We Can Add Last Night's Respectful Treatment of 'O Canada' to the Growing List of Great Moments by Boston Fans
Minas Panagiotakis. Getty Images.All North American eyes were on TD Garden last night. For the hockey. For the fights (which never materialized). For the showing of national pride. And let's not kid our continent, for the bad blood that is a direct result of all that national pride.
So with "The Star Spangled Banner" getting worse treatment in Canada than Spinal Tap's Freeform Jazz Odyssey got, it was just assumed that an arena filled with Boston hockey fans would do a lot worse. After all, Canadians are supposed to be infinitely nicer than Massholes. They gave the world John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. We gave everybody Whitey Bulger.
But if you expected "O Canada" to get the same razzing One Hit Wonder Francis Scott Key got, then you're ignorant of history. As my pal Uncle Buck pointed out, there's a history of the Garden crowd playing nice with the Canada song:
And play nice, they did. The dictionary definition of a "smattering" of boos, followed by nothing but respect. And then, only after that admittedly off-key singer was finished standing on guard for thee, did the thunderous chants of "U!S!A!" begin:
But Boston fans history of great moments doesn't begin and end with the Canadian anthem. There have been many such moments when we've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Exceeded all expectations. And shown the world why we deserve the 13 Duckboat parades we've had in the 21st century. Here's just a partial list, in no particular order.
The return to Fenway after the Marathon bombings:
A terror attack that was supposed to tear a city apart only pulled it together. A community that was supposed to live in fear only stood in defiance. A ballpark filled to capacity singing the Anthem with as much pride as it's ever gotten. Both literally and figuratively, in perfect harmony. And say what you will about "Sweet Caroline" at the games, it was never better than that day when Neil Diamond showed up unannounced, having flown in from California of his own volition, to lead everyone in the best rendition of that earworm tune ever sung.
The 1999 Ryder Cup:
The Battle of Brookline was held at the tail end of the worst championship drought in Boston history, 13 years after the legendary '86 Celtics won their last title. Sunday rolled around with the Europeans blowing the doors off the US 10-6, and needing only 4 points in the Individual Matches to clinch. But the galleries at The Country Club (which included my brother Jim who called me to with him to a corporate tent, but rather than leave a message on my answering machine just hung up, which I never forgave him for) refused to let up. They didn't hear no bell. They willed Team USA to a comeback and a 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 win. And the sniffy, pretentious, fawning European sporting press, rather than call out their own for gagging the tournament away, blamed it instead on "The arrival of the golf hooligan." Whatever. All we know is the Cup the Americans held for the next two years was the same Cup they crow about every time they win it.
Operation Clownface:
Dave Shopland. Shutterstock Images."Beat LA!"
Never let it be forgotten in the annals of history that in the early '80s, the Celtics-76ers rivalry was a bloodsport. To this day you can't get a liquor license in Massachusetts unless you have a framed copy of that photo of Larry Bird and Julius Erving with their hands around each other's throats. After the Celtics attempt to comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference Final for the second straight year fell horribly short in Game 7, the Garden crowd spontaneously, and in unison, started cheering for the Sixers to beat the Lakers in the Finals. A reminder that, while we've always considered Philly teams and their fans to be assholes, they're our kind of assholes. The kind who know how it feels to live in a place that sucks five months a year and to seek comfort in your teams' successes.Enter the Sandman:
Turning Cleveland into a home game for Brady's return from suspension:
Every year there's one road game Pats fans travel to en masse. Typically some warm weather vacation destination. In 2016 though, there was only one choice. And that was Cleveland in Week 5. The reason being that it was Brady's first game back from the grave injustice that was his Deflategate suspension. Not content to wait for his first home game back the following week, New England conducted a mass migration to FirstEnergy Stadium and took it over. By the time a tanned, rested and ready Brady (28-for-40, 406 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 127.7 passer rating) reached the 4th quarter with his team up 30-7, it was nothing less than a home game atmosphere. And Brady loyalists would be rewarded with just one more loss the whole rest of the year one their way to that aforementioned fifth banner.
Honorable mentions of Massholes sharing their culture with the world:
"Here comes the pizza":
The Boob Grab:
Spontaneous Snow Fireworks:
By no means is this meant to be a complete list. I'm sure you can all fill in ones I've missed in the comments. This is just to acknowledge the class and dignity that was on display in the Garden last night. And to show appreciation for the crowd who did their region and their culture - which gets a bad rap that is rarely deserved - proud. Salute to you from a grateful nation.