Too much hype

Dear ESPN, TSN, Pierre McGuire, Don Cherry, etc:

Stop talking about my team. Pretty please? Stop talking about our "Cinderella run", how under-rated we are, how hard working, how we are definitely going to trounce the Flyers. Please, please, stop. Have I officially lost it? Maybe. Read on, then judge.

I've had Caps season tickets for two years and watched them on and off for a handful of years prior to that. What I have liked most about being a Capitals fan (and this is essentially selfish) is our little community. Yeah, there isnt a huge hockey community in DC. But the community here is tight and we all sort of recognize each other, going in and out of the metro to the Verizon Center for six months. We see each other at practice, nod hello on VC escalators, comment each other to death on blogs. And since DC is a classic band wagon town, we'll see a our ranks swell when the Caps are on a run, then even out again to the loyalists. Its as intimate an experience as you will ever get in professional sports.

But all of sudden, the Caps are everyone's team. And after watching a painful rebuilding process for the Caps, I cant help be a little weary of all these new accolades coming our way. As Shan pointed out, where are all the gloating Caps fans? Well, we are hiding behind our computers and vintage Langway jerseys, hoping that all this sudden attention doesnt distract our very young team, the majority of whom have a season or two under their belt and no playoff experience. I cant help but be a little fearful when I hear that the press box can hardly contain all the out of town journalists, after the press box used to ring if not emptily, then at the least was a bit lonely with beat writers from the Washington Post and Washington Times as the only print news regulars.

I also want to add the caveat here that I am not worried about all the chatting blogs are doing about the Capitals (including, of course, my own). I'm superstitious about all the talking heads claiming that the Flyers are going down because the Capitals are hot, hot, hot. And Cinderalla. Or some version of that.

Its entirely possible and likely that I am being paranoid, and as the Caps are consummate professionals, they will go into the playoffs with the same vigor and determination they showed in the last weeks of the off season. But I hope you dont blame me for being just a bit scared, and crossing my fingers every time I see the words "Cinderella" and "Capitals" in a story.

x-posted to Cap Addiction

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I Never Need To Watch Draft Day Again.

I really don't have much of substance to say. I think Ray Shero's critically changed the chemistry of the Penguins, and I doubt that Hossa was worth it. I think it's very indicative that there hasn't been much said by a lot of the Pens, just Hossa (who's supposedly an old buddy of Shero's) and Shero himself, and I think that the Pens have crippled themselves for the future by losing Espo and the draft pick. Regardless of whether they get the Cup this year or not, I think it's going to be a very painful next couple of years for them, as I see very little depth in WBS. In short, I'm having rather a crisis of Penguins faith.


I don't think I can outrightly stop watching them, but as I've admitted before, Army is really the singular player that got me into hockey, and it's rather wrenching to see him not on my first love team anymore. I'm man enough to admit that there were waterworks when I found out (just ask Caps Chick.) In addition, the longer I spend in DC, the more the Caps grow on me, and with the DC/Atlanta rivalry the way it is, it's especially hard to figure out where my loyalties are supposed to be in this situation.

However, rather than being ridiculously emo and lamenting how much life sucks (which it does, trust me, I'm not out of the depression phase into acceptance yet by a long shot) I've chosen to channel it into making the....

Ray Shero, Please Walk Off A Cliff mix.
Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips
Expendable Youth Slayer
Boys Don't Cry The Cure
Mad World Gary Jules
Don't You Forget About Me Simple Minds
Sunshine (Go Away Today) Jonathan Edwards
Everybody Hurts REM
Worst Day Since Yesterday Flogging Molly
Big Yellow Taxi Joni Mitchell
Don't Dream It's Over Crowded House
Take A Picture Filter
Hurt Johnny Cash
The Stolen Child The Waterboys
Wonderwall Oasis
I'll Be There For You The Rembrandts
Hallelujah Rufus Wainwright
Leaving Town Dexter Freebish
Move Along The All American Rejects
Ashokan FarewellMark O'Connor



And an extra, for Joe Motzko

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DOUBLE FIST PUMP OF GREATNESS

I know I don't post much over here because I know most of the world could give less than a rat's hindquarters about the AHL, but this merits some internet-wide yelling.

Andrew Gordon is made of awesome. (and also the AHL player of the week)

For those of you who haven't been keeping up with the Bears/my life, Gordon has scored two hat tricks with me in attendance wearing his jersey. In my book, the kid could sneeze puppydogs and rainbows and not be more awesome than he already is. Mark it, if he doesn't make the Caps outright next year, he's gonna be the first callup from Hershey when they break a winger. And you can quote me on that.

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Best of Both Worlds

With the brouhaha over the recent dismissal of John Ferguson JR reaching all time new heights even for Leafs Nation, it was nice to sit back and concentrate on watching a game. Thanks to a friend of mine who couldn't make it to tonight's Leafs/Caps tilt at ACC, my son and I snagged a pair of tickets - at cost! In a city where tickets for the entire season sell out on the first day of sales, that's no mean feat.

I'm a die hard Leafs fan but I have a soft spot for Russian hockey players, a la Ovechkin. This game did not disappoint, despite the Caps manhandling the Leafs. Ovechkin scored a beauty of a goal, but with 30 seconds left in a 2-2 game, none other than Captain Crunch himself, Mats Sundin, potted the GWG for the Leafs. Both Alexander the Great II and O Captain, My Captain buried the biscuit in the twine so I could be happy on all accounts.

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Washington, The Trip That Was

I'm too apathetic about my Leafs to discuss their sad arse problems, but want to say a few things about my trip to Washington, DC. The highlight was getting to meet CapsChick and Shmee - so nice to finally meet up! Hopefully the next time it lasts longer.

For those interested in more:

http://hockeytalkie.blogspot.com/2008/01/holly-jolly-hockey-holiday.html

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