It’s all been said

I thought about giving my perspective of the Vancouver riots – watching the news from the comfort of my own home, listening to the radio and actively participating in the social media realm. But it’s all been said.

Blame whoever you want and there will be an ounce of truth to it. I’d like to put it all on those douchebags setting cars on fire and looting stores – but without a scenario to allow it, they will never be the only ones at fault. It’s a symptom of a bigger problem and I can only hope the stories of the heroes, like all those folks who got up early yesterday to take back the city with their brooms, are celebrated and those who rampaged are publicly shamed.

Here’s how I saw it, as it happened. Some of my tweets from Wednesday night.

166: Le Sigh

From Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals in 2006 (iPhone 4 - June 15, 2011)

Tonight my mother razzed me for not being a Canucks fan. She, like many others out here on the West Coast, doesn’t understand my passion and allegiance to the Oilers.

People say I’m greedy for wanting success for a team that may have been one of the most successful NHL franchises.  But what most people don’t get is that I can barely remember the 1990 Stanley Cup win. In fact, my first NHL game was in 1991 against the San Jose Sharks.  In 1994, I was a Canucks fan but that was short-lived.  My NHL fandom has spanned 20 years. In the past two decades, the Oilers have been awful. Take out 2006 and they made it to the second round once. They have missed the playoffs more than they have made it.

But that’s my team. And they suck.

As the Canucks roll to what could be their first cup win tonight, I hope fans here relish the greatness they get to feel.  I don’t know what that feels like. But I’m sure it is good.  Talk to Oilers and Flames fans – the alternative outcome for a Game 7 is soul crushingly terrible. But enjoy it for what it is, and that’s YOUR success rather than the failure of MY team.

Because if I hear one more snide remark about how bad the Oilers are, I swear to God, I’ll punch someone in the face.

I know they are bad. You don’t have to remind me.

144: FML

Gino Reda (iPhone 4 w/ToonPAINT - May 24, 2011)

Few things are amusing me tonight, but a cardboard cutout of Gino Reda is one of them.

@loxyisme: I knew I wouldn’t be happy when the Canucks won. But I didn’t expect to be a boiling pot of pure rage. I’m so sad, I’m angry. #sangry

How bad is this Oilers team?

This is not the worst pro team of all time.  This is not the worst NHL team of all time (Washington 74-75).  But ladies and gentlemen, we may be dealing with the worst team in the history of the Edmonton Oilers.

No bandwagon for me

I live in Vancouver. I have been here for four years.  I will never be a Canucks fan.

First and foremost, I’m an Edmonton Oilers fan.  I put up with a lot of crap because of it. But it makes me only hold onto my hometown team even harder.  Three years ago, my team slipped into the playoffs, arguably underachieving during the season.  While I never expected the team to make it out of the first round, I was much more hopeful than in years past. 

I still can’t talk about it.

Had the Oilers lost in the conference finals, I would’ve made an eloquent post about what a great run they made. Instead, they lost in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. To get so close is a much more painful situation. What was a great run, turns into some sort of failure. Though no Oilers fan is dissapointed in this team and it’s improbable quest for the cup, I still feel empty.

It will be a few more days before I can really get my feelings down here, if at all.

BTW, in personal news, I got my car today (still un-named) and am moving this weekend. Goodbye Laburnum, Hello adulthood!

Going to the Stanley Cup Finals

Never in my wildest dreams, did I think I’d score tickets to the Stanley Cup finals. I knew that they were long sold out and ebay was well out of my price range.

You can imagine my shock and disbelief when I was magically rewarded for my ultimate fandom. Magic is the only possible reason that single tickets were available this morning.

Friends and family had first dibs on the 4 tickets that I had, yet surprisingly, no one took me up on them. Then went to friends of my brother and a fellow Oilfans member. Either way, I think these people wanted the tickets more than anyone.

So tonight, as I watch my first Oilers playoff game in 5 years, my third all-time, and first game outside of the first round, I can’t wait. The minutes are going slow, but fast, all at the same time.

I can’t tell you how excited I am.