Saturday, June 4, 2011

Live From Canucks Central

I'm up here in Vancouver for game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals and the natives are getting restless eh? It's a sweltering 31 degrees out here and I'm sweating like a sow. Everyone is chomping at the bit and biding their time for the game to start. There is no other topic of discussion or subject of interest around these parts. Canucks fever is in full effect. Everywhere you look you see flags, t-shirts, towels, and banners. After Vancouver won game 1 in dramatic fashion Canuck fans are anticipating an epic battle in game 2 as well.

It's amazing that sports can have this kind of impact on a city as a whole. Everyone is on the same page, everyone loves each other (if you're a Canucks fan), and everyone has the common goal of winning the Stanley Cup. It's the ideology and solidarity politicians dream of. It's a oneness religious leaders strive for. It's a focus social leaders envision as a best case scenario. Winning galvanizes people and brings them together like few other things. You can feel it calling in the air. You can hear it in people's voices. The whole town is friendly, upbeat, and will fight for one another. I pity the fool that walks down Robson Street with a Boston Bruins jersey on.

Ironically, the one thought that isn't permeating the psyche of Canucks fans is the agony of defeat. It's only positive vibes being generated around here. You need that to carry a team to a championship. The thought of losing can never enter your mind. It's that unwavering belief that makes losing at this level so painful.

Vancouver is the place to be right now. The synergy going on at this place is ridiculous. Whether the Canucks win the Stanley Cup and Vancouver throws a summer long party or they lose and everyone suffers through 2 months of depression the city is better off for the experience. Moments like this are rare. Enjoy it while you can.

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