It's finally hockey season!!
Just caught the ceremonial puck dropping by Sarah Palin this evening on MSG network (for those of you that don't know, the New York sports network) at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia at the Flyers home opener against the Rangers, she got one of the loudest booings I've ever heard! It was as if they were trying to play the fanfare music as loud as they could and the boos still drowned out the music!
The pregame announcer on MSG network alluded to Palin being "Tina Fey's impersonator" and it looked like few of the other announcers could take it seriously -- Alaska native Brandon Dubinsky of the Rangers took the middle road when asked what he thought about Palin, and it looked like Scott Gomez of the Rangers, also from Alaska, as if he couldn't take himself seriously!!
Will post a video when it gets posted on Youtube.
P.S. GOOOOOO RANGERS!!! 3-0 baby!!
UPDATE x1.2:
VIDEO FROM A FAN (thanks chicago DEM):
BETTER AUDIO thanks to waitingtoderail ashtree and rossir:
The other feed, thanks to MikeJonesOK and rdbaker43!
UPDATE x3.1: Seriously, what the hell were you thinking when you thought this would be a good idea, Sarah?? Have you actually even been to an NHL game before? Did you think for some reason all Philly hockey fans were blood-red conservatives? Not to mention, you brought Willow and Piper with you along for this??
....aaaaaand when you were there in Philadelphia 2 weeks ago, you expected a different response when you returned? LOL
UPDATE x4: Lynn Zinser of the New York Times Hockey Blog weighs in:
The biggest problem: when Palin came out to onto the Wachovia Center ice Saturday night — greeted by resounding (almost deafening) boos from the Flyers crowd — the the two hockey players who had no choice but to appear with her in that photo op were turned into props in a political campaign. If Rangers center Scott Gomez or Flyers center Mike Richards wanted to make some sort of political statement, that would be fine, but in this case, they were thrust into a situation not of their choosing. Snider put them there with his ill-advised mixing of politics and sports.
The level of discomfort has been palpable for the Rangers’ two Alaska natives, Gomez and Brandon Dubinsky, as they have been asked questions about Palin and the election in recent weeks. Dubinsky, a 22-year-old who has shied away from nothing since he broke in with the Rangers last year, looks petrified when the topic gets brought up. I think both would rather play goalie in a shootout than weigh in on the presidential election.
UPDATE x5: Put some mojo in janmtairy's tip jar for having a diary earlier than I posted!
UPDATE x6: Sarah Palin brought Willow and Piper to the puck dropping ceremony on purpose!!! Ironically courtesy of Fox News thanks to Justmy2:
A carpet was laid down and Palin, dressed in a beige trench, walked on to the ice joined by her daughters Willow and Piper. The GOP Vice-Presidential nominee said at an earlier fundraiser that she would stop some of the booing from the rowdy Philadelphia fans by putting her seven year old daughter, Piper in a Flyers jersey. She said, "How dare they boo Piper!"
Disgusting.
Rangers win 4-3!!
Thanks to hyper for the photo:
Anybody out there attend the game?