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Humor-free Lightning fans force Boston Bruins to remove billboard ads poking fun at them

Bruins-Lightning billboard

Part of the fun of the playoffs when you’re a fan is finding ways you can poke fun at the opposition. Sometimes the barbs are fun and playful, other times they pick on the hardships going on with the team or the city they come from. From funny to crass to some being downright class-free it’s all part of the shenanigans that go down when teams get to spend a couple weeks duking it out with each other.

In Boston, the Bruins have their own fun way of stoking the flames of a rivalry whether one exists or not. Around Boston, the Bruins have billboards up that find crafty ways of needling the oppositions fan base. They did it to Montreal in the first round and Philadelphia in the second round.

When it came to Tampa Bay, a team that the Bruins don’t really have much of a history with, they had to get innovative and crafted their ad for this series to say: “The Loch Ness Monster. Bigfoot. Tampa Bay Lightning fans.”

Of course, when having some good old harmless fun at the expense of a fan base that isn’t exactly used to these shenanigans, you get some people that get upset. In the case of the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was a radio DJ who helped lead the charge in complaining about the Bruins billboards which led to the team then taking them down.

And here I thought we’ve evolved as a people. Damian Cristodero has the story from the Tampa Bay point of view as the leaders of the charge to get the ads taken down say their part. Tampa radio host Mike Calta (aka: Cowhead) being the ringleader.

“In a swift and strong attack we showed the Bruins organization that not only do we exist, but we are ready to fight for our team,” Calta told the St. Petersb urg Times in an e-mail. “We moved in like Seal Team 6 and shut them down in a way that other teams they attacked have never been able to do.”

“I don’t know how you can’t take it personally,” said Chad Schnarr, co-founder of BoltProspects.com, a popular website dedicated to Tampa Bay’s minor-league and junior players.

“When you take on the fans, you’re going right to them. I don’t think you can just laugh it off when it’s directed at you. Some understand it’s a joke, but ...”

Sigh.

What ever happened to having fun? We all know what it’s like when fans of an opposing team say something that gets under your skin. You get mad, you get grumpy, you let it fester inside of you until it burns a bit too much. The best way to fight back against it though it to dish it right back.

After all, if you’re a Tampa Bay fan and you want to get back at Bruins fans you can pick on them about how they’ve been Bruins fans as long as it’s been fashionable to and that some of them are on the bandwagon just to pick up women. It’s far too easy to pick on them about how they’re just killing time until they can get fully invested in the Red Sox season.

See how easy this is? Enjoy the playoffs everyone, they’re meant for good time heckling on behalf of your team.

(Thanks to CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty for the photo of the billboard)