More often than not, Philadelphia sports fans get a bad rap - and most would say for good reason - but the Flyers' diehards showed they have a soft side Tuesday night.
Sometimes a hockey game - even one as important as this one - just doesn't seem to matter, if only for a few fleeting moments. This was one of those times.
While Sidney Crosby may be persona non grata in these parts, a fact confirmed by the endless "Crosby Sucks" chants that echo through the walls of the Wachovia Center, fans of the Philadelphia Flyers put their egos, not to mention their reputation, aside for a stirring tribute to slain Philadelphia police sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, who was murdered in the line of duty earlier this month.
Prior to Game 3 of their Eastern Conference final, just before P.A. announcer Lou Nolan was set to ask the crowd to pay tribute to Liczbinski with a moment of silence, the fallen sergeant's picture was flashed on the Wach scoreboard. That was the only cue Flyer fans needed, breaking out in a touching prolonged ovation.
One of the most overused clichés in sport is when a player takes one for the team. For reasons that aren't clearly understood, the act is often seen as heroic, perhaps even noble, in the hockey world.
Never mind taking one for the team.
No, Liczbinski gave one for his own team, his own family, his own city. Gave his life. There is nobility for you.
Stephen Liczbinski was a lifelong Flyer fan and cheered each and every victory in this improbable run, a run that seems destined to come up short.
Towards the end of his funeral service, his son, Matt, led the gathered in an impromptu rendition of that famous Flyers' chant.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, Let's Go Flyers!
As a city mourns, it rather puts the precarious fragility of life in perspective. Hockey is a game. Nothing more. The Flyers will come back this fall. Stephen Liczbinski will not. It's not tough to figure out which loss will be harder to take. The normally rough-and-tumble Philly fans reminded you Tuesday.
And on his last ride, draped from the back window of the hearse carrying Liczbinski's body to his final resting place, there it was. A Flyers' sign.
A hero, and a fan, right to the end.