The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks. Sorry the Canucks lost. I know I'm American and normally I'd root for the home team, but it's more an east coast/west coast thing for me, so I was pinning my hopes for Vancouver.
However, I'm embarrassed over the riots and destruction being done in downtown Vancouver tonight.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/123972064.htmlhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/local/vancouverriots.htmlThis is not how you lose gracefully. This is not classy. This is not the city that glowed with goodwill and graciousness during the Olympics. Maybe I have too high an opinion of Vancouverites and Canadians in general, but I thought they were above this sort of thing.
Guess not. :(
But I know the problem isn't really with people in Vancouver. After all, this kind of rioting goes on in the U.S. and all around the world when a team loses (or sometimes even wins!) a championship.
So here's my idea: There should be a common, global law that if there are widespread riots that take place in any city over a championship game then that team does not get to play at all in the next season. None. Nada. Zip. See ya the year after that. If people can't contain their bitterness, their team has no right to play.
'Cause, c'mon! There's always a next year. Being violent is not going to change the outcome of the final game! It's not going to get you that championship or that trophy! It just causes destruction, costs money, hurts people, and generally makes you look like idiots. There'll be another chance to win, another chance to triumph. This isn't the end of the world....it's sports. The sun will still rise tomorrow even though your team lost.
I still love Vancouver and have total respect and admiration for my neighbors to the north, throughout all of Canada. Let's just say I'm a bit disappointed in a few hundred people in Van tonight that's making the whole city look bad. Not cool people. :(