Pat McAfee, a WWE and ESPN commentator, spared no insults when he criticized Canadian fans for booing the U.S. national anthem at the WWE Elimination Chamber in Toronto on Saturday night.
McAfee was at the announcer’s table, ready to perform his assigned duties during the star-studded event. He had a front-row seat when the rowdy Canucks hurled a torrent of boos as the night started.
The trend of booing began on 1 February when Ottawa fans booed before their game against Minnesota Wild. The trend continued the following night when Canadian basketball fans booed the anthem at the Los Angeles Clippers game against the Toronto Raptors.
The anthem battles continued during the 4 Nations Face Off when the U.S. faced Canada twice. In Montreal, Team USA and Canada fought three times within the first nine seconds after booing the U.S. national anthem.
The boos were heard on the day President Trump issued executive orders imposing tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods. He had also joked about Canada becoming “the 51st state” on social media.
McAfee stated, “This was the WWE’s most stacked Elimination Chambers. It’s kind of a bummer that the Canadians booed our national anthem to kick off this whole thing. It’s going to be a historic evening for the WWE as they head towards WrestleMania.”
Canadian fans booed the U.S. anthem before an MLS match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday.
