Racist Hockey Fans

That's discusting...and this is 2012 or is this 1812?

of course every city has fans like this, but, as Bill Simmons wrote last week race and Boston is a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY sore subject. My personal take on Boston and their fans (not all are racist) is that they live in this generally socially and politically progressive area which opens them up even more when they do stupid shit. It's more like how dare you claim liberal outlooks on life but act a bunch of fools VERY regularly. On that note, I have the same take with Boston as Philly, don't be racist or beat other people up/puke on them/run on the field and we won't have to refer to the laundry list of past instances where your fans have fucked up. Further, just because other people do it, doesn't mean we should dismiss it as a minority of idiots - those people who were dumb enough to tweet that shit should get called out for it period. Finally, a note about "those stupid bandwagoners" isn't their presence and the money that flows from them to buy the latest shit for your team the very reason your team can afford to get/keep players? I mean isn't that the benefit of being a broadly loved team?

g under p wrote:

You true hockey fans out there do remember your hockey history. do some of you remember this player below...



That's Willie O'Ree the first black player to play in the NHL.

Midway through his second minor-league season with the Quebec Aces, O'Ree was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. O'Ree was 95% blind in his right eye due to being hit there by an errant puck two years earlier,[3] which normally would have precluded him from playing in the NHL. However, O'Ree managed to keep it secret, and made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history, appearing in two games that year, and came back in 1961 to play 43 games, playing with smooth Boston centre Don McKenney and winger Jerry Toppazzini. He scored four goals and 10 assists in his NHL career, all in 1961.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_O'Ree

So yes they are a some really stupid upset fans that should know better but don't and they are probably in every hockey town and to single out Boston bruin fans is a bit unfair. I myself have faced somewhat similar ridicule both in Boston and elswhere as a kid playing hockey.

Peace

see: Boston Bruins thread for earlier brief discussion on this. I point out that most of the tweeters have no idea who Willie O'Ree is, or even Reggie Lewis for that matter. Damn we are old haha.

DS1119 wrote:

I played youth hockey with an African-Amercian for five consecutive years. The shit he heard as a kid said to him on the ice...not sure how he didn't lose his head. I do remember one year during tryouts though a "teammate" said something to him. It got settled quite quick in the lockerroom between the two. Let's just say the offending party left missing a tooth and eventually didn't make the team.

Just imagine for a moment him playing in that atmosphere professionally with 95% of your sight gone in one eye playing a hand eye coordination sport like hockey. What he did was truly amazing and the same goes for those who were the first in any sport any color.

I did read some of those hideous responses and also read the retorts calling out those name callers from the city of Boston. We and i say we due to living there once....we do have responsible mature fans along with the few knuckleheads. Would those knuckleheads feel any better or less angry if that winning goal had been scored by a so called *honky*?

Peace