The Canadian National Anthem
Honestly, how cool is this anthem? Not only is it stirring and beautiful, but it's also actually easy to sing. The Star Spangled Banner, whose pitch ranges from the impossibly low to the inaudibly screechy, is best left to the professionals, but O Canada sounds best when belted out by a large crowd of amateurs. And what better crowd than an arena full of hockey fans? I'm lucky: the Sabres are the only club in the league that still plays both national anthems at a game, no matter who they're playing. Standing up and following along with the Jumbotron to two anthems is a ritual, not just an added bonus whenever a Canadian team comes to town. Whenever fans from other American teams--the Rangers or the Flyers, for instance--find their way to HSBC Arena for a game, I love watching the confused looks on their faces when the spotlight finds the Canadian flag. I once even had to reassure a guy that Buffalo is, in fact, still in America. But it's not just a Buffalo thing. Thanks to hockey, O Canada finds its way to places in the US it would otherwise have no place being: Dallas, Nashville, Tampa, etc. I have to admit, I did a lot of disappointed head shaking when I heard about those fans from Pittsburgh and New Jersey who booed the Canadian anthem. Boo the Senators, guys, the anthem is untouchable. (Fortunately for them, between the Isles fans who screamed "Rangers suck!" during a moment of silence for the VT students, and the Sens fans who punched a female Sabres fan in head, they were substantially outdone on the "disrespectful fan" scale.)
Okay, I don't know if there's anyone reading this who has not had the chance to sing along with this anthem at a hockey game (hell, I don't even know if there's anyone reading this), but if there is, then you haven't lived. I suggest you amend the situation immediately.
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2 comments:
Even in Buffalo some people look at me a little funny when I belt out "O Canada" but it really is one of the best parts of going to a game.
No game diary this week? Bummer!
I went to a game against Montreal this season, and the Habs fans next to me were somewhat shocked that I was getting so into the anthem. I can't help it, though, I just love it.
The game diary is forth-coming. There were multiple delays, both TiFaux induced and ink-all-over-my-dryer induced. I don't want to promise anything, but it should be up sometime tomorrow.
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