All sports, at their heart, are tribal.

In the overheated and hyperbole filled black and white, "Us" vs. "Them" world of tribal fandom, it's easy to forget that "Them" are real people.  In fact, it's much more convenient for "Us" to turn "Them" into archetypal caricatures, isn't it?  Otherwise, how could we possibly justify our own behaviour?  How else would we willingly put aside the saner, more rational parts of our brain and let the lizard loose?

Dictators know it.  Every army in the history of the world knew it.  Hell, Orwell wrote an entire book about it (among other things).  Reduce the enemy to an easily pigeonholed cartoon, and you make it far easier for "Us" to put our own humanity aside as we race to the bottom in search of ever more shameful ways to dehumanize "Them".  And "Them" are doing the same thing to "Us".  It's part of why we're fans in the first place.  Above all, defend the tribe.

In a little more than two hours, the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs will play a game.  Ordinarily, I would attach a vitriolic rhetoric to this game completely disproportionate to its importance.  I would spew all manner of invective at "Them".  I would rejoice in the misfortune of "Them".  I would demand blood.  I would demand vengeance.  And above all else, I would demand victory at all costs.  And I would love every second of it.  For three hours, I'd happily unleash my lizard brain and let that little fucker dance, strut and cavort all over the place.  Ordinarily.

But not tonight.  Tonight, it's just a game.  Every once in a while, it would do us all some good to remember that.

My condolences to the entire Burke family, and to Brendan's many friends.

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