The Four Faces of Public Violence in Hockey
What has happened to the current sports fans that their anger and love for their teams goes so deep as to create the violence that we witness in today’s society? I’m going to deal with each face separately which involve matters that are common to many of the Canuck fans, and some that are not.
Face One – a senior couple, let’s call them (a), is watching the Canucks at a local sports bar in the West End during the Canucks/Blackhawks play-offs. There are heated words exchanged with another couple (b) that are Hawks fans, but the matter seems to subside.
In the course of leaving this establishment, more words are exchanged but couple (a) continues to walk towards the exit when suddenly couple (b) confronts the other couple. The male from couple (a) grabs the male from couple (b) but no punches are exchanged. In the meantime woman (a) had proceeded to exit the bar to wait outside. Woman (b), without provocation, goes after woman (a) and physically assaults her, which was witnessed by a number of people.
This assault in progress was broken up but woman (a) even though traumatized by the incident, did not file criminal or civil charges. Couple (a) were told they were not welcomed back – but couple (b) was. This incident was condoned not only by this establishment’s actions, but by the female General Manager of the Coast Hotel located on Comox Street.
What caused this Blackhawk fan to become violent? What if it would have been your girlfriend, daughter, wife, mother or grandmother? Would you feel safe in a place that condones this ugly face of violence?
Face Two – this face has been very public in that it received a vast amount of media coverage, not only on the night that it happened, but subsequent to that date. If you have followed the local news you will be familiar with the current legal proceedings against those people charged. I’m speaking of course of the riot in downtown Vancouver that occurred after Game seven of the Stanley Cup final last June. 
What caused the mayhem that took place and the rioter’s display of violent tendencies’ in the many areas? There was violence against people who were assaulted, violence against property that was set ablaze and destroyed, and property assets that were violated in that they were stolen. There was the general public that was so frightened by this violence going on outside, that they were trapped inside, for fear of venturing out into this violent riotous affair.
How did all this violence permeate these people that were involved, and those that stood by and did nothing? Can you image if your girlfriend, daughter, wife, mother or grandmother were caught in the middle of this violence?
Face Three – During game six in Boston several Canuck fans were not only threatened but were in fear of their safety prior to, and after the game. It was reported that several fans were actually assaulted for having the wrong colour of jersey on. Is it as simple as that for violence to take place? Would you have taken your girlfriend, daughter, wife, mother or grandmother to Boston, if you knew of the violence that could take place over a game?
Face Four – more recently a church was violated in that it was desecrated with profanity. Why? Because Milan Lucic, who grew up in Vancouver and who now plays for the Boston Bruins, attended that church along with his family.
What prompted that course of action and was this really prompted by vandals who truly hate Lucic that much?
The four faces of violence described all have a common theme. They have to do with distorted support of their favourite sports team which seemed to trigger the violent responses.
Has society grown that callous that it resorts to violence to express itself? You tell me.
Photo Credits – AP, Getty Images, Google Images and Yahoo Sports!
Video Credits – YouTube
Stats Credits – http://www.hockeydb.com, http://www.nhl.com/ice/statshome.htm, http://capgeek.com, http://canucks.nhl.com.
Quote Credits – The Vancouver Sun and Province
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