Dear gentlemen (and I use that term really loosely),
Stop it. Just stop it.
I get it. You like to have fun. So do I. But never in my life have I ever thought that it was okay to harass a woman, all in the name of my team winning a playoff game or series. Never have I ever been enticed to walk up to a TV reporter doing a live report, grab the microphone, and yell obscenities into it. And never have I ever needed to use the line "just trying to have some fun" to validate ridiculous behaviour.
Because I don't make it a regular habit to make others around me feel uncomfortable. Yet here we are, talking about basic manners again, thanks to the Calgary Flames playoff run.
It all kind of started with someone walking up to a Global Calgary reporter, grabbing the microphone and yelling some ridiculous saying that is apparently making the rounds on the internet. Now all of a sudden it's "cool" for everyone to do the same. Then we started hearing about reporters like the Herald's Erika Stark being disrespected and cat-called. And it's just taken on a bit of a life of its own, with women coming forward saying they don't feel safe walking along that stretch of road on game nights because they fear being assaulted, harassed or worse.
Granted, I assume most revelers aren't the problem (much the same as we shouldn't be labeling all Canucks fans as rioters). But this does paint Calgary fans as rude and idiotic. It paints men with the same brush, whether you like it or not.
As I've said in the past when it comes to Stampede, for some reason, we think that "I was drunk" is an acceptable excuse. I'm here to say it's NOT. Straight-up bro.
"No one cares." You probably should. Some don't feel safe trying to celebrate their team's victory or even doing their jobs while these "shenanigans" are going on. Imagine being in that person's shoes, even for a few brief moments.
"Well what do you expect?" We should be expecting better of ourselves. We should be acting like we've been here before. Instead, some are acting like it's their first cotton-pickin' college kegger. And it's painting OUR team's supporters (and I'll take it a step further and say our CITY) with a pretty nasty reputation.
"If you don't like it, don't go." Really? So now, celebrating a team's victories is only reserved for those who want to openly harass others and be ignorant idiots? Gimme a break. EVERYONE should feel welcome to celebrate a team's success. Not a select few.
I would also argue that those who don't believe this is "news" in Calgary really don't like having the spotlight shining down on them. Just like with Stampede, it seems a select few try to put a darkness on what should be a good time. And whether you like it or not, that side of the story needs to be told as well. So if you don't like being singled out as a moron, then maybe you should take a step back and think about what you're doing. Show a little respect to everyone around you, everyone has a good time, and we can go back to doing what we're really supposed to be here for: celebrating success.
Sincerely,
Vulture
#SafeRedMile
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