Detroit Fans – Classless or Misunderstood?
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A lot has been made of the fans’ reaction to the second period hit by Johan Franzen that knocked Sidney Crosby out of the game. I’ve read in comments and blog posts by various writers displaying the ubiquitous opinion that Detroit fans showed no class by cheering the injury to Pittsburgh’s franchise player when it occurred.
But, this is severely out of context, and the criticism is unwarranted.
Hockey is a contact sport. There are violent hits and checks and sometimes people get hurt. This is universally accepted as part of the game. Anytime there’s a huge hit in any physically violent sport – be it football, hockey or whatever – the home crowd invariably erupts with approval when such a collision takes place. The fact the the opposing player got roughed up is a bonus.
Now the hit on Crosby looks pretty standard when you watch it. There was nothing malicious on the part of Franzen. But generally, in a contact sport with intentional collisions such is what takes place nightly in the NHL, the hitter is generally trying to put a good lick on someone. They’re not trying to injure another player (well perhaps some are). But if you think they don’t take a little satisfaction is seeing a guy get up gingerly after laying them out with a flattening check then you are simply naive.
The fans feel the same way. I guarantee that if Crosby would have went down to the ice and stayed down, Joe Louis Arena would have gone dead silent until he got up and it was apparent that he was okay. Whenever there’s a bigtime hit, the fans go nuts until the other guy doesn’t get right up. You see it all the time in pro football where a receiver or a quarterback gets leveled and the crowd loves it. But the mood does an instant 180 when the smoke clears and the guy’s still face down on the turf and not moving a muscle. These are gladiatorial sports. Hurting one another is not just part of the game – it’s a large part of what the crowd shows up to see.
So lay off the fans in Detroit. They reacted the same way any other group would have in the same situation in any arena across the country.
you’re entirely missing the point. everybody cheers for a hit like that, and we all know it – but the cheering continued while Crosby limped off the ice, and actually got much louder when the crowd saw that he was hunched over and moving slowly – maybe watch the video you posted…
Yeah the cheering got louder when it was apparent that Crosby was roughed up. This is normal fan behavior in any arena. Not just in Detroit. You should expect that – especially in a championship game – the star player for the other team getting hurt means your team has a better chance to win.
Pretty sad view of the Finals, man, in regards to there being some sort of conspiracy to give the Penguins the Stanley Cup. Did you watch Game 6, by any chance? The Red Wings were given two power plays in very short order in the third period of a 2-1 game. That doesn’t fit into your conspiracy talk, so you conveniently leave it out.
And then in a Game 7 where the Penguins’ only power play came on Brad Stuart breaking Malkin’s stick with a slash, the Red Wings were pretty much handed a golden opportunity by the referees in the third period to help them get back into the game. They just couldn’t do it.
As Penguin fans, we are simply laughing our heads off when we read posts of Detroit fans crying. The too-many-men non-call was pretty rough, but history’s best conspiracies are only known as conspiracy because there is nothing brutally obvious to indicate that said conspiracies were in the works. To say that random icings and offsides were called make no sense without some video proof. Bring that to the table next time.
Was Brad Stuart in on this conspiracy?
@Hacksaw:
Thanks for the comment. About game six, the two penalties in the third period were blatant infractions – one against Malkin for cross-checking and one against Bill Guerin for high-sticking – in no way were those power plays instances of the refs ‘giving Detroit a chance’. And as long as we’re talking about game six, what about that bullshit interference penalty against Zetterberg in the first period? He was checked into Fleury after the play and got called – have you ever known Hank Zetterberg to crash into the goaltender on his own?
They weren’t handed a golden opportunity by the referees. Pittsburgh committed two penalties. Detroit played terribly in games six and seven and didn’t get it done. There’s really nothing unclear about that.
A many fans have pointed out the fact that Detroit had more power plays throughout the finals than the Pens did as a means of debunking the conspiracy theory. But those numbers are skewed by the 12 penalties that were called against them during Pittsburgh’s implosion during game 5.
Brad Stuart played like ass in game seven. Both of his giveaways led to Pittsburgh’s only goals and his slash on Malkin’s stick was one of the worst penalties I’ve ever seen taken. You’re like the fifth person to ask me if Stuart was part of the conspiracy. Don’t you guys have any originality?
You want evidence of a missed call? Tell me how the dump in on the first Pittsburgh goal in game seven isn’t an icing?
http://www.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?hlg=20082009,3,417&event=DET99&fr=false
In all seriousness, I appreciate the engagement, but I am done debating this, as there’s really nothing new to say. Congratulations on your win and enjoy the Cup.
sportsdick – first of all, cheering a player who is roughed up isn’t standard behavior in any arena – cheering for the hit certainly is, no question there, you are totally right. But cheering when you see that a player got hurt is classless, regardless of the circumstances – final or no final – you don’t cheer for an injury. And despite what you might think, I think it was a game changing injury – not the result, but certainly the tempo, flow and momentum. I think Crosby being out greatly contributed to Detroit’s surge in the third period – they could stop worrying as much about having their star players covering him as well as trying to score and just let them worry about scoring. It isn’t a coincidence that the momentum started to shift after he’d been out for a bit and they could adjust their strategy accordingly. I know he didn’t do much throughout this series that showed up on the score sheet, but it’s not like your best players were assigned to cover him because he isn’t any good.
Wow, congrats on writing two of the most biased and stupid blog posts I’ve ever read. Seriously I feel dumber just reading them. I’m sorry I clicked on the link that took me to your blog, rest assured I will never again return. I mean, really, did you even watch any of the games? Saying the series was rigged in Pittsburgh’s favour is ridiculous enough, but then you close comments on that blog? Means that you are classless AND chickensh*t. Grow up, loser.
I closed comments on the other blog so morons like you would have to read another article in order to comment and get even dumber in the process.
I guess I should email Greg and tell him to put a NSFD disclaimer next to the link – not safe for douchebags.
Something tells me you still would have clicked, though. Just like how you’ll come back just to see if I’d responded.
mike – i was perusing the comments on your other blogpost – the tinfoil hat one – and was wondering specifically about your mention of how the NHL bent the rules to let Malkin play game 3. Do you mean the rule that clearly features the phrase “subject to review”?
Not sure how long you’ve been watching hockey, TheSportsDick, but the alleged icing call you’re referring to never gets called if the player’s follow-through carries their stick across center-red.
Zetterberg covered the puck with his glove in the crease during Game One. Hossa blatantly hooks up Dupuis in Game Two which directly leads to a Red Wings goal. If there was some conspiracy, those calls would have been made. You Detroit fans have this bizarre sense of entitlement. Tell your defenseman with osteoporosis to get to that loose puck faster next time…if there is a next time.
. Typed this on a phone. May not have dominated your grammar here like I will do every other day of the week.
…yep…ya cheer for the hit & that’s pretty natural but it is pretty classless to cheer as the guy limps off the ice…
…& lets not be naive, game seven, lord stanley finals, your barn but they’re winning & you’ve let ‘em back into the series every frickin’ time ???…when crosby’s not scoring goals he’s usually a good set-up man so i find it hard to believe franzen didn’t have “intent” when he saw the opportunity…
…re:–my crow feathers remark — “@bikesgonewild: Indeed they are. You should be proud of your team – they played hard and never gave up.” —
…first off, props to ya for even making the admission & indeed, the pens found a way to win in a hard fought series but while i’m glad for ‘em, i’m not at all a pens “fan” so much as a fan of any hockey club smart enough & tough enough to set the wings back on their heels…
…the wings are impressive when they go into their mad “attack mode” flurry at the end of periods or games or any time they’re trying add to a lead or even up a score but i was more impressed how the stevie yzerman teams played the game…
…that being said, being an old maple leaf homey & having lived in nor-cal sharks waters since the last leafs cup win, i hate all detroit teams…
…just sayin’…