What first began at an Ottawa Senators NHL game—and then eventually in Calgary and Vancouver carried over into a Toronto Raptors basketball game on Sunday. Fans north of the border have been booing during the playing of the United States National Anthem.
The jeers had nothing to do with the locals’ thoughts on the visiting team—in fact, the playing of both country’s anthems at games involving a Canadian and American team is a special sight to see. The boo’s had everything to do with the new import tariffs enacted on Canada by President Donald Trump.
There’s a lot of background that led up to this unfortunate moment. We won’t get too far into the politics of it all because by now you’ve heard all about it. Essentially, America’s new import taxes place a burden on the success the country had in exporting oil and lumber, among other products into the states. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even went as far as to urge locals to boycott U.S.-based products, so yeah, Canada is pissed.
That’s what led to the booing we’re now seeing at multiple professional sporting events north of the border.
Patrick Kane, an NHL star who plays for Detroit and was there for the Vancouver game, said “It’s too bad” in regards to the reactions going around, but added he can “Maybe understand it.” Raptors forward, Chris Boucher, showed defense to his fans when saying, “But have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?”
Other players and coaches have avoided commenting on the situations.
We’ll see if this trend continues into the new week as the Raptors, the NBA’s lone Canadian team, host the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies this week. There will be a handful of games in Canada with U.S. teams visiting this week, including the Colorado Avalanche, who will play three trips up north.
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