Sports brings out the worst in people. What is it about watching grown men and women perform athletic feats for our entertainment, that causes many to revert to the basest natures we should have left behind? It may be a mystery to me, but to deny that it’s there lurking in every sporting event, bar, and social gathering is ignorant at best.
All Philadelphia Flyers fans need to own up to their embarrassing wristband incident
Where can Philadelphia go after an indefensible display on Monday night?
Combine that with the anger of a hockey fan facing elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and you’ll get what happened in Philadelphia last night.
Late in the third period of a 4-1 deficit against the Capitals, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare recklessly rode Dmitry Orlov head first into the boards. The hit and subsequent penalties set off a powder keg that had been building in the Wells Fargo Center all game.
Light-up wristbands that were a part of the opening ceremony for owner Ed Snider rained down on the ice, despite pleas from the in-arena announcer and players.
Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Simmonds would appreciate it if you stopped throwing bracelets onto the ice pic.twitter.com/fut1rdACsq
— Marina Molnar (@mkmolnar) April 19, 2016
Fans were warned of an impending penalty should they throw the wristbands again and sure enough, after the Capitals scored, they went flying again. The Flyers had to serve a penalty due to the stupidity of their fans and could only watch as Washington increased their lead at will.
There's lots of blame to go around. On Bellemare for his hit, and Ryan White's comments afterwards that he'd do exactly as the fans did if he were in their shoes.
Ryan White on #Flyers fans throwing wristbands: "Whatever. I love the Philly fans. I'd have done it too."
— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) April 19, 2016
To the Wells Fargo Center, who gave fans throwable objects before a game between two division rivals in a series that was down 2-0.
To the officials, for letting the game get as out of hand as it did, when many could see the storm brewing from the opening face-off.
But most of all, to the fans who perpetuated every Philadelphia stereotype in the book by acting like petulant children who couldn’t take no for an answer.
There’s something oddly unique about the city of Philadelphia when it comes to sports. They’re passionate and steadfast in their love for their teams. Loyal to a fault, until they feel you turned your back on them, and then you never hear anything but boos.
It’s an ideal that owner Snider himself helped create when he brought Philadelphia professional hockey in 1967. Put so succinctly by beat writer Bill Meltzer:
Watching the Blues pulverize and intimidate the Flyers twice in the playoffs, including a brutal 1968 incident in which St. Louis’ ruffian Noel Picard blind-sided and viciously attacked small finesse forward Claude Laforge because he happened to be the closest bystander in a tussle between other players, Snider privately vowed that the team he owned would never again be pushed around in such fashion. That was the genesis of the Flyers assembling what became known as the Broad Street Bullies.
The city of Philadelphia has perpetuated this identity for years. Sandwiched between our nation’s great capital and the largest metropolis in the United States, the city itself took on the affinity of the scrappy, never back down, and won’t be pushed around.
But this is not the era of the Broad Street Bullies any longer. Ron Hextall’s future plan for the Flyers will tell you as much.
The ideal does live on in the fans, and it was out in full force in the Game 3 loss. Blame anger and alcohol all you want, but the show by the few in the arena is embarrassing and inexcusable to the many.
It’s easy to point fingers at other sports and fan bases that have done worse in the years past. Yes, every sports fandom -- or fandom in general -- has their black sheep. The noise makers. The ones that ruin it for everyone else.
But to do so only exacerbates the problem. Instead of throwing others under the bus, start by recognizing the faults of your own. Every fan base has these idiots, but it’s not about them today. A handful of Philadelphia fans made this problem, but the whole of the fan base has to take the hit.
Instead of pointing fingers at other fans mistakes, own this one.
Of course, any rational fan would know that it’s not fair to paint supporters with such a wide brush, but sports are anything but rational. Instead of pointing fingers at other fans mistakes, own this one. Take responsibility, no matter if you threw a bracelet, were watching from a bar or the comfort of your home. Call out your fellow fan and address the problems head on instead of throwing around excuses.
Not only that, but use this to be a better fan and create a safer space for your fellow peers. Wear the embarrassment that this incident has caused, but keep this in the back of your mind the next time you go to a game.
The moral high ground is a shaky one to take in the world of sports, as Sportsnet’s Sean Gentille tells us so nicely. Don’t point fingers, just be better.
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