By: @sticksontheice_
Crowd turns against the Stars as frustrations continue.
The scene at American Airlines Center on Saturday night was jarring. The Dallas Stars were playing the Washington Capitals for the second time in less than a week. Hope erupted Tuesday when Seguin’s overtime goal against the Caps provided the first win of the season. A loss against Calgary quickly deflated the euphoria, but expectations were still high given the Stars’ record against Washington. It seemed likely they could pull off another win but this hope was quickly dashed.
By the third period Saturday night, frustration prompted a chorus of boos from the stands. In the last minutes of the game, the only thing heard was, “Let’s Go Caps!” from a group of Washington fans. Many Stars fans had already given up and left the building.
Video from Stars fan twitter account showing the mood Saturday night.
a “lets go caps” chant in the stars arena, imagine how tired we are pic.twitter.com/FDkNJoIL60
— k? (@seguinsbishop) October 13, 2019
Sitting there, listening to the boos echoing out, I couldn’t help but think of a conversation I had with Josh Bogorad, the Stars’ play-by-play broadcaster, during training camp. We talked about several things that day, including the role fans, play in sports. Bogorad said he liked the fan base in Dallas and thought there was a good mix of being supportive and holding the team accountable.
Watching the game wind down Saturday, I wondered if the displeasure coming from the stands made the players work harder or if it led to more mistakes. It could be both because, as Bogorad also pointed out, each player responds differently in these situations. What helps one won’t necessarily help others.
I can’t say if there is a right way or a wrong way for a fan to express themselves. Even with this season’s slow start, I would never boo my team and I would never leave the game early if things aren’t going well. But that’s just me. Not everyone shares my perspective and maybe that’s a good thing. I do feel confident in a few things, though.
As fans, we don’t know what the players need in order to be motivated or what is going on behind closed doors with the coaching staff. As trite as it sounds, situations like these are rarely the fault of one person. And most importantly, we wouldn’t be this frustrated if we didn’t love our team.
What kind of fan are you?
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