Barry Artiste Op-Ed
First there was a California University offering The Simpsons Cartoon Show as a Course of study for University Credits, then there was a University offering a course of study in Reality TV, and now a Canadian University is offering the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Team as a Religious course of study. Some say Hockey in Canada is a religion of sorts, much like the US and Football. Montreal has a fanatical following for the Habs, Habs an acronym for the Montreal Canadiens being one of the original 6 hockey teams of the NHL. Many fans of the Habs are generally called Hab Fags, a devoted group of Montreal Canadiens fans. I too on more than one occasion at the Corel Centre in Ottawa was called when wearing my Canadiens Hockey Jersey. Now I have derided nonsensical course like the Simpsons being offered as a course curriculm, but for some reason, I cannot in good conceinece deride Montrealers for wanting a Hockey Team as a Religion, one only has to go to a game in Montreal to experience real passion when it comes to Hockey in Quebec. Most likely more people tune into a Hockey game than watching Evangelical Sermons on TV. So God Bless the Habs! Sign me up!
Montreal university theology course explores link between Habs fandom and God
8 hours ago
MONTREAL — Quebec’s century-long bond to the Montreal Canadiens has been called passion, and even obsession. Now a university theologian has branded it as religion.
The Swiss-born Universite de Montreal professor said the ubiquitous relics and rituals linked to the Habs struck him when he arrived in the city a few years ago.
The similarities prompted Olivier Bauer to launch a crusade – in the form of a university course – to explore the many ties between a team that hails its sweater as La Sainte Flanelle – or holy flannel – and spiritual devotion.
“It was a divine inspiration,” Bauer said of the idea for his new French-language class, the Religion of the Canadiens.
Source: google.com