PHILADELPHIA (CNN) – Although many Philadelphia Flyers fans cheered and clapped as Sarah Palin took to the ice at the Wachovia Center on Saturday night to drop the ceremonial puck kicking off this town's NHL season, their warm reception was no match for the 90 seconds of sustained booing that rumbled through the arena, drowning out most of the cheers in support of the Republican vice presidential nominee.
As Palin stepped onto the ice before a capacity crowd to drop the puck, joined by her daughters Willow and Piper, the arena's jumbotron flashed a futile message to the thousands of notoriously harsh Philadelphia sports fans in attendance.
"Flyers fans, show Philadelphia's class and welcome America's #1 hockey mom, Sarah Palin," the massive electronic message board pleaded, to little effect. Booing quickly erupted when the smiling candidate emerged from a tunnel leading onto the ice, muffling the applause of any Palin supporters in the crowd.
Some in the audience simply gave her a thumbs down gesture. Others called her names.
Palin spent about a minute and a half on center ice, posing for pictures with Flyers captain Mike Richards and New York Rangers assistant captain Scotty Gomez, an Alaska native. The crowd commotion was sustained for her entire time in the rink.
Palin's showing did not appear to help the Flyers, who looked hapless in the first period, giving up four goals to their rivals from New York. The governor stayed to watch the first two periods with family and staff in the box of Flyers owner Ed Snider, and by the time she departed the Wachovia Center for her hotel, the Flyers had narrowed the lead to 4-2.
From CNN Politics
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Philly fans have booed Santa Claus in the past, so booing Palin doesn't surprise me.
GO FLYERS FANS!!!!
Not quite whatch'yer use to, is it? Welcome to the rest of America, where rural hockey mom's are NOT what is wanted in the White House. I hope it was as rude an awakening. I can only hope that she'll begin to realize that this is a diverse country with a diverse populace that doesn't want their government to box them into the same mindset as the small rural town in no-mans-land Alaska that she calls home.
I'm glad she got booed, her and her bad luck cost them the game.
Obama for President!
Biden for Vice President!!
BOO!
Philly isn't backwoods PA, Sarah!
Did you really think that because you're a "hockey mom" that these people would see you as anything other than the vacuous, race-baiting danger that you are???
This campaign is clueless!
She is over her head and out of her element she needs to go back to Alaska.
OBVIOUSLY, SHE ISNT AMERICA'S FAVORITE HOCKEY MOM-HA!!
I think as always sports or games don't usually go with politics. Fans think you are wasting their time.
The NHL should be ashamed of playing politics with their teams. It makes a Flyer fan feel like his team endorses Palin.
serves her right, after all the stuff she made up on the trail
Mebbe they shoulda only allowed McCain/Palin *supporters* into the rink – then the news would have been about "thousands expressing fervent adulation as the Alaska governor took the ice."
Flyers fans are a tough crowd, for sure, but there's more to this: people – outside the safety of the controlled venue – just don't like the bulldog...
If I saw Dick Cheney in drag skating onto the ice, i would probably boo too.
Good job Philly.
Gov. Palin seems to be getting some of the hatred back that she's been spewing out over the past few days! I guess Americans aren't as racist as you thought, huh Gov. Palin! They won't allow your racist hateful words divide this country any further. It's time to come together!
Thank you guys.
I am not a hockey fan, but thank you Philly for showing Palin that she does not represent you just because she is a "hockey-joe six pack mom"...I love you guys in Philly.
Obama/Biden08
Caribou Barbie had a dose of reality. It seems the American people have woken up.Can;t blame this on gotcha journalism. Palin is the most pathetic vice presedential pick on the last 40 years. Smears and lies are not going to work. Americans want real leadership and a real plan for our future. McCain has to be beside himself over the latest polls. Time for McFossil to retire and Caribou Barbie to go back to the frozen north. Can you say Obama in a landslide? Stick a fork in em-this ticket is done.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!
Appropriate reception given that she was in a real crowd not those hateful mongers she has been paling around with!
I thought all the "hockey moms' were just like you Sarah "Plain" . I guess you were lying about that also. You should be ashamed of yourself. Everytime I see your innocent childred on the campaign trail with you, I get disgusted. They should be home enjoying things with their friends and being children. You are such a wanna be!
OBAMA/BIDEN 08
Good for the people who bood her. I boo her too!!
Finally the people in philly are booing something I can agree with!!
I think that is wrong, just wrong. What is wrong with people? I am a Obama supporter through and through, but the thought of people having no regard for the fact that she was with her two kids just floors me. Politics aside, her kids do not deserve that and it would be wonderful to think that Americans would stand on the principle of caring about those kids first. Yes, I realize she is putting her kids in the spotlight, and I really don't agree with that either, but I draw the line with going along with people behaving this way. Shame on each and everyone who boo'd her.
Guess flyers fans aren't fans of governors that have been proven to have abused their power. Good for them!
Hockey mom #1 booed at the hockey game that is what you call in the wrong place at the right time