Marked Down and Discounted

 

One month after The Chief died

His jersey was marked down and discounted to half price

Less than half price on the official Toronto Maple Leafs' online store

George Armstrong was a Toronto Maple Leaf for 21 years

He was captain for 13 and he led the team to 4 Stanley Cups

I stole that from a Wikipedia page

And that line from the Hip

He was the greatest captain during the greatest run in the greatest franchise in English Canadian Hockey History.

He was the Chief

And when the broadcasters eulogized on his nickname they suggest it was a simpler time back then

It wasn’t meant as an insult.

It wasn’t racist.

That is the subtext to what they were really saying

Classic Canadian Erasure

It was a simpler time back then.

First Nations were still being restricted by an Apartheid like Pass system when he became a Leaf in 1950

It was a simpler time back then

Children were being dragged away to residential schools and ads in newspapers are selling 60’s scoops to rich White folks around the country and south of the border.

It was a simpler time back then

He played the first 10 years with no right to vote for First Nations across the country represented by the Maple Leaf he wore on his chest.

It was a simpler time back then

Indigenous Veterans were being neglected on the streets of the city, the gravel roads and bush trails across the country after serving in World War II.

Even Tommy Prince, Canada’s greatest Warrior would not be treated Equal as Canada’s greatest cowards.

They sold their rights to be Indian to fight for Canadian Freedom and were discounted after their service.

Marked down and discounted.

Marked down and discounted.

Marked down and discounted.

They should not have said that they called him Chief because it was a simpler time back then.

They should have said the truth.

They called him Chief

Because he was the Chief.

He had been through more than anyone in that room.

He was hardened.

Hard as flint scraping and scorching shards of steel into molten balls of fire.

He was the Man.

He was the Leader.

He was the Captain.

He was the Chief.

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