Today on 'Idiot Hawk Fans in the News'

[Nothingman*]

Yeah, that **** is bush league when done in an opposing team's stadium. It makes me cringe whenever I hear people doing it when I'm watching the game. Keep it at the UC for sure.

Ditto times 1000.

 

[Foster81]

I bet that Tool was a wings/Aves fan 10-12 years ago.
Drunken Idiot.

 

[Foster81]

Nashville is one of my favorite cities in the US, but I don't ever think I will go back down for another Hawks-Preds game. The city is overrun by tourists from Chicago, if I wanted to hang out with a bunch of people from Chicago I can just go to the bars here. The best times to go down are when decent country acts are in town.

Dude Country music is terrible.

 

[ottawa]

The saddest part of all that is how no hawks/preds fan interfered, was everyone too scared or something or just lacking morals, looks like they were all just quietly watching the 60 year old man get tormented

 

[No Fun Shogun]

The saddest part of all that is how no hawks/preds fan interfered, was everyone too scared or something or just lacking morals, looks like they were all just quietly watching the 60 year old man get tormented

Classic bystander effect. The more people there are, the less likely that someone will step up to help in a situation going wrong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

 

[ottawa]

Classic bystander effect. The more people there are, the less likely that someone will step up to help in a situation going wrong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

Everyone knows what the bystander effect is, its high school stuff. It doesn't apply to everyone though especially in a big place like that you would think someone would have the balls so man up and break it up. I've seen people break up fights in or outside the arena and broke one up myself at a hockey game once, to me the bystander effect doesn't mean much (I know it's very existent though).

 

[RayP]

Dude Country music is terrible.

I hate country music, but as soon as I start walking up and down Broadway Street, I love it.

Could not disagree more. It's a tradition at the UC, it's not a tradition elsewhere.

All that's doing in other barns is ticking off the home crowd and likely plenty of vets that would just think that jerkwad Hawks fans are being disrespectful. That's not the case at the UC, as everyone knows it's part of the tradition going in.

Having 2/3 of the crowd being solemn and a third in visiting colors cheering during the anthem is absolutely disrespectful. Just because something's kosher in your house doesn't mean you have carte blanche to do it in other houses, after all.

I use to do it in other stadiums, but after thinking about it some... you're right, that's a United Center tradition, and have since stopped doing it.

Nashville is one of my favorite cities in the US, but I don't ever think I will go back down for another Hawks-Preds game. The city is overrun by tourists from Chicago, if I wanted to hang out with a bunch of people from Chicago I can just go to the bars here. The best times to go down are when decent country acts are in town.

One of my favorite cities as well. I use to make sure to go 2-3 times a year, especially after the Thrashers moved... but I totally agree with what you're saying of Chicago tourist overload. I honestly didn't even consider going for the game that was there last weekend or the week before, and on a Saturday night game, it's almost a given that I'll attempt to go.

 

[SlowSkates]

Could not disagree more. It's a tradition at the UC, it's not a tradition elsewhere.

All that's doing in other barns is ticking off the home crowd and likely plenty of vets that would just think that jerkwad Hawks fans are being disrespectful. That's not the case at the UC, as everyone knows it's part of the tradition going in.

Having 2/3 of the crowd being solemn and a third in visiting colors cheering during the anthem is absolutely disrespectful. Just because something's kosher in your house doesn't mean you have carte blanche to do it in other houses, after all.

a) I've done it in 3 away stadiums and never gotten any sense that the locals find it annoying or disrespectful. In fact, I usually see some smiles from the local fans toward the Hawks fans during the anthem cheering.
b) I've never seen anyone get annoyed at the anthem traditions of other visiting fans either.
c) I've never heard a single person online or anywhere else complain about it other than Hawks fans talking about it in this thread.
e) Here in Denver the majority of fans at Hawks games are wearing Indian Heads anyway.
f) How in the world do I need carte blanche to cheer for the national anthem anywhere I am?

Are you going to be annoyed by people chanting USA at the Olympics in Sochi too?

 

[Nothingman*]

a) I've done it in 3 away stadiums and never gotten any sense that the locals find it annoying or disrespectful. In fact, I usually see some smiles from the local fans toward the Hawks fans during the anthem cheering.
b) I've never seen anyone get annoyed at the anthem traditions of other visiting fans either.
c) I've never heard a single person online or anywhere else complain about it other than Hawks fans talking about it in this thread.
e) Here in Denver the majority of fans at Hawks games are wearing Indian Heads anyway.
f) How in the world do I need carte blanche to cheer for the national anthem anywhere I am?

Are you going to be annoyed by people chanting USA at the Olympics in Sochi too?

The cheering of the anthem is a tradition in Chicago. Not other stadiums. As a visiting fan you should respect the other team's traditions.....such as being quiet and taking your hat off and singing along if you like. If you want to cheer the anthem feel free to do it at home, United center. Lots of places to do it if you feel like it. And when Winnipeg fans chant True North it isn't for the whole length of the Canadian anthem like when cheering the US anthem.

I have been a hawks fan for decades and never felt like cheering the anthem anywhere other than Chicago stadium or the UC when I attend(ed) games there.

They do not chant USA during the anthem in the Olympics. During the games we do. Americans sing along at the Olympics.

 

[SlowSkates]

The cheering of the anthem is a tradition in Chicago. Not other stadiums. As a visiting fan you should respect the other team's traditions.....such as being quiet and taking your hat off and singing along if you like. If you want to cheer the anthem feel free to do it at home, United center. Lots of places to do it if you feel like it. And when Winnipeg fans chant True North it isn't for the whole length of the Canadian anthem like when cheering the US anthem.

I have been a hawks fan for decades and never felt like cheering the anthem anywhere other than Chicago stadium or the UC when I attend(ed) games there.

They do not chant USA during the anthem in the Olympics. During the games we do. Americans sing along at the Olympics.

I'm going to cheer during the national anthem wherever I watch a Hawks game...fortunately I don't need anyone's permission to do that. I have never annoyed anyone by doing it...I still don't see a single logical reason in this thread that supports "being quiet." The only reason anyone is saying to do it here is "respect the other team's fans' traditions." Uh...what? How is my cheering during the anthem disrespecting their traditions? No stadium in any US sport has nobody cheering during the anthem. Not one.

Why is it any different to cheer for some significant fraction of the anthem than it is to shout "STARS" or "TRUE NORTH?" Is it just length of time? So are they allowed to, in your mind, "disrespect" my traditions because it's not done very long? Is there some threshold of "disrespect" you allow? 5 seconds is ok, but 10 isn't? Weird...

Furthermore, if I were disrespecting any traditions by cheering, how come I have never heard a single peep from anyone other than the few Hawks fans in this thread about it being disrespectful?

As for the chanting of USA at the Olympics...yeah, it's not during the anthem, but it isn't the tradition of Russian fans to chant USA, so isn't that just as, if not more, "disrespectful" in your estimation? I mean, if just saying "YAAAAAAAAAY" at the top of my lungs is disrespectful, surely chanting USA over and over at the top of my lungs is too...

You guys really look like you're trying to find a problem here where none exists. Yeah, a punk fan refusing to take off his head dress, blocking people's view and then shoving opposing fans is WAY out of line...whether you're in Nash or in Chi.

But cheering during the anthem? Nope...not even close to being disrespectful.

Cheering at ANY time for something positive happening? Nope...never disrespectful.

Anybody offended here other than a few Hawks fans looking for a problem? Nope...as far as I can tell, everyone else loves it.

So...yeah...gonna keep cheering like I have at every Hawks game I've been to since about 1986...whether it's in Denver (where I'm a season ticket holder and not a single other Avs season ticket holder is bothered by my cheering...I've actually gotten high fives for it from Avs fans), San Jose (been a while, but I don't remember anyone reacting at ALL to Hawks fans cheering) or Minnesota (where I've gotten big grins from Wild fans for it).

As Hawks fans, it's our way of cheering for our country. It's respectful and it's patriotic, and anyone who has a problem with it doesn't understand what cheering the anthem is for, so perhaps THEY are the ones who should be quiet.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Dude you really need to be told not to cheer the anthem? Do you need to be told to hold doors open for people too?

It's a VERY specific tradition in the UC to cheer. Nowhere else

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Keep telling yourself that. I guarantee you that most of the locals are having a very poor opinion of you and the overall fanbase as a result. It's the tradition everywhere else to either remain quiet and solemn thoughout, to sing along, or to do something else. Random outsiders coming in and cheering during the anthem is absolutely breaking their traditions.

And I'd say that fans of other teams doing their things in other barns is disrespectful as well. As I said, just because it's kosher in your house doesn't mean you have free reign to do it in other people's homes.

Go to another board and ask fans what they think of Hawks fans cheering during the anthem at their arenas, and I think you'd find near universal opposition.

 

[Nothingman*]

I am pretty sure MN fans are not fond of it at the X. MN are pretty polite and want to watch the game and not confront someone. Probably nobody is saying anything to your face but behind your back.

I am guessing you are a Avs fan who is recently converted to the Hawks?

 

[Kurtosis]

I don't understand the difficulty some have understanding social cues and norms these days. Cheering during the anthem at other arenas is absolutely not "cool."

 

[Kaners PPGs]

I don't understand the difficulty some have understanding social cues and norms these days. Cheering during the anthem at other arenas is absolutely not "cool."

Agreed. Keep quiet during the National Anthem in other rinks. You can defend it all you want but it's not appropriate.

 

[SlowSkates]

Seems pretty unanimous here...I'll keep quizzing every non-Hawks fan I find to see what they say. So far it's 5-0 (2 Wild fans, 3 Avs fans) in favor of, "Yeah, cheer all you want, it's cool with us."

And no...I'm a Hawks fan for 30 years and this year is my first year starting to feel any love for another team...and it's true, I am starting to love the Avs (although it does make me feel dirty). *shrug* Not sure why that matters though...

Anyway, doing some googling on the subject to see what other people think. Based on what everyone I personally know says (from various fan bases both hockey and non-hockey), this whole "don't cheer the national anthem" thing comes as a surprise to me.

Some interesting commentary on the STARS thing. Apparently some Dallas fans think it's not OK to shout STARS even in their own stadium. I guess some people just really want to be offended about something: http://www.defendingbigd.com/2010/3/13/1370941/is-shouting-stars-during-the-star

If cheering the anthem in an away stadium is considered disrespectful, I could see an easy argument saying cheering it in United Center would also be disrespectful...as this author points out, the flag code would make it seem ANY cheering isn't supposed to happen: http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/3/17/801390/controversy-over-cheering

So, that's a couple of articles where like 5-10% of people responding to polls have a problem with cheering/chanting/etc. A quick troll through some other commentaries on anthem performances turned up a lot of positive feelings toward some specific performances of the anthem that included a lot of cheering from a crowd not in Chicago. Here's one of them from MSG in 1994:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=r8ayCSxfnwI#t=414

From an interview with the anthem singer at that game:

Sam Rosen said at the time that he'd never heard the Garden so loud as when you sang the anthem prior to game seven of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. What do you remember about that?
I couldn't hear myself, the Garden was so loud. It was absolutely fantastic. I felt like I was ten feet off the ice. And I had chills going through my body, and the fans were just screaming and chanting. I loved every minute of it. And to this day, I can remember specifically how it was. It's a memory I'll never forget. And then the parade that followed, I was on a float, and the fans were singing the anthem to me as I went up Broadway. It was great.

You encourage the crowd to cheer while you're singing.
Yeah, I wave my arm. That's to get the fans really into it at the end. I love it. I really do. I want them to be a part of it. I want them to be in it. Because I'm singing for them as well as for the team.

So...maybe HFBoards just has people with a different idea about cheering the anthem in places outside of Chicago, but in my experience, the idea that it's not OK is in the minority.

I'll keep asking around though...if I find out you guys represent more than 10% of the population looking to be offended at something I'll cease, but until then, I will continue to honor my country by cheering.

For now, the strongest response I've gotten so far was from one Avs fan that told me, "I don't have any problem with Hawks fans cheering the anthem. The problem I have is with Hawks fans that know nothing about hockey, get drunk, and scream obscenities all game. Then I get shoved by Hawks fans on my way to the car. I'm never going to attend a Hawks game again."

That was a pretty sad thing to hear...