Sarah Palin booed in Philadelphia before Flyers-Rangers game

The world's most famous "hockey mom" can now join the ever-growing list of icons booed by Philly fans. Move over, Santa Claus and Mike Schmidt, Sarah Palin was booed tonight in front of Willow and Piper as she was introduced to drop the first puck at the Flyers' home opener against the New York Rangers.

Despite pleas from the scoreboard at the Wachovia Center, which read "Flyers fans, show Philadelphia's class and welcome America's No. 1 hockey mom, Sarah Palin," ABC News' Jake Tapper reports that the booing was so prevalent that the music had to be cranked up to "deafening" levels in order to compete with the fans from the city of Brotherly Love.

Although Pennsylvania is often considered a swing state, the jeering is easily heard in the video above, and one can clearly see a few Obama/Biden signs in the stands.

The Flyers not only invited Palin to drop the puck, they had created a contest to find "the ultimate hockey mom" to accompany the GOP vice presidential nominee onto the ice. Earlier, the Flyers' founder, Ed Snider, expressed how excited he was that Palin was going to attend the game:

"Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started," said Snider, the Comcast-Spectacor chairman who founded the Flyers in 1967. "We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey." - NHL.com

This morning, The Times' top blog, Top of the Ticket, helped celebrate the NHL's opening weekend by pointing out that interest in hockey is increasing among young people, particularly girls. About 57,000 young females signed up to play hockey, according to USA Hockey, Andrew Malcolm pointed out. 

-- Tony Pierce

Comments

[Damon]

It's all very clear. Hockey is cool, Sarah Palin is not. Hockey is not near as dangerous as Palin, either.

[Steve Barry]

By loudly booing Palin Philadelphia did indeed show class. Palin is completely and utterly unfit to be Vice President or President. Good show.

[Lisa]

You just made my day! My family & I were hoping that she would be booed off the ice and all the way back to Alaska, you betcha! I was born & raised in Philly but live in AZ now so it made me sick to hear that the Flyers owner chose to interject politics into the game. Drowning out the voices of the people of Philadelphia with extremely loud music at Wachovia Center was particularly disturbing to me. Everyone responsible for that should be held accountable but that is what Republicans do, they cover up the truth. Hold them all accountable for thier lies on 11-4-08. By the way, everyone in AZ hates McCain!

[D'Ellis R. McCammon]

As an 'African- American' who played 'Junior' Hockey, (1969-73), in Columbus,Ohio I have all the respect in this world for Alaska's GOVERNOR... Sarah Palin though makes it difficult for me to acknowledge her as the ultimate "Hockey Mom". My Mother spent over a decade taking my brother and myself from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island camping and skating. LEARNING how people of other beliefs and races lived, how to RESPECT and ENJOY the differences. As a child who has seen "strange fruit" Sarah Palin ruins the game's diversities. Bob McCammon once coached the Flyers, even though he's not 'kin' I don't think he'd welcome her 'BRAND' of advertising for the 'GAME' of HOCKEY either.

[Dakota M]

Sarah, what goes around, comes around. Your sarcastic, snarky ways are coming back to haunt you. You are somewhat amusing as entertainment (in the mold of Joan Rivers), but your comedy is becoming very stale. Note: Sarah's giddy fans (ultra hardcore Republicans who vote for a party, not a person) will adore Sarah no matter what. Thankfully there's the rest of us...and Sarah's '15 minutes' are almost up.

[Susan]

It is obviously that she uses her children as political props but don't they have to go to school? They are with her everyday on the campaign. Is she putting her political ambition above her children's education?

[AH]

We are all...Flyers fans now....lol

[James Stroud]

Palin is putting her own ambitions to be President above McCain's campaign. This stopped being about her helping McCain deliver a victory and more about separating herself from McCain so that she can run in 2012. She is a disgrace to the McCain ticket and to the Republican party. She should step aside and let John McCain pick another VP candidate and get his campaign moving back in the right direction. He can not win with her on the ticket.

[carol]

Will Lady Sarah please do her family a favor and stop being a pushy sarcastic witch of a female and go home , take care of her children and do not subject them to another humiliting offensive act of sacasum in front of the people who are honestly trying to do what is best for the country ,
She is a self serving ,me,me,me.first person,her slip-up's in the campaign should tell John Mc Cain,, if he wins the highest office in the land he will have to take second seat to sarah.
She will step on his face to get what she wants,i believe she is already doing that , she steals his show from him everytime they appear together.
She in my opnion is smart as a rock when it comes to running the country,or knowing anything at all of the workings of any of the offices of government.
As a mother i am appaled to the way she drags her childern around this country so she can use them as props in front of the television camaras,they need proper sleep ,schooling and the security of their own home.
Sarah cares nothing for any of this, just so she can have her face plastered on as many television shows as possable.
Look people of this great country !!! Sarah is not worthy of consideration for the second highest office in this land.
Infact she is already looking to give herself more power in the office of the V P ,if elected she said as much in one of her real programed speaches, thus John Mc Cain watch out dont turn your back on her.
She is a unnessary evil in disguise, we have so many problems in the country right now,we dont need her ,"'you betcha"", is this how she will address dignateries from other countries??she will be an insault to them and will cause monumental problems with her demeaning ways to leaders who want to repair global problems.
So i say please do us all a favor and go home,your more trouble than your worth.

[Joseph M.Bennett]

Thank you Governor Palin! I applaud you for understanding the plight of the working man. I pray that you and Senator McCain are elected so that our country will enjoy the proper leadership that it deserves. Finally the average family will have a voice in Washington! And we will also have a proven leader guide our country through these most difficult times abroad. Now is not that time for on the job training. Now is the time for a true American Hero!

[John Denton]

Sarah, thanks for making the coming landslide possible.

[tra]

So How is she hockey mom? Her son did play hockey, but shes been GOV for two year and mayor many years before that. When did she find time to be HM and How long can you claim the title when the title does not apply?

[Terry]

Philly the place W.C. Fields said 1st prize in the contest was one week trip to and second prize was two weeks. Looks like that goes for whoever selected these commnets.

[Debra Watson]

As someone who was there and saw and heard everything firsthand, I am amazed at the spin in the press. The sound of the video here evidences both cheers and boos, and aside from the Obama Biden sign seen held by one fan, you also see several applauding.

In fact, and perhaps a not unexpected image, one that should perhaps be more clearly portrayed, nearly everyone in the lower level seats was standing, and most appeared to be applauding. The result was quite different in the upper level seats, where perhaps a fifth of the fans were doing so, and within my section, I did hear both cheers and jeers.

If you search Google News, you will see that other sources, such as the Associated Press say that her reception was mixed.

Whether your reporter is trying to to put down Palin, Philadelphia or both, he got it wrong. I won't lecture on the politics, but I can tell you that while our sports fans can give rousing boos in some situations, they are usually deserved (Google Philadelphia Santa Claus Boo). This is also in a building where the fans gave an 8 minute standing ovation to the family of slain Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy last year, and recognizes "Community Teammates" who are often kids who raise money for causes (Several years ago, probably the most notable was Alex Scott of Alex's Lemonade Stand) or troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Having been raised in LA, but living in the Philadelphia area for the last 16 years, I am quite proud of my new home.

[a republican]

Sarah is a great person. She must have been proud to be allowed to bring her children to the Flyer's game and be privileged to drop the opening puck.

It's not surprising that she was booed. I recall a USFL playoff game between Chicago and Philadelphia. I don't think there were more than a 1,000 or more folks in the stands and Chicago fans sent down a bus or 2 and they had really good seats.

But this one loaded fan just kept yelling all sorts of things at these people from Chicago. I am sure it made them very uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable, being with my children and having to listen to that garbage. Security should have thrown him out. But in Philadelphia what do you expect.

When we had eagle's season tickets, you could not bring your family... because the language was so bad.

Keep up the good work Philadelphia fans ... we are proud of you.
Maybe you should learn from the arena football fans.

Governor Palin is one of the bravest woman I have ever seen. She speaks the truth, and more and more people are listening. Wouldn't it be nice if Senators Bidden and Obama could speak the truth just for a week... how about a day, maybe an hour.
enjoy the game.

[Leroy 'Roy' Bradshaw]

Sorry D'Ellis... African Americans don't put quotes around the word 'African American'

Please save your tripe for a Palin rally, and if you really are AA, bring some security with you, because you probably won't make it to the entrance without them, given the current climate of those mobs.

[atlpaddy]

What I want to know, is what genius thought it would be a good idea to submit Palin to Philly fans?!? Those folks will boo anybody and do, including Santa Claus, Mike Schmidt, and a handicap kid who bounced a ceremonial first pitch! It could have been George Washington and Mother Theresa (which God knows Palin ain't) and they would have booed. I would have been more shocked if they didn't boo.

[Delco Joe]

A politician booed at a professional sporting event? Amazing. Way to go Flyers fans, you didn't fall for the charade from the Flyers owner Ed Snyder that she is just a hockey mom. This was an open campaign stop, staged by a guy who is actively supporting the McCain/MILF 08 ticket.

Whatever he does in his private life is fine, and to be comended, but to force her on the paying fans was a disgrace.

And, a side note, this was I believe the first actual non-scripted appearance that she has made. Quite a different reaction when it isn't a packed home crowd.

[Jen from PA]

I have to say how THRILLED I am that my city did what they needed to do. AND I am thrilled that this story got national recognition. I did read in another publication that Palin's handlers knew it might turn out bad for her, so they decided to have Willow and Piper come along. Surely, Philadelphia sports fans wouldn't boo their mom infront of her little girls, right? Another McCain miscalculation.

[Christine]

It is important to respect others, and I am unsure if the booing was appropriate. Having said that, Sarah Palin would not be on the ticket if she didn't have ovaries. As a woman I feel insulted the McCain camp would think we would fawn over having a female on the ticket. Sarah Palin is NOT qualified to be VP and it is an joke to watch her try to answer questions where she has not been coached.

[Matt]

After they dropped the puck, refs should have immediately put Sarah Palin in the penalty box. Two minutes for fight instigation, two minutes for interference.

[MARI]

I am so glad that she got booed. She deserves it and i am so tired of seeing her little girl everywhere she goes. stop using your kids and let them be kids YOU LOSER!!

[j blackburn]

Just exactly what has she done to deserve this hate? Did that crowd not see her 2 children by her side? Did they not feel that their own conflicts with her might possibly be conflicts within themselves? Governor Palin is first a woman of GOD then a Mother. How does one excuse themselves from this type of hatred and self indulgence just for ones own pleasure. Yes be Proud, this two girls will always remember this event. An event that they were so proud of to be a part of along side their Mom. America is about free speech but we should not take this freedom lightly. As for her "picking" on Obama. I think he is able to defend himself.
I am not for Obama as I fear his political views of where he wants to take this country. Lets face it Socialism is near and then what will you do when your right to voice cannot even be heard under bed sheets?? Not even Obama would have deserved the disrespect shown to Governor Palin and her 2 little girls. Sleep well tonight ....there might be 2 little girls who are not

[mike dicesaro]

so marxism for Phil, huh?

[MARI]

GO PHILLY!!!!!! YOU DID A GREAT JOB. I AM SO GLAD SHE GOT BOOED. I LOVED IT...HER KIDS PROBABLY NEVER PLAYED HOCKEY ANYWAY.......SHE NEEDS TO STOP USING HER KIDS....