鈥淗ey, welcome back. Are you the 51st聽state, yet?鈥 My feet hadn鈥檛 even touched the ground of my driveway. That was the greeting I received from a neighbour on Day 1 of my annual trip to Florida.
Game four of the second round and I was determined to fly the Leafs colours and drive the two-hour, mind-numbing, high-speed straightway to Sunrise, Fla., on a highway appropriately named Alligator Alley.
I arrived at Amerant Bank Arena to find a sea of Florida Panther red jerseys and the atmosphere on the walk from my car to the arena was great; there was no trash talk because I assumed they鈥檙e used to seeing Leaf fans at their home games. This game was no different. Or was it?
I was wearing my Leafs jersey (of course) as I settled in to my seat behind the Florida net for the first period, just eight rows from the ice 鈥 but I wasn鈥檛 in Kansas anymore, or Scotiabank Arena for that matter.
Stephen Grant’s view of Joseph Woll in net for the 海角社区官网Maple Leafs at the Toronto-Florida playoff game earlier this week in Sunrise, Fla.聽
Stephen Grant photoBack home I would have been surrounded by Bay Street suits entertaining clients, but here my section was full of 鈥渞eal鈥 hockey fans, most in their 30s, swigging beer, dancing to the pre-game tunes blasted on the speakers and generally preparing for three hours of 鈥渞ock ‘em, sock ‘em鈥 hockey. How great is this?
The mood change was swift.
It started during our national anthem when halfway through the second verse some leather lung 鈥渇an鈥 shouted out 鈥51st聽state.鈥 At least they didn鈥檛 boo our anthem, I guess.
Nobody enjoys a good heckle more than me. As I lifelong 海角社区官网sports fan I鈥檝e been taunted by Hamilton Ticat fans at their home games. I鈥檝e been jeered at Fenway by Red Sox fans and got an earful full from Yankee fans in New York. I understand it and expect it. You pay your money, you should be able to express yourself.
I almost bit through my lip in the first period as the woman behind me entertained the children in the section by shrieking vulgarities in between screams of 鈥渘orth 51!鈥
Again, I understand fans are passionate, but as the beer continued to flow through the second and third period it was getting ugly. I texted my wife and told her what was going on and I recognized the fact that I had to remain calm, or I was going to get into a fight and I鈥檓 a Leaf lover not a fighter.
It was almost predictable when the Leafs lost, but I wasn鈥檛 prepared for the reaction from the 鈥渇ans.鈥 A 鈥済entleman鈥 two rows in front of me was recording the cheering with his cellphone when he locked eyes with me. I stared right back at him only to have him take his thumb in draw it across his neck to simulate (I can only guess) slitting someone鈥檚 throat.
Stephen Grant in Florida, where he frequently vacations. “As I left the arena for the long walk to my car, the chants of 鈥淔*ck Canada鈥 and 鈥淕o home, Canada鈥 reverberated from the open car windows of ‘fans.’ I was disappointed my team lost, but I was confused and hurt by the notion that I don鈥檛 think I can come back to this arena again,” Grant writes.
Stephen Grant photoOf course there was the standard U-S-A, U-S-A chants, which I never understand, but the 鈥済o home Canada鈥 and 鈥淔*ck Canada鈥 chants were particularly disappointing. I wanted to ask one of these so-called hockey fans what their issue was with our country? They live in Florida, surely they have come in contact with Canadians at some point in their lives. What did we do to have them suddenly despise us so much?
As I left the arena for the long walk to my car, the chants of 鈥淔*ck Canada鈥 and 鈥淕o home, Canada鈥 reverberated from the open car windows of 鈥渇ans.鈥 I was disappointed my team lost, but I was confused and hurt by the notion that I don鈥檛 think I can come back to this arena again.
I鈥檝e got another couple of weeks down here and I鈥檒l be joined by one of my golf buddies next week but I鈥檓 afraid this might be my last trip down south for a while.
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