Why do Canadian fans want the U.S. to lose?

[Steveorama]

The honest answer is: Most Canadians have a big inferiority complex when it comes to the U.S.A.

I have lived in Canada my whole life and I have never heard one Canadian say "I wish I was American" or "I wish I lived in the States". If anything, most Canadians feel superior to Americans for some reason, at least morally if not financially.

1) You will still hear Canadians talk about a war that took place almost 200 years ago (War of 1812), and how they beat the U.S.A. in that war..

Fiction. The average Canadian couldn't tell you who fought in the War of 1812. One poster mentioned it here in passing and I commented on it as I have studied it at some length. It's not like CBC made a TV movie about it to brag about the incident at all.

2) You will hear Canadians constantly degrade George W. Bush, or whatever leader the U.S.A. has at the time, while not paying as near as much attention to the flaws of the Canadian leader.

Nobody criticizes their leadership like the Canadians do. Even a PM who is doing a reasonably good job is going to get lambasted in this country. Unlike the leaders of our southern neighbours, we don't consider it "unpatriotic" to critique our leaders. As for the criticisms of George W. Bush...well, that is a global phenomenon at this point, isn't it, with some justification.

3) You will often come across Canadians who will try to find any and all ways of proving that Canadian education is better.

Haven't really noticed this, but you may be right.
I will point out that I have set up investment accounts for "university graduates" from the USA (ah, the magic of athletic scholarships) and some of these people were unfamiliar with Grade 10 math or english.

4) You will often come across Canadians who will bring up the fact that Canada has free health care, and the U.S.A. does not, even when the topic had nothing to do with U.S.A. health care in the first place.

Like in this case.

5) A lot of Canadians like to shove it is anyone's face who will listen the amount of Canadian movie stars there are and the amount of Canadians music stars there are. And these Canadian movie stars and Canadian music stars are ALWAYS the best.

Not sure I agree...it would be nice if more Canadians took pride in our country's performers, but just as many Canadians love making fun of Celine Dion or Alex Trebek or William Shatner...

6) It is fashionable for Canadians to think that if you are a Canadian, then move to the U.S.A., that you become a 'traitor' and that the country is better off without you. It is fashionable to think that if you move from Canada to the U.S.A., that you weren't worthy of being a Canadian in the first place, and that you must not have been good enough or sophisticated enough to handle Canadian way of life.

I sense you are speaking from personal experience. Did you move to the States? Personally, I've got no problem with someone who is able to make money in the USA.

7) A lot of Canadians like to have a double-standard when it comes to a specific issue of athletics, one that not surprisingly serves to try to make Canada look more athletically dominant than they really are. This double-standard refers to the fact that people from other countries who play for Canada are 100% Canadian (see Donovan Bailey, Dany Heatley, etc.). And people from Canada who play for other countries are still 100% Canadian but are merely 'traitors' (see Brett Hull). This is absurd. A country can't take credit for Brett Hull, then continue to take credit for Donovan Bailey.

Come on. Heatley was born in Germany but came to Canada as an infantand was raised in the Canadian hockey system. Hull was an adult by the time Team Canada cut him and he decided to go play for the USA. And I have never met a Canadian who wanted to take "credit" from Brett Hull, thanks.

8) A lot of Canadians cling to anything that somehow makes them better at sports than the U.S.A. Or at least makes them have a bigger claim to sports than the U.S.A. Hockey is Canada's sport, because Canada is the best at it. Basketball is Canada's sport, because Canada invented it. Golf is Canada's sport, because Mike Weir won the Master's a couple of years ago. Soccer is Canada's sport, because a Canadian's great-grand-father had a cousin, whose cousin had a father, who had a best friend, who had a brother, who had a best friend who was a former room-mate of someone who went to school with the inventer of soccer (this is made-up, but this is indeed something that a Canadian might say).

Please, I have never heard ANY Canadian say that Basketball is "Canada's sport", in spite of the fact that a Canadian is the NBA MVP.

 

[PACaptain]

Haven't read thru the entire thread, but just wanted to throw in my two cents. I have no problem with Canadian fans wanting the US to lose. Its the rivalry, they are regarded as two of the top teams. I do not feel there are political implications to Canadians boo'ing US. Even if there are, they are not very mean spirited more like competition among friends.

As a proud American, feel free to boo away.

 

[The Nemesis]

I was at the game, and I wasn't cheering against the US, I was cheering for Finland. People like to see underdog teams win, so that helped the crowd pick a side too.

Honestly, who can't say that they've cheered for a team that they don't like or are ambivalent about when they are playing a hated rival. If it was Russia vs Finland, people would've cheered for the Fins and no one would've gone on about how it's all about nationalism and the alleged Canadian infiriority/superiority complex, or any of that crap.

Besides, every country in the world likes to play itself up on the international stage. I've seen plenty of instances of the US thumping its chest and proclaiming its superiority over the rest of the world. I've watched US television shows take uninformed and utterly ridiculous shots at Canada via tired stereotypes and the same jokes ("eh", mounties, the cold, etc). It's stupid, pointless bravado that all nations engage in, and I accept that there will be just as much USA-bashing from Canada as there will be Canada-bashing from the USA. What really gets me is that when the USA engages in chest-thumping, it's "patriotic". When Canada does it, it's "whining". There's no difference, and people should treat it as such.

But that's getting off my original topic. There were a lot of people of all ages at that game wearing Finland jerseys, Finland hats, Finland shirts, and I know that a lot of them weren't Finnish. So the crowd was as much pro-Finnish as it was anti-US.

 

[Seachd]

The answer has been brought up many times, and it's as clear as day. The US is Canada's biggest rival at this tournament, which is in Canada, and so the crowd is naturally going to cheer for Finland. The fact that it bothers anyone astounds me. It's identical to a situation someone already brought up - Oilers vs. Flames (or any other NHL rivalry). If the Flames were playing the Thrashers in Edmonton, would you expect the crowd to cheer Calgary on?

I don't think it has anything to do with politics, and certainly not with some ridiculous, and more than likely mythical, "inferiority complex" (which seems to me to be based on nothing more than stereotypes). In order for Canada to win, they might have to go through the US. The Canadian crowd would like to see the likelihood of that happening shrink.

 

[shakes]

Recently, however, Canada seems to have gotten out of control, and too much like the U.S.A. when it comes to being proud and patriotic.

This seems kind of a funny thing to say based on what you have been typing.

It seems as though you can't get into one long conversation anymore with most fellow Canadians without them bringing up something that is supposedly great about Canada. This is a little too much pride and patriotism, in my opinion.

You can never have too much pride and patriotism in your country... any country.

 

[canucksfan]

USA and Canada are in the same Pool. At this year's tournament the biggest rival to Canada is USA. Let's say if USA lose to Finland yesterday and tie Switzerland Canada will finish first in their pool. That is why people want to the USA to lose. If it was the other way around the Americans would be doing the same thing to the Canadian players.

 

[puck swami]

Just to clarify, Brett Hull was raised in both countries. He was born in Belleville, Ont. but played years of his minor hockey in Chicago when his dad was with the Black Hawks. When his parents divorced, Brett moved to BC and played junior there, he then played college hockey in Duluth, Minn. After college, 95% of his pro hockey career was spent in the USA, as well. In 1986, Canada coach Dave King turned Brett down for a spot on the Canadian National Team for the World Championships in Moscow, while US coach Dave Peterson offered Brett a spot on the US team. Of course, Brett wanted to play so he took the US offer, and Brett remained loyal to the US program for the rest of his international career. He was anything but a "traitor"...

As to the other points about a rivalry, the US/Canada rivalry really only exists between the respective players, Canadian fans and a few American fans who know the game. The rest of America could care less about hockey or a rivalry. I live in an NHL city (Denver) and there are two U of Denver players on Team USA, but there has not been a single line of coverage in the Denver post about this tournament - sad really.

As for Canadian fans continously booing American teenagers in Vancouver, I don't find it all that humorous. I find it sad. I usually see Canada as a sophisticated country that is above that level of fan behavior - Vancouver is an Olympic City, and if they behave that way by booing American athletes (or anyone else) in 2012, it's going to look very bad for the city and country. Canadian national teams are not booed when they play in the USA, and I think American teams deserve that same level of fan respect, especially teenagers.

 

[therealdeal]

Its called a rivalry, just like Finland wouldn't want Sweden to win, or Red Sox don't want the Yankees to win, and flames fans don't want the oilers to win.

If it was 20 years ago, and the US were playing Russia, Canadian fans woulda cheered for the US, but now the Canada US rivalry isn't as strong.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I hope you don't actually believe that LOL

Oh, I don't know. I think there's some truth to it.

 

[Sammy*]

What a pile of crap. Americans are always telling the world that their country is the greatest. I never would have guessed it's because they have an inferiority complex.

Exactly. US pounds their chest as much as anyone. News to me they have an inferirity complex.
Actually, one of the things that bugs me as a Canadian is that we are, imo, way to reserved in our patriotisim.

 

[SpItFiReZ]

I think its in all fun and rivalries. With the US becoming a solid hockey nation its caused a large rivalry from Canada because we still think we're number 1 and well we are.

Russia slipped and the US have improved and taken over as the biggest rivalry towards Canada. The way Canadians and American's act are due to the rivalry factor but not much towards hatred.

The hatred is when ppl boo the other countries nation anthem, and IMO thats just wrong.

It's fun to watch Canada and US play because of how the teams get ready to play, battle like its a war but yet at the end of the game most of the guys still have respect for eachother or are friends. Don't forget many americans play hockey with canadians and vice versa. The patriotism brought out during these games also show the love that both countries have.

 

[Heavy Fuel]

Somewhere between fern's psychoanalysis of the Canadian psyche and the simplistic "rivalry" arguments is the truth. There is a stereotypical degradation of American culture, politics and values in Canadian society(and Canadian MSM) and some of it may stem from an inferiority complex and/or resentment towards American policies and actions. That is a whole other argument but that attitude does intrude into sports, unfortunately.

A couple of years ago a Canadian actor became famous with a ridiculously patronizing "I am Canadian" chant in a beer commercial. It was painful for me to watch so of course it became a huge hit. Fans chanted it out loud at games and it spawned copies and clothing lines. The main thrust of the commercial was how Canadians were better than Americans. The actor then took his 5 minutes of fame and moved to Hollywood...

If it was just rivalry, why would ignorant Canadians boo the American anthem? Cheer and boo your brains out during the game as you see fit, but if we showed a little respect for the other country it would go a long way. A little disrepect goes even further, as this thread shows.

 

[Stammer Time*]

And another thing, Tip or go home.

 

[Zine]

I wouldn't go as far as to call it an inferiority complex --- but, on the world stage, it's hard to deny that the world sees Canada as the US's little brother, or 'that cold country north of the US'.
I have dual US/UK citizenship and have been around the world numerous times and although extremely respected, Canada is sort of seen as insignificant..........and by this I mean no disrespect to Canada or Canadians, but it's just my honest experience.
Very little of 'north american' culture (sports, music, entertainment, politics, intellectual movements, etc.) is actually seen as truely Canadian.
Hockey is the obvious exception, and is something that Canada has in it's blood. It's something Canadians can truely say is theirs.
I can see the sentiment of Canadians not wanting to lose 'superiority', 'identity', or 'ownership' of their game to the americans too.
Again, I'm not trying' to put anyone down.......JMHO

 

[espo*]

When i opened hf boards this morning and saw this thread my first thought was "there can't be any good that will come out of this"

 

[Pwnasaurus]

When i opened hf boards this morning and saw this thread my first thought was "there can't be any good that will come out of this"

Exactly. This whole thread is silly, like one poster said, if the roles were reversed and Canada was playing Finland in a close one I would be rooting for Finland simply because Canada is the biggest obstacle towards victory. If on the last day of the regular season, lets say my favorite team was a US team in the 8th spot by 1 point and needed a loss by a Canadian team currently 9th, to make the playoffs. Does that mean I hate Canada if I am cheering for the team to defeat them to propel my favorite team, from the US, into the playoffs? I think not.

 

[Old Hickory]

Exactly. This whole thread is silly, like one poster said, if the roles were reversed and Canada was playing Finland in a close one I would be rooting for Finland simply because Canada is the biggest obstacle towards victory. If on the last day of the regular season, lets say my favorite team was a US team in the 8th spot by 1 point and needed a loss by a Canadian team currently 9th, to make the playoffs. Does that mean I hate Canada if I am cheering for the team to defeat them to propel my favorite team, from the US, into the playoffs? I think not.

Cheering for another Country's team is fine.

Booing is crossing the line.

 

[BMRBruins]

Please, I have never heard ANY Canadian say that Basketball is "Canada's sport", in spite of the fact that a Canadian is the NBA MVP.

Who is that?

 

[espo*]

Who is that?

Steve Nash.

 

[Roughneck]

Come on. Heatley was born in Germany but came to Canada as an infantand was raised in the Canadian hockey system.

I think its important to point out that Dany Heatley was born to Canadian parents living abroad. His father (Canadian born) was playing hockey in Germany at the time. Dany was a Canadian citizen at the moment of birth (I believe it was the Visiting Forces Act that allowed this, somebody can correct me).

And the fact that Dany was raised in Canada should further make that point absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Bad News Benning]

Cheering for another Country's team is fine.

Booing is crossing the line.

oh no, booing, c'mon, if the players are affected by booing they're a bunch of *******. Seriously they've been booed before, u18'S, college rivalries, they should learn to block that stuff out by now, you're not gonna play in the NHL if you can't handle it. When Canada and US play the fans will cheer for Canada and boo the US, that's what being a fan is all about. This is what happens in a rivalry, the fans aren't booing the praticular players, they're booing the sweaters the players wear. Maybe the US isn't use to being booed, but in Canada were used to being booed at every international competition. You should take it as a compliment that the US is good enough to the point where they are now Canada's #1 rival.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Maybe I'm a bit pollyannish because I grew up in Detroit, grew up watching HNIC on CBC, and have always visited Windsor alot: but why do the majority of Canadian fans cheer for whoever the US is playing? In my book, I want the US to finish 1'st and Canada 2'nd. If we can't win, I want our neighbors to win. My impression is Canada wants Canada to win, but if their team stumbled they would want anyone else but the US to win.

I work in downtown and have several Windsor residents on our staff. I see the commerce (trucks) pass back and forth on the Ambassador bridge every day as our two countries depend upon each other. Several Canadians work in our office. I regularily watch mostly Canadian boys play in Plymouth MI in the OHL. I love my country the US, but Canada is a close second (your beer is the best). Why do Canadian fans want the U.S. to lose? I cheer for Canada every game, except for when they play the U.S..

As a Canadian, I have noticed that many Canadians are prejudiced against Americans. It is due in part to jealously of the power of the US and in part to our nation's pacifist nature - the majority of this country is anti-war and really, anti-anything conservative.

Myself, I love the USA. I have many American friends and my favorite active hockey player is American (Doug Weight).

I think many Canadians are being stereotypically Canadian and that is sad.

 

[Charge_Seven]

I wouldn't say I want the USA to lose. At the same time, I definitely don't want them to win...

Last night I was cheering for Finland, and it has alot to do with the tremendous ammount of respect I think they deserve in icing a fairly competitive team.

They sure as heck aren't the biggest country in the world, and they still send good teams to the tournament.

When the USA plays Canada, I wants the USA to lose (obviously).
When the USA plays Finland, I want the USA to lose.
When the USA plays Russia, I want to see a good game (and normally do).
When the USA plays Sweden, I want to see a good game (and normally do)

There are no teams that I want to see the USA win against specifically, however I certainly do not wish them ill will, nor do I want to see them cheated out of a game or anything of that manner.

Interesting sidebar: I was at my barber today, getting my haircut, and he told me about a local area team who was invited out to the US for a tournament (not a big deal, a small local area tournament likely). When the team made it to the finals they were approached by the ref, and told, prior to the game, that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that "you Canadians" as he put it, lost...too bad not even the ref could shut down the scoring machine that the team was...

It goes both ways, but to tell the truth, I know way too many Canadians who seem to think that anything American is bad, and anything an American does is bad. It makes me sick. More often than not I have to tell people to look up the facts about anything that has to do with America and give them a lesson in the truth about situations. It seems like being "anti American" is a growing fad, and that's just not right.

 

[Charge_Seven]

I think its important to point out that Dany Heatley was born to Canadian parents living abroad. His father (Canadian born) was playing hockey in Germany at the time. Dany was a Canadian citizen at the moment of birth (I believe it was the Visiting Forces Act that allowed this, somebody can correct me).

And the fact that Dany was raised in Canada should further make that point absolutely ridiculous.

Just like Steen being Swedish. His dad Tomas Steen was playing in Winnipeg, Alexander was born, and they eventually moved back home. Alexander Steen is a Swede--and what a Swede!!!

 

[SaskaSens]

As a Canadian, I have noticed that many Canadians are prejudiced against Americans. It is due in part to jealously of the power of the US and in part to our nation's pacifist nature - the majority of this country is anti-war and really, anti-anything conservative.

Myself, I love the USA. I have many American friends and my favorite active hockey player is American (Doug Weight).

I think many Canadians are being stereotypically Canadian and that is sad.

Yep, just like Americans being stereotypically American and that is even more sad thank you very much. Have you noticed that there are as many AMericans prejudiced against Canada? Don't make Canada the one sided coin chum.