It's hard to begrudge Nashville Predators fans for wanting to get in a few jabs at Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. He's been in beast mode all playoffs, establishing his physical presence while being one of the best players on the ice for Winnipeg.
So, naturally, Nashville fan Ben McGreevy started chirping Big Buff almost immediately after taking his seat at Bridgestone Arena for Game 2. However, he soon found out that the two Jets fans sitting behind him had a pretty special connection with the hulking Winnipeg blue-liner.
"I hear them laughing every single time I throw something at Byfuglien and finally, late in the second period, I stood up, and that's when I say, 'Byfuglien, you're the biggest piece of dirt on the ice!'
"And they just started dying at that," said McGreevy, according to CBC Sports.
After turning around to apologize to the couple, McGreevy learned they were closer to Byfuglien than he expected.
"I turn around, and I acknowledge the fact that (Byfuglien's) a good player and that's why I do it, and they stop and say 'No, no, no, we think it's awesome, it's hilarious - he's our son,'" Greevy explained.
That's right: The two committed Jets fans that made the trip down to Nashville were actually Byfuglien's mother and stepfather.
"I was honestly speechless. My words couldn't come out. I just started stuttering - I've just insulted someone's son for two hours right in front of their face," McGreevy said.
The couple took the trash talk in stride and shared a few laughs with McGreevy, even answering a fan's question from Twitter about how they raised such a strong and physically imposing hockey player.
McGreevy's next chance to heckle his favorite Jet comes Saturday when the series shifts back to Nashville for Game 5.
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