Am I Secretly Canadian?
I never watched hockey when I was growing up. In Oklahoma, football (like Elvis) was King, baseball was Duke, and basketball Count. Hockey was something you watched only every four years, when the Winter Olympics came around. I missed the “Do You Believe in Miracles?” USA-USSR game in ’80 (had to work, wouldn’t you know), but I watched every other game the Americans played in that tournament, including the game against Finland that clinched the gold medal. I remember thinking, “Wow, hockey’s great. I think I could really be a fan,” a thought that disappeared the instant the Olympics were over.
Well, the Winter Olympics are here once again. Up ’til now I’d not watched a single second, but this afternoon I noticed that the US was playing Switzerland in the medal round, so I turned it on while I practiced my horn. What a game! The US won 2 – 0, but it was much closer – the second goal was an open-netter in the closing seconds. Once again, I find myself thinking, “Wow, hockey’s great. I think I could really be a fan,” and I’m really looking forward the rest of the tournament.
Of course, March Madness is next month, and baseball is right around the corner. And after baseball is football, and I think the Jets have a really great shot next year, so I’m looking forward to that. Oh, and the Knicks might sign LeBron James in the off-season, which would be killer, and my Oklahoma State b-ball team should be better next year. Then there’s baseball again …
Who am I kidding? My hockey fandom is doomed to hibernate at four-year intervals. Still, I gotta admit, it’s a great game.
Finally, a subject about which I can talk at great length. Chris, all you need to do is get the MSG Network and you can catch Rangers games. The Rangers, by the way are in a heated playoff race with my Montreal Canadiens and about five other teams so it’s exciting hockey. First, though, there’s this whole Olympics thing and Canada is playing Russia tonight, loser goes home. This is EPOCHAL. I had to watch the Canada/U.S. game with my father-in-law, an upstater by way of Brooklyn. How embarrassing. And I was pulling for the Swiss team to knock off those lucky yankees but they boned it. Boned it hard. If Canada loses tonight you’ll hear a collective noose tying/self-inflicted gunshot emanating from north of the border.
But what you really need to do is go to a Montreal Canadiens home game and sit way out in the nosebleeds with the drunken rabble. You’ll be hooked for life.
Comment by Matt LeGroulx — February 24, 2010 @ 6:57 pmA season or two back I was in Toronto visiting my wife’s cousin, who’s a big Leafs fan. I remember we watched a late season game – maybe the last game of the regular season – and if I remember correctly if the Leafs lost (or maybe it was if the Rangers won), Toronto would be out of the play-offs. I had zero rooting interest, but I was transfixed anyway. I love baseball, and like football and basketball a lot, but hockey is about the most exciting game there is, as far as I can see.
Maybe I’ll start following the Rangers, at that.
Yeah, I could hear the Vancouver crowd rooting for the Swiss and booing the US. Can’t blame ‘em, actually, but that doesn’t mean I could ever root against my homies.
Good luck tonight!
Comment by Chris — February 24, 2010 @ 7:09 pm