As the Stanley Cup Finals wrapped up in Philadelphia last night, we in the television viewing audience got to witness another in a long series of disgraceful acts by Philly sports fans.

The arena-shaking boos that rained down as Lord Stanley’s Cup was carried onto the ice highlighted a classlessness that is unparalleled throughout the rest of the hockey world.  However, to understand the depths to which Philadelphia sports fans sink in order to maintain the image of “Worst Sports City in the World” we have to go back…

Way back.  All the way to 1949, in fact, for the first noteworthy self-shaming in Philly.

That was when the Philadelphia Phillies were forced to forfeit a game against the Giants after an onslaught of glass bottles from the stands lasted over 15 minutes.

At the 15-minute mark, fans were surely finishing freshly-purchased containers to rain down onto the playing field, and umpires wisely ended the contest.  This first (and only) attempt at public art in Philadelphia was widely misinterpreted as anger at a blown call against Hall of Fame Phillies outfielder Richie Ashburn.

By the 1960’s Phillies fans had learned to focus their rage.

Dick Allen, the first prominent African-American player to don a Phillies uniform, was initially only the subject of racial epithets and casual obscenities when he joined the team in 1963.

That all changed when white teammate (also a noted bully & racist) Frank Thomas whacked Allen with a baseball bat during practice and a fist-fight ensued.  Thomas was subsequently fired from the team, and Philadelphia’s fan base responded by throwing fruit, ice, trash and flashlight batteries at Allen… every time he took the field.  The abuse prompted Allen to wear a batting helmet while fielding, earning him the nickname “Crash Helmet”.

By the late 60’s Philadelphia’s bad manners had spread to the NFL’s Franklin Field, where the Philadelphia Eagles were wrapping up a 2-12 season.

The halftime entertainment was supposed to be a cheery Santa Claus, but the man hired to play Santa never showed.  (Conversation with agent: “You booked me where?” “Philadelphia. Franklin Field for halftime at the Eagles game.” “Well I ain’t showin. That’s a death sentence. Those people are awful. I’d rather be in Jersey.”)  The hired Santa is reputed to have spent the day at a racing track in New Jersey.

The Eagles responded by picking a fan out of the crowd who was already dressed as Santa, handing him a large sack, and sending him out onto the field.  Because the float that was supposed to convey Santa Claus around the field got stuck in mud and slush, fan-Santa had to hoof it.  By the time 20-year-old Frank Olivo reached the south end of the stadium, hundreds of snowballs were raining down on him from all sides and heights.

“That’s when the booing started,” recalled Olivo. “At first, I was scared because it was so loud. But then I figured, hey, it was just good-natured teasing. I’m a Philadelphia fan, I knew what was what.”

If Franklin Field was bad, though, Veterans Stadium was pure hell.

It was due to the notorious violence and bloodshed in the 700 level of The Vet that Philadelphia became the first NFL team to build a courthouse and jail within the confines of its stadium.  The court, complete with a regular judge, expedited the weekly trips by Eagles fans from seats to cells.

But the proud tradition of going to a sporting event to make a monumental ass of yourself and your city had only just begun.

Philadelphia fans traveled to New York  in 1999 to boo future star quarterback Donovan McNabb at the draft.  They booed McNabb after he won the NFC title.  In fact, Donovan McNabb may be the most booed man ever to win 65% of his games.

Philadelphia booed the World Series Champion Phillies at the ring celebration, and brawls broke out as the title flag was raised at Citizens Bank Park.  They booed Sarah Palin as she dropped the ceremonial puck at a Flyers game last year, and they booed NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman as he walked onto the ice last night.

The only thing that Philadelphia fans have ever certifiably cheered for was Michael Irvin’s career-ending neck injury.  As the Hall of Fame receiver lay crumpled on the Veterans Stadium turf, Philadelphia broke into a rousing round of applause.

So it was no surprise when Flyers fans booed the Cup.

Nor when they booed the Conn Smythe Trophy and its presentation to Finals MVP Jonathan Toews.

It was not surprising when they booed as Bettman congratulated the Flyers on an excellent season, or when they booed (louder) as former Flyers player and draft pick Patrick Sharp hoisted the One True Cup jubilantly over his head.

No classless, horrendous act is surprising in Philadelphia after a fan intentionally vomited on an 11-year-old girl in May, another sprinted around the Citizens Bank field before getting tasered to the ground in April, and yet another drank from a beer bottle in June… did I mention that this particular beer-drinking Phillies fan was 4 years old?

It is expected now.  Par for the course.  A shame in the Land of Shame.

So when Flyers fans disgraced a noble presentation (The Cup) in a still-noble sport (hockey) it was not surprising.  But it was still disgraceful.  Still a pathetic example of a sports fan base with no regard for tradition, honor, or even their own players and teams.

As Flyers and Blackhawks players skated shoulder-to-shoulder after the game shaking hands in a long line of respectful sportsmanship that dates back more than a century, the Philadelphia fans booed.

Players who had moments before been waging bloody warfare, driving each others bodies into boards and ice, were still respectful of the game itself and of their fellow players who gave as much to get this far.  So these ice warriors congratulated each other on having played their hearts out for the game they love.

And Philadelphia booed…

The contrast could not have been more striking.

Articles similar to this:

• October 11, 2010 -- 2010 Avalanche Week 1 Preview (3)
  After a rousing Overtime defeat of the Stanley Cup Cham...
• April 4, 2010 -- Donovan McNabb… meet Mike Shanahan (0)
  There would be a small coup in Philadelphia if McNabb, ...
• April 11, 2011 -- Avs send Foote off in style with season-ending win (0)
  Said Foote to the Avalanche faithful and his teammates ...

Seven Game Ones have been played in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.  All seven games have been won by a single goal.  Two were decided by late 3^rd Period goals (Red Wings at Coyotes & Avalanche at Sharks), and two were decided by Overtime goals (Canadiens at Capitals & Kings at Canucks).

Four series saw the lower seed upset the higher seed in a road opener, including both 8 seeds overcoming their Conference’s top-seeded team.

At the heart of these tight games and unpredictable upsets is more than just parity.  Hockey’s second season is simply a completely different brand of NHL play, with higher stakes accelerated by a singular desire to hoist the greatest trophy in sports history.

Lord Stanley’s big silver cup is the Holy Grail where the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy, the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy, and MLB’s Commissioner’s Trophy are just shiny rip-offs of the One True Cup.

That’s why you see these NHL players elevate their game to Olympic levels every April.  What is at stake is a place in history engraved alongside the names of the game’s greats.  No other major sport remembers its Champions in this way, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs take on an epic tone as soon as the puck drops.

Compared to the me-first flavor of the NBA Playoffs, the NHL postseason exemplifies a purity and sporting excellence that has been exorcised from professional basketball.

The Cup Playoffs are destiny discovered shift by shift, hit by hit.

The NBA Playoffs are exciting for sure, the story unfolding in a series of highlight-reel scores & denials made by some of the greatest playmakers on earth.  But the whole event is mitigated by whistle-happy referees under the barely-concealed control of NBA Commissioner David Stern.

The show is the thing, fair competition is secondary.

The tight controls placed on basketball’s playoffs come as a stark comparison to the Cup Playoffs.  Hockey referees routinely receive criticism for swallowing their whistles in the postseason, but the result is a return each year to hockey’s gritty roots.  Steps have been taken to protect players in a sport played at increasing speeds, but the average penalty is called less as the passion and ferocity is jacked up a level with each step closer to the Cup.

In the humble opinion of this lover of all things sport, it is competition perfected.

Every moment of every game is contested, ever momentum change accompanied by a palpable shift in the energy on the ice.  This feeling is so profound that it can be sensed in High Definition through a flat screen TV.  Incredible.

MLB’s playoffs are always nail-biters, but the tension is felt in the moments when nothing is happening.  That 3-2 count with a running in scoring position and the game on the line is absolutely intense.  But baseball’s most exciting moments are felt when all movement is stopped on the field.  Hockey’s hottest games are a non-stop thrill ride; a war parsed out into a thousand battles large and small all over the ice.

The one-and-done appeal of the NFL Playoffs has made pro football’s postseason the most watched per game among North American sports.  But the final two minutes of a contested NFL playoff tilt pales in comparison to the 3^rd Period of a Game 7 in any NHL Playoff Series.  And when the Cup Finals stretch to that highly anticipated final frame, two teams battling for immortality in silver, the result is nothing short of awed breathlessness for 60 minutes of unparalleled sporting excellence.

With Game One finished in 7 of 8 Conference Quarterfinal Series, NHL audiences have already seen what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs the premier event in pro sports.

Articles similar to this:

• February 20, 2010 -- United States vs Canada: an Olympic Hockey story 50 years in the making (0)
  For the Canadians & Americans, the NHL-sized rink is a ...
• December 25, 2009 -- My ProSportsColorado Wish List (1)
  What's on the wish list for the Colorado sports fan? I'...
• April 11, 2011 -- Avs send Foote off in style with season-ending win (0)
  Said Foote to the Avalanche faithful and his teammates ...

Alexander Ovechkin was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with 7:44 remaining in the first period for a high-speed hit from behind that launched Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell into the boards behind his own goal, leaving him stunned on the ice for several minutes before heading to the locker room.  (Video of the hit here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je9nEbQASNc) Ovechkin received a major penalty for boarding and game misconduct. He will be subject to possible suspension for the hit.

The hit comes just days after NHL general managers recommended a rule change to eliminate “lateral, back pressure, or blindside” hits to the head. Hits that a player can or should see coming will not be outlawed, but many of the side hits will be subject to either a 2 or 5 minute penalty, and all such hits will be subject to supplemental discipline.

Avalanche fans are more than familiar with the escalation that hits to the head can reach. In 2004, Avalanche center Steve Moore hit Canucks captain Markus Naslund hard in the head, though the hit was ruled clean both by the referee on the ice and the league office. The Canucks took exception, however, and the next time they played, Moore was lured into a fight and ultimately, while trying to avoid a fight with Todd Bertuzzi, ended up getting attacked from behind. Bertuzzi eventually faced legal action, and Steve Moore never played hockey again due to the injuries sustained in the incident (fractured vertebrae, concussion, lacerations).

The new rule changes were agreed to by a unanimous vote of general managers, and now goes to the competition committee this summer for final adoption.

Articles similar to this:

• November 9, 2009 -- Avalanche Week 7 Preview: cycles, trends & more Foppa news (0)
  The story goes on to tell of a team that plays its best...
• November 3, 2009 -- Avalanche Week 6 Preview: welcome to the rest of the season (0)
  NHL 1st Star for October Craig AndersonThe first month ...
• October 20, 2009 -- Avalanche Week 4 Preview: at home on the road (0)
  [caption id="attachment_669" align="aligncenter" wi...

Artwork by David Barud

There is still some debate as to whether or not Sidney Crosby is the Second Coming of the Great One.  What is not debatable is that Sid the Kid is growing into a Canadian national hero of Gretskyesque stature.  His playing career has unfolded like a hockey fairytale.

Everybody loves a Champion, and Crosby is nothing if he’s not a champ.  Sid has been winning for as long as anybody in sports media can remember, and even his greatest defeat (2008 Stanley Cup Finals) was met with near immediate retribution.  Sid’s ‘Guins grabbed Cup in ’09.

Now that Crosby locked up Winter Olympic Gold in his first try, we can expect to see Sidney on Canadian Wheaties any day now.  (Sid ain’t pretty enough for the American box.)  But could Crosby ever make the biggest endorsement leap of all?  Will Sid the Kid be the first sports hero to grace foldable money?

Crosby is on a pace to do just that.  A quick recap of Sid’s last five years…

In 2005 Crosby won his second straight Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year after winning Rookie of the Year in 2004.  Playing in the CHL’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Sidney took the Rimouski Océanic to the Memorial Cup Finals.

Crosby was also awarded QMJHL Offensive Player of the Year, the Michel Briére Memorial Trophy (MVP), the Jean Béliveau Trophy (Leading Scorer), the Paul Dumont Trophy (Personality of the Year), the Mike Boss Trophy (Best Pro Prospect), the Guy Lafleur Trophy (Playoff MVP) and the Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Memorial Cup Leading Scorer).

Sid was drafted 1^st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins after the 2005 season, and was named NHL Rookie of the Month in October of the 2005-2006 season.

In 2006 Crosby made the NHL All-Rookie Team & the Ice Hockey World Championship All-Star Team.  He was the Best Forward & Leading Scorer in those World Championships.

In his rookie 2005-2006 season, Sidney scored 39 goals and logged 102 points in 81 games.  His team also finished next to last in the league.

In 2007 Crosby won the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP), the Art Ross Trophy (Most Points – 120), the Mark Messier Leadership Award, and the Lester B Pearson Award (Best Player – voted by peers).

Sid was also named to his first of three consecutive NHL All-Star Games.

Crosby also grabbed the next rung on the Gretsky ladder when he was honored with the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy as Canada’s top athlete.

In 2008 Crosby took his Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals only to fold to the Detroit Red Wings in a six-game Finals Series.

Sid was also named to the Order of Nova Scotia, the highest honor bestowed upon a civilian in his native province.

In 2009 Crosby met the Red Wings in the Cup Finals again.  This time the Penguins brought the series to seven games, winning 2-1 at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena in Game 7.  Sid was the first to touch the Cup, but almost immediately handed it off to senior members of the team.

In 2010 Crosby put the gold-medal winning goal past the USA’s Ryan Miller in Overtime of the Winter Olympics Gold Medal Game.

Not bad.  Even if he’s not one of the two Greatest players ever, he certainly has a knack for winning.  Sid is most definitely a Champion of epic caliber.  With the Gold Medal victory Crosby made another amazing leap in the hearts and minds of his Canadian brethren.  Had the US Men won Olympic Gold on Canadian ice, the Canucks would have never forgiven us.

Sid saved us that unforgiveable glory, and saved face for the host nation on one of the world’s biggest stages.  Then Crosby lifted a twenty-feet high, ten-feet wide Canadian flag and skated into another level of lore.  (That’s 6 meters up and 3 meters over for you metric weirdoes.)

But will Crosby’s face grace Canadian money?

Well, it’s been 8 years since the last $100 overhaul in Canada, and nobody likes stale money.

With the way Sidney is racking up hockey hardware (enough to grace a neighborhood worth of fireplace mantles), and logging memorable moments (the 6-disc Blue Ray collection will sell for $887 in 2022) it’s only a matter of time.

For now, Canada can relax in the knowledge that they have Olympic Gold for about four more years, and that his medal-winning stick & glove, missing since February 28th, have been returned to Sid’s Golden hands.

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- US Hockey Team upsets host Canada, grabs #1 seed out of Group play (1)
  In a game that pitted two NHL All-Star Teams against ea...
• October 11, 2010 -- 2010 Avalanche Week 1 Preview (3)
  After a rousing Overtime defeat of the Stanley Cup Cham...
• February 20, 2010 -- United States vs Canada: an Olympic Hockey story 50 years in the making (0)
  For the Canadians & Americans, the NHL-sized rink is a ...