Walls of Jericho

Let me set the scene, not that any true Leafs fan would need to be reminded of course. The 1992/93 season was an amazing time to be following the Buds as they put the league on notice that they were back. The stars had aligned and Doug Gilmour put the team on his back while carrying them to game seven of the conference final, one win away from a berth in the final for the holy grail of sports. As most fans know, in game six they were robbed by a non call on the Great One. A missed high stick call by the ref on the greatest player to ever play and then he goes on to score the winning goal in overtime, leading to game seven where he scored three goals and led his team to defeat by the Montreal Canadians.

Two thing here, a) The Leafs would have won over the Habs. It would have been an epic wet dream come true for the hockey crazed cities and Canada in general, with the Leafs finally breaking the drought. Since the year before I was born they have not tasted the champers from the cup. b) It wasn't Gretzky's fault. The refs yes, for sure. But not The Great One. He simply did what he did better than almost everyone ever, he played to win; with style, professionalism and dignity.

But boy oh boy did people enjoy tearing him down. All through his successful career you could listen to all manner of people tear him down, as if by doing so they were made better somehow. This got me to thinking about how we, as a people, do that all the time. We tear down our heroes with a fervent passion that should be reserved for love making and horseshoes. It's sad really.

When the Oilers won their first cup, ending the NY Islanders dynasty Gretzky could do no wrong, he was the best player on the planet and a cup was in Canada for the next four years. When their dynasty ended he was that guy, that Hollywood guy that married the actress while jetting away to LA.

"you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain"

And the walls came tumbling down. Almost gleefully we enjoyed vilifying Wayne for being Wayne. On the way up we are all impressed and took no small amount of pride watching "one of our own" climb to the top only to resent him once he got there and outlived our admiration. Men and women of inspiration, of passion and determination in all walks of life...Kennedy, Obama, Trudeau, Mandela...loved and hated. History is rife with these heroes and goats. Now sometimes a fall from grace can be understood when they fail to deliver on the promise of their passion, whatever the reason. Think of Obama and his wave of hope that ran smack into a wall of obstructionist and partisan resistance that denied him some opportunities to accomplish what he wanted to do, what we needed him to do.

And while he did accomplish a lot he was still torn down by those that would have supported him because he didn't do it all and even did things that maybe didn't mesh well with what they wanted for him. The world is grey and walking into the oval office to learn how it really is must be a sobering thing to do. I believe he did his best like I believe Trudeau will do his best. But that doesn't seem to matter for the world at large...they're busy tearing at the flesh. It would seem the best in some people bring out the worst in others.

Everyday we can see, if we choose to look, examples of selfless sacrifice, open hearts and minds and a kindness to all that should inspire the world to reach for higher ground together. Instead, often we get the low hanging fruit of gotcha politics and the fortress of us against them that passes for leadership. And as long as someone can get something from it decency is thrown to the wolves in the name of power. No more I say.

Pulling together a few Sorkinisms to say that we can be an inch nicer to the world, we can be subject to one another without asking what's in it for me. In all his madness atop his donkey, let Quixote show us the way for a renaissance of decency. Pie in the sky? Probably. I don't care, I'm on a mission to civilize.

Nice guys finish last? Not for a moment to a believe this and if it were true I would still rather know the nice guy. Be the nice guy.

And you thought this was going to be about the Leafs...hahahahaha

Ciao
D