!!

Thank you Michael Moore for Canadian Bacon. It's sums up the cold war in an hour and a half.

[Geo55]

56. booing and hissing during the Star Spangled Banner ?

Sounds like an insurgent terra threat to me...
YOUR EITHER WITH US.....OR YOU'RE A TERRAIST !!!

[wtmusic]

53. Foreigners should ALWAYS respect the anthem

even when it represents a country which deserves to be booed?

What a pantload.

[kcwayne]

58. Respect is earned, not coerced or deserved

It is rare to find that respect is deserved when someone is demanding it.