Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Precipice of Puck Drop

I am sitting at my desk contemplating what to write.  We are on the eve of the 2010-2011 NHL Season.  Tomorrow night it finally happens.  119 days ago I was sitting in the Wachovia Center staring at the ice in amazement.  I was waiting for a face-off to continue play in overtime.  The Chicago Blackhawks however, were swarming the ice celebrating their sudden-death overtime goal to win the Stanley Cup.  Patrick Kane goes down in history as one of those players that bring the Philadelphia fans back to earth, much like Joe Carter did in 1993 when he scored a home run to in the World Series against the Phillies.  One minute we are cheering to that we may push a game seven, the next we are trying to get out of the arena before we see the sacred cup be awarded to the visiting team on our ice.  As a fan it is a humbling experience to witness the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  But as the NHL marketing campaign so aptly put it "History will be Made" and it was from getting into the playoffs on a shootout, coming back from a 0-3 deficit against Boston, shutting out the Canadiens three times in a five game series and finally losing in an overtime game 6 on our ice.  But last season is now history.
Tonight every fan has hope.  Tonight every team is equal with 82 games to play.  Tonight every team and every fan believes there is a chance to win the prize.  Tonight is a good night.
Tomorrow night we get to tell a new story with new highs and lows.  There will be different frustrations and spectacular thrills.  We get to go on a journey with our team and we will feel like we know them even if we have never met any of them.  We will go hoarse cheering the amazing plays and goals and we will be obnoxious voicing displeasure when they don't.  Tomorrow night the campaign begins and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Scott Hartnell's Hair

Ok Scott, I get it.  You have curly hair.  You have really curly hair.  I get, I really do.  My hair is as curly as yours.  After seeing you in the Playoffs, I am thankful that I am a girl and can't grow that facial hair.  My question is why?  Did you look in the mirror everyday and think you look good?  Cause honestly you looked like a cross between Grizzly Adams and the Geico Caveman. But my issue isn't what you do with your hair, it's what you do on the ice. And you are not a strong skater. Sometimes I think you spend as much time on your ass as you do on your skates. And that is unacceptable. I'm going to be honest, I wanted you to be traded so I am biased. I wanted Simon Gagne to stay on the team. I thought he deserved to stay on the team. If a contract needed to be dropped because of salary cap reasons, I thought your contract should have been the one to go. But that didn't happen. So you, Scott Hartnell, owe it to every Gagne Fan and every Flyers fan to take full advantage of the gift you have been given (staying on the Flyers) and have the best season of your life. I, for one, will be rooting for it.