The Humboldt tragedy

I know this is CFL talk, but sorry, I have a hard time putting this into Other leagues and entertainment

14 young hockey players killed in a bus crash.

It could be Highschool football, little league, soccer, Boy Scouts or Girl Guides, or any travel function.

My heart goes out to the families. I honestly can’t even imagine what they’re going through.
It’s always in the back of your mind when you put your kids on a bus somewhere and you just have to trust they’ll arrive safe. But you’re never really OK until you either hear they’ve reached their destination or you see their faces again when they come off the bus on their return trip.

God bless

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/982454621930110981/RGnuS3F6?format=jpg&name=600x314

John Hodge?
[ltr]@JohnDHodge[/ltr]
49m49 minutes ago
Devastated to hear that @TylerABieber lost his life in the Humboldt Broncos bus accident. Tyler ran the @CFLDaily twitter account, scouted for @RidleyScouting & wrote for @CFL.ca for a time. Such a huge loss. #CFL #CFLFamily

RIP the unfortunate victims, speedy recovery to the injured, and love and support to their friends and family.

While sports is a passion for fans it is essentially really just a non-scripted, long-running television show, or movie series, or book series. It is entertainment, one which I admit I love.

But it is irrelevant to the real world. Winning a championship doesn't improve any fan's health, standard of living or quality of life; bettors can make some money, but just as many lose.

When sports does cross-over into true real life in situations like this, the truth is exposed.

So tragic. Too many lives lost…too young. So unfair and unavoidable.

Words cannot describe what those familes are going through, never mind the community.

Heart goes out to all those affected. Will be a very emotional Coaches Corner tonight.

If you would like to help out the families, a small donation would be great. Go Fund Me

a lot of grieving for one community.

not my desire to point finger but rather compassion.

which last longer and leaves the deeper scar, great grief, or great guilt.

Looks like that truck driver blew through a stop sign.

Hope he can get the help he may need.

I cannot help but feel compassion as much for the driver as I do for the victims and their families and friends.

Very sad but this points why there needs to be an OFF TOPIC forum for this, this topic as per the "new CFL forum "guidelines" just doesn't belong here.

Again my heart goes out to all involved.

Now please move this thread CFL forum administrators. Or risk looking like a joke.

I think our mods have a modicum of human compassion - so no problem if they keep this thread up for a few days. People in Humboldt and area need all the help they can get.

Terrible human tragedy, just terrible.

I spent a few years covering junior hockey and curling in Saskatchewan and Manitoba - know what a junior team means to towns of 5,000 to 40,000 folks; places like Humboldt, North Battleford, Weyburn, Estevan, Brandon, Melfort, Morden Winkler, Steinbach, etc.

These teams, usually run by the pillars of the community (top bank or credit union president, lawyer, doctors, business leaders, etc.) are dearly beloved, wonderful part of their communities. The young men, coaches & broadcasters (plus the statistician) who passed to a higher calling will be missed.

But this community will re-build. That's what small towns are brilliant at. The re-build will be slow - BUT IT WILL BE SURE!

I should leave this for another thread - but I know this one will be down in a few days anyways.

On these buses - the driver is usually the coach or the assistant coach. That's OK, they've probably done the route a thousand times. However, instead of all passengers rollicking in the back, playing cards, on the web, having wobbly pops, etc. it should be mandatory to have a left-side and right-side support crew - watching their sides (windows) for signs of early trouble, like the wild-riding semi from last nite. Perhaps it wouldn't have mattered, maybe it would have provided enough early alert time to save just one more life, maybe more. Just a thought, maybe at the very worst time! Sometimes the worst times are the best times!

A terrible loss, of the 15 who died, one was the head coach, and another was the play-by-play announcer. All those kids lost, pursuing their dreams of playing at a higher level... be it minor pro, NHL, or even Canadian university, NCAA, Olympics. Condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and speedy recoveries to those injured. The truck driver walked away unharmed physically, not sure what is emotional or mental state will be...

Here is an article on one of the players involved:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/player-from-lethbridge-on-life-support-to-donate-organs-after-humboldt-broncos-bus-crash/ar-AAvAO0b?li=AAadgLE&ocid=spartanntp

being that it is related to hockey, I would think it might be moved to Other L & E in a while.

In the meantime, lets not get away from what is important about this thread

A horrible couple of days for sure. A very close friend of my wife had a son on the team that did not, unfortunately, make it, while another acquaintance's son did (know the second through the first). We are, of course, helping them and others out however we can, but anything we do we know it is not enough and are at a loss as to what more to do. Today we were in the area, and did all we could. That was often just grabbing someone a coffee and sitting so they were not alone in their silence.

The out-poor of the the province has been a solid reminder as to why we elected to staying in the province as opposed to returning to the US. I have not done a pile of looking on social media, but this seems to have been a time where people have pretty much put their BS aside and just been a voice of sorrow and support, something that seems all too often lost in the online world and something that gives me a bit of faith in humanity when all often seems bleak.

Through tragedy, we see what it means to be Canadian. The voices of those that feel like one small community from coast to coast seem largely echoed around the world. From athletes offering condolences and sharing in the sorrow, to communities holding each other up, to a go fund me that started out with a 20k goal and now pushing 3 million dollars that can go towards helping those in need and rebuild where needed.

My heart goes out to those immediately effected, from friends, family, responders and community, and my soul is touched by all those who keep these people in their thoughts and draw on any forms of support they can.

Prime Minister Trudeau will be at the Vigil today in Humboldt

Great to see Trudeau going. Unfortunately, if this had happened down in the states, our fearless leader would be out golfing and not at the vigil. So sorry for the families and friends going through this horrible time.

The Broncos broadcaster Tyler Bieber, was once part of the cfl.ca...

I can't imagine being any of the families impacted directly by this - but the mix-up in identifying one who is alive as dead, and one who is dead as having survived the crash - takes it to a new level of horror.

One family thinking their son was dead only to find out now he is alive and the other family the horrifying reverse of that. Unfathomable.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/government-apologizes-after-2-humboldt-hockey-players-misidentified-in-wake-of-deadly-bus-crash-1.4611045

A small town near mehad a accident with 4 players offtheir Jr hockey club, 2 died and it was so hard on everyone. I can only imagine how hard with so many. So sad.

2007 movie "We Are Marshall" strives to depict the tragedy of a plane crash that killed a football team in 1970. An extremely poignant film, if a somewhat trite spectacle in relation to the tragedy of the Humboldt catastrophe.

Unimaginable sorrow and heartfelt prayers.

Tragedy continues as 16th fatality confirmed.

In other news the SPHL governors unanimously agree to continue with the championship. A tough decision but the right one made.

Thing on HNIC last night told of a trend sweeping the country of placing a hockey stick on your front doorstep in support of Humboldt. It's easy enough to do. And a mighty moving sight.

And a ton of people wearing hockey jerseys to work and school today including a couple of us at the agency today.

#jerseysforhumboldt