Sorry Ottawa, but it's true: Sens fans do suck

Before you start sending me letter bombs, stick with me for a few minutes while I explain.

To begin, I should probably qualify my assertion - my observation - that Sens fans suck. So here it goes.

Not all Sens fans suck. Not the ones who are hanging out their car windows after a game, blasting their horns and driving up and down the streets of downtown Ottawa after a win. Not the ones sitting at home in front of the TV with their favourite jersey and team slippers on 82 nights a year. Not the ones who have headed off to the bar with a few friends to sit back, have a few pints, share some lies and cheer on the home team.

No, the ones who suck are the ones who actually go to the games.

Ottawa has a reputation of being a sleepy government town full of dull bureaucrats where nothing happens, and Ottawans tend to bristle when confronted with this reputation. But if you’ve actually been to a game at the Corel Centre, you’d have to agree.

For the most part, Ottawa’s fans are quiet, polite and reserved. After a goal, a good check, or a great save, there’s only a smattering of applause. Sitting in the stands and watching the fans (especially those in the 100 level) I’m reminded of the Royal Family at a polo match. “Good show, sport.” It’s that bad.

I have one friend, I’ll call him “Phil,” who insists on cheering wildly for the opposition whenever he’s at the Corel Centre, just to raise the ire of a few people in the stands and get them going. I’ll never forget sitting in the second row above the ice at a Sens game, surrounded by polite season ticket holders, with Phil sitting beside me chanting, “Let’s go Sabres!!” as loud as humanly possible.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, given the provincial rivalry and playoff history, that the loudest and rowdiest crowds you get at the Corel Centre these days are when the Leafs are in town. What is a surprise, or at least offensive, is that the loud and rowdy part of crowd are all dressed in blue and white.

How do Sens fans allow this to happen? It seems that whenever the Leafs are in Ottawa, at least 40 per cent of the Corel Centre is filled with the legions of the Leaf Nation decked out in team paraphernalia, and this minority of the crowd is loud, proud and rowdy enough to take over the arena. They out holler, out cheer and out do the Sens fans, essentially turning the match into a home game for the Leafs.

Sure, the Sens fans do turn it up a notch when the Leafs are in town, but the Leafs fans still win the cheering match. And how the hell did the Sens fans let so many Leafs fans snap up so many tickets for these contests anyways? This has been going on for years, and everyone knows they’re going to be sold out shows, so why aren’t the Sens fans buying up all the tickets for these games at the beginning of the season before the Toronto fans can? How does SensCity keep on letting this keep on?

I wonder how the Ottawa players feel about this. It certainly can’t be good.

It doesn’t have to be this way Ottawa. I remember being at Game 6 of the first round playoff series between Ottawa and New Jersey in 1998, the night Ottawa won its first ever playoff series in the modern era. I couldn’t hear my friends who were standing (not sitting) beside me, it was so loud. I remember Don Cherry praising Ottawa’s fans during this series, saying it was the loudest building in the NHL.

Your arena is in the middle of a field Ottawa. You can yell and scream as loud as you want and no one will complain. So get to it. Your team deserves better.

Comments

[Bryant]

Cool, that's one Canadian fanbase that can't complain about us Predator fans :) Maybe there are some Sens fans that need to visit Nashville for some training!

[Carl D]

One time I dropped a turd in the Corel Centre.

[fafou family]

good story!

But maybe the sens fans could also learn a few lessons from the Montreal Canadiens fans!!!

[Dillon]

you wish pal. most of we sens fans, not speaking for all.. but the normal average sens fans are truely amazing. We support, and sure we hollar and yell GO SENS GO! GO SENS GO! LOUD AND PROUD. you just think you can make up a whole bunch of crap about us to think you are perfect.. you know what im sayin. SO LEAFS SUCK!. and hey! tell tucker next time you see him, to join his buddy in crime bein a wife beater. thanks and have a good day. Remember GO SENS GO!!!!!! WOOOOHOOO!