





It was very classy of the Capitals fans at the Verizon Center last Friday to give the Canadian anthem a huge cheer. Some Montreal fans at the Bell could learn from their respectful manners. When it has gotten to the point where the public address in Montreal has to list the names of Gomez, Gill and Gionta to quiet the booing problem, then it has gotten a little extreme.

I addressed this all in a post last week and may have gotten a few facts off. In that regard, I'll ask a simple question in pardon of my ignorance: Is it just me, or can it be possible that the booing comes over loader on the TSN, HNIC and Versus broadcasts than it does on RDS?

I'll admit that my hearing has been electric guitar damaged over the years, but I strain to hear the booing, and cannot tell much. I hear something I have trouble disiphering that tells me the numbers doing it can't be many. Respectfully, I'd just like to know if I am that far off, need a hearing aid, or a better set of TV speakers.

In the article, I closed the comment section because I sensed that the usual comraderie and chatter of this site might turn ugly. Seeing as I was away that day and not able to monitor what I feared would turn into verbal sparring, I closed shop on that one. In doing so, I asked that I instead be e-mailed with concerns about the post and that perhaps I would publish those I felt had a well rounded grip on the subject.

After a day or two, I had received a bunch of notes, more than one taking me to task on different matters. Most were kind, a few questioning, several were thankful and a couple downright ignorant. Finally I came across one that was well-rounded enough to share.

It was a nice long letter from an American Habs fan named Don in Texas, who is naturally not comfortable with this. Don has travelled and lived in many parts of America, proudly displaying his CH colours wherever he goes, and I understand what he's getting at when he expresses his sentiments.

In Don's comments, he notes the changing demographics of Habs fans at the Bell, without actually pointing that facet out.

I agree with him to an extent. Through time, fans that used to fill the Forum dressed in suits, ties and fedoras have been replaced by raving hockey lunatics. It makes for a great game atmosphere, until it gets into the booing of anthems and players, sometimes on the home team too.

Here are the contents of this gentleman's letter, edited to remove some personal information, but with the gist of his sentiments remaining. I'll accept comments on this one, though anyone taking the writer to task for his sentiments in the comments section will have those words removed.