They Came For A Vegas Golden Knights Game and An Anti-Biden Chant Broke Out; Some Fans Concerned Brandon Chant Finds Its Way Into VGK Games At T-Mobile Arena
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Legions of fans come to Vegas Golden Knights games to T-Mobile Arena to cheer for their team — the Golden Knights. Sometimes, the Knights’ foes have their own fans, too, inside the venue on the Strip. For example, you will see some fans at the hockey arena wearing Edmonton Oilers sweaters at today’s VGK vs Oilers game at the arena.
But during this VGK season, a small fraction of people attend Golden Knights games to root for their own team and think National Hockey League games at a sports arena are a good place for political chants.
At Golden Knights games, the “Let’s go Brandon” chant has been heard at VGK home contests at T-Mobile Arena. It’s a euphemistic chant that’s code for “Fuck you Joe Biden.”
But there’s more than just chants.
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People have chosen Golden Knights games to apply “Let’s go Brandon” stickers on towel dispensers inside bathrooms at Golden Knights games.
Steve McInelly, of Las Vegas, who attends many Golden Knights games with his wife, said, “The Brandon chant is best just to be ignored but now I’ve seen stickers that’s stuck on paper towel dispensers in the men’s rooms. The chant, as stupid as it is, is one thing. But the vandalism with the stickers in the arena is worse than the chant.”
On Saturday night at a college basketball game, LVSportsBiz.com found these stickers inside two bathrooms in the arena’s upper bowl. The stickers have been there at least a week since the VGK vs Columbus game Nov. 20.
And another person at Golden Knights games was so upset about a Let’s go Brandon reference at the “NHL Fights Cancer” night on Nov. 20 when the Knights hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets that he made this post on Twitter.
Golden Knights fan Leo Garcia who attends VGK games at T-Mobile Arena said, “Somebody writing ‘let go brandon’ on . . . on the cancer card shows zero compassion or human decency for those who are fighting or who have lost their battle with cancer.”
The Vegas Golden Knights play at T-Mobile Arena, where signs are allowed at events only if the sign’s content is relevant to the particular event.
But arena ushers and security failed to take immediate action when two people displayed a Trump flag at a Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena earlier this season.
VGK fan Garcia, who snapped this photo of the Trump sign display, told LVSportsBiz.com, “I did not see anybody approach them and they had the flag up at least a few minutes.”
McInelly also vented his frustration on a Facebook fan site about some fans who chanted, “USA USA USA,” during the Canadian national anthem that was performed before a Vancouver Canucks vs Golden Knights game Nov. 13.
“It’s extremely disrespectful. Canada is our neighbor. Why be disrespectful?,” McInelly told LVSportsBiz.com. “At the end of the day, I just want the Golden Knights to win and get home safe.” McInelly noted that many of the Golden Knights players are from Canada.
LVSportsBiz.com presented these issues to the Vegas Golden Knights and requested the team’s response.
We have not received any response. But if we get one, we will share it.
It should be noted that Golden Knights owner Bill Foley supported former President Donald Trump. According to ESPN, Foley contributed nearly $1 million to Trump and Republican Party candidates and causes from 2018-2020.
LVSportsBiz.com covers sports events at Las Vegas Raiders and UNLV football games at Allegiant Stadium, UNLV basketball games at Thomas & Mack Center, and boxing matches at various arenas in Las Vegas and have not heard the Brandon slogan chanted by people at venues. Why at Vegas Golden Knights home games?
McInelly spoke for many when he said he would like the Golden Knights games to be free of political statements.
“Maybe one day we can actually get along in life without all the political horse shit that we are all fed daily,” he said.
