St. Louis Blues Can And Should Be A Unifying Force

The St. Louis Blues are in a world unto themselves and sports should remain separate from divisive topics. Hockey’s return will hopefully give fans something to unite about.

The St. Louis Blues have been focused on what they can control, which is what goes on in that 200-foot space covered by a sheet of ice. While it’s still a week away, fans are looking forward to the time when they can focus on that too.

2020 was a trying year, in more ways than one. Given recent events in the capital of the United States, 2021 is not off to a much better start.

But this is now a time when we need to seek out the things that will bring us together. That does not mean we cannot have our opinions on national matters and how that affects society, but the powers that be have done too good a job at dividing.

That’s a true statement no matter what side of the political aisle you fall on. The mere fact that any of us even question our friends and neighbors based on who they voted for or a Facebook post instead of the character of their heart is testament to the power of today’s media.

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No matter what side you support, the rhetoric used on newscasts and websites is disheartening and disgusting. No matter which cause you favor, the opposition is now referring to you as a seditionist, racist or terrorist, even if you have done nothing yourself.

We need to stop that. The Blues, and whatever sports team or league or individual you cheer for, can help with that.

People like to get on their high horse and say sports or film or art of any kind don’t matter right now. I say it matters more now than ever.

If I can look away from the squabbling for a few hours and sit next to a person, whether live or virtually, and find common ground in a team to root for, that should be praised right now. If we can stop thinking ill of people we have considered friends for years, because of things that have only happened in the last few months, to watch a hockey game together, that should be something to be celebrated.

I know for a fact that I have allowed my own feelings towards friends change based on their political beliefs or their viewpoint of an event or how things have been handled. That’s not who I want to be, nor should it be how any of us want to be.

The Blues can start to reverse that for some of us, even if only for a short while. Think of what this team has done in normal times.

While most sports fans would consider a hockey team in the middle of the country as one nobody cares about. Yet, there are fans all over that support the Note.

Clearly, it’s mainly a local team, but that is not just local to the city. There are fans in Jefferson County and St. Charles and down south, through the boot heel. Blues fans stretch westward to Jefferson City and all the way to Kansas City and into Kansas as well.

Iowa has Blues fans. People in Arkansas have heard games on KMOX.

The Blues have fans in Philadelphia, thanks to Jacks NYB. The Blues have fans north of the border as well, with one now famously being photographed as the lone fan standing in a sea of dejected Winnipeg Jets fans.

That man and his family are not surrounded by Blues fans, but they are part of this sports family. We cover all sorts of races, cultures, creeds and nationalities.

Think what you will of what is going on in Washington D.C. and support who you support. But, remember that your neighbor might think quite differently than you do about that exact same situation.

That’s fine. That’s to be human. Instead of thinking that neighbor or friend or sibling or parent are horrible people, think of all the things you have in common instead. If you’re reading this space, one of those things in common is that we are Blues fans.

We need hockey now and thankfully it is not far off. We need things to unite us. Even though sports can divide us into factions, nobody truly feels hatred in their hearts for a Chicago Blackhawks fan. We simply don’t like their taste in hockey teams.

Next. Money talks as NHL brands its divisions. dark

Yet, we can put aside even those differences to cheer for players from the Blues or Blackhawks or Red Wings or Avalanche if they play for Team USA or Team Canada or Team Finland or whoever. I would rather argue about silly things like what line Robert Thomas will be on or bicker with a Dallas Stars fan because Jamie Benn is a piece of trash on the ice.

Sports can unite us and we have to do that now. Red, blue…it doesn’t matter. Cheer for the blue and gold because you love them and so does the next person. The rest will take care of itself as long as we remember our commonality instead of whatever divisiveness “they” (whoever they is for you) want us to focus on.

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