To the fans of the San Antonio Rampage:
Hello from Cedar
Park. I am one of your
counterparts just up I-35…a Texas Stars fan. I, like yourself, love my team
with all my heart. I go to their games. I cheer for them. I yell. I scream. I support
my boys through thick and thin, just as I suspect you do yours. I am a hockey
fan. I love the game. I love the smell. I love the feel. I love everything
about it. I especially love the rivalries. That’s where you come in. We are
each other’s biggest rivals. It’s compounded even more so now by the fact your
parent team is the Avs…a rival of our parent team. The I-35 rivalry is a thing
of beauty. It bleeds to the ice and results in some great hockey and a bit of
fans chirping each other. And that is fun. That is part of the game. But
seriously guys, when you’re taking part in the rivalry festivities, especially
in our arena, have some class.
I have had two very negative experiences with Rampage fans
and it all comes from a lack of class. The first was last season when several
Stars fans, myself included, went to San
Antonio for a game. I tried to be a classy guest. I
kept my area clean, I didn’t trash talk the Rampage goalie in his house, I
cheered my team without trash talking the surrounding fans in their home. I
thought that all the Texas
fans showed class for the most part. It was the Rampage fans that did not. As
the game winded down and it was clear we were about to win we were excited and
cheering. That’s when a Rampage fan started to throw ice at one of the Stars
fans in our group. My best friend told him to stop and leave her alone and he
started cussing her out. We did nothing to him. We weren’t even bashing on the
Rampage. We were simply cheering our team. It was classless and uncalled for.
Simply, it was poor sportsmanship.
Tonight was the 2nd of the aforementioned
experiences. This one took place in our house…the Cedar Park Center. A few rows behind us were some
Rampage fans cheering their boys on. I didn’t like it but I ignored them. They
had every right to be there supporting their boys. It was fine. Then they
started trashing our goalie. I’m sorry, you DO NOT trash talk a goalie in his
own house. You just don’t. Campbell
was in his net, in his house…have some respect. After that it escalated and
they started trash talking us, which I gave right back because of the
disrespect and classlessness of it all. Then, the icing on the cake, when we
scored a game clinching goal late in the 3rd the Rampage fans got up
and left (way to abandon your boys before the end btw) and as they did dumped
an almost full bucket of popcorn on me. Classy.
Look, I have no problems with rivalries, as I said. They can
be fun, but have some class and dignity about it. I realize that this is a hard
concept for some Rampage fans. I’m from the Valley. I understand that south of San Marcos isn’t exactly
known for class or dignity, but somehow some of us managed to escape with some.
It can be done. And I know your team is owned by the Spurs. The NBA isn’t
exactly known for its class these days either…but this is still hockey and as
hockey fans we’re better than that. I also realize your lead goalie, Calvin
Pickard, has no class himself as was apparent by the way he chose to carry
himself at our arena this past Wednesday…but don’t follow his example. At the
end of the day we’re all hockey fans with a passion for the game and love for
our respective teams. If nothing else we can agree on that. Hockey is a nitch
thing in the States and we are a community, regardless of whom we chose to
support. So, let’s stop throwing shit at each other, gain some sportsmanship,
stop trash talking goalies in their house, and watch some hockey y’all!
Signed,
A loyal and true Texas Stars Fan