Judging is easy -- thinking less so.
Thinking requires effort and nuance. Judging is just asks for primal reaction and trite clichés. So it was Wednesday night as millions of Canadians watched the city of Vancouver react to losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by rioting on the streets well into the night. It was easy to turn the night into a morality play and distance yourself from the actors. Far more difficult was to see how the behaviour being played out on out TV screens is within all of us given the right circumstances.
That said, there is no need for me to recap what happened here as the images of burning cars and looting hockey fans has been burned into our memories. Nor, is this the place for an evaluation of why it happened, or if it could have been prevented – this is neither a hockey site, nor a place for serious social commentary (at least away the football pitch).
However, there is a word that has been thrown about in the aftermath that should draw the attention of football fans. That word, of course, is hooligans.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Although on one hand it`s good – a concrete example that it isn`t the sport that causes bad behaviour, but rather the choices of the participants, is not a bad thing. Well, it might be good news If there was any evidence that the media or public will remember that lesson the next time two drunks get into a fight at a MLS game that is.
However, on many other levels it`s not good at all. Suddenly the public is not in the mood for any type of behaviour from large groups of sports fans that goes beyond Go Team Go. That might especially be the case in Vancouver, where the Southsiders have already faced a certain amount of pushback from the team`s front office. Problems in Toronto are less pronounced, but there is a growing frustration amongst the supporters groups that the front office is less willing to let them do what they do now than it was a few years ago.
To be clear, this is not to suggest that the Whitecaps and TFC are suddenly going to ban singing and flag waving because a bunch of young men in Trevor Linden jerseys burned a few police cars. However, the dynamic between front office and supporter`s groups in MLS is always one that walks a fine line. Take one look at how teams are marketed and you`ll realize that they want the groups with a bit of an edge. But, they are always just a little nervous.
Supporter`s groups don`t need to be lectured about the need for self-policing and self-restraint. They understand those concepts because they understand that they are always being judged by the actions of others.
Again, hooligan -- the word just doesn`t fit when it`s applied to other sports, even when the behaviour of the fans does.
A little more than two years ago I was part of a large group of fans that traveled to Columbus to watch TFC`s second game of the 2009 season. As most would remember, that game ended in confrontation. No, it wasn`t a riot – nor even close to being one – but the reaction of the Columbus Police on the day and the Toronto media a few days later, said a lot about how this sport and its fans are perceived.
We`re nutters, never more than a few moments away from destroying all that society holds dear. And that`s why it`s imperative of those that stand in supporter`s sections to be aware of the power of the mob and the potential it holds. I know as well as anyone that supporter’s rarely (very rarely) cross the line, but I also know as well as anyone that it can be easy to get caught up in the spirit of the moment.
Soccer fans simply can’t cross the line – ever. Unfairly or not we are held to a higher standard. There can be 200 fights at a NFL game, but one visible arrest at a MLS game will always get more press.
Take Wednesday: Imagine for a moment that the events happened after a Whitecaps game. Then, there would be no one outside of the game trying to make the argument that the perpetrators “weren’t actually fans.” No, the problem would be very much labelled as a soccer fan problem.
And that’s why hockey’s shame could be soccer's problem.