The Message Lost its Meaning

Cubby Tees, a Chicago shirt making company, has come under fire for producing t-shirts with the slogan “Chicago Stronger,” accompanied by the Blackhawks logo, for the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins. The issue stems from Bostonians using “Boston Strong” as a rallying cry in the wake of the bombing at this year’s Boston City Marathon, and the perception that “Chicago Stronger” is making light of the tragedy that occurred. Much has been made about the insensitivity of the shirts, and quite a few people have admonished Cubby Tees for attempting to profit off of tragedy – the shirts have been pulled from the company’s web store and an apology issued. The question that hasn’t been raised, or raised enough, is whether Bruins fans have made the phrase fair game by removing it from the tragedy that inspired it. If Bruins fans chant “Boston Strong” during a game, are they really chanting to bring awareness to the ongoing struggle of the people affected by the bombing, or are they simply chanting in support of their team?

Many will claim that teams are inextricably linked with a city or a community, but history has shown this to be far from true. The Colts are no longer in Baltimore, the Dodgers no longer play in Brooklyn, and the Nets no longer call New Jersey home. Ok, so that last one is a bit of a stretch, but the point remains that sports teams are only tied to a location by the owner.  The Bruins are no more permanently tied to Boston than any other team is tied to its city, which is to say they will be there until an owner decides to move them. Many also claim that a sports team is capable of revitalizing a devastated community, and giving the citizens something to believe in after witnessing unspeakable tragedy, these people tend to be sports writers. It isn’t that some people don’t rally behind their team following a tragedy; it’s just ridiculous to assume that every individual that has been affected by a tragedy is a fan of the local team. As offensive as some people may find “Chicago Stronger” there are certainly Bostonians who find it equally offensive that “Boston Strong” has become a chant at sporting events. Because the Bruins are not Boston; the people are Boston. The Bruins were not attacked, the bomb was not placed in their training facilities; the people were attacked. The Bruins aren’t trying to overcome a tragedy, the people are.  

By taking the phrase “Boston Strong” and turning it into a chant to be yelled during a third period face off, Bruin fans are removing the message from the movement. “Boston Strong” ceases to be a rallying cry of a city trying to overcome tragedy, and instead it becomes the rallying cry of a fan base desperate to have a championship parade. Sports may be capable of helping some people heal emotionally, but Lord Stanley’s Cup isn’t going to grow back lost limbs, or revive the dead. “Chicago Stronger” wasn’t a slogan made in response to one city’s fight to regain normalcy: rather, it was made in response to Bruin fans using “Boston Strong” to support their team. This is exactly the type of one-upmanship that fan bases are supposed to engage in. There is nothing wrong with wanting “Boston Strong” to be, at least in the short-term, treated as sacrosanct, but then the people of Boston need to take the initiative and treat it that way. Once you begin chanting “Boston Strong” in the bottom of the 9^th it loses its meaning, and it becomes just another chant. So wear your “Boston Strong” bracelet, put the phrase on your shirt, and cheer on the Bruins, but remember that once you stop shouting it out for your city and begin shouting it out for your team, the rest of us can’t help but forget that it ever had any other meaning.