Let’s Go (insert winning team name here)!

As Kevin Bieksa’s knuckler into the bottom corner laid the San Jose Sharks to rest, simultaneously he awoke a new wave of Canuck “fans” who are hopping on the wagon just in time for the Stanley Cup finals. (Hurry up it’s almost full!!)

Despite the game finishing in the early morning hours on the east coast, this new breed of spring canuckleheads have taken over the social networking airwaves.

Time and time again these “fans” plaster their Facebook or Twitter accounts with admiration for their new team.  The “LOUUU”’s, “Marry me Kesler” and “I Heart Sedins, “are appearing at an unprecedented rate. The Canuck Coma is hitting Canadians harder than Bieber Fever!

So what if they have never heard of Pavel Bure or Trevor Linden, thought Raffi Torres was the name of a pasta or can’t quite understand why the fans always “Boo” Luongo after a save. (They’re actually saying “Lou” people).

You see, all of this just matter because the Canucks are doing one thing that everyone, even Charlie Sheen can appreciate, they’re WINNING!

Here’s a math formula for you nerdy types.

Winning + Playoffs = New Fans!

It’s quite simple really. Things get really interesting when you throw in the fact one of these teams is Canadian. I guess the formula would look more like this:

(Winning + playoffs) Canadian team = New Fans x 2!

Unlike some of my fellow countrymen, I’ve never bought into this “route for a Canadian team because you’re Canadian” rationale.

I get it! You’re a proud Canadian. You love your country and are passionate about hockey. This just in, we have a tournament for that, it’s called the Olympics. (We even have the World Juniors if you can’t wait every four years).

I think you would be hard pressed to find a Philly fan cheering for the Penguins because they want a team in Pennsylvania to win. A Panthers fan (if there really are any) cheering for the Lightning because they just want the cup in the sunshine state. You won’t find it because it doesn’t happen, frankly it doesn’t really make any sense.

As a fan of a Canadian team (Leafs, yes I am a leafs fan. Please keep reading), there is one team and one team only from Canada I want to win. Why would I want to claim the Canucks as my own? Or the Oilers, Flames, Senators, Canadians…Jets? I see these teams as rivals not as buddies. The only thing we have in common is that we play above the 49th parallel. If anything, the fact that you’re Canadian gives me more incentive to cheer against you.

Some fans are fortunate to see their team win a championship in their lifetime. The 86 year drought the Red Sox suffered actually killed some people, Leafs and Cubs fans are well on their way.

So cheer all you want. I get it, the playoffs are exciting and it’s cool to cheer for a winner, but if the Canucks do in fact hoist the Stanley Cup, think twice before you run to Facebook and tell your buddies that “WE DID IT,” and how proud you are of Henrik, Daniel and the boys.

Let the real Canuck fans enjoy their day (I know a few who will be more than happy to remind me they’ve won) because many of them have paid their dues and as a sports fan you have to respect that. So as the season comes to a close, band wagoner’s rejoice and relax, it will only be 11 short months until you have to start cheering again.

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