The story today should be that the Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years. The story should be that Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who was considered at one point to be done because of injuries and an unorthodox style, delivered one of the greatest Game 7 performances in Stanley Cup Finals history. Hell, the story should be that Boston fans are celebrating all over America today after not giving a flying pig's poop about this franchise for years. But it's not.
Instead, the story is about stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, and all of the other things that we detest about sports. After the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Bruins 4-0 last night at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, fans spilled into the streets and destroyed their beautiful city. While it's not the first time that we've seen the fans of a major city's sports franchise flip over cars, start fires, attack police, and loot stores, it's still a pretty f*cked up thing to look at. I've been to Vancouver a few times and I consider it to be a pretty remarkable city, but looking at the images after the jump I can't help but wonder why.
Perhaps it's a testament to the growing tension among fans to pay an average of $2,100 to watch their team get blown out in the final game of a series that it should have won. Maybe it's simply a case of a spoiled culture boiling over with a dangerous combination of intoxication, hormones and misdirected rage. Maybe Vancouver's fans thought that those kids giving their lives in Egypt and Syria were just upset about their stupid hockey team losing. I don't really know or care what the cause is. The fact is that it's just flat out stupid. But congrats to Boston fans for a victory and for being the better people.
(Banner (via)
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/1110/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Sad-Blackhawks-Fans-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Baby-Birdman-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Broken-Leafs-TV-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/ottawa-senators-pesky-back-180x180.png)
Jesus Christ. That is an incredible amount of aggression for a Canadian town with lax marijuana laws.
That photo gallery should be set to “Wild in the Streets” by Circle Jerks.
I know, right? Hookers and weed on every corner! And they’re good hookers and it’s great weed!
Half the rioters make it seem like Mmmbop would be a better choice. Or Nickelback.
The irony is they did they same thing in 1994 when they lost to the Rangers.
This is one of the best parts of having lived in a town like Cleveland, where we never mad it far enough to get this pissed about winning or losing.
Also, if I’d done this gallery the title would’ve been: “See, This is What Happens When You Don’t Put Zack Ryder on Raw”
@rubbertrout I totally forgot about that and that was right after my family moved to Seattle and I visited Vancouver for the first time.
No. 8 is Vancouver’s answer to Tommy from Quincy.
That’s why you don’t let 100,000 drink in the streets during a sporting match. And also why you let the Chinese handle crowd control.
Man, this is seriously upsetting. Visiting Vancouver is one of my favorite memories. Now it’s a bunch of fuckwits burning cars because of a hockey game. Thanks, jacknuts.
Another ironic point is that Bruins fans lashed out at their mayor on Tuesday for announcing that the Garden wouldn’t be open for a viewing.
The real fans were inside the arena cheering their team off of the ice after the defeat. the Mouth-breathers that created the situation in the streets showed up to raise hell win or lose. There are throwbacks in every city, and I still love Vancouver for all of the right reasons. The people that Vancouver can be proud of are gathering to clean up the mess and round up the zipperheads as we speak. Hats off to them.
@Brettsky – Exactly.
Big believers in Landru, the Vancouverites. Red Hour is good for the soul.
This will be forgotten by most of the U.S. in 2 months, at which time the media can resume reminding everyone how horrible Philly fans are because we once booed Santa Claus.
to watch their team get blown out in the final game of a series that it should have “one”.
But congrats to Boston fans… for being the better people.
Aaand, that’s where you lost me.
This is what happens when you give White People their own country.
Flashbang Nutshot? Flashbang Nutshot!!
[twitpic.com]
They have fire in Canada now?
The second photo in the slideshow is incredible. The rest are just depressing.
Lax marijuana laws indeed. Did you see all the dope on the hood of that truck?!?!?
Shitty thing about Vancouver is that it has a humungous anarchist population that takes advantage of public events such as this. There were tons of them, most wearing old Canucks gear/current Canucks t-shirts. Once they started lighting civilian cars on fire, they would take their Canucks gear off, and throw it in the fire, usually revealing a black anarchist t-shrit.
Funny Story about Boston fans being the better people: Before the game, Tommy from Quinzee showed up to Vancouver and went on Davie street (which is one long street where gays can be openly gay). He called a group of gay guys fagots, thinking they wouldn’t leave their patio spot to kick his ass. He was wrong, and the gay guys jumped over the tiny glass barricade and gave him a brutal beat down. Everyone watching clapped. Moral of the story, don’t mess with gay dudes in Vancouver.
Burnsy, I’m surprised you didn’t go for the pic of the girl flashing her breasts infront of the same burning car the guy in the old Bertuzzi jersey was standing infront of.
If you go to Facebook’s Vancouver Riot Pics, you will see some hilarious potential internet meme’s waiting to be made. My favorite is the scrawny Asian kid holding a hockey stick infront of the BMO.
They should’ve implemented martian law.
For what it’s worth, we weren’t rioting because the Canucks lost, we just found out that Hellcats got cancelled. Especially the guy in pick 12. And for the guys in slide 21, canceling Hellcats, especially after the networks took away Lonestar, was the straw the broke the Camel’s back.
Hey im from vancouver. The ppl that started that… not fans. they may be wearing our jersey’s but they ain’t fans. I was there. It was a handful of people that started that shit and hell broke loose… They were just there to start shit.
Im so pissed that the media is just showing the same clips over and over and say they were fans… frustrating.
please dont judge a village by its idiots.
@joe
“please dont judge a village by its idiots.”
Hahahaha! Good luck with that.
/throws battery at joe
//intentionally pukes on joe’s daughter
“Perhaps it’s a testament to the growing tension among fans to pay an average of $2,100 to watch their team get blown out in the final game of a series that it should have one. ” OOPS! I think you meant “won”, not “one”.
My hope is that they will identify some of these idiots through the photographs printed here to bring some justice on their stupid 20 year old heads. What a bunch of babies.
I’d be aggressive too if my country was known as “America’s Hat”
“Perhaps it’s a testament to the growing tension among fans to pay an average of $2,100 to watch their team get blown out in the final game of a series that it should have one. ”
*won.
*fixed
Almost as depressing as these photos is the inability of commenters to grasp the definition of “irony”.
sup miami? Chara wasn’t seen drinking bubbly at the roxy after the game
“But congrats to Boston fans for a victory and for being the better people.”
wait…something’s not right here
Me writes on the fly and posts on the fly so that we can make dick jokes for hours. I apologize about the typo before I had my first coffee.
All I said was Canadian beer sucks!
Oh Vancouver, you’re doing it wrong. Shoulda taken a page out of Calgary’s book (even though I know Flames and Canucks are the worst of enemies now) and instead of rioting, just have all your ladies show boobs. 2004 was a magical time…
Dumbass Canadians, that’s not how you make a truck bong…the weed goes under the hood!!
Pic #2 is awesome, other than tha…the hockey gods won’t like the rest of the pictures. Very depressing.
To all the people who said it wasn’t the fans who caused this, try watching the multitude of videos, much of the offending crowd were jersy-wearing angry teens and young adults from the burbs – smashing windows, looting stuff, and attacking people. So-called “anarchists” were certainly involved, but their contribution to the overall destruction has been vastly overstated. I certainly agree that fans who had attended the game were not really involved, but to say fans in general had nothing to do with the riot is silly.
This Vancouverite thanks you for all the kind comments about the city. It is lovely and it is delicate, and we made an awful mistake, allowing thousands of people to come and celebrate in the city. Never again, said that raven, combing thru’ riot pictures with its sharp eye to ID characters quivering under their cheap grey hoodies. They will be charged.
*Especially* that little rich Asian boy. That is, if there is anything left of him after his parents get done with him.One kid who will never *get to go to the library to study* again.
Never again.