Grey Cup in Vancouver

Mrs MadJack and I have our hotel and tickets arranged for the Grey Cup in Vancouver this year.

We’ve attended CFL games in several cities; Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary, Regina, and Montreal.

This will be our first time in Vancouver.

But, given last night’s events, maybe we should be thinking of cancelling the hotel reservation, and selling our tickets.

Do I really want to take my wife to a city apparently containing a large number of uncivilized morons who think that rioting over the result of a game is a cool thing to do? Do I want to expose my wife to a city overpopulated with people who burn cars, smash windows, loot stores, and generally act like a bunch of neanderthals (and that may be an insult to neanderthals), all over a sporting event ?? And no, based on past events in Vancouver, I don’t believe the result of the game had any particular impact, I suspect the same sort of thing would have happened had Vancouver won that hockey game.

Sorry for venting.

I hear ya Mad but I don't think we need to worry really, CFL may not have nearly as much buzz factor as the NHL but that is partly what I love about it. We shouldn't paint all of Vancouver as idiots based on this I don't think.

Just so we're clear Earl, I was trying not to paint all Vancouverites as idiots. . . just that they appear to have more than their fair share of idiots in that city.

Last night's display was disgusting, and everyone basically expected it. That makes me think twice of visiting that city.

I find it funny people actually believe this is because of the game. Its not! If you knew much about Vancouver, you'd notice a trend. The same group of people always show up at large events. APEC, G8, Olympics, Stanley Cup etc... simply to cause trouble. The riot was never really about hockey, it was an excuse like back in 1994.
If you truely are concerned about a riot spontainiously breaking out over the Grey Cup, you seriously overestimate how highly these guys view football. If they thought it was a big enough event, they would have done this in the past. They didn't, so its not a big deal to them.
Also, to avoid a city over stuff like that is foolish. You'd never be able to go to any large city! Each city has a black eye from one thing or another.

I agree with Grims... I think this riot would have happend if Vancouver won or lost. it was a bunch of buffoons who planned to do this. These people need to be dealt with harsher then they have in the past. its time to start making them pay.. and by that I mean restitution.. not just jail time or a fine. They should ship them all out to an area of Vancouver that is run down and make them clean it up.. paint it... fix it.. rebuild it.. I say pass a law that vandals of this type should be "sentenced" to do some revitalization of the city they damaged.

This is a new trend in the last few years, hooligan activists... It is happening everywhere and a lot of it has to do with how disenchanted a lot of our youth is and the repression imposed on them for public demonstration by politicians IMO. We are increasingly living in a police state for good or bad... Grim is right this has nothing to do with hockey...

^ what Grims said...I wouldn't let the actions of a few numbskulls that will now spend time in jail or simply crawl back under the rock they slithered out from prevent you and the missus from enjoying the GC in Vancouver...if anything, this sad event will probably mean an upscaled sense of security for the GC, and a Vancouver community that will want to provide a better showing of civic pride to the rest of Canada to erase what we've seen over the past 12 hours....

....the number of good people in Vancouver dwarf the number of radicals, and I think over the next week or so we are going to see a social crushing of radicalism by those good people...family I've talked to this morning that live in Vancouver are downright pi$$ed that a handful of anarchists have heaped such shame on their city and the mayor is pretty much saying the same and I would imagine the judicial system will have very little pity or leniancy on those nabbed last night, and those to be tracked down and arrested in the near future...CCTV and private security cams have apparently already begun to provide police with faces....

...and names too, police are looking for a guy named Luongo and someone named Burrows, you'd think looters wouldn't be so stupid to have their names on the backs of their shirts, sheesh...

Discontent isn't the word I'd use. Close but not quite. Many have the attitude of "I will because I can". If they didn't think they could get away with it without any real penalty, they wouldn't do it. The sad reality is, they have learned a lot more than most give them credit for. How many people in riots get any real punishment? A few at most. So until the LEGAL system choses to do something about it, this will continue.

I do not agree we are living in a police state. If we were, last night wouldn't have happened. Or if it did, Vancouver holding cells would all be filled and there would be a lot of rooms in hospitals under police guard.

Little tangent, those fools calling for anarchy have no idea what they're talking about. They're usually scrawny, not too smart and have no skills. If true anarchy took over, they'd be the first ones turned to slaves. I always get a chuckle out of that.

MadJack, I think you're being a bit dramatic. I can't remember a time where there was a riot over a CFL team losing/winning a championship. Heck, even in 2008 when the Grey Cup was in Montreal (the mecca of sports realted riots in Canada) when the Als lost, there were no riots or anything close to.

The riot was definately a black eye to the city but as for the Grey Cup, it'll be fine.

This is what you get when stupid people are allowed to run amok, anywhere.

Totally agree Grims; it’s why I said I don’t believe the result of the game had anything to do with it, it would have been the same had Vancouver won.

Probably true, but you must admit Vancouver has a bad rep for this sort of thing. . . Edmonton and Calgary lost Stanley Cups in recent years and didn’t react like what we saw last night or in 94 in Vancouver.

:thup: :thup: :thup:

Really? If a reporter asked one of the thugs, right after he threw a beer bottle at someone and then stabbed them, “why did you just to that?” do you really believe the thug would have answered “because I’m disenchated with the repression imposed on me for public demonstration by politicians” ???

Bang on accurate Grims. People who believe that nonsense should visit North Korea if you want to see what a police state looks like.

Oh of course that’s what I was doing, you’re right Birdman !

And again you are quite correct Grims.

I’ll bet not one of them could give any explanation whatsoever as to what, in political ideology terms, “anarchy” really means.

Happily despite all of that, my favorite pub is still intact! Even through all the different riots, Johnnie Fox's has never been touched. So MadJack when you come here, go to taht pub. The whole city could burn down and you'll be a-ok! :smiley:

North Korea is a communist dictatorship disguised as a monarchy, no comparison. Has nothing to do with the fact that our freedom is constantly being diminished some of it is for civil protection some of it is fear mongering and corporate greed. BTW I am not supporting rioting... I just understand that young people do not have the same opportunities that previous generations enjoyed or the same security and i suspect they will get increasingly angry and disillusioned.

.....LOSERS......and i don't mean the Van. Canucks....I don't know what these people think they're proving with such idiotic, criminal behaviour...A few are trying their damndest to ruin it for everyone else...The City of Van has put up with these dead-beats long enough...These same types put an end to the Marine Festival in Van...The Kelowna Boat Regatta...They almost ruined the Bathtub Race in Nanaimo and the World Class Sand Castle Building Contest in Parksville on Vancouver Island....I'm fed up with these goons who really don't come out to support an event but with the main aim of drunken disorderly conduct and vandalism..I've had enough of the b.s. and agree with MadJack...Until these hooligan types are dealt with , honest event attending people are going to shy away....Get it cleaned-up Miss Premiere and Mr. Mayor... We're waiting...I've seen enough :thdn:

what opportunies are they missing that we had

how is their security different

You know Mad Jack, selling your tickets and cancelling your hotel reservation is not the answer, I would say the best thing to do would be to ask some members here that live in Vancouver for a meet & greet… let them show you around the great city of Vancouver.

I partially agree. The best course of action would be to come here, see the area and buy Lions fans beer. Lots of beer.
and some bacon.

Maybe some chips too.

Lovely idea ! Grims where is this pub of yours located ?

Nelson and Granville, Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug. Best Guinness in the province!