Vancouver should be Auckland's warning

All I’ve seen on TV, across the networks, is pointless hand-wringing. Oh-dear, oh-dear fretting. The bizarre stress on the post-riot clean-up is simply a redundant feel-good story. Layering that story with one thing concerning social-media serving to link individuals within the clean-up is specious.


What happened in Vancouver was a failure of policing and an indulgence of male rage that's half and parcel of the hockey culture. It’s a brief step from all that bellowing on TV concerning “establish the fore-check” and “get additional shots and find traffic in front of the net” to rage on the road.

Hockey has political salience in Canada. A generally stunning and generally brutal game, it's been co-opted by the Conservative government to become an allegedly defining Canadian quality, one amongst toughness, because the Conservatives attempt to remould Canada into a warrior nation, happy with being way more militarized. Putting such a lot stress on hockey as defining us in our new toughness – particularly when done by figures in authority – solely pushes up the temperature surrounding hockey. It’s posing for hassle, though no one desires to admit that. Instead, most media coverage, particularly tv, spews forth material concerning “thugs” and “mayhem.” As if the culture of connecting hockey to military may couldn't be blamed.

Minutes once the ultimate ended, fans began to throw beer bottles at a large screen created within the town centre. among an hour, projectiles, as well as refuse and empty bottles, were being hurled at police and rubbish bins were set alight. Officers, in full riot regalia, fought back, using teargas that mingled with smoke from dozens of fires to make a noxious fog that billowed through the city's downtown.

"What I've seen may be a complete disgrace," said a neighborhood lady. "I'm an All Blacks fan, however my jersey's in my bag. i am ashamed to be an acquaintance immediately. what is the point? Our team lost. Why destroy your own city? It's completely insane."

The on top of news report isn't fictional. It happened in the week in downtown Vancouver when the Canadian Canucks lost the deciding game within the Stanley Cup ice hockey finals to the Boston Bruins. All the Sunday Star-Times has done is replace words like "Canucks", "Vancouver" and "hockey" to "Auckland", "New Zealand rugby" and "All Blacks". the $64000 Vancouver mayor's name is Greg Robertson and he said specifically what's quoted.

Fact is that the last time the Oilers were within the Cup final they were less liked by Canadians than the Canucks. Why? For hockey reasons - they were a uninteresting team that worked laborious however got by on defense. The Canucks play with aptitude and are offensively gifted players. pack up by Tim Thomas within the final? Yeah, they were, however they'd a record range of shots. once a mediocre series against Tampa Bay, Thomas did not land up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy while not reason.

Jones says Canadians detest the Canucks "organization." How will he recognize that? Most hockey fans recognize squat concerning another groups 'organization', and what might Mike Gillis have done to incur their dislike? Sign nice players and treat them, his staff and team fans with dignity? Support programs like Canuck Place for teenagers that create the team one amongst the best contributors to their community in all of skilled sport?

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