I like riots, they’re pretty much my favourite thing. My very favourite is riots whose common feeling is rooted in overcoming an injustice, something with a bit of content. But even stupid riots are fun, and I find them worthwhile, even if they don’t have more content than playing basketball with your friends in the park.
I was hoping for a stupid riot when the Raptors won the NBA final. Yes, it’s Toronto, an incredibly dull and pacified place, but still. So on game 6 of the series, a crew of friends and I came in from out of town. With the exception of one pal who has been a Raptors fan for years and was excitedly following the score on her phone, the rest of us don’t pay any attention and didn’t mind not seeing even a single play of the final game. With our knock-off Giant Tiger Raptors gear and multiple layers of clothes, we spent the last minutes of the game eavesdropping on police radio conversations and watching the public order cops deploy to try to figure out what might happen next. Read More …