Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tonight I Cried
While the illustrious and talented Barbara Brown and I have been working on our interview, I got interrupted by this hockey thing that's been going on.
I'm not a big hockey fan, but when it gets to the playoffs for Lord Stanley's cup I do watch.
It's been difficult. Our men played well and with skill. Boston? Well, they played like thugs, and the refs ruled like they'd been paid.
I'm not saying that they were -- I have no inside knowledge -- that's just what it looked like from the cheap seats here at home.
One of our boys hit one of the Boston lads, in a hard check. He hit the ice, got a concussion and the person who hit him got a four game suspension, thus taking him out of the rest of the playoffs.
Fairy nuff.
Then in clear retaliation, one of the Boston boys grabbed one of our players and performed what's known as a "can opener". He stuck his stick between the other player's legs (no, not up there, you perverts), twirled him around, shoved his shoulders down and rammed him hard, backwards, into the boards.
I've seldom seen anything uglier or more vindictive. Our player sustained a spinal compression fracture. He'll be out for about six months.
And that's if he ever recovers the health or the guts to play again. I know I wouldn't after something like that.
The player who did that? He didn't even get a whistle. Not the tiniest reprimand. Not a ten minute time-out.
If he'd shoved our player any harder he would likely have killed him.
So ... hard and fair check? Out for four games. Attempted murder? Oh you're fine, just go play.
(Again, the charge of attempted murder is just my opinion. I calls them like I sees them.)
After that, the fire pretty well went out for the Canucks. We phoned it in for the last game. I had been convinced that we'd own the last one on home ice but really? We sucked. And we lost.
But the important thing is what happened after.
After the game, Vancouver apparently took to the streets. And trashed them.
There were cars turned over and set alight, store windows broken, a couple of stabbings, a couple of police cars set alight, looting, tear gas, rubber bullets, police dogs ...
It was like we were in LA or something.
And I was ashamed.
There was a Boston fan who was beaten and left lying on the sidewalk bleeding from serious head wounds. Just for wearing the wrong jersey.
HELLO? What in the purple screaming fuck was that? This is Vancouver! We are granola and birkenstocks and singing kumbaya ... we're not about beating people for wearing the wrong shirt.
I was embarrased and horrified.
And then as I was reading about this and feeling horrible, I saw several friends joining a group on Facebook.
While the cars were still burning, they had over seven thousand people standing by to go clean up. For nothing, just as soon as the police would let them into the city.
And then ... that is when I cried. THAT is the Vancouver that I love. The people who give for no reason except that it's the right thing to do. The people who clean up because we don't want crap all over the place.
The people who stand strong and say "we care".
So ... to the people who trashed my city and made me fear for my husband's life (he had to drive through that to get to work) I say ... fuck you.
And to everyone else here in Vancouver. The real people. The people who love and nurture this community -- thank you.
Gentlepersons -- start up your Birkenstocks.
# posted by Rabbitch @ 5:07 AM 
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Well put, my dear Rabbitch. So sorry you and yours had to go through this. One of the reasons I live in the middle of nowhere, and yet sometimes our high school kids engage in scaled down versions of this. Sportmanship it's not.
e fucking gads.
and yeah, it's when the good rises up, joins together, does what needs to be done because they simply fucking care, that's when the tears come in.
XOX
and yeah, it's when the good rises up, joins together, does what needs to be done because they simply fucking care, that's when the tears come in.
XOX
I am totally with you on this one - what is the matter with some people? And thank goodness that there are so many others who, mostly anonymously, step in to clean up the literal and figurative messes.
I have always wanted to visit your city, now more than ever.
I have always wanted to visit your city, now more than ever.
# posted by 
: 1:19 PM
: 1:19 PM
Thank you for writing this.. I was down there and the only people who where talking about rioting didnt even really care about the Hockey game.. They where drunk assholes just looking for a reason to be assholes.... ..
From noon until the end of the game it was all about hockey. All the hockey fans where heading home when the rioters decided to start. I was right in the fan zone until the end of the game and it was all love and Hockey.. Going to stop babbling now cause I know I can go on for a long time about this...
From noon until the end of the game it was all about hockey. All the hockey fans where heading home when the rioters decided to start. I was right in the fan zone until the end of the game and it was all love and Hockey.. Going to stop babbling now cause I know I can go on for a long time about this...
1) I don't watch sports
2) beloved step dad does, is from MA, wont cheer for Bruins, too rough
3) cops said it was a small group of thugs basically causing the riot
4) good for those people, waiting to clean up!!!!!
2) beloved step dad does, is from MA, wont cheer for Bruins, too rough
3) cops said it was a small group of thugs basically causing the riot
4) good for those people, waiting to clean up!!!!!
I love hockey. I hate violence. Therefore, I seldom follow hockey. Testosterone poisoning at its worst. So sorry your lovely Vancouver was vandalized. So glad to know there are folks ready to put it back together.
I just bought a t-shirt from Toothpaste for Dinner which reads, "Sports Are Not News." This has long been my position. Why do they get their own section in the newspaper, anyway? /rant
I just bought a t-shirt from Toothpaste for Dinner which reads, "Sports Are Not News." This has long been my position. Why do they get their own section in the newspaper, anyway? /rant
You don't honestly believe Aaron Rome's check was "hard and fair", do you? An otherwise well-written, though...Vancouver is on my bucket list.
# posted by : 4:22 AM
: 4:22 AM
I do honestly believe that his check was hard and fair, yes. Certainly more fair than the check that drove our team member into the wall and broke his back, for which no penalty was given.
If that's your standard then sure, let it go. But the fact is Rome plowed through a defenseless player in open ice more than two seconds after he released the puck. The hit violated several rules.
# posted by : 3:39 PM
: 3:39 PM
the second-best thing about getting a divorce was that sports no longer appeared on the tv, after monopolizing it for the previous decade-plus.
from my experience, i'm not so sure it's testosterone poisoning. it may be overcompensation for a scarcity thereof.
from my experience, i'm not so sure it's testosterone poisoning. it may be overcompensation for a scarcity thereof.
# posted by : 5:53 PM
: 5:53 PM
Sitting all the way over here in Ontario I cried too. I love Vancouver, my sister that lives there and the friends I made. I'm glad that you & yours were unscathed.
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