Why is atlantic Canada dominated by leafs/habs/bruins when the sens are their official team.

BigBadBruins7708

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Dec 11, 2017
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Thanks. I've never used the term to describe a person because I was uncertain about the connotation but that article helped fill me in. I have no Newfoundland or Maritime roots but my wife does; part of her family came from the UK and Ireland to both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia (and possibly Quebec; there's some French names buried in there somewhere?) in the 19th century and made their way to New England at some point afterwards.



I know that northern New Brunswick is highly French-speaking; in fact, there's even a town in Maine on the Northern New Brunswick border (Madawaska) where more than 80% of families speak French at home. Does that part of New Brunswick have different sporting allegiances as a general rule as compared to southern New Brunswick?

Aroostook County in Maine and southern NB are really all the same regardless of the border running through it. Both sides of the line are the same people, lots of French speaking, lots of Acadian descent and both are historically logging and farming communities.

I've spent a lot of time in Van Buren, Maine and from Houlton up to Fort Kent its all the same.
 

Staniowski

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Jan 13, 2018
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What is the negative connotation attached to "Newfie" that makes it derogatory?? I must be missing a piece of history here... Isn't it like calling a Canadian a Canuck? Why should I get offended by the term "Canuck" being Canadian? Or maybe I'm missing the point entirely.
The negative connotation is that the term generally refers to Newfoundlanders as being dumb and/or lazy.

From the article I posted....apparently the term was created by outsiders to refer to Newfoundlanders in a derogatory way.

And the term has always been used mostly in a negative way.
 

Iapyi

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Apr 19, 2017
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Not really different from calling someone from Saskatchewan a Saskie lol

I'm originally from Saskatchewan and lived there for 35 years, never really heard anyone use the term Saskie before, not that it doesn't exist I just have never heard it.
 

jbeck5

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Jan 26, 2009
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The negative connotation is that the term generally refers to Newfoundlanders as being dumb and/or lazy.

From the article I posted....apparently the term was created by outsiders to refer to Newfoundlanders in a derogatory way.

And the term has always been used mostly in a negative way.

1) I don't know anyone who's ever used it to mean dumb or lazy. I think that was just one person's opinion.

2) of course the nickname comes from outsiders. No one picks their own nickname. Others pick a nickname for you. Ask any NHL player as many have talked about nicknames.

3)has always been used negatively how? Can you point to any famous or pop culture or known incident or anything like that where "Newfie" was attached to a negative action or stigma?
 

Hockeyholic

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Apr 20, 2017
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So I researched. Atlantic Canada consists of cities like Halifax, Charlottetown, Sydney, and Moncton.

Why would the Sens be more popular there than established teams like Habs, B's, and Leafs?

Now if the discussion was about why there are more Habs and Leafs fans than Sens fans in Ottawa. Well...we would be on to something.
 
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LMFAO

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May 20, 2010
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1) I don't know anyone who's ever used it to mean dumb or lazy. I think that was just one person's opinion.

2) of course the nickname comes from outsiders. No one picks their own nickname. Others pick a nickname for you. Ask any NHL player as many have talked about nicknames.

3)has always been used negatively how? Can you point to any famous or pop culture or known incident or anything like that where "Newfie" was attached to a negative action or stigma?

thats just a generational thing with Gen Zs, the more you are offended about things the better and more virtuous you are.
 

Thrasymachus

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Jul 1, 2018
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2 words - Racoon Whisperer.



My head says he really shouldn't do this as it discourages the animals ability to forage for themselves and could cause them problems later....

My heart says God bless this sweet old man
 

Thrasymachus

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Jul 1, 2018
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Isn't Atlantic Canada in Newfoundland, New Brunswick? Maybe I'm wrong?

Why would the Sens be more popular there than established teams like Habs, B's, and Leafs? Assuming Newfoundland is a city in the province of New Brunswick.

Now if the discussion was about why there are more Habs and Leafs fans than Sens fans in Ottawa. Well...we would be on to something.
Newfoundland is a province, not a city...
 

Thrasymachus

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Jul 1, 2018
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Like I know Americans tend to focus on their own geography, but do yall really not know where NFLD is? It is a big island
 

Staniowski

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Jan 13, 2018
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1) I don't know anyone who's ever used it to mean dumb or lazy. I think that was just one person's opinion.

2) of course the nickname comes from outsiders. No one picks their own nickname. Others pick a nickname for you. Ask any NHL player as many have talked about nicknames.

3)has always been used negatively how? Can you point to any famous or pop culture or known incident or anything like that where "Newfie" was attached to a negative action or stigma?
Since the term was first used, it has been mostly used to refer to Newfoundlanders in a negative way. This is common knowledge to the vast majority of Canadians.
 

Thrasymachus

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Jul 1, 2018
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Since the term was first used, it has been mostly used to refer to Newfoundlanders in a negative way. This is common knowledge to the vast majority of Canadians.
No it isn't? I know dozens of Newfoundlanders who happily refer to themselves as "newfies"

Tf you talking about
 
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jbeck5

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Jan 26, 2009
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Since the term was first used, it has been mostly used to refer to Newfoundlanders in a negative way. This is common knowledge to the vast majority of Canadians.

It is not common knowledge at all. Even the article above said many Newfoundlanders see the term as endearing.

Also many other say it depends how it's said, but that said without any negative meaning is fine and ok.

Not everyone thinks the same way you do.
 

Thrasymachus

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Jul 1, 2018
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It is not common knowledge at all. Even the article above said many Newfoundlanders see the term as endearing.

Also many other say it depends how it's said, but that said without any negative meaning is fine and ok.

Not everyone thinks the same way you do.
Admittedly me experiences are anecdotal, but I have never, EVER, heard of "newfie" being derogatory until today

my brothers fiance is from Newfoundland and she characterizes herself as a "Newfie" all the time. It is an endearing term for her and many of my friends from the region...

How can it possibly be construed as derogatory? It is literally a shortening of the term "Newfoundlander"
 

Tuggy

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40 year old born and raised in Atlantic Canada.

The majority here are either Habs, Leafs or Bruins fans. I think I know a couple Sens fans.

The Habs are who I grew up watching on TV when I was a kid, so I was a Habs fan long before the Sens were even a thing.

And I definitely don't consider Atlantic Canada a "Sens region". No idea where that notion came from.
 
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Hockeyholic

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Apr 20, 2017
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I know and I am just genuinely flabbergasted, having lived my entire life in the maritimes and having visited NFLD multiple times, interacted with its people etc., that someone could think that

IT IS LITERALLY A SHORTENING OF THE NAME OF THE PLACE

holy moly people will clutch pearls over ANYTHING these days

I'm not upset over anything sir.
 

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