Hockey

It just doesn't seem possible that today, 1 June, I can be writing about hockey. It is unbelievable what expansion has done to a "winter" sport.

Anyway. I am a Red Wings fan, through and through. They are my team. They pissed me off big time when they lost during the first round of the playoffs, but I will have completely forgiven and forgotten this by the time next season starts. The Cup will be theirs in 2007. Go Wings!

The finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on Monday. Edmonton--who beat the Wings--and Carolina will be playing. I will be cheering for Carolina--BIG surprise. :) Actually, there is more to my wanting Carolina to win than just wanting to get back at Edmonton: the last few games I watched that Carolina played had more good hockey in five minutes time than I saw in entire games that Detroit played this past year! Tonight's game was a beautiful example of how hockey should be played: the grace, beauty, quickness, etc. Some absolutely perfect goals were scored: everyone was where they SHOULD have been and it was pure, beautiful perfection. It is a joy to watch a game just to watch the sport--not to see who will win. It is actually a little liberating to watch for the love of the game: something I have the tendency to forget when I'm watching "my team."

So, I will have a few more nights to watch a game I grew to love many years ago. And I will be able to watch for the love of the game. But wait till next year...