We asked people on the street if they are on the Canucks’ bandwagon, and each one said they were. Fan mentality appears to be a primal thing, something that harkens back to the gladiator days or to the clan’s rallying cry.
It is something that brings people together, gives them a common purpose. It was very evident during the Olympic Games last year and it was this surge of people power that brought a province and a country together. Those sorts of events are rare and when people can rally they are happier. It takes locker room talk out onto the street and it is those collective sighs, groans and smiles that gets people talking and communicating. It’s not usually local politics that gets so many people together for a common cause, it’s hockey — our national sport. Politics, work, important issues can be left on the back burner for awhile so we can think about something less important. We all need these diversions, they actually serve a purpose and they cross all social and economic barriers. When you see someone in a Canucks’ jersey, you know you have a comrade-in-arms. While some people’s blood pressure will rise and the talk can get heated depending on which team you cheer for, the game can let us all be armchair coaches and critics.
If it takes something like a hockey game or a team to bring people together then this is a good thing. So, whether you cheer for the Boston Bruins or the Vancouver Canucks, consider the game for what it is — a breather in the game of life.