Hockey idiocy

^^ hot

Now that we're living in downtown Vancouver I've become more involved in the playoffs--albeit not by choice, but by proximity. As a result I've been experiencing first hand some of the goings-on before, during, and after the games.  Here are some of my observations and opinions.

Tonight, as I write this post during the last period of game 7, there are over one hundred thousand people cheering on the Canucks downtown.  So many people become completely enveloped in hockey.  Totally obsessed.  I've heard of people losing sleep, resorting to alcohol to ease the pain of a loss, fights breaking out after a loss, fireworks being set off, hooligans blasting horns and whatnot til all hours of the night and so on.  There are definitely some passionate fans.

My concern is the mayhem that will ensue should the Canucks lose this game.  All these people, many of which have been consuming alcohol, will be pissed off.  The last time the Canucks got to the Stanley Cup finals and blew it there were riots resulting in property damage and injuries.  I heard someone say the damage was over a million dollars.  What troubles me is not the actual damage (insurance!) but rather what fuels people to become so enveloped, passionate, and angry over a game.

The amount of energy, resources, passion, and determination put into hockey is absolutely huge.  Some people, it seems, live their lives for the playoffs and will do anything to support their team.  They'll also riot if they lose.  As a friend put it recently, if only people put this much energy into things like homelessness and human rights the world would be a much better place.  I couldn't agree more.  People will spend thousands going to games, hundreds on jerseys and signs and whatnot, and spend so much time devoted to hockey.  It makes absolutely no sense to me.  It's just a game. Life goes on.  There's much more in life that's more important than hockey.

Something else I've been thinking about is how the media are emphasizing the huge crowds breaking the one hundred thousand mark downtown.  Wow.  Yes, that is a lot of people cheering and freaking out.  But, really.  Have you all forgotten about Vancouver's single biggest event all year every year (not just once ever 14 years of whatever)?  Pride.  Pride draws crowds upwards of 650, 000 people annually.  It's HUGE.  People get drunk, have fun, break no windows, and cause no fights.  This really says a lot about hockey and its fans.

These hundred thousand plus fans who are, as I write, in the streets watching the Canucks fail miserably are going to be pissed off.  I'm not sure if they will riot this time.  I'm not sure exactly how many people will be hurt or hospitalized due to alcohol poisoning.  What I am sure of is that it will not be a quiet night downtown.  There will be too much noise, illegal use of fireworks, illegal public consumption of alcohol, at least a few fights, and issues with the police.  Nothing of a sort happens with Pride.  This is why I find hockey and most of its fans absolutely repulsive.  It does nothing positive for any community, it causes personal and property damage, is capitalistic, has lost any true essence of sport, and is all about money.  Disgusting.

On a side note... if they played hockey naked I might be more inclined to watch it more often.