The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Tuesday, March 13

Hello, Hoddlers!

It is going to snow again in my part of the United States, but I will distract myself with a story about a trip to a sporting event.

Ramble of the Day

Last night, I went to a sporting event that was not a football match for the first time in about six months. (That is not terribly surprising, since I do not watch a lot of other sports.) It was the NHL match between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes, which ended 6-3 in favor of the Rangers. The match itself was entertaining, as a nine-goal thriller naturally is, but I was incredibly fascinated by the supporter culture at Madison Square Garden. Before I continue, I must share that this was only my second hockey game, so the sample size is small and this may not be indicative of all hockey venues. I do have some observations, though!

First, the atmosphere is a bit weird for someone who is used to the unending singing at a football match. This is more of a reflection on the people who are in charge of the game day experience, since they blare music during every single stoppage of play, even if only one line of a generic pop song can be played. That then leads to fewer opportunities for the supporters to show off their chants.

The Rangers crowd found their ways to show their support. Being that their side scored six goals, they celebrated quite frequently. They have a ... creative song that features mostly sounds, with the only word being “hey,” all repeated several times over. It makes me laugh every time, but the venue’s atmosphere is definitely unmatched when the supporters sing their song.

The best part about the supporter culture, at least on that day, was a small thing that happened somewhat infrequently, and only in certain sections. Someone in the crowd would whistle a tune incredibly loudly, to the point where it was impressive. After the tune was over, anyone that heard it and wanted to participate would shout, “Dahlbeck sucks!” I have no idea why Rangers supporters hate Klas Dahlbeck, but the coded call to insult an opponent was so impressive that I think it should be adopted by football fans. It does not have to be a signal to launch insults, of course, but I found it to be well executed. (I think the element of surprise, at least for me, helped in my appreciation of it.)

I wonder if they have different whistles for different players.

Links of the Day

Southampton have sacked Mauricio Pellegrino.

Jamie Carragher has been suspended by Sky Sports after he spit on a teenager.

Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri made sexist remarks to a female journalist over the weekend, and is now apologizing.

Another managerial war of words, this time unexpectedly pitting José Mourinho and Frank de Boer against each other.

Today’s longer read: Archie Rhind-Tutt interviewed Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel on his choice to hire Domenico Tedesco last year for The Independent