[jtg33]

I'm not sure I agree either. The Expos have been around for many years, so the Canadians would have gotten over any hatred for the team or the sport decades ago. There may be a few crotchity old men, out ice fishing somewhere, complaining about the sport and about how the Americans were jackasses for bringing it to the Great White North, but last time I checked a couple old Canadians didn't make a damned bit of difference outside their shacks.

I think the biggest difference between the passion for the Expos and the Canadiens is consistency. The 'Spos haven't been to the playoffs since 1981, and they had very long stretches of inconsistency where they dwelled near the bottom of the NL for years and years. Tha Canadiens, however, are pretty much the symbol of Canada (much like the Yankees, unfortunately, are for the United States): They represent the pinnacle of success, the best you can be. They've been competitive for decades, they've had some of the greatest players ever to play the game, and they've won 23 Stanley Cups - more than any other team, ever.

The Canadiens have played in Montreal since the 1920's; the Expos haven't been in Canada nearly as long. The Canadiens are simply imbedded in the history of Canada, and their franchise history will make them impossible to forget. Faced with this sort of history and tradition, the Expos simply can't compete. From the MLB's standpoint, it will be more profitable to move an underappreciated team to a region that will be glad to have them in town. That's not to say there aren't true Expo fans, but there simply aren't enough.

On a side note, I doubt the booing of the American national anthem at hockey playoff games has anything to do with Canadians hating the United States. Perhaps it does for some people, but the fans are more likely just trying to find another excuse to boo the Bruins when they're on the ice.