roccowrusso
rwrusso
Classless Philly
Posted 9:15 PM ET | Comments 53
You can usually count on one or the other, but tonight we've been treated to both. Classless Flyer players and fans. Not only have the Flyers decided to run Huet every chance they get, but the fans are at their best with a loud and clear @sshole chant. Even Briere has decided to scum it up. And you wonder why Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation. It's hard to respect a franchise like that.
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18 the Buffalo Blog
19 3/19/08 vs. TB: Need this win
19 3/19 Gamenight: Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay
27 Ryan Miller
18 9 to go
18 the Buffalo Blog
19 3/19/08 vs. TB: Need this win
19 3/19 Gamenight: Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay
27 Ryan Miller
I cant agree and Im a CAPS fan.Stevens is outcoaching Bouds big-time. For the most part the refs are letting that stuff go, and Philly is taking advantage. Plus, the Caps D is so soft. Huet is the only defending himself.
Waah Waah Waah!!! What a classless post! What a big baby you are! Somebody is crying because the Craps are being dominated! It is tough hockey from a tough team and AO and the Caps can't handle it! This is the playoffs! If you can't take it then you don't deserve to be here this time of year! Flyers should be up 3-0. They have controlled 8 of 9 periods so far!You are just showing how big of babies Caps fans are! I would be ashamed to make a post like this!
aww man u really set yourself up to get ripped here...its ok your probably not used to playoff hockey just yet but your caps have a solid young team that should lead them into many playoff seasons so dont get all worked up over this series or the game for that matter
hmmm...sour grapes, perhaps?Come on, the Caps have been outplayed in 8 of the 9 periods thus far. You are lucky not to be down 3-0. Get over yourself.SYF
As always I can count on some of you to make assumptions. I'm neither a Caps fan nor a Flyers fan. I'm just watching the playoffs because I love the game. I would say the same of any team who I noticed doing this, as well as their fans. I mentioned nothing of the play so far, but as a hockey fan, the Flyers have dominated this series for the most part. Biron is outplaying Huet, and Philly's guns are scoring, whereas Semin, Backstrom, and Kozlov, and even Ovie are MIA.So, continue making your unfounded asusmptions. You're the ones who look stupid. If you knew anything about hockey and weren't blatent homers, you'd realize what an embarrassment Flyer fans are to the game. Of course probably not all 19,862 fans there were cheering @asshole; but plenty were, and it shows no class.
its not like the fans just learned the word and decided to scream it...there was a reason for it...flyers fans are as passionate as they come and will express that passion by any means even if it has to let a referee know how they feel.
Hey, I actually love the city of Philadelphia and respect the passion the fans have for their sports and teams. But at some point will it ever change into respectful fans instead of this? I agree that there was a reason, I just found it lacking class.
What a joke. Classless - what the hell are you taking about. I don't care who cheer for - this is a terrible post. You are a joke!!!!
rwrusso - You haven't heard @sshole chanted at a sports event before? I have heard it in person in yankee stadium, the wachovia center, the Corel Center and heard in on TV in just about every important event I have watched. The Flyers played a great game and they did nothing to be called classless. If anything, Scotty Upshall, Daniel Briere and Mike Richards showed exactly what it takes to win a big game. Big players make big plays in big games - that is what the Flyers are rolling with these days. Class we have, talent we have, it is Stanley we desire.
Yes, I've heard it before, and just like now, I found it classless as well. Yankee fans are just as bad as Flyer fans. You're right, the Flyers did play a good game, and aside from running Huet, they played a good, hard, clean game. I have no problem with anything other than that. As I mentioned, Philly's big guns are getting it done. They've been the better team.
Well, the refs missed a blatant cross check that knocked out the Flyers best defenseman, allowed Ovechkin to get away with an obvious dive, had a goal that was clearly hit with a high stick to stand, Managed to let Huet whap Briere on the head without a call until Briere responded-even though a Caps defender pushed Briere into Huet. I think the chat is pretty valid, considering the job the refs did this evening.
I sent this over the the game blog to hear some opinions...http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=39633
Jsaquella: I usually like your posts, and this one is no exception. Timonen did get pushed into Huet and the net, but he was going right at Huet regardless. Ovechkin should have been called for embellishment, I think it was a trip but they both should have gone. I disagree with the high stick goal, very hard to tell, I don't think Biron's glove was over the cross bar, even if the stick did touch the puck. Huet deserved his penalty, but it's sad he had to stick up for himself. Briere didn't exactly make much of an effort to avoid contact, and again was another Flyer going straight at Huet. And after that smack to Huet's head a Cap should have just buried Briere. And there are other ways to make it known you're not happy with the officiating that don't involve chanting @asshole. It can be done with class.
Actually, Timonen made very slight contact with Huet, and it was all after he was crosschecked from behind. After seeing Derian Hatcher get called for a completely innocuous cross check in the first, it made some blood boil. I think that if a 5'8" Briere gets pushed by a 6'5" Jurcina, the Briere isn't going to have much say on where his body is going to end up. I don't necessarily agree with what they were yelling, but at the same time, I can't really blame them. As far as rude or classless behavior goes, this one ranks way down the list.
Philly fans have been chanting asshole for years. No offense, but you seem like you were born yesterday with this stuff...what would you like us to chant, "Ref, we disagree with you, but respect your opinion?"
I'd think Timonen got cross checked because he was headed right for Huet. Doesn't make any sense to me to push a guy from behind into your goalie, but it does send a message not to get that close. Unfortunately it wasn't enough of a message. A cross check is a cross check, please don't argue that one cross check should be called and another not. The initial contact between Briere/Huet isn't the point. It's Briere heading right at him and the scrum after. I think guys should drive hard to the net; that's hockey and especially playoff hockey. But when guys aren't making much effort to avoid the contact, it becomes a strategy and I see it as fairly obvious. I don't like it, but I'm ok with it as long as someone is going to get in there and rough someone up. Which wasn't happening. Again, I'm not blaming them for being pissed at the refs. But chanting @asshole is classless. It goes with cheering an injury.
You are absolutely wrong. Sorry, but the refs have been absolutely terrible with both teams. The goaltender interference rule has to get changed. 75% of the time the player is pushed into the goalie and its called, and they have to most pads on. The asshole chant is all over, and directed towards the refs. How is that classless? And you you expect Briere to get hit by Huet and just take it, I dont think so. Flyers in 5.
PS, this is a waste of a blog. You are taking up good space on here that we could be talking about how the Flyers are owning the serious, and would be 3-0 if not for some bad play in the 3rd of game 1.
Wow. No, I wasn't born yesterday. I just don't watch many Flyer games. The point is it's a classless thing to chant. Anywhere. Philly fans are always complaining about their bad rep. And you wonder why.
To rwrusso: just because the verizon center has no PASSION! Dont get pissed at PHILADELPHIA for understanding the game of hockey! 2-1!!! haha
Are you offended by the word asshole, or us chanting it? Do you want to ban Catcher in the Rye too? Seriously...
I would think that maybe the Philly fans were sending a message to the LEAGUE and not to the Caps. The officiating in all of the playoffs so far has been absolutely horrid! Chanting offending insults at sporting events is an American pastime, not just a Philly pastime. I see that you said you love Philly, but you truly don't understand Philly clearly. Philly is a blue-collar town that works hard, plays hard and expects more out of their sports teams than just about any city in the US. Period. The fans get pissed, they express themselves. Is it classless - not really. Immature - hell yeah! But dude...seriously - as hockey fans we all have the stupid playoff rituals - beards, same clothes, same food etc... Immature - hell yeah. Fun! ABSOLUTELY!!!! Not my style per se, but it sure as hell makes me laugh - especially when directed to the refs after the BULL$H!T they let go tonight. That xcheck to Timmonen was uncalled for and he was skating at an angle that would have put him off to the side of the net instead of into it.
If vulgarity = passion, then I'll admit I'm wrong here. I don't know how understanding the game of hockey equates to chanting @asshole. Through 30 or so games so far I can't recall noticing any other arena chanting similar things. I suppose all those fans have no passion. No, I'm not offended by the word. I love swear words. Just not a crowd chanting one. My opinion is it's classless. Catcher in the Rye is a great book, I do not want it banned. Agree to disagree.
Groome16: at least you make a decent arguement. I do like the city of Philadelphia; just not it's citizens. I suppose I just don't understand your blue collar town, Buffalo being so white collar and all. Seriously?
AO Dive = Classless! Im sure he will be the target of the @sshole chants on Thursday. Not the refs!
His dive was bush league. As I said, he should have gone for embellishing also. Do you people not read what's already been written? I'm giving up, this is a lost cause. So much for a good discussion. I should have known better with Flyer fans.
Oh, you are from Buffalo? Don't be mad because other teams can afford your star players! I guess Miller is working on his golf game right now.
And you are a moron.
This blog is almost as bad as the Vancouver fan claiming that Downie dove when Laraque pounded his face into the boards...P.S. Players crash the net to collect rebounds and score. Briere was not "running the goalie" when he was crosschecked. Also, Timonen was obviously turning when the same was done to him. The Capitals, for whatever reason, are trying to draw penalties by taking liberties on their own goaltender. They've seen that it will be called, i.e. Scott Hartnell, and now they are trying to help the cause. So, question is, who is classless?
Wow moron you really set yourself up here...Now its time to tee off on you. It's a long lasted cliche that philly fans are classless fans, but last time I checked they had the highest attendance out of US hockey teams. That speaks volumes. Now lets go to you assuming that the flyers are running Huet. Well from what i've taken from this series so far is that washington has 8 players on the ice (including the two refs). Philly has been getting shafted all series but they seem to prevail. Now picking on danny briere about being "scum". Briere wouldnt kill an ant. I'm a flyers fan an think ovechkin is a great player, but if anyone was a "scum" tonight it was ovi himself with the horrific dive and the dramatics of faking an injury. Thats a "scum" coming from a super star. Stick to politics down their in D.C. you idiot
I so didn't notice you were a Buff's fan....yeah - you get blue collar - hell you are wearing a blue shirt! :) My last comment is this, and this is likely where you were going the entire time. Would I want to take my 7yr old little girl and my 4yr old little boy to a game where people were chanting asshole - not really. Would I care if I was there - nope. Would I participate - nope.
rwrusso: You have yet to provide a solution to the @sshole situation. Flyer fans use it to communicate their dissatisfaction with what they see on the ice. It's not much different from Canadiens fans who throw things onto the ice. If you don't like it, that's fine. But anyone can hurl criticisms. It's much harder to provide a suggestion for improvement. You say it can be done with class. Back it up. If you can't, don't bother to post and then get frustrated when people don't "listen" to you.
welcome to the playoffs... i'm sorry you guys don't make it to the playoffs that often to know what playoff hockey is like
As always I can count on some of you to make assumptions. I'm neither a Caps fan nor a Flyers fan.You type this every chance you get. It's hockey. The fans are passionate. Either you accept this or you don't. Philly understands the game and lives and dies by their team. Classless...might be your opinion so be it. I usually like your posts but this blog is clearly a troll, look at me blog. It brought attention to you. Good for you.Jsaquella:I like what Bill said in his blog about Koharski, something like Koharski = typical game by him. Usually JJ does a pretty good job balancing out his play by play and homerism but even he noticed the ice was slanted early on with the Caps getting all the calls. I wish I was on the ice to actualy hear what Richards was yelling at Ovie. Classic. I lost some respect for Ovie after his triple axle. The league already has one diver Sid.
Solution: booing, whistling, etc. Since when do you need to be a Flyer or Cap fan to have an opinion on the game? I'll say it one last time: show me one other game so far this playoff season where the fans have chanted something along the lines of @asshole and I'll bow down to all the "passionate" Flyer fans. Of course the officiating has been terrible, it's been that way since last year's playoffs. But it doesn't give Flyer fans a free pass. I found it a disgrace.
lol, this is a bit of an embarassment. I'm pulling for Philly in this series because, after all, Philly is just East Nashville. Without our exports you guys wouldn't be in the playoffs. But give me a break, there is no justification for the fans chanting profanity. There were missed and bogus calls on both sides. You gotta draw the line somewhere, and Philly fans habitually cross the line. Call it passion locally, the rest of the world is calling it moronic and a bad reflection on both the sport and the city. Then again, this is par for the course.
Got to disagree buddy. You cant sterilize hockey, its not meant to be that way. If there is anything a player or fan can do to win, then they should do it. Class or no, its playoffs. You dont win the Cup on class.
Yeah no other fans in any sport chant that after a bad call. The Flyers are playing physical like the playoffs are supposed to be, but the Caps cheap shots are after the whistle. The chants came after Timonen was cross checked after the whistle and the other play that got the fans going was Hartnell being blasted after Briere scored the powerplay goal. The fans in Philly only want the game called straight up. As to the profanity, wake-up. This is yelled in arena in the northeast routinely. From Boston to Philly, including all three NY teams. Everyone in the NHL offices is hoping for a Pitts vs Washington series, but Philly will not allow that to happen. The penalty calls as AO flops (and yes he did flop a few times like Sid the kid) are getting bad. Just because the guy goes down, does not me a penalty occured. There are no skirts in hockey.
As someone that travels and attends NHL games all over, the fans in Philly, NY, Boston need no explanation of the whistles at the game. In all the Southeast (or SouthLEAST) division arenas, at every whistles the PA guy says, Offsides, Icing, etc. It is ridiculous and embarrassing. Real hockey fans know the game and know what should be called. This is why Philly fans can respond in unison when a call is missed without a signal from the video board or announcement over the PA.
Russo you knucklehead! What good was this blog!? Did you think Philly was gonna apologize or something?What's the point of this? Man you asked for it.
Welcome to Philly. New slogan: Spreading the love on national tv.
I would never support running a goalie with the intent to injure him, but going to the net hard is something teams have to do. If you end up bumping the goalie and getting shoved into him, so be it. We are getting the penalties for it and I am fine with it, especially since it's getting into Huet's head. The flyers have Huet more concerned with flopping and reacting every time he gets bumped than with stopping the puck. It's a mental game and the Flyers are playing it.
rwrusso - The Devils vs Rangers game at MSG (Game 3 of the series). There were several chants of asshole shouted from both team's fans for a variety of reasons. The same thing happens at Islander games (granted, not in this year's playoffs.. cause.. well, y'know - FORE!). There's this one kid in Loudville (a section reserved for college students at reduced price) at almost every game who leads chants against the other team's fans and players 5, 6 times *per period*. This is not an exaggeration. This kind of thing happens everywhere. Fact is, it's the nature of the sport. You're talking about a game where people violently hurl their protected bodies at one another into what is, essentially, a moderately flexible wall, half of which is made out of breakable 'glass', or straight down onto a surface easily as damaging as concrete. You're talking about a game where it is commonplace for two players (sometimes more) to shed some of the afformentioned protection and wail on eachother for a minute or two. This is a game with the potential for serious injury (Zednik?) and inevitable violence. Can you read lips with any degree of skill? Next time there's a scrum, try and figure out what they're saying to eachother. Viscious stuff. Males are bad enough when two or more of them get together in a confined space with something to argue about. Forget 10,000 with a violent competition in front of them. Honestly, what do you expect to happen? Especially if they feel that the competitors they're rooting for were slighted by referees? This isn't classless, this is just the result of the spirit of the game, the atmosphere, and the way we're conditioned to deal with it.