The Canadian Invasion: August. 5-7, 2013, Blue Jays @ Mariners

[XxBIGDOGxX1817]

wild atmosphere tonight. We're 4 rows up from the Edgars sign in left field tmw. Give me a shout if you're going to be there.

[troutman]

LOL @ Walker on the Fan960 whining about Mariner fans not being welcoming to Jays fans. Should Flames fans welcome Canuck fans into the Dome?

[rd_aaron]

Originally Posted by troutman

LOL @ Walker on the Fan960 whining about Mariner fans not being welcoming to Jays fans. Should Flames fans welcome Canuck fans into the Dome?

We went to two games last year and never had any issues. We sat in pretty good seats for one game too which would've been almost all season ticket holders. Wore Blue Jays stuff around the city most of the two days too and everyone was really friendly.

Glad the Jays fans got to see an exciting win. We got stuck with a couple losses last year.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by troutman

lol @ walker on the fan960 whining about mariner fans not being welcoming to drunk jays fans. Should flames fans welcome canuck fans into the dome?

fyp.

[Jordan!]

Why do Canadians cheer for the Jays? It's Toronto (Gross) not Canada's team. Especially coming from Calgary, I was a Mariners fan as a kid.

Serious question here.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Why do Canadians cheer for the Jays? It's Toronto (Gross) not Canada's team. Especially coming from Calgary, I was a Mariners fan as a kid.

Serious question here.

Probably because they are the only team in Canada, and are dominant in our media.

There is an arrogance about Jays Nation that I don't like, where they assume every Canadian is a Jays fan. I have nothing against the Jays, but the hype has turned me off.

[Jordan!]

I can see that out of convenience and access to the team. Makes sense.

[slcrocket]

I ended up on the receiving end of some charter seats for last night's game. I live in Seattle so I wasn't there for the "invasion," but a few takeaways:

1) Why in the hell are there so many Blue Jays fans? I get that when I go to a game at Safeco against the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, etc. that there will be a huge number of opposing fans. Is it just because as a Canadian you don't have another team so you just adopt the Blue Jays as your own?

2) Part of my first point here - those at the game remember that they were announcing different minor league all star players that were at the game, and nobody cared (even for the Everett Aqua Sox, the single-A affiliate for the Mariners located about 30 miles north of Seattle). But they introduced the players for the Vancouver minor league team and the ovation was enormous. Again, is this just Canadians sticking up for Canadian teams? It's such a foreign concept to Americans like myself.

3) The reason that the Mariners will never be competitive is because their fans don't demand it of them. I would not be surprised if Mariners fans were outnumbered 3 to 1 last night. I was less irritated with Blue Jays fans (even if some were obnoxious) than I was with the lack of support from Mariners fans. It is an aww shucks attitude that Seattle fans seem to have about all of their teams except the Seahawks - and one can argue that they only feel passionately about the Seahawks because the Seahawks can contend.

[seattleflamer]

^^^Lots of reasons:

-Since the Expos left, the national media and thus the entire country can focus its attention on 1 team.

-If you like baseball, it is literally the only pro stadium within thousands of miles in western Canada.

-I think you have to give credit to the MLB/Mariners FO which is a marketing juggernaut. They have traditionally timed this series during Canadian long weekends ie. BC Day/Heritage Day. They also advertised the series on the radio in the lower mainland. 30K on Monday night is proof of that when they usually would draw maybe 10K to 15K.

-Also, you have to understand that these same Canadian fans that are obnoxious at Safeco sit on their hands at Canuck games or at the Saddledome for that matter.

Why the difference? It is just a way to show some national pride which Canadians don't typically show at their own home games for fear of looking like an idiot unless it's the gold medal game in hockey. And nothing feels better than sticking it to Americans in a very passive aggressive way, in my Canadian opinion.

[Resolute 14]

slcrocket - The Jays really are a national team. All of Canada is their TV and radio market, and many years of TSN positioning and promoting the Jays as Canada's team have borne this out. The team itself does events across the country as well.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

Also, you have to understand that these same Canadian fans that are obnoxious at Safeco sit on their hands at Canuck games or at the Saddledome for that matter.

Why the difference? It is just a way to show some national pride which Canadians don't typically show at their own home games for fear of looking like an idiot unless it's the gold medal game in hockey. And nothing feels better than sticking it to Americans in a very passive aggressive way, in my Canadian opinion.

The idiotic Canada vs. USA inferiority complex in hockey doesn't transfer to baseball, imo. This is a Jays thing, not a Canada thing. And in general, fans of the visiting team do tend to be louder than when they are at home. It is a bit of 'in enemy territory, look stronger/bigger/tougher' mentality. I doubt Seattle fans would behave much differently if the situation were reversed.

Also, thanks to poor management by the Expos, long before even the carpetbagger Loria entered the scene, the Jays had established their presence as the national team by the mid 80s. Winning teams helped a lot.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Why do Canadians cheer for the Jays? It's Toronto (Gross) not Canada's team. Especially coming from Calgary, I was a Mariners fan as a kid.

Serious question here.

I think as people have mentioned being "Canada's team" and having them forced down our throats by all the media here probably contributes a lot to fans from all over the country.

As well for many people around 35 the Jays teams of the early 90's when they are likely choosing teams were top teams so an easy team to latch on to.

I think that the amount of Jays fans outside of TO in other parts of Canada gets largely over stated. I personally don't get it and hate any time the use of Canada's team is used because it is inaccurate.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

This is a Jays thing, not a Canada thing. And in general, fans of the visiting team do tend to be louder than when they are at home. It is a bit of 'in enemy territory, look stronger/bigger/tougher' mentality. I doubt Seattle fans would behave much differently if the situation were reversed.

It's becomes a Canada thing when Canadian flags are plastered all over Safeco when the BJs visit. Watch the game and listen to how loud "Oh Canada" is or the spontaneous renditions of the anthem....weird stuff.

The only comparable are the Sounders derbys at Empire field/BC Place in the past--the Seattle fans are loud and have Sounders/ Cascadia region flags but not American flags. Maybe that changed this year at the July match that I didn't go to but I doubt it.

[nik-]

I spent my summers in Ontario as a child and also played and lived baseball. Watched every single game all summer with my grandparents.

The Blue Jays were my life and are tied to some very fond memories, it's ingrained. My favourite player was Ken Griffey Jr though ... so there's a Mariners connection.

[seattleflamer]

^^^Family in TO are huge BJ fans. Can't do it. Expos were my first and only team. I was very young and impressionable with the magical 81 Expos team. Devasted by "Blue Monday" and the '94 strike. Mariners were my AL team when the Cannons became the farm team and didn't hurt moving to Seattle.

[The Goon]

Been here in Seattle a couple of days. Beautiful city.

Went to the aquarium and Space Needle today. Jays outfits everywhere. Looking forward to the game tomorrow.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Go there before a hawks game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNYAlLI-KQ

Sports!

[Enoch Root]

There was a group of fans at the game last night all wearing Oilers jerseys - looked like complete dolts.

Whenever I see that, all I can think is: is this the first time you've been away from home?

Similar thing with Roughrider jerseys at Coyotes games - ok, we get it, you're from Saskatchewan. Now can you please wear something else for one night?

[East Coast Flame]

The one dude in the Jays jersery sitting in the Kings Court was classic. I laughed every time they showed him.

But yeah, the Oilers yokels looked pretty ridiculous.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

The one dude in the Jays jersery sitting in the Kings Court was classic. I laughed every time they showed him.

But yeah, the Oilers yokels looked pretty ridiculous.

Yes, that was awesome