Flyers

Flyers Beat Canucks… and, Apparently, We Love Cancer

By Kyle Scott

Published: Oct 13th, 2011 · 9:07 AM EDT

---

Photo: Flyers, Getty

Last night, in South Philly, the Flyers and Canucks squared off for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals the third game of the season. The Flyers – dare I say "exploded" – for five goals against Roberto Luongo and his telescopic leg (Clement’s words, not mine). As always, Dave Isaac has your full recap. The photo gallery is here. And your highlights are after the jump.

Sadly, however, the takeaway story from the game wasn’t Claude Giroux’s third goal of the season or Andrej Meszaros’ dirty, filthy, belongs in a Mummer’s clubhouse wrist shot… no, it was this:

and this:

 

That’s right, we love the cancer. Love it.

Allegedly.

According to a number of folks on the Tweets, when a Hockey Fights Cancer commercial was played on the scoreboard between the second and third periods, many fans started to boo at the mere sight (and sound) of Ryan Miller, Sidney Crosby, and Jonathan Toews. 

Right reaction. Wrong timing.

By 10:30 last night, the story was on Puck Daddy. And now, Deadspin.

Greg Wyshynski (Puck Daddy) – while giving the story infinitely more attention – tried to extinguish the unnecessary fire:

We're as guilty as anyone for taking whacks at the Flyers fan piñata. But please tell us Flyers fans aren't now going to be labeled pro-cancer? Please?

 

Brian Hickey, a Philly native who also writes for the Metro, went with the probably tongue-in-cheek but less defensible puking-Santa headline on Deadspin. Consequently, this will now spiral out of control and into a Philly fans are evil national story, even though, as usual, it’s being taken completely out of context.

Ryan Bright, who was covering the game for Philly Sports Daily, said the boos began when Miller’s whiny voice was piped through The Well like a nagging spouse complaining about a lightbulb (for realsies, just listen to Miller’s mass murderers comment from last year and you’ll see what I’m talking about). His nasally drone was followed by appearances from Crosby, the most hated player in hockey, and Toews, whose last appearance in Philly included him holding the Stanley Cup over his head. Yeah, I’d say the Pavlovian boo response was warranted.

Bright pointed out that it wasn't immediately obvious what the trio was talking about, and once it was clear that the subject was cancer, the boos quickly subsided. 

So there you have it. That’s how cities get undeserved reps. Now, about those Vancouver fans who will be tearing apart their city when the Flyers hand the Canucks their second consecutive Finals loss next spring…

We'd love to hear more reaction from folks who were at the game.