Being a habs fan at the Fleet

[patate]

mb3.theinsiders.com/fbostonbruinsfrm1.showMessage?topicID=764.topic

I have lived a similar experience when I went to the Fleet center 2 years ago. I wasnt wearing a habs jersey but people around me could hear I was french. 4 guys in their early 20's started to insult me with the usual french stereotypes. I tried not to pay attention to them but their started to push in the back of my seat and my girlfriend was afraid. Then the habs scored (Zednik) and as I was cheering one of the guy hit me with his fist on the back. The temptation to retaliate was high but I resisted and just walked to a security guard and told him to what happenned and they took the guy who struck me and threw him out. The other 3 stayed but I didnt hear a thing about them after.

I dont know about you but I think the disrespect in city like Toronto or Boston is really out of hand and I'm really sick of english-speaking people to just insult french speaking people like they were worth nothing. I swear the next time I hear some french bashing anywear, you guys are gonna hear about me on the news : like "habs fan makes bruins fan wear his ass as a hat".

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Tu as raison.

Je ne suis pas français (en fait le Français est ma troisième langue), mais basé sur certaines de mes expériences en tant que fils des immigrés, vous avez mon appui sincère si vous réorganisez l'anatomie de votre antagoniste.

Naturellement j'ai d'espoir qu'il ne vient pas à ça, mais comme je bien sais, quoique la tolérance en faisant face à la stupidité est excellente, il y a toujours des limites au patience.

[habitant]

I have sympathy for the guy who was at the game. It is pretty pathetic treatment. Lets not forget this is the same city that booed the American National Anthem..I believe it was against the Islanders? And who can forget the Richard Riots, every city has jerks in them, especially the most diehard cities like, Toronto, Boston, Montreal and Detroit. I would have to say Toronto has some of the most ridiculous fans however, being a resident in this city. I'm proud of the fact that Montreal generally seems to have a more knowledgeble and realistic group of fans. But without a doubt these stories from Boston appear to be the worst I've heard. No worries, we'll shut em up soon enough...GO HABS GO!

[CentreHice]

I've heard Philadelphia is also a dangerous place for non-Flyers fans to watch a game. What about MSG in New York? Nah...they're too busy booing their own team.

And people try to make excuses like, "Well, chances are those guys were sloshed." Sloshed guys with that attitude are also very dangerous guys...even under the influence of American beer.

People really shouldn't drink anything that is of a higher % than that of their high school equivalency exam.

Don't know what I'd do in your shoes, as I'm an anglophone....but last year I took my son to Buffalo to watch the Habs' last game there...a 4-1 loss I believe....and it was right around the time of the Iraq invasion. Fresh in the U.S. collective psyche was that Canada didn't back Bush's decision. When people around us noticed that we didn't cheer for the Sabres goals...did we ever start hearing it. "How do you like that, Canada?" "USA USA".
"F__in' cowards!"

We didn't say a word.

[Deleted]

I've read that post and was shocked and appalled. I never knew that kind of behavious was tolerated, but then again, it's kind of a harsh way of saying, "Welcome to America; you're on your own!"

I'll try to keep politics out of this, but the bigger the cities, the bigger the jerks.

Sorry to hear you experienced such a brutal event.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

I dare say that Boston fan wouldn't have done that had his buddies not been around.

I had a friend who also went to a Leafs/Habs game in TO in which the Buds won. He and his son were wearing their Habs jerseys as they left the ACC when they started getting verbally taunted. His son was afraid as the taunting turned to insults, swearing, etc. And, of course, the fans were in packs.

I went to the NJ game a few weeks back and the atmosphere is hockey, hockey, hockey. There was no pushing, shoving or abusive insults. In fact, Gapper was on the streets after the game wearing his Bruins jersey and promoting Boston. He got a lot of laughs, but it was all in good fun.

HFFM also told us that if we were to wear out Habs jerseys in Boston, that this sort of thing was going to happen. As you said, the remaining three lads didn't give you a problem after that. Strength in numbers and beer; sad and cowardly.

Cheers.