The "boo"ing of star players

[KillerVee]

Maybe they're saying "Boo-Urns?"

 

[dash]

Maybe they're saying "Boo-Urns?"

Only in Minnesota...

 

[flyersfan4706]

But why "boo" just because it's a certain player? If Alex Ovechkin is playing in Dallas (no rivarly, not fighting for playoff spots, rarely play each other), why would he get booed?

I am fine with it if it is a rival. The Flyers boo OV and Crosby (I haven't noticed it with Avery), and it is acceptable. Dallas-Caps though is stupid.

As already point out it does motivate them. I've seen Crosby fist us too many times in Philly.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

They are paid professionals and I don't think the booing bothers them one bit. In fact if the fans are booing them on the road they must be doing something right. It probably bother's them more if they are booed at home.

That's as dumb as chanting a goalies name when he let's a goal in. They are concentrating so much on the game they probably can't even hear them.

They are pro's and paid to do a job. I remember a reporter asking former Bill's kicker Steve Christie if it bothered him when the opposing coach would call time out to try and "ice" him before a kick. He said "Hell no, it gives me time to focus on the job at hand"

 

[TiLoBrown]

That's as dumb as chanting a goalies name when he let's a goal in. They are concentrating so much on the game they probably can't even hear them.

Something else I cant stand. My girlfriend did this at the game we went to, I asked her if shes such a Rangers fan then why is chanting for Marty....I then got punched in the arm .

 

[Bizzle McDizzle]

I never, EVER boo my own team. Even if they are playing like total shit.

BUT! I will boo Chris Pronger anytime he touches the puck at HP Pavilion cause everyone else is doing it and it's fun to participate in a group activity!

Booing Chris Pronger When He Has the Puck | Facebook

lol
a facebook page for it?
that's pretty funny.

2 minutes in the box for the person who made the page though, for overuse of the word "douche".

A little creativity goes a long way.

 

[Jimmy_the_Tongue]

I'm not a great lover - I once caught a peeping tom booing me.

- Rodney Dangerfield

Lmao Dash....great memory....Rodney was king of the one liners...

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Something else I cant stand. My girlfriend did this at the game we went to, I asked her if shes such a Rangers fan then why is chanting for Marty....I then got punched in the arm .

I actually laughed last game against the rags when the garden was chanting marty after the scored.we were up three to one and lundqvist had gotten pulled which is normally when that chant would occur

 

[elocomotive]

Okay, so lots of interesting perspectives.

Still have not heard much from our "wiser" posters on whether this was common place back in the day. I don't remember it happening when I saw greats like Gretzky or Lemieux the way the OV or Crosby get it in almost every stadium they visit, but I was young. Were they booed in most stadiums whenever they touched the puck? I don't remember it that way, but I like I said, I may not remember it since I was young.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Okay, so lots of interesting perspectives.

Still have not heard much from our "wiser" posters on whether this was common place back in the day. I don't remember it happening when I saw greats like Gretzky or Lemieux the way the OV or Crosby get it in almost every stadium they visit, but I was young. Were they booed in most stadiums whenever they touched the puck? I don't remember it that way, but I like I said, I may not remember it since I was young.

dont remember allot of booing back as far as i can remember as far as canadians i remember allot of whistling.Dont seem to here the whistling to show displeasure so much any more.

 

[Ho_Brah]

The Art of booing

I clearly don't remember that type of booing on "star" players during the 90's.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

The Art of booing

I clearly don't remember that type of booing on "star" players during the 90's.

me either most of what i remember was done over bad calls or poor play with the occasionally rivalry booing involved.the whistling used to fascinate me i thought it was interesting due to the different culture.

 

[TiLoBrown]

I actually laughed last game against the rags when the garden was chanting marty after the scored.we were up three to one and lundqvist had gotten pulled which is normally when that chant would occur

OMG I remember that, I almost turned the game off because of the stupidity to be honest. I think those idiots even did it when Marty got the shootout shutout last year too

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Okay, so lots of interesting perspectives.

Still have not heard much from our "wiser" posters on whether this was common place back in the day. I don't remember it happening when I saw greats like Gretzky or Lemieux the way the OV or Crosby get it in almost every stadium they visit, but I was young. Were they booed in most stadiums whenever they touched the puck? I don't remember it that way, but I like I said, I may not remember it since I was young.

I can only speak re Canada to this ... Gretzky got booed alot (and much more vociferously than OV/Crosby imo) when he came to vancouver in his early years because he would always mercilessly light it up on us. This was the same sentiment with our Smythe division cohorts in Calgary and Winnipeg. And of course Gretzky had the same whiner tag. Like with Crosby, imo, the booing subsided when he represented canada and won something for all of us.

dont remember allot of booing back as far as i can remember as far as canadians i remember allot of whistling.Dont seem to here the whistling to show displeasure so much any more.

whistling??? thats not a cdn thing thats a euro thing ... the only time Ive ever heard whistling en masse at a hockey game in a canadian arena was last year when I went to the Sweden Finland prelim round olympic mens hockey game and thats because the Swedes stole the Fins aquavit

 

[NullDefault]

I don't think the booing has any effect on a players overall performance. I have often wondered though when players are playing away games and they get slammed into the boards pretty violently and the crowd cheers do they ever for a split second think to themselves, "These bastards want to see me die out here"...LOL :p

 

[TiLoBrown]

Well people do want to see Cooke (and Avery) die

 

[elocomotive]

I don't think the booing has any effect on a players overall performance. I have often wondered though when players are playing away games and they get slammed into the boards pretty violently and the crowd cheers do they ever for a split second think to themselves, "These bastards want to see me die out here"...LOL :p

I generally agree with you and it seems the general sentiment in the thread is that booing either doesn't affect the player or actual motivates them (because only the really great players draw it apart from some action during the game itself).

I think it depends. When you are in the middle of play, I don't think most players really hear it. I know when I played competitive sports, you are so focused on what you are doing that you really don't hear the crowd at all - it just is kind of all hazey, indistinguished background noise. When the play stops or a goal is scored, it is almost like a movie - the low muffle you could hear but were not paying attention to is slowly amplified to it's full volume and clarity as your awareness shifts. (I actually have always thought this was one of the cooler phenomenons I've experienced in my life.)

In that sense, I think goalies can be rattled, players can feel the pressure, etc. But during play, I don't think it makes any difference at all.

Which of course begs the question - why do it? I guess the collective experience someone mentioned earlier is one good reason. Seemingly uniting against a common "enemy" is exciting.