Toxic City: Why does Vancouver cut down its sports heroes?

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It took a long time, and a whole bunch of hooded anonymous strolls on the Stanley Park seawall, before Roberto Luongo figured it all out.

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His time in Vancouver was the Instapot of pro athlete experiences: a quick-bake pressure cooker, prone to explosions. He was revered, then ridiculed. He was lauded, then doubted. He was captain, then demoted. He was a star, then snubbed.

And then, he was gone. Traded to Florida.

The one thing that was constant and ever-present in Vancouver: drama. Something that subconsciously seeped into his brain.

“Even when you feel like you’re doing a good job with it, it’s still in the back of your mind,” he said in 2015. “You learn with time. I had a tough time digesting criticism in my early years, but you learn to handle that kind of stuff … Unfortunately, maybe it was a little bit too late when I did realize how to do it.”

He’ll own up to his part. His sucky contract, and things like that.

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But this market has proven it will dissect and deconstruct a players’ psyche time and time again. It’s unceasing.

Pavel Bure. Ryan Kesler. This city has left scars everywhere.

The only place harder to be an NHL player might just be Toronto, where everyone is angry all the time because they have to live in Toronto.

It’s not just hockey. B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has gone from celebrated NFL aspirant Kid Canada to “He’s starting? Are you kidding me?” in the span of a month.

A player’s confidence isn’t a malleable commodity, one that can be shattered and rebuilt better like the Japanese art of Kintsugi. There is no Six Million Dollar Man; “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.” (*Obligatory reference for Boomers who still read the physical newspaper).

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The latest case is the US$11.6 million man, Elias Pettersson. Last year, it was, ‘Will he sign a new contract?’ This year, it’s his play since signing said contract.

The questions and speculation, unrelenting.

Is he injured? Has he fully recovered from his knee injury? Is it mental? Is he a fit in coach Rick Tocchet’s system? Has he cashed in and checked out?

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Heading into Thursday night, it’s been 34 games since Petterson has scored an even-strength goal. It would be poetic if the slump ended against the Florida Panthers, where Luongo — who’s since returned to the good graces of Canucks fans — won a Stanley Cup as a member of the front office.

But if it doesn’t, the flagellation will continue. More comments like: “He’s not someone that will lead to a Cup win imo. That contract huge mistake.”

“They should send EP40 down !!! The guy has done sfa!!”

“I see him as a guy who has NHL skills but beer league mentality. To me, he is a lesser talented version of “Kent Nilsson” Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames hero of under performing lore. Don Cherry was right. Some players are just ‘Flakes’.”

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The Canucks are an Orca in this fishbowl of a market, and anyone who struggles has their troubles laid out on display for public discourse, before the focus inevitably shifts into the personal realm.

There are few outside the Canucks’ locker-room who know what’s going on with their star player, and likely few inside it too. There’s no one outside Pettersson’s inside circle who knows the truth.

What’s wrong with him? No need for me to throw my theory into the cauldron. We’ll find out eventually.

I remember listening to Whitecaps midfielder Felipe Martins open up in his season-ending availability in 2018 about enduring multiple deaths in the family while being mercilessly destroyed about his on-field performances by fans online who had no clue.

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There’s no problem talking about it or speculating — I wouldn’t have a job without it — but the discourse here always veers into the toxic realm of Bayless, A. Smith, et al. Hot takes, no substance. That’s not to say it’s all one big ball of toxicity out there. Logic and sensibility rule among the quiet majority of local sports fans.

Maybe take a page from Aly on Xitter: “I don’t think it’s really helping anyone to constantly rage at the player. We all want the same thing and he wants that too — to have him back dominating the league. Can’t we try to help out a player we love rather than yelling?”

It’s worth a try.

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