Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
It seems as though everyone is suddenly upset with Canucks fans after the countless riots and violence that went down in Vancouver last night. Sports writer for the Toronto Star, Damien Cox, blasted the fans for displaying such antics, calling them “idiots and criminals.”
But c’mon, shouldn’t we be the least bit understanding?
Those Canucks fans are showing exactly the hockey passion that we, as Canadians, generally pride ourselves on.
Of course when we lose such an important game our reaction isn’t going to be great, and last night’s game was heartbreaking.
Moreover, the fact that Vancouver apparently thinks the National Hockey League (NHL) and the rest of Canada was out to sabotage their win probably fueled the fire.
But are they really wrong about that?
We can’t really deny that defenseman Aaron Rome’s suspension for injuring Bruins winger, Nathan Horton in Game 3 was a little harsh, considering Rome suffered the same injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference by San Jose Sharks forward Jamie McGinn.
Yet McGinn got a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct, but no suspension.
On top of that, Rome’s suspension is four times longer than any suspension ever given in the finals. No one can really deny that this may have played a part in the Canucks’ loss.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not advocating for lawlessness or violence, I’m simply saying that maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on fans that were truly devastated last night.
We’re Canadians, and hockey is our sport. Cut Canucks fans some slack – losing to Americans sucks.
Related
Forget soccer Hooligans, our anarchists know how to mayhem – Counterpoint by Phil Darlington
