Thursday June 16, 2011
Picture of the DayWow. I really thought I would never see this.STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONSI didn't want to get my hopes up. When your team loses a championship, it can be pretty devastating.
The last time the Bruins won the Cup was in 1972. I wasn't following hockey back then. The kids in my class were talking about it and that Bobby Orr got MVP. The following year I checked the scores, but the Bruins lost in the opening round to the Rangers. But I kept with them.
To me, this was like the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. I never thought I would live to see this. Too many disappointments.
I kept checking the scores with my iPnone. 1-0. 2-0. 3-0. My stomach was in knots. Things can go wrong.
As I was doing a walk-around checking doors, my phone made a noise. Text message. Margie. "Congratulations! 4-0."
Wow.
As I walked home from work, I did the same thing I did back in 2004. I looked to the stars. And I thought about different people. Bernie Kuhn. Big Bruins fan. Mom's father, my grandfather. When he lived in the senior housing by the school, and we had the antenna on the roof, I was able to get channel 6 out of Montreal, and he used to come over and we would watch Hockey Night in Canada. I thought about my dad. When the games used to be on TV22, it was the feed from TV38. Dad used to bet with me a quarter on the game. He would bet on the other team. Just for fun. Invariably, Dad would doze off during the game. Close play. A Bruins shot on goal. I would see the puck go into the net. And I would LEAP out of chair. Screaming "SCORE!!!!!!!!".
"Jesus Christ!"
What?
"I had dozed off."
Sorry.
I don't take winning for granted. Because my team has lost too many times.
Last year, the Celics were leading the Lakers and on the verge of beating them. But the Celtics got tired. Lakers came back and won.
The next morning I refused to watch Mike and Mike in the Morning, because all they were going to talk about was Kobe's legacy. And I didn't want to watch the KTLA Morning News out of LA, because that's all THEY were going to talk about.
Unfortunately, all Mike and Mike has talked about lately has been the NBA playooffs.
The Boston Bruins.
Stanley Cup Champions.
Really.
Seriously.
AWESOME!!!!