AFTERMATH
I wanted to write a long post about what happened last night, but this morning I find myself without many words at all.
To the Vancouver Canucks: We are proud of the great season you had, and the fantastic playoff run. It was extremely exciting and I am beyond proud of the team this year. Nothing should take away from your hard work all year.
To the Vancouver Police Department, the Fire Department, and all the health and public workers that pitched in last night and in the coming days: I thank you, and the city thanks you too — you are appreciated.
To the folks who ruined it last night for everyone: You are not fans. You have shamed our city, province and country. I hope they catch you.
To the world: What happened last night was disgraceful. The people who did this are not indicative of Vancouver Canucks fans or our city. This morning, hundreds of Canucks fans in jerseys cleaned the streets of Vancouver — those are our true fans.
I’m sad for the Canucks, I’m sad for the city, but I’m happy to see our amazing city and Vancouverites stepping up to make things better.
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June 16th, 2011 at 9:52 am
Well said my dear !
June 16th, 2011 at 9:57 am
Great post, Allie. Straight and to-the-point. I did a quick post too. The mood is really solemn today.
Adelaide recently posted.. Game 7 Downer
June 16th, 2011 at 10:33 am
Vancouver would have rioted if we won too.
June 16th, 2011 at 10:34 am
Yeah, I’ll be honest, I’m really struggling today.
Part of me even feels guilty today for taking pictures (from the 18th floor of a building) and then snapping a couple pictures on my way out of the city. There was a part of me that wanted to capture what was happening and share it via social media, and a part of me that was curious. Watching from the 18th floor was very different than watching back the footage on the news up close. I felt sick. Even though I didn’t encourage or cheer on what was happening, I was taking pictures. I did walk straight out of the city once we left the building where we were watching the game, but I still feel ashamed for some reason. Maybe I just wish I could have done something to stop it.
I honestly don’t even know how to feel.
June 16th, 2011 at 10:56 am
Very well said, Allie. I think a lot Vancouverites are struggling with this today, I know I am. I watched a lot of it from my apartment, it was shocking and disappointing to see it happen. I honestly did not think it would happen like it did.
It’s very hard to watch your city get trashed by hooligans and then hear from out of towners about how classless Vancouver fans are. The real fans, the real Vancouver spirit, is out there today cleaning up our city. Thank you to all the people I saw doing just that this morning on my way to work.
June 16th, 2011 at 11:44 am
Allie thank you for the post and expressing what so many sad lower mainland residents are feeling. We need to spread the word these losers are not Canucks Fans they are scum and hooligans that deserve to be in jail and fined.
The true fans cheered on Boston and cheered Go Canucks Go at the end of the game, I hope the world will understand one day it is a handful of bad apples and not a true refection of Vancouver and BC.
June 16th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
VPD released a press conference, believe anarchists/criminals to be mainly responsible (4 min mark of video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsP3oa73js
June 16th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Well said! I wrote a long entry too but decided to get straight to the point. Let’s hope last night never happens again.
Katy recently posted.. We Love You- Vancouver
June 16th, 2011 at 11:55 pm
it’s nice to read this — coming from chicago, we’re definitely viewing canucks fans differently right now. but i’m a journalist, so i know better than to judge a city, team and fans by the few who make headlines. sadly, those people who make scenes do make the headlines. i’m glad to see, and read about, how fans were out cleaning the mess the few hooligans made. i hope this makes international news, too. i can’t wait to visit vancouver some day soon.
June 17th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
What happened the other night was really disappointing in so many ways and just completely embarassing as well. In other parts of the world people are living under brutal regimes and in many of those cases people are still protesting peacefully.
At least in those sort of situations a person can understand why a riot might break out, but to see something like what Vancouver break out over the result of a hockey game is a complete joke.
Of course not everyone in the city should be painted by the same brush as it was only a select few people who took the law into their own hands, but unfortunatly the city’s reputation will take a beating. Once again drunken losers have tarnished the reputation of a great city and it’s going to take some work to get over this.
As you said, the police, fire fighters and everyone else who worked that night and did their best to deal with the rioters deserve total appreciation from everyone, because that couldn’t have been easy.
However I think the police were complacent and just got the idea in the head that what happened in 1994 wouldn’t happen again this year, and that was the wrong attitude to take from the beginning.
At the end of the day though the only people to blame for what happened are the idiots who talk part in all of the chaos. Luckily most of them should be caught and hopefully punished.
As for the Canucks, they did their very best and we should all be proud of them. Ultimately their efforts didn’t get the job done and at times I think they looked like they didn’t even belong in that Stanley Cup Final. I mean I don’t know if anyone can find a more lopsided series that went 7 games before in any sport !
When a team gets outscored 23-8 clearly it shows they were out performed. So as disappointing as it is, its totally true to say the much better team won this series. Fortunately for Canucks fans, the team is set to be good continually in the next few years, so they should be able to use this stinging defeat as motivation to come back stronger than ever and take the cup next year !
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:47 am
Just released: Vancouver State of Mind parody. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJBh1pfkw6A