Hockey Riots

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110615/bc_stanley_cup_riot_110615/20110615/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

The article above tells the story of the aftermath of the Stanley Cup finals. After the Boston Bruins took the cup with Game 4, citizens from the rival's home city, Vancouver, Canada, caused riots in the streets. Images such as burning cars and mass raging crowds can be seen, and Vancouver police have been forced to release mutliple flash bombs in order to disperse the crowd. This article made me think about how subjects found and projected in the media can be used to symbolize who we are. In this case, hockey as a general convention represents Canadians, and the media even often uses this generalization to market its products to wide audiences. This can be seen in Molson's I Am Canadian commerical that lead to an entire marketing campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXtVrDPhHBg). The loss of the cup, as projected by the media, is seen as a loss of respect for one's nation, one's home. Through the projection of hockey as Canada's main 'gimmick', now fans are seeing it as a loss of pride and thus are taking back what is theirs. But really when it comes down to it, forgetting all implications set by the media, symbolism or not, hockey really is solely just that- a sport, a competition, a game. A Canadian team losing the Stanley Cup has happened before and will happen again, and is not whatsoever connected to our performance and stability as country.