What a shameful memory. Shameful because the high school kids who started the riots probably hadn’t finished “Lord of the Flies” yet, a mandatory read. Too many have gone into detail on how Vancouver was almost burnt down or how those standing and watching the mayhem were just as bad as the rioter or I could repeat thoughts on how the mob mentality controlled those of the individual, but what I really want to talk about is whats being ignored: the Vancouver Canuck fan.
Firstly, what is a Vancouver Canuck Fan? Avoiding the obvious, a Vancouver Canucks Fan is someone who understands respect. Win or Loss, you respect that Hockey is a game at the end of the day. You respect every 82 regular games as a season with positivity despite nay-sayers and you respect even those who “aren’t Canucks fans but more Playoff fans” because you understand that the positivity one can get from winning is a feeling worth sharing. Hell, that’s why sports fans live vicariously through “their” team, the team wins and they win. I respect what The Vancouver Canucks have won in the last 40 years but all victories aside, in the eyes of those outside of Vancouver Canucks Fan’s sphere of influence we haven’t won any respect.
This was supposed to be our year.
Destiny.
The Stanley Cup Finals. Those words are enough to get an unforced cheer out of any Vancouver Canucks fan or any Hockey Fan for that matter.
This year we were laying Boston a team where there was no rooted hate in any history of either franchise. Of course that’s all changed now.
For the Boston Bruins it was a chance to end the drought and give all their fans that never lived to see their last five cups a chance to see Stanley proper. For the Vancouver Canucks it was so much bigger. It was.
In Game 7 the entire Media made Vancouver out to be “the bad guys” and Boston as “the Good Guys” with Tim Thomas as its patron saint, who could do no wrong despite all efforts. At the beginning of the post-season Boston media had perfect name calling into an art. Trash talk is what makes sports fun, but who would have guess that Vancouver would not have gotten back up from Canadian media? When Roberto Luongo wasn’t “Jekyll or Hyde”; CBC was either calling him “a cry baby” or “ a goaltending critic”. Don’t get me started on the Rome suspension, the Mason Raymond hit, or Alex Burrows face gouge. All sides of media would take Boston’s side on these scenarios. You knew the name-calling and media spinning got so one sided when you have Don Cherry defending the Canucks. Nuff said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDan16FhcwI
Game 7 transformed into Vancouver versus the NHL. Vancouver needed this win; I needed this win, because we needed the respect. To move on as a city from the shame of never winning a cup, something most cities in Canada have a few of and use as a trump card in trash talk. This was the chance to prove them all wrong.
Instead we proved them right.
Online and I hear Canada calling us ‘Un-Canadian’ which really got to me because the anger was directed at the city, the team and its fans, not at those responsible. Don’t talk to me about the riots. If your not a Canucks fan you wouldn’t understand. Those who rioted were not Canucks fans just as much as those who have criticize my city are not Canucks fans.
Why couldn’t they just take off their Jersey when burning those cars?
As a Canuck fan I’m angry at how the fans were framed and I’m even angrier with those who judge us with compassion. So for those who have something say about my city understand this: You can’t/won’t understand not at the slightest so stop spreading the hate and either help us move on or shut up!
THIS RIOT DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF A HOCKEY LOSS.
The weight of losing for 40 years does carry a toll but every Vancouver Canuck fan knows that toll is not enough to hurt people.
No comments:
Post a Comment