Managing Anger

THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA did battle in junior ice hockey the other day, with the Russian team emerging victorious. Either during the latter part of the game, after the game, or both, the Russians taunted the Americans, it was reported in the American media. For all we know the Russian media reported something else. Fortunately, no fighting ensued. These kids are big strong teenagers, who don't need to be fighting. A few days later, Russia played Sweden, and Sweden won. ON this occasion a post game brawl did in fact break out, and the fact that the common denominator was the Russian team stands out rather plainly. You all got an anger management problem over there? It would've been less surprising had it been the Americans involved, both no, it was the cerebral, civilized, intellectual Russians. Or perhaps our perception of civilized Europeans omits a few other qualities, such as aggression and violence. Anger management must be a global concern. It certainly is in the United States, where there seems to be an unusually large number of angry people, an unusually large amount of anger rippling through society. Maybe as the economy improves so will the anger level decrease. but you have to believe that the Russian junior hockey players are not being coached to taunt and fight with opponents in international competition. What would they have to gain by doing that? Feel the anger, draining away. OM