The photo above is of the Sony store in Pacific Centre Mall in Downtown Vancouver at the end of game 5. No, there is not rush on yellow Sony Walkmen...these are people jammed into the store watching the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, the mall has several TV, which were installed for the Olympics, that were surrounded by Canuck Nation (nothing like watching a hockey game in the comfort of your local shopping mall).
The Canucks looked like they were finally going to bring home the Cup yesterday, at least that's what every fan would tell you on the street. But, there was a small problem...10 minutes into the first period they were down 4 goals, pulled Luongo and a key member of the team Mason Raymond was in the ER. I was at a local bar (I'm not going to name names because you have to pay for this kind of exposure) and I've never seen anything stranger. From absolute joy and excitement came bitterness, hate and complete and utter silence. The Canucks have another chance tomorrow night at home, and this being a true homer series, you have to like their chances. But, please don't tell any of the rabid Vancouverites this, I think the Canucks losing game 6 was more significant than many in the sports media is letting on. I think the team is paying their shrinks overtime, because like a virgin who's blown his load a little too prematurely, I wonder if the Canucks have anything left to give.
From blown loads to something that really isn't as hilarious. I was really disgusted by the way Mason Raymond left the ice last night:
Now, I wasn't on the ice (thank God for that) and I'm not a doctor (sorry mom & dad), but if you have a compression vertebrae fracture that puts you out 3-4 months, there is no way in holy hell you should be skating off the ice with the help of 2 teammates. A trainer went out to attend to him, it was clear he was in pain, yet no stretcher? I don't get it. Someone explain it to me please. If this has anything to do with the Canucks tradition of downplaying injuries...I'm not even going to say it, because that is disgusting. Just the mere act of getting up and skating into the dressing room could have done serious damage to this very young man. I get that it's Game 6, I get that hockey players a tough, I even get that they often wave off medical care, but the trainers and the team should be ashamed of themselves for not dealing with a injury the way much lesser injuries have been dealt with...by send out the GD stretch, strapping him to it, and properly carrying him off the ice.
Now, if you're a doctor and you're reading this, which I doubt because I don't associate with too many doctors (sorry mom & dad), set me straight if I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
I raise a glass to Mason Raymond. He's a good kid, who does great work in the community. I hope your team wins, but I also hope you don't have lingering back pain for the rest of your life that makes it hard for you to pick up your kids and hug your wife.
Enjoy Game 7...and if we lose, can we please be mature enough not to smash windows? I'm on call in the newsroom and I'd rather be doing Jagger shots and making bad life decisions with a cute boy than filing stories from a tear gas cloud in the middle of Robson Street.
j
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