Stanley Cup Fail

Kent is an avid hockey fan, and I have learned to love the sport over the years. We were both rooting for the Canucks this week during the final series of the Stanley Cup. Though Kent is a die hard Oilers fan, he switched to Canucks as soon as the Oilers were out of the running. The finals were a roller coaster of emotions with our team alternately squeaking out a victory, or getting creamed by the Bruins, so the final game was rife with tension and anxiety.
I made “game food” in preparation for the Hubster’s snacking pleasure during the game, and Kent had stocked up on beer. We were ready to watch and cheer, though only cautiously optimistic about the chances of a win.
Alas, in this we were disappointed, as Boston scored on Vancouver again and again early in the game, and our guys never recovered. It was a let down, but we conceded that Boston had outplayed Vancouver, and did deserve the cup. What happened afterwards, however, ruined the whole experience for us and for many other hockey fans.
After the game, some of the people leaving the area started a riot. They flipped over cars and set them on fire, they smashed windows, knocked down gates, and generally ran amok. Watching this on the news, we were horrified that the world was viewing these events and judging Canada, Vancouver, and all of hockey fans by these actions. We knew that most of the fans had acted honourably inside the stadium after the game, had peacefully left the area and returned home without incident (except those many who paused to capture the riotous spectacles on their cell phone cameras). But the small percentage of people who caused the trouble that night made a huge mess, thousands of dollars of damage, and embarrassed the whole country in front of the rest of the world. I was sickened by the stupidity and thoughtlessness displayed by these individuals.
The media, of course covered the burning cars and people breaking and damaging property the rest of the evening. The world saw these images and was reminded again and again of the previous riots in Vancouver, also precipitated by a lost hockey game. And strangers seeing us through the media say to themselves, “Those crazy Canadians, they get too riled up over hockey. Look at how dangerous they become time and time again!“ I can’t stand the thought of us being viewed like this when nothing could be further from the truth.
Through friends I was exposed to images of the next day in Vancouver; thousands of volunteers returned to the wasted downtown area and cleaned up broken glass, boarded up windows, and set the city somewhat back to rights. These are the real fans, the real Vancouverites who care about their city! Has the media been covering this act of selflessness and community? I sure hope so, because though it may not make for as “juicy” an image on television, I feel it shows a lot more of the truth of who we are.
Though I was not among those who helped clean up the mess left by immature and reckless young people (I live about a half day’s drive from Vancouver), I am proud of the people of Vancouver. I still feel at home there, I still think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I am still proud to be Canadian!