by CoachK, AllHabs.net
SAINT-LAZARE, QC — In a recent article in Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) Magazine by Adam Winer, Montreal Canadiens’ fans were ranked amongst the worst fans on sports. In fact, we were the only NHL fans to make his ranking. While on the outside, the visual representations depicted by a group of rowdy Habs’ faithful might support that assumption, I must say, from personal experience, it is the furthest thing from the truth.
Yeah sure, we loot, set fire to pictures of opposing players and the odd police car, and yell and scream when one of our own is rammed into a metal post. Mr. Winer’s assessment of our fanbase is the sum of the parts of a small percentage of real Habs fans. If the GQ writer followed a few Montreal Canadiens’ blog, or a few more Twitter accounts, his opinion might differ quite a bit.
In recent tweets I viewed, there was a Bruins’ fan, who’s Twitter name I refuse to devulge, expressed his views in a tweet by saying, “Pacioretty is a <expletive>! I hope he’s paralyzed or dead!” Now there’s a hockey fan! And all Canadiens’ fans did was asked for a suspension for Zdeno Chara’s actions. On certain blogs. there were even anti-Canadian and anti-American rants flying back and forth. So when an American-born player on a Canadian team almost gets decapitated, it’s an international incident, right?
Might I remind Mr. Winer that during last year’s Eastern Conference final against the Philadelphia Flyers, Gazette Columnist Pat Hickey had his car vandalized because it had a Quebec license plate. The plate itself was actually stolen off his car, while the front tires were slashed and the molding on his bumper removed. In playoff series two years ago against the Boston Bruins, a few fans decided to relieve themselves on a group of Canadiens fans in Boston, which included a young child, then punch them in the face.
Many of the images shown across the Internet of post-game celebrations and disappointments, there are certainly a few, but small group, of Canadiens’ faithful that exact their joy/frustration on inanimate objects. These people have usually had a few too many adult beverages, and rarely attack an individual for another city. While they represent a minority, the majority of damages caused during these riots are by oppotunistic individuals, who see a chance to pilfer and steal at the expense of Habs’ supporters.
When you work for a magazine like GQ, with its huge distribution, it becomes a writer’s responsibilty to get his facts in order. In this particular case, writing a piece like that, based on the opinions of others or a set of incriminating pictures, is both unprofessional and unfair. To form a proper and fair assessment of a group of fans, Mr. Winer would have to visit every team, in every city, in every professional league. You can all see it’s an impossible task, and I doubt he would want to do it. Besides, according to him, after what he’s said about Canadiens’ fans, he may have a cavity search performed by Canadian Customs, get spit on in his hotel, and get burned at the stake outside the Bell Centre.
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Our own Coach K appeared on CBC-Radio Montreal with Sue Smith on her afternoon show “Home Run.” They were joined by Matt Morein, a long-standing Canadiens fan to discuss the GQ article.
You may listen here:
Reactions to this GQ article have been pretty strong, both in Habs nation and among other fanbases. That’s probably exactly what the writer wanted. GQ has been trying to attract attention through controversy lately. Maybe their sales have been dwindling? In any case, I’d say that anyone who was thinking of buying the magazine to see this article should probably think first – you’re giving them exactly what they want.
If you are going to use the defense that it was only a small group of Habs fans that committed some of those errors, then you have to be willing to use it for other fan bases as well. In the Pat Hickey incident, it was a few stupid drunk assholes that vandalized his car. Then, when word spread about the vandalism, HUNDREDS of Flyers fans wrote him, apologizing for said assholes actions, offering not only their apologies but even to pay for the damages as well. Even Hickey admitted he liked Philadelphia fans for the most. He just said there is, as with every city, a few bad eggs. I don’t say this to defend Flyers fans’ actions, but make sure you know the facts before you use certain logic for one team and not the others you’re bashing.
Adam,
I agree. But as you state, that is the reaction is every city, after a few bad apples spoil a party.
Every fan base has its good and bad. However, like so many other situations, only the bad is reported. I used the Philadelphia example as just that. I am in no way bashing Philly, or its fans, having played baseball there on several occasions in my youth. And if I did bash it, @FlyerRule would kick my sorry backside off the mezzanine at the next HabsTweetup at McLean’s Pub. It’s part of the reason why I’m staying home. :)
Boston is another example I used. The Tweeter in question certainly doesn’t represent the majority of the fanbase. While there are certainly a number of fans who conduct themselves like raving lunatics when they drink, Bostonians are a friendly bunch.
And for the record, if reporters found all the good in the news, CNN would be out of business.
Wait wait wait.
Are you basing your argument here on “Yeah we’re a bunch of dickweeds! BUT LOOK OVER THERE!”
I’m not a fan of Montreal OR Philly. But it seems fairly lame to try and argue back with misdirection. Fact is Montreal is like that all the time and it comes from a history of winning… By winning I mean being the best out of a handful of teams for a good while. I know. I lived there. And they “boo” their own players (and look how HE turned out… ungrateful fanbase…)
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