Linda Studley

Hockey Fans eh? I doubt it.

Rioting and mayhem. It’s a shame that these two seem to shadow so many major sporting events but from the fan violence around soccer to the rioting last night in Vancouver, this sad testament to human stupidity is becoming more commonplace and is actually expected by those who’ve seen it before. People are not mobs – people can be exceptionally kind, honourable, and gentle… Mobs are just rioting and mayhem.

I will hazard a guess that the ringleaders at this latest disgusting show had every intention of causing mayhem when they started.  It’s a familiar pattern and I’m shocked that the police weren’t expecting it and keeping closer watch for it, but I wasn’t there so I can’t comment on how efficiently or inefficiently it was handled by the authorities. Watching news clips doesn’t give you the whole story. But the fact that no one seems particularly shocked this morning (disgusted yes, but not shocked) would suggest that it wasn’t a big surprise.

People who incite others to riot are not doing it because they’re sports enthusiasts or environmentalists or peace activists or any other type of ‘ist’ they are doing because they are destructive criminals who like to see rioting and mayhem – they are sick, twisted individuals who get off on the power trip of whipping a crowd into a mob. And it doesn’t excuse the mob. The sensible ones walked away. The rest should be charged.

I’m not a sports person, never really have been. I don’t get the excitment around just watching, and the million dollar star syndrome and merchandising is a bit disgusting in itself. I can’t help thinking that it’s all a long way from kids playing hockey on a frozen lake.