On being a Habs fan

My friends Jess, Marie-Pier and Marie-Pier talking to the
ghost of Maurice Richard.

When I watched them skate around the ice I must admit I got teary-eyed and choked up.

Now there's something I never expected to hear -  and I ended up hearing it twice. Last season the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their 100th anniversary with a centennial game against their rival the Boston Bruins. To celebrate the occasion before the game the team had gathered the greatest players (still alive) who had played for the Habs and had them skate around the rink. That's it. They just skated around the rink making some really light shots at the net. And I must admit, I got teary eyed too.

I was thinking about this experience lately and I had to ask myself the obvious question - why do I give a fuck?


I was listening to a recent episode of the Tell 'em Steve-Dave podcast and one of the hosts (a hard core New Jersey Devils fan) was lambasting people who lived in his state but cheered for the New York Rangers. He claimed the excuse that people were raised a Rangers fan was insufficient for not cheering for your local team. Now let's forget that the Devils are only 28 years old compared to the Rangers being around for 84 years. Does this guy have a point?

In short; fuck no. People tend to cheer for the team they see, not the team they live closest to. And if you live in a house where your parents (usually father but I'm trying to remain gender neutral) are watching one team you're naturally going to root for that team with them. In my case that one team was Montreal although I lived in Southern Ontario. 

And this goes back to my original question - why do I give a fuck? Recently my dad and I talked about the last time the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. His memory was very clear that he didn't just see the Habs hoist the cup, he saw them hoist the cup with me (my memory is far less detailed because I was only 7 at the time). And it was a special memory for him. That's when I realized that watching the game being played on the ice, win or lose, is not actually the most enjoyable part of being a sports fan. The real joy comes from sharing the experience with others, whether it's like minded fans of your team or even the fans of your team's rivals. It's the never ending debate of players, teams, championships and plays that really makes the game exciting. The millionaires in skates are really secondary to all of that. And that's what makes being a sports fan special. That's why I give a fuck.


However, what happens on the ice is always important too. This lady certainly believes so.