Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1600

Ottawa wants Torontonians to strip...

Mar. 18, 2004. 11:37 AM


SIMON HAYTER FOR THE TORONTO STAR
A tongue-in-cheek proposal to ban Leafs paraphernalia in Ottawa is proving provocative.

Leafs jerseys cow Ottawa council


GLEN COLBOURN
SPORTS REPORTER

Attention Maple Leafs fans: Politicians in Ottawa want to take the shirt off your back.

Luckily, it's no tax grab. Instead, it's the latest volley in the National Hockey League's Battle of Ontario, the simmering rivalry between the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

A city councillor in the nation's capital is asking his fellow politicians to help ban Leafs jerseys from the Corel Centre, home of the Senators.

Rick Chiarelli got unanimous backing for his proposal at a committee meeting Tuesday night.

The full council will vote on the resolution Wednesday in the hopes of having it in place for a Leafs-Senators game in Ottawa April 3, the final match of the regular season for both teams.

While admittedly not a serious political gambit — Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli (Rick Chiarelli's cousin) calls it "tongue-in-cheek" — the proposal is proving to be provocative.

"You'd think they could concentrate on better things, like trying to help people have a better life," Leafs winger Alexander Mogilny said yesterday at practice.

"It sounds a little weird," agreed captain Mats Sundin.

Toronto city councillors were equally unimpressed.

"I think they're showing a horrible insecurity," said Brian Ashton (Ward 36, Scarborough Southwest). "Ottawa council is deserving of a 10-minute misconduct penalty."

Rick Chiarelli estimates that 20 per cent of fans at Senators-Leafs games in Ottawa are Toronto fans, something he says damages the city's image.

"I think council is prepared to make a pretty strong statement on this," Chiarelli said in a radio interview last night.

"People have asked about the timing of it (and) I agree with them, it's long overdue. It should have happened 10 years ago."

Chiarelli acknowledged the penalty for wearing the famous Blue and White into Senator territory will not be severe.


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`They're showing a horrible insecurity. Ottawa council is deserving of a misconduct penalty.'

Brian Ashton, Toronto city councillor

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"There's no way you could ever imprison all the people who believe that Elvis is still alive and that the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup," Chiarelli said on The Fan 590.

Instead, fans in Toronto jerseys or carrying other Leaf paraphernalia at the Corel Centre will be asked to make a donation to an Ottawa food bank.

It's not the first time that Leaf fans travelling to Ottawa have been targeted. Two years ago, the Senators tried to block Internet orders for Leaf-Senator playoff tickets that originated from the 416 and 905 area codes.

The presence of Toronto fans in other arenas doesn't cause the same fuss. In Buffalo on Monday night, thousands of Toronto followers made the trip down the Queen Elizabeth Way and erupted as the Leafs beat the Sabres 6-5 in overtime.

But dislike and distrust of all things Toronto — a national pastime that's as common as the cold from P.E.I. to British Columbia — seems particularly acute in Ottawa.

The recent hockey history between the two teams may be to blame.

They've met in the playoffs in three of the last four years with the Leafs triumphing all three times.

And the Leafs and Senators may well meet again next month in this year's NHL playoffs.

Ashton said there is no plan to retaliate by banning Senators jerseys at the Air Canada Centre when the two teams play in Toronto March 27 because there'd be no point.

"Nobody would wear them in Toronto. It's not that nice a jersey."

Councillor Rob Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North), a die-hard sports fan, said the Ottawa move was clearly a sign that "they're petrified."

He thinks the best way to settle the score is on the ice.

"Why doesn't Toronto council play Ottawa council in a hockey game, and we'll find out who will come out on top? I'd be more than happy to lead the charge."

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fucking idiots. i'm about to win the hockey pool at work and planned to purchase a leafs jersey... this article makes me want it even more. fucking idiots.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

quote:

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Rick Chiarelli estimates that 20 per cent of fans at Senators-Leafs games in Ottawa are Toronto fans, something he says damages the city's image.

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 2532

That has to be about the dumbest thing I've ever read.

While they're at it, lets ban Red Wings jersey's at the Pepsi Center.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

Don't other cities have drunken fans to physically assault people in visiting sweaters?

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1600

quote:

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Originally posted by DevilMoon
Don't other cities have drunken fans to physically assault people in visiting sweaters?

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philly does... the morning show i listen to used to call bars there during the playoffs and harass the people...
philly fans just seemed so rude.. they beat a leaf fan up pretty bad in a washroom there.. lovely.
overall we're pretty friendly here..
i was in shock when i went to vancouver and learned how much canuck fans hate us too.. i never had anything against van but now they are my third hatest... i heard it's because our city gets far more attention than theirs.. boohoo.
first hated is ottawa.. then the red wings...
but i usually relate it to what i see etc. i prob hate the wings from seeing how idiotic the fans are where my cousin lives.. and i hate the sens due to the shit below and old friends in uni who used to be sens obsessed.

and HELLO.. detroit is rough.. haha of course you have fighters.. everyone is happy cappin' yo ass.

i just think a by-law is ridiculous..... and not letting anyone from 416 & 905 area codes to order tickets online? lame..

another reason why sens fans are fucking idiots.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

Didn't we just have a thread, not too long ago, about how Canadians are much better at taking a joke/perceiving irony than Americans are?

And then came Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. And then came this.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
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oh, for fucks sake

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

Does anyone call them sweaters anymore, or is it just me and Mickey Redmond?

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1600

quote:

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Originally posted by DevilMoon
Does anyone call them sweaters anymore, or is it just me and Mickey Redmond?

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

quote:

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Originally posted by * Datura *
oh, for fucks sake

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Montreal
Posts: 2984

"There's no way you could ever imprison all the people who believe that Elvis is still alive and that the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup,"

thats a great quote. that guy needs a [p] hehe

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
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quote:

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Originally posted by CRSR
"There's no way you could ever imprison all the people who believe that Elvis is still alive and that the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup,"

thats a great quote. that guy needs a [p] hehe

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it is cute we can dream

the update now is that the leafs put in $5000 towards the food bank to represent it's fans so they dont have to pay anymore (although they should still bring in donations IMO) and they are challenging the sens to beat that.

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Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 2701

quote:

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Originally posted by * Datura *

overall we're pretty friendly here..
i was in shock when i went to vancouver and learned how much canuck fans hate us too.. i never had anything against van but now they are my third hatest...

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