Stay classy, Edmonton.

With the arrival of Chris Pronger looming on the horizon, Edmonton has been wondering what kind of welcome he deserves. I am lucky enough to have tickets to see that game. Message boards and newpaper inboxes alike have been overwhelmed with opinions. Some say that booing is never classy. Some say that because Pronger played so well for Edmonton last season, he deserves a hero's welcome. They're wrong.

Well, partly. While booing might never be considered classy, there is a time and a place for it. It would be considered unclassy to boo someone else's national anthem. I think that we can all agree that that should never again happen in Edmonton. But booing a player who behaved like a petulant child and disrespected your city is not classless. It's harmless, and Pronger will be expecting it (the only thing better would be to not utter a sound. That would damage Pronger's ego much more than booing ever would. It's also impossible, for all 16 000+ fans will not agree). It's harmless as long as the line is drawn there. Throwing shit onto the ice (unless it's frozen beef prior to a playoff game) and having the booming Rexall voice remind you not to three times before resorting to threats makes Edmonton look like a city full of rednecks.

If you're at the game tomorrow, boo if you'd like but keep your hands to yourself. Then, as Alana said, we can get on with our lives.