No Canada... The Media's obsession with "Canadian Teams"

[LeHab]

I've always found it confusing when sports fans can hate a professional sports team exclusively because of the country in which the team is located.

Check European soccer...

I wonder who would Canadian fans root for: A US NHL team composed of Canadian players or a Canadian team composed of foreign players. Pens would not be getting the same attention in Canada if Crosby was not Canadian.

 

[member 157595]

Check European soccer...

I wonder who would Canadian fans root for: A US NHL team composed of Canadian players or a Canadian team composed of foreign players. Pens would not be getting the same attention in Canada if Crosby was not Canadian.

I know little of European pro soccer, but do fans of an everyday EPL or Serie A team despise Barca or Real Madrid specifically because those teams are Spanish, or because of the money, power and control those teams have?

 

[LeHab]

I know little of European pro soccer, but do fans of an everyday EPL or Serie A team despise Barca or Real Madrid specifically because those teams are Spanish, or because of the money, power and control those teams have?

You can view various racist incidents here -> How Uefa has dealt with racism compared to other issues

Some are at national level some are at club level.

Champions League tie hit by racist abuse - CNN

 

[ForumNamePending]

I think the "Canadian media pushes the idea that Canadians have a duty to pull for the last standing Canadian team" gets overplayed a bit. A lot of this is just the media going all in on the last Canadian team because covering that team is going to attract substantially more eyeballs than any American team. Winnipeg, by far the smallest Canadian market, still offers ~800,000 more potential viewers to TSN and SN than all American markets combined. So if two months from now Winnipeg is the only Canadian team left playing the media is going to be all about Winnipeg.

With that said, "Canadians should cheer for Canadian teams" media narrative does exist on some level, and I'm somewhat baffled why, as it seems out of touch with how the typical Canadian NHL fan thinks. The majority of Leaf fans aren't going to jump on the Ottawa or Montreal bandwagon. I mean when Vancouver made the final it seemed like no one outside of BC was pulling for them, and when the Senators made the final it seemed like no one outside of Ottawa was even paying attention.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Here is something else to consider why this is stupid.

The last 2 years did NBC claim the State of Pennsylvania wanted the Penguins to win the Cup? I don't remember hearing that and I doubt it's something Flyers fans care about.

I have a friend who lives in Anaheim and is a Ducks season ticket holder. She hates the Kings and didn't like it when they won the Cup in 2012 and 2014, even though some could say they won it for the State of California.

So why is this only a Canadian thing where a Canadian team needs to win the Cup for the country.

 

[Digital Kid]

So why is this only a Canadian thing where a Canadian team needs to win the Cup for the country.

A lot of it is due to the perception, with some elements of justification, that the NHL left Canada behind and tolerates the country's inclusion in League activities. That's why the Red Mile happened - a celebration that we matter too. That we belong.

 

[RalphKing]

I like it. Never understood the whole cheer for a team because they're from Canada.

I agree. The other Canadian teams are probably my most hated teams.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I can only speak for myself but in 2016 when all 7 Canadian teams missed the playoffs, I enjoyed watching them a lot more knowing that I didn't need to worry about seeing Montreal or Ottawa possibly winning a series.

 

[aqib]

I lived in the states when the Jays won the World Series and I saw lots of Americans rally around the Braves and Phillies because they didn't want to see a Canadian team winning, so put me in as one of those who roots for the last Canadian team standing (unless its the Flames)

 

[adsfan]

There is a lot of people pissed off that NBC favors Blackhawks, Penguins, Rangers, Bruins in their national telecasts...is that right or wrong I have no idea, but if they do show them more than other teams...its most likely because numbers tend to be better. Just my 2 cents...

I would be one of those people. Last year, Nashville was supposed to be on NBC near the end of the season, but got bumped because the Bruins had not qualified for the playoffs. So the Preds were penalized for winning . When I saw that the Bruins were going to be on, I didn't watch the game. The Preds got their revenge by having several more games on nationwide TV. The people at NBC are STUPID for focusing on so few teams!

 

[adsfan]

I lived in the states when the Jays won the World Series and I saw lots of Americans rally around the Braves and Phillies because they didn't want to see a Canadian team winning, so put me in as one of those who roots for the last Canadian team standing (unless its the Flames)

The Braves won 1 WS (1995) while being Division champions 14 years in a row. They won in Milwaukee in 1957 and in Boston in 1914. Philly won in 1980 and not again until 2008. Us Americans like cheering for underdogs and you don't get much lower than the Braves and Phillies in baseball.

Personally, I was cheering for the Blue Jays because of Paul Molitor. He just missed winning a WS in 1982 and looked to have a second chance in 1987 that didn't pan out. It really never occurred to me that I was cheering for the Canadian team in an American sport, much like Canada and ice hockey. I just wanted Paulie to get a ring.

My point is that hockey is the Canadian game, if the media up there is going to obsess, it should be over the Canadian NHL teams. As I explained to my kids many years ago, the nation in the NHL is Canada!

 

[DowntownBooster]

I agree. The other Canadian teams are probably my most hated teams.

You state that the 'other' Canadian teams are probably your most hated teams. However, your avatar is Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins which does not really give us an idea who your one and only favorite Canadian team is.

 

[Ernie]

American teams win every year. It's hard to rally for something that always happens anyhow.

When was the last time a Canadian team won a cup?

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

The "Canadians must cheer for 'canada's Team' " Narrative isn't for hardcore hockey fans. many of our teams have their strongest rivals in other Canadian teams. No Flames fan was going to cheer for the Oilers, and no Oilers fan (myself included,) is going to cheer for the Flames. And we wouldn't have it any other way. We'll still watch, which is what the networks want, so they don't care who we cheer for.

The "Canada's Team" sales pitch is for the casual viewer that adds on for the playoffs. It gets more eyes on the ads during the games than are just available in the local markets. The casual fan without a strong attachment (or more importantly no strong aversion to the other teams,) can buy into that hype to develop some kind of rooting interest without a personal investment.

Those of us who are already fans/enemies of certain teams/fanbases won't get on that train. But most of us are hockey fans en toto, and we can/will watch even when we don't have a rooting interest, and sometimes cheering against another team is a lot more fun than picking a backup team to cheer for. I will never cheer for a strong rival team, I would be ambivalent about the Canadian teams we aren't rivals with except for the whole media driven "Canada's team" drivel.

Because of the hype, for me "Canada's Team" is (after my team is done,) whomever is playing the last other Canadian team standing. It's been forever since a Canadian team has won it all. The trash talking and gloating is going to be monumental when someone finally does win it. I'd much rather subject all the other fanbases to it, than to have it inflicted on me. So unless my team is running strong, I will be cheering only for American teams. I expect the same from all other Canadian fans. It'd be really weird for me to see a Flames or Canucks fan cheering for the Oilers. I wouldn't like it. We want our teams to win, and our rivals to choke on it. We don't have a really strong rivalry with any American team, like Montreal does with Boston. So I understand Montreal fans siding with Vancouver against them.

The NHL is a club team league. It is not international competition. So I am in no way obliged to cheer for a Canadian team other than my own. It makes me cheer the other way when I am told I should as well.

There is only one "Canada's Team" and that is "Team Canada" That kind of thing is only suited for international play.

 

[aqib]

The Braves won 1 WS (1995) while being Division champions 14 years in a row. They won in Milwaukee in 1957 and in Boston in 1914. Philly won in 1980 and not again until 2008. Us Americans like cheering for underdogs and you don't get much lower than the Braves and Phillies in baseball.

Personally, I was cheering for the Blue Jays because of Paul Molitor. He just missed winning a WS in 1982 and looked to have a second chance in 1987 that didn't pan out. It really never occurred to me that I was cheering for the Canadian team in an American sport, much like Canada and ice hockey. I just wanted Paulie to get a ring.

My point is that hockey is the Canadian game, if the media up there is going to obsess, it should be over the Canadian NHL teams. As I explained to my kids many years ago, the nation in the NHL is Canada!

The Jays had never been to the World Series before playing the Braves in 1992 so its not like they lacked underdog cred. Now maybe it didn't occur to YOU but I explicitly heard the anti Canada sentiment a lot.

 

[powerstuck]

Here’s to another 24 years of excellence in US-based teams keeping the Cup away from Canada

US based teams...led by good Canadian hockey boys eh !

American teams win every year. It's hard to rally for something that always happens anyhow.

When was the last time a Canadian team won a cup?

IIRC it was in 1993 when Habs won.

 

[Stephen]

As a Leafs fan I never really cheer for other Canadian teams. Usually I follow the Tampa Bay Lightning as a distant second. Cheered for them against Calgary in 2004.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Espn is giving more live to the jets than either tsn or sportsnet

 

[Price is Wright]

The Jays had never been to the World Series before playing the Braves in 1992 so its not like they lacked underdog cred. Now maybe it didn't occur to YOU but I explicitly heard the anti Canada sentiment a lot.

Remember the freak out because some kid in the American military didn't know which way the Canadian flag went?

 

[End on a Hinote]

As a Leafs fan I never really cheer for other Canadian teams. Usually I follow the Tampa Bay Lightning as a distant second. Cheered for them against Calgary in 2004.

I tried to cheer for the Lightning in 2004 but after seeing all the anti-Canada garbage being spewed by both the TB fans and their media I ended up cheering for the Flames despite being a Canucks fan. Bolts fans didn't deserve the cup for their biggoted attitudes.

Interesting that the following season the Canes fans didn't hold anywhere near the same amount of hostility towards Canada as TB fans did. Was much easier to be happy for Carolina.

 

[aqib]

Remember the freak out because some kid in the American military didn't know which way the Canadian flag went?

Ha it wasn't a major freak-out but there was a ton of mockery in a "how did you not know how it goes" kind of way. It was no where near what would happen if Canada did the same thing. Americans are insane about their flag (full disclosure I am a dual citizen so I should probably say OUR flag but the fetish is so over-the-top I distance myself from it)

 

[Leaf Fans]

Hype comes with the territory. Sure Canadian media hypes Canadian teams.They feel they will sell more if they do. For fans, I know some who root for the Canadian based teams when they are there, others who stop watching when their team is out, still others who choose a team from what's left as they enjoy the game more when they have a stake in it. I don't think it is inferiority at all .

 

[TheLegend]

I would be one of those people. Last year, Nashville was supposed to be on NBC near the end of the season, but got bumped because the Bruins had not qualified for the playoffs. So the Preds were penalized for winning . When I saw that the Bruins were going to be on, I didn't watch the game. The Preds got their revenge by having several more games on nationwide TV. The people at NBC are STUPID for focusing on so few teams!

NBC seems to focus on certain teams because they have a history of drawing the best ratings. And having spent tens of millions on the rights they need to maximize ad revenue wherever they can.

Same would be for the Canadian media. They drum up a nationalistic frenzy because the hope is that a Canadian team in the playoffs turns into more viewership, more ratings AND..... more revenue.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Matt Martin gets engaged and it makes all news and sporting feeds

3rd liner get this only because he plays with leafs

 

[The CyNick]

Generally speaking, Rogers TV ratings for series involving Canadian teams are higher than equal round series featuring US vs US matchups. So the general Canadian TV viewer would indicate the OP is in the minority.