Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

The A's and Cards have advanced and the Dodgers are done. (Sorry Warren!)

 

The first major sport I loved was baseball.  It was one boy's fault, and then a whole bunch of others.  I loved go to games and hang out with my friends, and somehow my brain can retain stats and scores and batting averages.  We used to play a game where Warren or his dad would name a state and I would name all the pro teams in all the major sports. For example, the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, As, Giants, Raiders, 49ers, Chargers, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Sharks, Kings and the no longer "Mighty" Ducks.  Or how about the Thrashers, Hawks, Falcons and Braves?  The Caps, Redskins, Wizards and Nationals.  I could do this all night long.  These little games got me into the bigger one.

 

So, years go by and I moved away from the ballparks.  Years go by and I am lucky to get to one baseball game a year (this year it wasn't even a whole game).  Years go by and my head has been turned by hockey and a hundred other things have my heart.  It's easy to love a game that involves a large, empty sheet of ice.  It's easy to love a game that requires every single player to get their turn, to have a chance, to take a shot.  It's easy to love a game where people fight actually for each other.  The superstar egos have no place (not on my team, anyway).  It's easy to love a game that, on any given night, anyone can be the hero. 

 

Plus, hockey players are tough, strong men.  How many baseball players are scratched because they have blisters and can't pitch? 

 

Even at that, each October, just as the year before, I come back to where I started.  I'm hoping to see the A's and the Card's get to the World Series.  I'll never tell who I want to win from there -- I'll be disowned either way.

Wait Until Tomorrow

Tomorrow night is going to be CRAZY.  June 19th seems like such a long time ago now, but already a whole season has passed since the Canes won the Cup.  Tomorrow night, we're raising the banner.  Not even all of the season ticket holders were able to get tickets, but we are going to be among the privileged 18-thousand or so in the building.

 

I've actually been trying to ignore all of the training camp and preseason noise -- none of it really matters anyway.  Already I've heard that people are a little concerned because they were 1-4 in their pre-season schedule; last year I think they were 2-6 and you can see how that turned out.  After the "magical" run in 2002 that ended once we hit the brick wall that was the Detroit Red Wings, we came back the next year and placed 29th in the 30 team league.  Lesson learned.

 

I was cleaning out my office the other day and found the Sports Illustrated NHL preview issue from last year.  They had the Canes pegged to finish 28th or 29th and basically said our GM was delusional for thinking we'd win it all.  Maybe a lesson learned there too.  (This year they have them 4th in the East.)

 

I've got my game bag packed and a plan to meet mom & Wayne in our normal spot so we can pick up our customary tailgating food (Chinese takeout).  Their flagship station replayed Game 7 tonight and I was just reminded of what that night was like, despite all my attempts to keep the excitement at bay.  I'm so excited now I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.  I hope I sleep tonight.  I hope THEY sleep tonight.

 

Bring on Buffalo. Game on.

 

 

To see how the boys spent their summer vacations, click here.