Hundreds of fans came to cheer on the referees at the Canucks game in New York
While most fans arrived to Barclays Center in Brooklyn to cheer on the New York Islanders or the visiting Vancouver Canucks, hundreds of people were cheering for another team.
Wearing black and white striped shirts, they came to cheer on the referees and linesmen.
Seriously.
Two full sections of referee fans at the #Canucks #Islanders game having a hoot pic.twitter.com/VFJjXnZtQT
— Matt (@dooley_matt_) February 1, 2020
The group was there to celebrate “Referee Appreciation Night,” an annual event now in their fourth year according to the group’s website.
The rest of the fans at Barclays are booing the refs but these ones aren’t. Hundreds here for a fan organized Ref Appreciation night. https://t.co/UINv1I7IJO pic.twitter.com/DIN2XKtkif
— Patrick Johnston (@risingaction) February 1, 2020
The group describes themselves as “a bunch of strangers (soon to be best friends) going to a hockey game dressed as referees and cheering for the refs…and only the refs.” They’re hoping to promote a “pro-sportsmanship agenda worldwide.”
The group started with 27 fans at the inaugural event in 2017, but has grown considerably since then. They had 120 fans in 2018, 340 in 2019, and the goal for 2020 was to get over 600 fans to celebrate the refs.
We’re not exactly sure how many people showed up, but they filled most of two sections of the arena. It looked like a fun party, as the group cheered every penalty, offside, icing, and “really anytime those glorious zebras blow their whistles.”
Two sections of fans cheering for the refs at the #Canucks vs #Isles game in Brooklyn. Amazing 😂 pic.twitter.com/PeLA5bVtVY
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) February 1, 2020
🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓 😳 pic.twitter.com/jN6mXrXBv3
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) February 1, 2020
Ref day #Isles pic.twitter.com/2Dxm2j7kQX
— Steve Rockoff (@SteelIsles) February 1, 2020
There is an entire section of zebras at this Islanders game and they are chanting “let’s go refs” and going NUTS for every icing and offside call. pic.twitter.com/lPfY0Bx5j9
— Barry Petchesky (@barry) February 1, 2020
All these refs and the #isles still can’t get a call pic.twitter.com/UVAgKyjEP3
— 🦞 (@NickLeddysBeard) February 1, 2020
- See also:
Follow Channels and Categories