<p>Google Boston Red Sox Riot and Boston Celtics Riot. You’ll get multiple hits for both. As I said, there are idiots in every city and unfortunately, they spoil it for the hundreds of thousands of fans who celebrate or mourn the outcome in a peaceful and respectful way. I grew up as a Philadelphia sports fan and I acknowledge that they are some of the worst when it comes to behaving badly. I’m not even a Vancouver fan, I’m an American who lives in Toronto, so I’m not sure why I even care but some of the comments made here about Vancouver, both the team and the fans, are unfair. It’s always a minority that act like this. The fact that the Boston police were so well-prepared for any possible trouble makes it pretty clear that there was concern that they’d be faced with the same type of drunken out of control idiots that were in Vancouver. </p>
<p>As for the booing of Bettman, I agree that it’s wrong and I don’t understand why it happens in every city or NHL event that he attends. It’s just stupid to boo him, even if you dislike him, which I also don’t understand. In any case, my H who was at the game said that it was clear in the Rogers Centre who was the target of the booing and the fans actually applauded the Cup being carried around by the Bruins, particularly for Thomas and Lucic, but the winners were definitely cheered, as were the Canucks.</p>
<p>Boston was ready because, after all, this is our 7th championship (Pats/3, Sox/2, Celtics/1 and Bruins/1) since early 2002, so our police have had enough practice to finally develop a plan to handle crowds like that that actually seemed to work. Boston has had it share of mishaps and embarassments after winning/losing championships due to drunk fans, like every city. I thought it was a shame that the booing of the commissioner took away from a special moment, but I didn’t think for one minute that the nut jobs outside were real hockey fans. Overall, Vancouver fans seemed pretty decent. As I stated earlier, I loved hearing the Canuck fans singing their national anthem. I had goosebumps listening to them. Now…alwaysamom - I have noticed how much you dislike my Bruins, but can’t you say one nice thing about them winning the Cup? I know, I know, it’s probably like asking me to say something nice about the Yankees It has been interesting/enjoyable reading your comments on different situations with regards to the Bruins. By the way, did anyone see that N. Horton poured a bottle of Garden water on the ice before the game? As we say here - wicked awesome.</p>
<p>For me, the sacred moment is not Bettman babbling on, but when the captain, in this case Chara, actually gets the Cup and the players, one by one, skate around holding it over their heads.</p>
<p>Dogwood, I did, in the main discussion about the playoffs. This was a new thread started, which probably should have been contained in the other thread. Here is part of my post in the other discussion:</p>
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<p>I think that Tim Thomas is a joy to watch and that Bruins fans should feel very fortunate to have him on the team. He absolutely deserved the Conn Smythe and seeing his wife and daughter so happy in the stands was really nice. Leaf fans are, once again, bemoaning the Kessel trade today and the fact that the Bruins win will give the Leafs the LAST pick at the draft this year. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>3Trees–yes, the broadcast, as you describe it, presented a very bad case of unsportsmanlike conduct from a few hundred people. Not a “statistical sample” as you put it, but the whole of it. If your broadcast suggested they were representative, as you suggested in your post, then it was media manipulation, since by all accounts, it was not.</p>
<p>4 arrests last night in Boston related to the Bruins celebration. 4. Not hundreds as reported in Vancouver. Not 10 city blocks damaged. No stabbings. No police cars set on fire. </p>
<p>This level of violence simply never happened with the Boston teams win or lose. The Vancouver riots are a worldwide story. Even the Vancouver paper is saying (and I quote) “the whole damn city lost it’s class”</p>
<p>OK, now let’s talk about the MOST appalling aspect of the series: those hideous beards. Lots of footage in Boston today of newly shaven Bruins and that sight is every bit as beautiful as those amazing saves by Tim Thomas.</p>
<p>Congratulations to the Bruins! As a Vancouverite, I can say we are all truly ashamed of the riots, and if there is one good thing that has come from this, it is seeing the massive condemnation of the riots and the appreciation for the police by the very peer group whose members were the primary culprits. Young people are volunteering to clean up and are offering no protection for the perpetrators; on the contrary, they are sending photo and video evidence to the police. This is a city my kids (including my girls) can and do walk alone at night without fear, so while nothing can excuse the riots, it truly was not representative of Vancouverites and there is a lot of soul-searching going on.</p>
<p>Iron Maiden, everybody gets that there was no comparable violence in Boston after this Stanley Cup. But are you really claiming that a sports riot could NEVER happen in Boston because your fan base is just so much more . . . what? Polite? Cultured? Are hooligans turned away at all borders into the fair city of Boston?</p>
<p>Never made any claim of the sort. Read the thread please. All I’m doing is points out the facts and watching people jump to conclusions. </p>
<p>I have no issue with the people of Vancouver. Beautiful city, wonderful people. My issue is with the Canucks franchise. Unsportsmanlike (biting, cheap shots), fan base that goes off the wall, an owner that has a press conference after the game and tells reporters to go perform a sex act on themselves (there is video), etc, etc. And people wonder why there were issues? It starts with the franchise and very poor police planning (again).</p>
<p>I just get a kick out of watching people defend this stuff. Just shaking my head…</p>
<p>Neither does the rest of the league. It was amazing to see all of the fan support for the Bruins from fans of other franchises. Although it was not as much rooting for the Bruins as it was against the Canucks. </p>
<p>Before now I never understood why so money hockey fans despised that franchise.</p>
It has been interesting/enjoyable reading your comments on different situations with regards to the Bruins. By the way, did anyone see that N. Horton poured a bottle of Garden water on the ice before the game? As we say here - wicked awesome.</p>