South of the border, Canada isn’t always acknowledged and appreciated in the world of sports as much as Canadians would like.
Whether it’s the Dwyane Wade shooting through the Canadian national anthem or fans in Texas chanting U-S-A during the Toronto Blue Jays–Texas Rangers brawl earlier this year, sporting events rarely bring those living on either side of the 49th parallel together.
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies are doing something to reverse that trend by holding a “Canadian Heritage Celebration.” According to the team’s website the first 500 fans will receive a Matt Stairs jersey shirt with Phillies-themed skates on the front:
Stairs, who is now the club’s TV colour analyst, will also throw out the pitch. The Fredericton, N.B., native played two seasons for the Phillies hitting .208/.351/.425, winning a World Series title with the team in 2008. The former slugger also spent two years with the Blue Jays hitting .270/.356/.476 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI. His 265 career MLB home runs rank second all-time among Canadians behind Larry Walker.
The Canadian theme apparently extends beyond the field of play to the press box where the dinner menu contains supposed northern favourites like caribou stew and “Toronto swordfish.”
Nothing like a little caribou stew on Canadian heritage night in Philly. Matt Stairs is throwing out the first pitch pic.twitter.com/kMcqwI54sO
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) June 15, 2016
It may take more than a few shirts and a little caribou stew to repair sports relations between Canada and the United States, but it’s a start.
