R.I.P. Redwings

I often get asked how a guy from West Virginia, originally, and who grew up in, Utah is a Detroit Redwings fan? After all, I hadn't even been to the city until about 10 years ago when I flew in there to do an extradition from the northern end of the state.

Well, my, Mother's, Mother was from Canada. So I inherited, "The Hockey Gene". It's a terrible affliction to have in Utah, where we only have two Seasons: Basketball and Road Construction. And the local religious sites have basketball courts inside the chapels, and not, "rinks". So, too much, "Jazz" coverage, not enough, "Griz" if you get my drift.

Anyway, my mom had a cousin, second or third to me, I think, that played for the Wings in the late 70's. Buster Harvey. You can actually look him up on Wickipedia! He died a few years ago of cancer. I never met him, but when you're a kid, that's enough of a connection to make you a fan of his team. And I was in college then, and playing hockey in the amature leagues around here, so was still a kid.

Most of you won't know the history of the NHL, so I'll just tell you that being a, Redwings fan in the 70's and 80's was tough. It's not like kids who, "glom" onto the, Dallas Cowboys because they always win, and are on TV every Sunday. Or guys who don't go to college, but root for, BYU, or Notre Dame just because they go to CHURCH! You had to be dedicated to root for the, Wings then.

One slow day at, Skate And Score, the local hockey shop (the ONLY hockey shop in SLC then) in the early 80's, my friend, Dennis and I came up with a silk screen for a t-shirt. It had the now, proud, "Winged Wheel" insignia of the, Wings with a flat tire, broken spokes, and feathers all over the ground. It read, "Detroit Dead Things".

But as the 90's dawned, there started to be a resurgence in Detroit, and the team got good. By the end of the 90's, the place was known as, "Hockeytown!" So I've ridden the ups and downs of being a, Wings fan.

I've been in a crowd of, Wings fan's that outnumbered the, Coyote's fans in, Phoenix in the 90's. Seen them play in, Anaheim where they played to an overtime tie. Watched them pummel the, Colorado Avalanche in, Denver a few years ago, and last spring, watched them get their heads handed to them 8-1 by the, Columbus Blue Jacket's at home in, "The Joe".

By the way, Columbus fans are so obnoxious, they are just THIS side of being as nasty as, BYU fans! Those people suck. So, show us YOUR Cup, or shut the Fuck up! We have 11 of them. You have, Ohio State, and THEY can't win when it counts, either.

So tonight, my, Wings get beat, 1-2 in San Jose, and lose the series four games to one to the, Sharks. First time the Sharks have ever gotten past the second round of the playoffs. I wish them well. It was a hard fought series.

My wife grew up in, Sunnyvale, California. A suburb of, San Jose. She has never been to a, Sharks game. Does not know where the, "Shark Tank" (HP Arena) is located. Doesn't own a t-shirt for the team. Won't watch hockey. Won't read the articles in the paper, and couldn't name you a single player on the team. While I have lived and died with the, Redwings for 30 years.

But she said to me tonight (emphasis MINE), "I'm glad MY, SHARKIES WON." Sharkie's? Really?

One of us is clearly, unhappy that his favorite, professional sports team lost. And one of us is clearly out of her mind. And this is why people who have been married for 25 years, and appear outwardly happy to their friends and neighbors die in murder/suicides.

I'm just going to keep chanting, "Less than four month's to college football! Less than four month's to college football..."