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Saturday, October 11, 2008

And the Crowd Goes Wild!

posted by on October 11 at 18:27 PM

Sarah Palin dropped the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers game tonight—and just listen to the crowd boo when the “most famous hockey mom in America” steps out on the ice.

Considering that Philadelphia is a big city, and considering that sliming big cities is an important part of Sarah Palin’s schtick—excuse me, campaign rhetoric—should it be a surprise that big city crowds aren’t happy to see her?

RSS icon Comments

1

Sweet!

Posted by jean genie | October 11, 2008 6:35 PM
2

Here's something a Rangers fan never thought he'd say in his lifetime: I love Flyers fans!
Check out the Obama/Biden poster in the background too.

Posted by Kamala | October 11, 2008 6:46 PM
3

she just kissed a man named gomez.

Posted by superyeadon | October 11, 2008 6:46 PM
4

Dan, are you hard of hearing? That didn't sound like booing. It sounded more like polite cheering to me. Let's be honest: Hockey fans, even in a big city, are pretty batshit crazy conservatives, by and large.

Posted by pragmatic | October 11, 2008 6:52 PM
5

Uh, Prag? Check out all the folks in the front rows giving her the thumbs down.

Posted by Dan Savage | October 11, 2008 6:56 PM
6

That damn Jurassic Park music is drowning the crowd out.

Posted by Jen | October 11, 2008 6:58 PM
7

#4, thanks for being a typical Seattlite snooty asshole liberal. I am a hockey fan, I am quite possibly batshit crazy, but I am no conservative. Every Rangers fan I know and left behind in New York is a moderate to left-leaning D. And get your hearing checked. Palin was booed, then there was light applause for the Philly captain and the puck drop. Go back to watching soccer or engaging in some hipster bowling at the Garage.

Posted by Kamala | October 11, 2008 7:01 PM
8

That didn't sound like a loud, clear boo. Fabricator.

Posted by Mr. Poe | October 11, 2008 7:05 PM
9

I wonder if Jean-Claude Van Damme was there to save her from being kidnapped? Oops, that was the Penguins...

Posted by Bont | October 11, 2008 7:10 PM
10

Hockey is a sport played by Canookians, Russians, and Scandanavians. Socialists, all of them. Why is Palin fraternizing with commies?

Posted by kebabs | October 11, 2008 7:24 PM
11

This is classic Philly behavior. Haven't you ever heard of the time they famously booed Santa?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/eagles/2003-11-27-santa-snowballs_x.htm

Posted by Jason Josephes | October 11, 2008 7:36 PM
12

Hockey players are the hottest.

Posted by Hotter than a pepper sprout | October 11, 2008 7:39 PM
13

Make sure that the music is loud!

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | October 11, 2008 7:47 PM
14

@5 @7 Perhaps it's the tinny sound out of the shitty speakers on my laptop, but I didn't hear that much booing. I also had to rewatch and pay close attention to even see the thumbs down from the less than stellar video from youtube. I hope they go the direction of vimeo for video quality damn soon.

Posted by pragmatic | October 11, 2008 7:50 PM
15

What is the resolution of a YouTube video anyway? Like 64 x 48? I have no idea what happened except it was in a hockey rink and there was a middle aged woman prancing around. Oh, and the audio was shit too. But I'm sure it went down exactly like you all said.

Posted by elenchos | October 11, 2008 7:52 PM
16

I lived in Philly for 8 years. Philadelphia hockey fans should be among those susceptible to Palin demagoguery. I know hockey's reputation as being the domain of wine-sipping french-canadians, but that is not Philadelphia hockey. In Philadelphia, hockey has historically been an outlet for white angst. These are the people who were in the stands after 9/11 chanting "u-s-a" along with the occasional "kill em all" before going to get a cheesteak at Geno's where signs instruct customers that they must "order in English." Historically, hockey has sometimes had a role in Philadelphia not all that different on a certain level from soccer hooliganism in Europe in terms of whipping up racial tension (though obviously to a less violent degree for the most part).

When I'm getting at is, Philadelphia hockey fans, by reputation, should be a part of Palin's base. Guess they're not, anymore. Good for them.

Posted by Captain Jack | October 11, 2008 7:57 PM
17

Dan apparently fantasizes that booing political figures in sports venues somehow remarkable ... that in a crowd of nearly 20,000 there wouldn't necessarily be some partisans of opposite stripes no matter who the visitor was ... that kissing a member of the visiting team wouldn't ordinarily guarantee boos even in the City of Brotherly Love ... and that Palin "slimes" big cities routinely as part of her campaign rhetoric.

Well, a boy can dream, can't he?

Posted by RonK, Seattle | October 11, 2008 7:58 PM
18

I spent a lot of years of my misguided youth listening to Red Wings games on AM radio, and there was definitely a sizable chunk of the crowd booing.

Posted by Chris B | October 11, 2008 8:13 PM
19

I keep hearing that she was boo'd, but it didn't sound like it to me. I wish they had boo'd her, but it sounds to me like they loved her.

Posted by kathygnome | October 11, 2008 8:15 PM
20

I also lived in Philly for some time and @11 and @16 are dead on, although the French Canadians who play hockey aren't Chardonnay sipping Montrealers, they're the Pierre Six-Packs from small towns in outback Quebec named after saints.

As for Sarah Palin, she was booed. Two months ago America was asking "Sarah Who?" And a year from now, America will again be asking "Sarah Who?" I'm going to miss Tina Fay's act on SNL after this is over.

Posted by RainMan | October 11, 2008 8:16 PM
21

Hating Sarah Palin: America's Pastime!

Posted by flamingbanjo | October 11, 2008 8:19 PM
22

1) there is boo'ing
2) they seem to turn up the music in the place after the boo;ing starts
3) people seemed to get bored with the booing fairly quickly
4) some are also booing the Flyers owner
5) check out the Obama signs in the upper-left of the second half of the clip.

Posted by stinkbug | October 11, 2008 8:24 PM
23

Okay yeah, I guess I was off-base with the picture I painted of Canadian hockey fans.

Recently in the UFC, there was a fight coming up between a French-Canadian and a rather gruff American, and the American quipped that his opponent should "go sip red wine and watch hockey" so i was kinda riffing on his rhetoric (by the way, the Canadian proceeded to whup the American's ass if you are curious).

Posted by Captain Jack | October 11, 2008 8:27 PM
24

And yeah there is definitely prominent booing right when she in announced. If you watch a lot of sports it is easy to identify that as booing. Then the announcer starts talking about other things and the crowd moves on.

Posted by Captain Jack | October 11, 2008 8:30 PM
25

Scott Gomez, who took the ceremonial face-off for the Rangers, is an Anchorage boy. It's meaningless to the rest of the country but plays up to the folks back home in Alaska.

I suspect that Palin can now clearly see where her political future lies.

Posted by saxfanatic | October 11, 2008 8:42 PM
26

I suspect the Americanized, updated version of Roch Carrier's classic Canadian children's story Le Chandail d'Hockey, or The Hockey Sweater, will involve a McCain/Palin T-shirt.

Posted by just wondering | October 11, 2008 8:52 PM
27

Ed Snider, owner of the Flyers for decades, is a typical Republican hypocrite, holding the city up for monster subsidies.

I'm a Philadelphia native, and a former Flyers fanatic. There's no single political stereotype for these fans. But it's well-known that Philadelphia sports fans will boo at anything.

Posted by Karlheinz Arschbomber | October 11, 2008 9:24 PM
28

I'm sure many of you have never been to a hockey game before because they're most certainly booing Palin.

Posted by Sean | October 11, 2008 9:25 PM
29

Anyone who doesn't hear the booing needs to 1) get their hearing checked 2) listen on better speakers and 3) stop being retarded.

Posted by Sir Learnsalot | October 11, 2008 9:27 PM
30

I agree with #29. On all three accounts.

Posted by Ed | October 11, 2008 9:37 PM
31

That crowd is booing like mad. Those poor fucking kids of hers, for about a million reasons.

Posted by kerri harrop | October 11, 2008 9:40 PM
32

Sarah Palin is a puck!

Posted by Sad Comment | October 11, 2008 9:46 PM
33

According to the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/sports/hockey/12rangers.html

"But Philadelphia is renowned for its bad karma, and some of it was directed at Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican Party’s vice presidential candidate. When she came out onto the ice to drop the ceremonial first puck, she was greeted by resounding boos from the Flyers’ crowd."

Posted by Elaine | October 11, 2008 9:51 PM
34

Apparently Palin determined that using her younger daughter would stop people from booing:

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/11/palin-drops-puck-at-flyers-game-receives-mixed-reaction/

Posted by Sam | October 11, 2008 9:51 PM
35

Her kid, an unsuccessful human shield. I'm glad my mom never got me associated-booed like that.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | October 11, 2008 9:57 PM
36

"How dare they boo Piper!"

Philly is in deep doo-doo if this lady actually becomes the VP.

Posted by yucca flower | October 11, 2008 10:06 PM
37

They are most definitely booing her in the beginning. Unlike Seattle, Philly fans (whatever the sport) have no qualms about booing someone they don't like.

Posted by Sean | October 11, 2008 11:14 PM
38

Sarah Palin is Serpico!

Ousting Bad Cops everywhere...

Posted by John Bailo | October 11, 2008 11:20 PM
39

@25 is right. Scott Gomez is probably the nicest and most well-liked guy in my hometown of Anchorage. PR stunt aimed at Alaskans. I love this video because Palin so thoroughly deserves to be booed, and also because she is deflecting the boos that Gomez, as a Ranger, probably normally would get when playing in Philadelphia.

Wish I could say, like the rest of you that I'll never have to hear anymore about her when the election is over and Obama/Biden move into the White House. Sadly, I'll have to continue hearing about her daily when she resumes her duties as governor. I know, I know...still infinitely better than having to hear about V.P. Palin.

Well when she runs for a second term for governor of Alaska, here's hoping she loses and has to crawl back to that shithole of a town, Wasilla.

Posted by Jennifer | October 11, 2008 11:28 PM
40

CNN says 90 seconds of sustained booing, the entire time she was on the ice. And that the booing muffled the applause of any Palin supporters in the crowd.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/11/palin-booed-at-nhl-game-in-philadelphia/

Posted by Cat | October 11, 2008 11:35 PM
41

You can hear some booing early but it fades. Bottom line: I'd rather have a bunch of burly NHL hockey players backing me up in a bar fight than a bunch of chain-smoking, skinny, sweater wearing Seattle hipsters.

Posted by Bob | October 11, 2008 11:43 PM
42

Any eyewitness accounts from fans at the game? I really want this to be true.

Posted by demolator | October 12, 2008 12:53 AM
43

"Hockey is a sport played by Canookians, Russians, and Scandanavians. Socialists, all of them. Why is Palin fraternizing with commies?"

LOL, kebabs @ 10!!!!

Posted by blackhook | October 12, 2008 1:49 AM
44

Can they build a separate cage for Caribou Barbie at the Bush Crawford Zoo?

Posted by blackhook | October 12, 2008 1:57 AM
45

They booed her. No doubt. Now let's all boo her. 1, 2, 3 BOOOOO!!!

Posted by superfrankenstein | October 12, 2008 2:03 AM
46

Any eyewitness accounts from fans at the game?

Well if you want to view some alternate video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCo_kBJjfS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbWeB1oEHI
(more links deleted due to the slog spam filter)

The volume of the booing definitely changes depending on where the video was taken from. But you can also tell that some people are overly cheering to counter the boos.

Also, I just now realized that the carpet is in the shape of a hockey stick. "lol"

Posted by stinkbug | October 12, 2008 2:04 AM
47

whose carpet?

Posted by skye | October 12, 2008 2:53 AM
48

Hi, pragmatic! Did you stop posting here as "raindrop", too, or are you doing double paid Republican shill duty on Slog? Hope you're drawing two paychecks for your efforts!

Posted by whatevernevermind | October 12, 2008 3:30 AM
49

@48 Are YOU getting paid for every time you type the words "shill" or "paid shill?" It's getting very old now.

Posted by Evie | October 12, 2008 5:43 AM
50

If Jesus Christ dropped the puck Philadelphia fans would boo.

Posted by jeffg166 | October 12, 2008 5:49 AM
51

They're not booing they're saying Boo-ush.

Posted by gregg | October 12, 2008 5:56 AM
52

i was saying boo-urns!

Posted by taint | October 12, 2008 7:15 AM
53

At @50 - are you talking about Flyers fans, or Philly fans in general?

Posted by Jennifer | October 12, 2008 8:23 AM
54

Seriously, no one gets *paid* to post comments for McCain.

But they can earn Maverick points which can be redeemed for Maverick Merchandise!

Posted by lol | October 12, 2008 8:25 AM
55

John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to American consumers. Click to learn how the McCain Economic Plan will help bring reform, prosperity and peace to America.

Posted by IM A MAVRICK! | October 12, 2008 8:27 AM
56

@3 I really liked your comment.

Posted by cochise. | October 12, 2008 8:39 AM
57


Many fear McCain supporters whipped into a frenzy...but here, look at this hard core rally of Obama supporters!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM6XyPFyg20

Frightening!

Posted by John Bailo | October 12, 2008 8:57 AM
58

i grew up in philly, and im a die hard philly sports fan, and though i could care less about hockey, i do remember as a boy when the bobby clark led flyers won it all. this video surprises me, and thoug didnt hear super loud boos, im surprised there were any boos at all. yes the flyers are a philly team, but i would say the majority of their fans have always been from the burbs like delco, gloucester over on the jersey side and other white conservative areas so any boos would surprise the hell outa me. i would have thought she would have gotten loud cheers. this is good news for senator O.

Posted by SeMe | October 12, 2008 9:10 AM
59

Kamala @2: Here's something a Rangers fan never thought he'd say in his lifetime: I love Flyers fans!

Jason Josephes @11: This is classic Philly behavior. Haven't you ever heard of the time they famously booed Santa?

Karlheinz Arschbomber @27: I'm a Philadelphia native, and a former Flyers fanatic. There's no single political stereotype for these fans. But it's well-known that Philadelphia sports fans will boo at anything.

If there's one city whose sports fans are infamous for booing, it is Philly. You almost gotta think it was yet another dumb move by the McCain campaign to put Palin in that situation.

And poor, little Piper! Lloyd Clydesdale @35, yeah, the human shield thing didn't work so well.

Posted by cressona | October 12, 2008 9:22 AM
60

@48

I've never commented under a different name than pragmatic, and BTW I've been for Obama since Iowa. My point was that from that video, and on my laptop speakers as I later pointed out, I couldn't hear that much booing, but I stand corrected as I looked at other sources after this was first posted. Just because someone comes on here and doesn't parrot what is expected of a reader of The Stanger doesn't mean that the person is a shill.

Grow up!

Posted by pragmatic | October 12, 2008 12:54 PM
61

Step away from my team, Sarah!

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 12, 2008 2:11 PM
62

Thank you Sarah for bringing the Flyers the same luck you're bringing to the Seahawks this year! Go Rangers! Go Giants!

Posted by Kamala | October 12, 2008 5:38 PM
63

@58: I also remember the Bobby Clark Flyers of the mid-70's. I was a middle school student in a lily-white Delco suburb at the time. My family had recently moved from Canada and I suppose my interest in hockey was genetic.

Anyway, the good news is that PA, which my stepmom describes as Philly at one end, Pittsburgh at the other, and Alabama in between, is solid blue on every electoral map website that I have looked at. NJ and Delaware also. Rural Pennsylvanians may like their guns (except the Amish of course) but they like their jobs even better.

Posted by RainMan | October 12, 2008 6:43 PM
64

I want to know why she didn't come out on her damn skates. She was so hot to build a $15 Million sports arena/skating rink in Wasilla that she didn't even bother to get clear title to the land it's on, so she must be pretty fly on her own edges. She could have done one of those cool rolls around the entire border of the rink, skating backwards and pageant-waving to the crowd, before she zeroed in on the centerspot and dropped the puck.

Posted by Calpete | October 12, 2008 8:12 PM
65

I've lived in Philadelphia all my life, and I just want to say for the record: that Santa sucked. His beard was cheap and he appeared to be drunk. But if you live in a town where any idiot in a red suit gets applause, you deserve sucky Santas.

Posted by kuzibah | October 13, 2008 7:14 PM

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