Why I became embarrassed to be a Celtic fan for 15 seconds.

[nickagneta]

Monday  night I went to my first Celtics game this year courtesy of a Christmas present from my oldest son(if you are reading this, thank you) and have to say there was a time when for the first time in my life I was a bit embarrassed to be a Celtic fan. Well, for 15 seconds or so and then I got angry and the feeling passed. Let me explain.

So the pregame player introductions haven't started yet and the Star Spangled Banner hasn't been sung yet but a giant picture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is on the Jumbotron commemorating the holiday when the Garden announcer comes over the speaker system. He reads a little speech in honor of Dr. King and then asks for a 60 second moment of silence. It got deathly quiet. Even the people in the concessions area went quiet.

But the silence was broken after about 45 seconds when some bozo off to my left in the upper balcony screams out "Let's Go Celtics!Beat The Magic!". I was astonished at the lack of respect given but then got truly flabbergasted when similar chants and screams started breaking out throughout the Garden and continued on through the last part of the moment of silence.

Simply put, it was one of the more disrespectful things I had scene a group of Boston fans ever do. What's worse, is that it happened in Boston amongst a crowd that was 97%(estimate) white. I don't care what your race or color is but if you are American you have to acknowledge what a truly great American Dr. King was and the holiday is a very meaningful one paying tribute to a great man and American.

Have some gad dang respect and keep your mouths shut for one minute!!!!

Was that really asking too much.

Then to make matters worse, the place sounded like a museum the entire first half and was as quiet a crowd overall as I have heard there in the last few years.

The irony was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

[Fafnir]

It only takes one person to start a mob towards doing something dumb.

[GroverTheClover]

+1 TP for pretty much writing what I was thinking during that time.

I thought it was pretty shameful, one guy screaming out, fine, but others joining in during a moment of silence, not so fine.

[Redz]

There's always one in the crowd.

Though I always feel a little uneasy when the crowd starts cheering before the Star Spangled Banner is over too.

[Fan from VT]

There's always one in the crowd.

Though I always feel a little uneasy when the crowd starts cheering before the Star Spangled Banner is over too.

Moment of silence cheering is just ridiculous.

For the star spangled banner, however, I love when the roar starts during "home" and just builds until max roar as the singer is holding the last note.

[BballTim]

  Frankly I'm amazed  people waited that long. 15-30 seconds is even stretching it for a moment of silence for a crowd like that.

[jambr380]

  Frankly I'm amazed  people waited that long. 15-30 seconds is even stretching it for a moment of silence for a crowd like that.

Yeah, 60 seconds is a little long when you have that big of a crowd and that many drinkers. I definitely don't condone what that fan (and the other fans did), but if it had simply been a 30 second moment of silence (which seems pretty reasonable), none of this would have come up at all.

[pearljammer10]

I agree 60 seconds is a long moment of silence, none the less that is absurdly disrespectful. Makes me sick a little bit.

On the star spangled banner thing, I think its cool when the crows begins cheering at the "home". It energizes the crowd, the performer signing the anthem, and its just become fairly traditional. Im totally ok with that, breaking a moment of silence to yell out something stupid is utterly disgusting.

[jackson_34]

It's a pretty common occurrence at large sporting events unfortunately.

Although I don't condone the disrespect and wished people would show restraint in those moments of silence, I can understand why it happens.

In the general run of things, a moment of silence can be quite dislocating in the lead up to the event; The crowd is pumped up and has been worked into a frenzy by the pre-game entertainment, there would be a few fans boozed up by the alcohol available too.

You then tell them they must stay silent for a minute and of course there will be a few who, together with their ignorance to the significance of the silence, will be unable to control themselves.   

[Birdbrain]

I guess I'll be the one that thinks you are over dramatizing the issue.  And while I would have respected the minute because it's the the right thing it seems like a rather long time to have a moment of silence and ironically probably led to the the crowd being so quiet in the first half.  This same thing happened earlier this season when I was at a big time college football game.  The crowd who gave a moment of silence for a student who had died earlier that week appeared to be thinking.. " It's only a sport why should I cheer ". 

[CelticHooligan3]

Some people deal with bouts of spontaneous self amusement. What can you really say? In this day in age of ADD/ADHD is it really that big a surprise? Some people yell out. That's reality. I don't condone it or think it's right but hey it happens. Move on. Ignore it. Just enjoy the game. It was a great game btw.

As for the fact it was quiet I've noticed this too. I think it's for a different reason however. I've been to lots of Celtics games and the games that are close for the duration can be surprisingly quiet. I think it's because the fans are nervous and anxious to see one team pull away. It's a lot easier to be loud and yell at the top of your lungs in a blowout either way. But when your in a tight game your on the edge if your seat paying attention to litterally every possesion. So it becomes really old fast getting up to yell about every positive play. But once it hit crunch time in the fourth you could really sense the crowd smelled blood in the water. And from this fans perspective at home it sounded pretty loud on the telecast.

[JHTruth]

"Insanity in the individual is the exception, insanity in the herd is the rule." - Nietzsche

[Celtics4ever]

They should not play games on that day to honor him.  It would be better I think/  There would be less chance of a drunken guy spoiling the minute of silence aka moment of silence and give the players time to contemplate rather than playing.  Sadly a lot of schools don't even get the day off anymore.

I agree 60 seconds is way too long for a paying crowd.  Its called a moment of silence but 30 secs is enough.  I've not seen too many moments that lasted a minute.  But tradition a moment in a minute sometimes two on Veterans day.  It must have been obviously short, I don't see Nick as the type who would be counting it off.   Can't judge all the fans by one jerk, its not fair, though.

[dysgenic]

Save the drama for your mama.

[cornbreadsmart]

     I bought a book today about speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You wouldn't believe the reactions I got. The nicest were all rolling of the eyes. It's pretty frickin' sad. Most people were neanderthals next to M.L.K. I think many people today still don't like him because he makes them feel stupid.Ofcourse, that was never his intention. What an amazing human being.R.I.P.