Booing the National Anthem

My hat goes off to the lovely fans down in San Jose, CA who decided that it would be appropriate to boo loudly during the singing of the Canadian National Anthem before last night's game 5 VICTORY for the visiting Edmoton Oilers. A classy move through and through that I'm sure did nothing to add more fuel to what already was a red-hot Oilers team.

This whole business of booing the other countries national anthem is really getting old. I recognize that Canadian hockey fans are not absent of blame in this petty little game. I think it was Montreal Canadien fans who started the booing game two years ago at a game at the Bell Centre. However, it's Montreal. That's not really a part of Canada. It's kind of like Cousin Eddie from the National Lampoon's movies. You know he's there in his tight green pants and cream coloured dickie, but you'd just rather pretend that he's not really a part of the family.

But let's get real here San Jose. The fact of the matter is, if it wasn't for Canada you'd have no Sharks to cheer for. And even if you did, you certainly wouldn't be watching your team play in the playoffs.

When you boo Canada you're also booing your captain, Patrick Marleau; your top point-getter, Joe Thornton; the league's leading goal scorer, Jonathan Cheechoo; your best two-way player, Alyn McCauley; your best stay-at-home defenceman, Kyle McClaren. All good Canadian boys who perfected their craft on Canadian soil and still call Canada "home".

When you boo Canada you're booing the home and native land of the heart and soul of your hockey team.

Canadian hockey players and National pride is like the United States and blind arrogance. You can't have one without the other.

I certainly hope the Oilers fans don't reciprocate this idiotic behaviour and boo loudly when the Star Spangled banner is sung tomorrow night (although I'm sure they will). We have to realize that the US has provided Canadian hockey fans with lots of great players to watch as well. I mean there's Chris Chelios, and then there's . . . well, I'm sure more names will come to me later.

I hope Oiler's fans take the high road and allow the fact that their team is going to send the Sharks packing tomorrow night do all the talking (or booing) for them.

The fact of the matter is, now that the NHL is such a multi-national sport, perhaps the NHL should consider eliminating the singing of the Canadian and US national anthems from the start of the games. Sure these games are being played in North American cities but more importantly than that, the players who make up these teams are from many different countries.

However, if we did that then there's a chance we'd never get to see Hulk Hogan or Wayne Gretzky's daughter's lip-sync the anthems again. And that would certainly be something to boo about.

Go Oilers!