Oh, Vancouver, you have repeated history. In a very horrible way.

by Idle Drifter on Jun 16, 2011 5:44 AM CDT

I'll be honest. I wanted to see Vancouver go far in the playoffs though my opinion might have been blurry by the fact they played against the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks at the time. But once they were in the Stanley Cup Finals my support quickly shifted to the Boston Bruins. Canada quickly took them up as their team in a us vs them attitude that reminded me of the Olympics rather than this is Vancouver's team. I didn't have the same fervor as our neighbors did across the Great Lakes it was a simple shift preference.

Now waking with images of rioting in Vancouver being plastered all over the internet and news stations I'm almost lost for words. Now I can only imagine as what would have happened had Canada lost to the US in the Olympics in Vancouver. Rather than take solace in the fact that Vancouver went as far as you can in the playoffs without winning the Stanley Cup as something to look forward to next year the some Vancouver fans decided to show us social anarchy.

via 5.mshcdn.com

via www.latimes.com

The question is not who should feel ashamed but who doesn't feel ashamed. Reading some of the articles there are people throughout Canada that feel this puts them in a very bad light. The NHL, the players, and the more saner fans have expressed their feelings of the Vancouver Canucks accomplishments this year being overshadowed by drunken assholes. It's scene like this stereotypes are made and damage control is working very hard to clean up the mess.

This isn't a lesson for one team, one city, or one country. As entertaining as watching a riot from a far can be with the videos all over the web. To witness first hand a riot or even worse to be the scapegoat of their wrath can be the most terrifying event in the human experience. No sport is worth the wanton destruction of property and injury to people, be it in victory or defeat.

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Comments

Completely pathetic

What exactly makes people decide that this type of behavior is acceptable in any way? Grow the fuck up.

by Rat A Tat on Jun 16, 2011 7:02 AM CDT reply actions

Absolutely disgusting

The people who participated in the rioting deserve to be arrested and have the full weight of the law thrown back at them. The only time I engaged in violence or destroyed property after a Wings loss was when I punched a small hole in my own door. I can’t even imagine why people would behave in this way.

The worst part of all of this is that the actions of a relatively small portion of the Canucks fanbase and city of Vancouver is now going to cause the reputations of the fans and city as a whole to plummet. At the risk of sounding like an apologist, but I agree that the people who were turning over cars and setting fires were not true Canuck fans, and it’s a shame that they have embarrassed their fellow fans and citizens. Hell, it’s embarrassing for Canada as a whole.

Winging It In Motown

@Amerinadian19

by Amerinadian on Jun 16, 2011 7:15 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

All hockey fans share this shame

Hopefully we all learn the lesson that needs to be learned here.

Completely unacceptable behavior.

by J.J. from Kansas on Jun 16, 2011 8:14 AM CDT reply actions

I turned on SportsCenter this morning and saw smoke rising from some city that I didn’t recognize. First reaction? “Oh look, angry Canuck fans rioted. Surprise.”

I figured they would. Did you see the crowd they had in the streets to watch Game 6? I’m surprised they didn’t riot after that loss. All it would have taken is one person throwing a water bottle in disgust.

Also… over/under 1 month before the Canucks are searching for a new coach?

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Jun 16, 2011 9:19 AM CDT reply actions

They need to learn to lose with class

they didn’t deserve to win the cup if this is how they really act.

by WE ARE L4SERS on Jun 16, 2011 9:45 AM CDT reply actions

In other news...

Nothing sets the mood like rioting and mob mentality

by HockeyGuy9125 on Jun 16, 2011 9:47 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs

all kidding aside...

vancouver was an absolute embarrassment and disgrace last night…its a shame that stupid ass people react to a sports loss like this (and it was NOT everyone, just a few jackasses…I feel bad for all the good people who were caught in the middle of that debacle)

I found that my way of coping: being very quiet and not talking to anyone for a couple days or so…works much better lol

by HockeyGuy9125 on Jun 16, 2011 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions

…not sure if that is awesome or insane.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Jun 16, 2011 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions

A little of column A, a little of column B

Author at Acme Packing Company

@TexWestern

by texwestern on Jun 16, 2011 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Not saying that what happened isnt horrible

and i would never joke about this, but one great nugget I saw was a quote that said “and then he broke out his nun-chucks”. Seriously? Who brings nun-chucks to a hockey game?

Help Malik get to Traverse City for the Red Wings’ summer prospect tournament from July 7-14. Visit The Malik Report or donate here directly

by DeathtotheHawks on Jun 17, 2011 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions

make love not war i guess

by SLAUGHTERHOUSE on Jun 17, 2011 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

hahahaha, so they were protesting the riots...genius

by HockeyGuy9125 on Jun 17, 2011 6:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Sorry i did not see your post

Show me the CUP

by Mashman on Jun 23, 2011 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Make love not war

Show me the CUP

by Mashman on Jun 23, 2011 11:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed x10

Agree. Agree. Agree.
It’s so sad how a minority can make an entire city (and a really great one at that) look bad.

Also, in a slightly related note, today on Twitter this happened

I seriously resent the idea that this embarrassing incident for a city and for hockey fans was somehow immediately related to Detroit. The last real sports riot was in 1984 following a Tigers world series victory. I mean, not that Detroit is known for being the safest place on earth…but come on, now…

"Good things happen to those who hustle."
Anais Nin

by alnike86 on Jun 16, 2011 10:43 AM CDT reply actions

I saw the Rainn Wilson tweet, and immediately thought “you knew someone would make the comment.” Not being from Detroit or Michigan, I don’t have the same civic pride that a lot of you do, but I do feel like I have somewhat adopted it as a pseudo-hometown simply because of the Wings.

I understand the reputation that the city has, and it’s a shame that it translates to the hockey team and hockey fans. It’s like people don’t realize that, for all the good and bad that exists in a given city, it’s still someone’s home.

Winging It In Motown

@Amerinadian19

by Amerinadian on Jun 16, 2011 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Haha

Well, I think that he realized that pissing off the residents of an already slightly scary city was not a good idea.

"Good things happen to those who hustle."
Anais Nin

by alnike86 on Jun 16, 2011 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions

First time in a long time

That I’ve been ashamed to have any connection to Vancouver. My grandparents live there, my mom was raised there, I always loved going there to visit, but this…this is just pure lack of class. A lot of Canucks fans are saying that the rioters weren’t the “true” fans, but the fact remains that they were still fans of the team, whether fair-weather or die-hard, and today they embarrassed not only their city, but their entire country, and possibly worse they gave the game of hockey, and therefore it’s fans, a negative image that will be hard to get rid of.

Just another Wings fan caught between Leafs and Sabres territory.

by traylor1 on Jun 16, 2011 11:22 AM CDT reply actions

I think this link should be sent to the canucks fans

http://www.freep.com/article/20110616/COL32/110616045

have some class while losing because thats where you really gain respect of others.

by SLAUGHTERHOUSE on Jun 16, 2011 5:10 PM CDT reply actions

150 hurt, 100 arrested, millions in damages

"I don't think you're happy enough. I'll teach you to be happy."

by greg5897 on Jun 16, 2011 5:57 PM CDT reply actions

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Jun 16, 2011 6:25 PM CDT reply actions

What is that Bobby Lu’s Daddy and two uncles ?

Show me the CUP

by Mashman on Jun 23, 2011 11:43 PM CDT up reply actions

the hardest part in all of this...

it gives the NHL a blackeye. It’s hard enough for hockey to become mainstream in the US. My own family mocks me for being a hockey fan (I didn’t grow up in a hockey market and currently live in Phoenix, so….). But when crap like this happens, it makes more people shy away from the sport because ’it’s too violent’ or ’it’s only for hooligans’

Grow up Vancouver!

by styks on Jun 16, 2011 7:00 PM CDT reply actions