Fan Chants: The disgrace of “Kansas City!”

Speculation that the NY Islanders will move to Kansas City has come and gone.

Disclaimer: Before I begin my rant, I first want to let my friends from the American Midwest know that this blog has nothing to do with the state or city of Kansas or Missouri. Moreover, it has to with the mind-boggling chants that “hockey fans” continue to spew.

A Brief History: It was way back in January 2009, when the fight between The Lighthouse development partners (NY Islanders owner Charles B. Wang and RXR) began to get really dirty. Back then, local news outlets got word that the Islanders are going to play a pre-season game in Kansas City. It was that one little tidbit of information that sprung Islanders fans, NHL hockey fans, and the media into a frenzy. Many people in the New York area that are familiar with either hockey or sports in general have known about Charles Wang’s desire to build a new arena. For about 10 years now, The Lighthouse project has seen its share of bumps in the road and, of course, has yet to be green lighted. After the self-imposed “deadline” (October 3, 2009) had come and gone, Wang decided that it was best to “explore all options,” which include selling the team to the highest bidder. Since then, there has been a media blackout on the subject and Wang told reporters that he wishes not to talk to the media about his plans going forward. The fight between the Town of Hempstead and The Lighthouse on Long Island have come to a stand-still once again.

What’s next?: With the Islanders on-ice product beginning to swing upwards, this is where it will begin to get emotional for Islanders fans. Here are some options, in short form:

1. Wang sells and the Islanders move to Brooklyn, NY.
2. Wang sells and the Islanders move to Queens, NY.
3. Wang sells and the Islanders move out of state and, basically, cease to exist.
4a. Wang sells and new owner(s) build new arena in Nassau County.
4. Wang keeps the team on Long Island, because a scaled-down version of the massive Lighthouse project goes through.
5. Wang nixes the Lighthouse Project and decides to build a new arena only, minus the large-scale amenities, having a calming effect on the “traffic issues” that the Town of Hempstead has had such a problem with. (The TOH is claiming that the traffic studies provided by NY State and the Lighthouse project group are insufficient.) The Town of Hempstead has supposedly “approved” such a development. This option actually seems to be the least likely to happen, for one reason or another.

The Chant: I really don’t want to point the proverbial finger at any “specific” fans. I make my judgement based upon what I’ve seen and heard and can gather based upon the history of the Islanders/Rangers rivalry. The New York Islanders played the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, September, 22nd at 8 p.m. at the Sprint Center in Kansas City – with under 6,000 in attendance, the game was considered a failure. But in my experiences, whether at Madison Square Garden or at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, it has been some NY Rangers fans that have walked around the concourse and inside the arena that chant:  “Kansas City!” – followed by a series of claps as if they were cheering on their own team. Before anyone gets offended or misconstrues anything, let’s examine some history of chants between the NY Islanders and NY Rangers. And before I spout some examples, I’d like to note that it is this bloggers feeling that the NYR/NYI rivalry is one of the greatest in sports history – period. Now for some of the favorite chants:
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NYI fans to Rangers fans:
1. “1940!” – This chant was a fan favorite before the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. 1940 was the last time the Rangers held the Stanley Cup previously. It’s use was negated after the Rangers broke the long streak of no NHL championships.

NYR fans to Islanders fans:
1. “Potvin s*cks!” – This chant is still alive to this day. Apparently, former Islander defenseman, Denis Potvin, gave Ranger fans so much grief over the years to the point where it is still shouted – long after Potvins retirement. To many Islanders fans, this is just an acknowledgment of a great player that the NYI once possessed.

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These are just two examples of the fan-to-fan exploits and expletives that people would shout at each other during the games. That can be considered rude or offensive to some, but to others, the chants can be endearing memories of joy and heartbreak that will last a lifetime. They’re part of the rivalry and part of hockey history.

There have been good moments and bad moments between these two clubs, but at least most of us Rangers and Islanders fans can agree to that. There have been fun chants to rib the other team and some can be meaner than others. But this “Kansas City!” chant from Rangers fans to Islanders fans bothers me. Let’s, for a moment, examine what is truly being said here when the fans chant “Kansas City!” - They are rubbing it in the Islanders fans’ collective faces that:

1.The Islanders may possibly be moving out of state, in this case Kansas City.

2. That this is something to celebrate and “ha ha ha, we finally have something good to hurt the Islanders fans with because their team will be gone.”

The Rant: Believe me, I am not naive enough to think that a good ribbing toward the rivalry team is out of order. In fact, I encourage it when it doesn’t get too personal, physical, or inappropriate to the point where parents can’t bring their children to the game in fear that they will be hurt. I understand that these chanters don’t speak for all fans and are, hopefully, part of the minority. But to celebrate the fact that a rival team may be physically moved away and destroy one of the best rivalries on sports, to me is one thing – a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to hockey history and a disgrace to a wonderful game that many of us grew up watching and even playing. This blogger, as an admitted Islander fan, would NEVER wish for the Rangers to be moved – ever. It would be a shameful act for me to the do so. I would miss those truly special times of the year when my family and I get to see the best games of the season. I get to see the most hated team face-off for 60 minutes against my most favorite team. For me, this is the Yankees against the Red Sox. This is the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys. This is one team against another that has the fans root more passionately on this day than any other. When the line of mutual respect is broken, much is lost. If one can’t respect the opposition and find a simple love for the game, it’s time to root for another team in another sport.

Extra note: For those who say I’m singling out Rangers fans and making pointed comments, I respond in saying – I am. I have yet to hear it from any divisional rival fans, not from Washington Capitals fans, Penguins fans (who are familiar with such a situation), Flyers fans, or Devils fans. But if there are fans from other teams that are cheering for ANY other team to move – I say shame on them. My heart goes out to the true Phoenix Coyotes fans who fear their team will move. Nobody should live and die with sports only, because there are more important things to worry about. But if you are passionate enough about your team to go and cheer for them when they win, and hope for better days when they lose, continue to support the great game of hockey and your favorite team.