Philadelphia Flyers fans showed an appalling lack of class Monday night, with their antics in Game 3 versus the Washington Capitals. In what was a blowout 6-1 loss for the Flyers, the highlight or lowlight of the game was the behavior of the Flyers fans. Hockey is an intense sport filled with a lot of emotion. But, when that emotion turns classless, fans need to check themselves.
Flyers Fans are Philly Fans
Fans in Philadelphia are serious about their sports teams. Whether it is the football Eagles, the baseball Phillies or even the recently awful basketball 76ers, Philly fans are passionate. Flyers fans are no different. They love their team and are spirited in how they display that love. They are some of the most hard-core of any fans in any city. But…
When passion turns into rowdy, unnecessary behavior, and lasts to the point where your team is penalized, then a line has been crossed – the line from passion to being classless. That is what happened Monday night.
What Happened
The Capitals were thrashing the home team and on their way to a 3-0 lead in their first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Flyers fans were not happy, understandably so. In the third period, Flyers right wing Pierre–Edouard Bellemare delivered a big hit from behind to Caps defenseman Dmitry Orlov:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwS8WpQaPus
ESPN reported that Bellemare was ejected and was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit and that the league may also weigh in with further discipline.
A typical brawl ensued as the frustrated Flyers got a chance to vent. Orlov was on the ice being attended to as the officials got everyone separated. Then the Flyers fans decided they wanted in on the action. They began to throw colored wristbands onto the ice in protest of the call on Bellemare, (and likely in protest of their team’s performance, too).
Tribute to Ed Snider
The wrist bands had been handed out to fans to be used in a pregame light show that paid tribute to Flyers’ founder, Ed Snider. Snider passed away last week.
"He is the Philadelphia Flyers."#ThankYouMrSnider pic.twitter.com/1KcJsSyRlc
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 18, 2016
Snider certainly would not have approved of his Flyers fans behaving with such little class, especially on a night when his life and contributions to the team were honored.
Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin urged the crowd to stop throwing stuff on the ice.
Wayne Simmonds wants you to stop throwing things https://t.co/VTtyXN10fZ pic.twitter.com/zFhB4qSOMf
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) April 19, 2016
Flyers PA man Lou Nolan also urged the fans to stop and then said, “Way to go” when the officials assessed the Flyers with a bench minor penalty for delaying the game. “Way to go” is right. Flyers fans I get that you are frustrated. Your team has laid a huge egg against the Caps. But, throwing stuff on the ice, especially at an injured player is classless.
Flyers fans pelt a concussed Orlov with a wristband. Nice. https://t.co/CA95XAOEMo
— ego (@notmalkinego) April 19, 2016
Please check yourselves before Game 4.
