Shut Your Yap : Lightning Bandwagon Fan Edition

Photo by Linda Hamilton

This Shut Your Yap goes out to all of the bandwagon fans who are starting to show up at the St. Pete Times Forum for games again. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy to have more people in attendance. Butts in the seats means more money being spent in the building means more money being spent to better the team and the facilities. A winning team doesn’t just bring in new fans, though. A winning team brings back the people who got into hockey for a brief period in 2004 when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup. After that came the lockout and an extensive period of sucking, so they moved on to some other team. Now they’re back. They wear their 2004 merchandise and it still looks to be in mint condition. Like it’s been sitting in a drawer for the last almost 7 years. Or they’re wearing brand new gear that just had the tags removed. These are the people who sit behind you and complain about the play of every single guy on the team… except their favorite. And can’t tell the difference between Pavel Kubina and Victor Hedman. Or thinks they can do so much better than the guys on the ice. These are the people who spent most of the third period of last night’s loss to the Islanders BOOING the Lightning.

There are some things that are guaranteed to get me riled up at sporting events. One is uber obnoxious visiting fans. Another is booing your own team. Yes, last night’s game was very frustrating. Yes, I yelled at the Lightning from my seat in the upper level and voiced that frustration. But I would NEVER think of booing them. You haven’t been to a game in 7 years? You have no right to boo. I voluntarily spent money and have been supporting the team when they have missed the playoffs during the last four years. I have been there when they have been the worst team in the league. I’ve been there when they have been the second worst team in the league. I knew it was futile most of the time, but I never stopped cheering. I never stopped hoping for victory. I never stopped wearing my team colors.

Sports are cyclical. Hockey exemplifies this because any team can win on any given night. Any team has the chance to make the post season and win the Stanley Cup. It has nothing to do with hockey, but one of my favorite books is “The Boys of Summer” by Roger Kahn. There is a quote that goes like this:

“You may glory in a team triumphant,… But you fall in love with a team in defeat.”

I love my team. I’ve been there for the highs and the more recent extreme lows. If you’re going to waltz in and out when the standings favor them, have more respect for the guys on the ice when you do make your cameo appearances.

When Should You Worry?

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Spring Training is the kind of thing where everyone can just sit back and relax. It's Florida in the spring time and the weather is fantastic. You can drink beer and eat hot dogs at 1 in the afternoon. The games don't matter. The closer we get to opening day, the harder it is to keep some nagging questions out of my head. Yes, it is nearly impossible for a Red Sox fan to just sit back and enjoy the silence. I'm pretty sure that when you're born a Sox fan or find your way into it, a certain part of your brain reserved specifically reserved for paranoia kicks into overdrive.

But seriously.. when do we worry about Papelbon? How many blown saves before it's time to really be concerned? Is Bard ready to assume the role of closer if he needed to? What about Bobby Jenks? What happened to the untouchable closer of just a few years ago? Will we ever see him again? What about Josh Beckett? Is Wake done? Can we be confident in the catching tandem behind the plate?

This is where Spring Training is terrible for RSN paranoia. It's basically a two month long science project. I can pretty much see opening day from here, though. In spite of all the paranoia and questioning, I can't wait. Baseball that counts. The Red Sox back on the field. That thought stops all of the questioning... at least for a little while.

We Can Rebuild Them. We Have The Technology.

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I had a really interesting conversation with my friend Linda yesterday. It was about the Lightning and the types of merchandise sold in the St. Pete Times Forum. On the terrace level, there is a small team store that mostly sells jerseys and things for the visiting teams that are coming into town. Linda found out that that store is going to be closed come next season and only Lightning merchandise will be sold in the building. I think it's a good idea. She thought that excluding the merchandise for other teams means losing a lot of money. A lot of visiting fans come to town, especially fans of the Canadian teams. While I see her point, I can't help but disagree.

An example was brought up was the Florida Panthers. I have never been to their arena in Sunrise, but Linda likes their team store in that it sells things for all of the other teams in the league. Now, I know there are Panthers fans out there and I don't want what I'm about to say to be insulting. HOWEVER. Visiting teams' fans seem to make up a larger portion of the attendance than Panthers fans. In that situation, it makes business sense to market to them. The Lightning still attract a lot of out of towners, probably because so many Floridians are from somewhere else. If the ownership is spending so much money to re-do the building and improve the product on the ice it makes sense that they want to establish themselves on their own.

A lot has been made about the new owners and management of the team using teams like the Detroit Red Wings as a template for how they want the Lightning to be viewed. Part of doing that is breaking away from the stigma that the Sun Belt expansion teams carry with them. It means establishing their own identity and creating a legacy and mystique of an older franchise. Visiting fans are more than welcome to come to Tampa and spend their money in the Lightning's arena. I see nothing wrong with them not being able to stock up on new gear while they're there.

More Than A Game

(Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images. Used without permission)

We all love our sports. I know I have been called obsessed more than a few times. It's also been brought to my attention that sometimes it's silly to get so emotionally involved in silly games. And maybe it is. But I can't fault the Red Sox or the Lightning in using their higher profile to raise awareness and money to help those in need.

Last year, Lightning Captain Vincent Lecavalier and several of his teammates participated in the first ever Tampa Bay's Cut for a Cure. Local business owners, professional athletes, and high profile members of the community were sponsored via donations. They then had their heads shaved to raise awareness and funds for The Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital. This year seven current players and one Lightning alumni from the Stanley Cup winning team are participating: Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Teddy Purcell, Victor Hedman, Ryan Malone, Mike Smith, Stan Neckar, & Nate Thompson. As great as my grief will be at seeing Nate Thompson's gorgeous hair vanish, I can't argue with the cause. Good for you, boys.

The Red Sox have also stepped up this week to raise money for the Red Cross' efforts to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami ravaged nation of Japan. Japan and America are linked, especially when it comes to our love of the game of baseball. There have been many great players from Japan who have shaped what our past time is. I can't even imagine what the Japanese players who are here for Spring Training have gone through when it comes to seeing what is happening to their homeland and to their family and friends. Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Junichi Tazawa, and Itsuki Shoda were all outside of City of Palms park before last night's game against the Yankees collecting donations from the fans. All of the money donated there and through the Red Sox Foundation will be directed to the Red Cross' relief efforts. If that isn't a worthy cause, I don't know what is.

I don't make a lot of money. But there is no way I can sit back and do nothing. Every dollar helps. If I can give, so can you.

To sponsor a Lightning player visit: Tampa Bay's Cut For a Cure

To help the Red Sox Foundation & Red Cross help Japan visit: Red Sox Foundation

Spring Training Adventures

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A weather report was announced during today's Red Sox vs. Pirates game at McKechnie Field. It was 32 and rainy in Pittsburgh. 36 and rainy in Boston. There in Bradenton? It was 74 degrees, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. That pretty much sums up the whole day. I ended up talking to dozens of fellow Sox fans about the gorgeous weather in the stands, on the concourse, in line for the ladies room. Everyone had smiles on their faces, SPH 50 in one hand, and large cheap beers in the other. Everyone kept smiling even after the Pirates scored 6 runs in one inning and Sox ended up with the loss.

Everyone seems to wait impatiently for pitchers and catchers to report. After that, it's an impatient wait for opening day. I know the Spring Training games don't matter in the standings, but it was nice to sit still for an afternoon and enjoy it for what it is. Baseball. Sunshine. Cold beer, hot dogs, and peanuts from the concession stand. Blue skies, green grass, and a red clay diamond. The crack of the bat and the thump of baseballs in leather gloves. The boys of summer taking the field once again. I didn't want the day to end.

I want to try and make it when the Red Sox are back in Bradenton next Saturday. I hadn't been to a live baseball game since last July and I desperately want more. Play ball, indeed.

Paradise

Photo by Me

Tomorrow. Real, live Red Sox baseball for the first time in 2011.

Now I have to quell my excitement long enough to get to sleep. Damn Daylight Savings Time.

FUBAR

Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images. Used without Permission.

A lot has been written about Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty on Tuesday. Most of it by wiser and more articulate people than I. More thoughts sprang into my head today with the news that the Lightning's Pavel Kubina was suspended for three games for an elbow to Dave Bolland's head in last night's game against the Blackhawks. Chara's hit gave Pacioretty a grade 3 concussion and broke his fourth vertebrate. Chara was not suspended. Chara was not even fined.

I'm not suggesting that Chara is a dirty player, not by any means. I'm also not saying that he went after Pacioretty with the intent to injure. But the 7th anniversary of Todd Bertuzzi sucker punching Steve Moore in the back of the head and breaking his neck in a fall to the ice is upon us. One of the ugliest moments for the NHL in recent memory and another horrific injury is putting the sport of hockey on the front page for all of the wrong reasons again. Luckily, Pacioretty was released from the hospital today. Luckily, he isn't paralyzed. Unluckily, we don't know if he will ever be able to play hockey again. A 22 year old kid might have had his livelihood taken away from him. At this point, I think intent has to be thrown out the window. No matter who was the one on the giving end of that hit, the league should do something. To show that actions like that, routine hockey play that it may be, cannot and will not be tolerated. Instead, the only message that comes across is that it will take someone dying on the ice before their disciplinary system achieves any sort of consistency.

Just to recap: Sean Avery was suspended 6 games for lewd comments to the press. Pavel Kubina was suspended 3 games for an elbow to the head. Zdeno Chara is not punished when a colleague has a broken neck and Matt Cooke is still at large with no repercussions. It's a joke, but I don't feel much like laughing.

You Know We Love You Madly

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Maybe it's the weather starting to creep above 80 degrees. Maybe it's the endless cloud free blue skies of Florida at this time of year. Maybe it's the azaleas starting to bloom. All signs are saying that spring is here. Some people see these things as a signal to return to the beaches or pools. Me? There is nothing I would rather be doing right now than sitting in the stands of a ballpark with a cold beer in hand. The baseball jonesing has kicked in big time.

It's looking like I'll be heading down to Bradenton and the Pittsburgh Pirate's spring training ball park when the Red Sox are there this Sunday. And possible next Saturday. I was lucky enough to go to Fort Myers and City of Palms Park two years ago and it was a wonderful time. I hope to make it down to the new mini- Fenway next year, but Bradenton will just have to do for now. The weather looks to be beautiful, and when you're a member of Red Sox Nation you know there are going to be lots of fellow fans there with you.

Plus, I'll be able to drink at 1 in the afternoon without judgment. Ahhhhh, spring.

Blech.

Photo by AP Photos. Used without permission.

A lot of thoughts have been running through my head since I got home from the Lightning's shoot out loss to the Capitals. Frustration at the shoot out order for the Bolts. Elation at my team getting on the score board first. Utter rage at the blown call on Vinny's disallowed goal. One thing keeps coming to mind though.

Earlier today, I said that tonight's game would set the tone for the rest of the Lightning's season. For good or bad. This was going to be an indication of how things were going to play out through the remaining games. My own words are haunting me a bit, if I'm being honest.

The Caps still have a number of games left against division leaders, so it's really possible that the Lightning can climb back up into the standings. I need to stay positive and hope that my team can prove me wrong. That they can get healthier and come back with a vengeance. This is not the time of the season to go into a tail spin.

Ole Ole Ole Ole

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The Lightning lost 4-2 to the Canadiens last night. I had the most fun I have had at a game in quite a while last night. Conflicting statements, but both of them are true. A lot of the northern NHL teams bring out a fair amount of fans for the visiting team, especially the Canadian teams. There are a lot of snowbirds who live down here for parts of the year. There were a lot of red Habs jerseys spread out over the entire arena. When I sat down with my friend Linda for the start of the game, I groaned inwardly. There were several older gentlemen sitting next to us with a Canadian flag already in hand. I was expecting another experience like when Detroit came to town a few weeks ago.

Instead of a depressing evening while watching the Lightning lose their third straight, it was actually a lot of fun. There was a family sitting in front of us who were from Newfoundland and were there cheering on Teddy Purcell. The gentleman sitting right next to us was hilarious. We laughed and cheered and enjoyed the game together.

It reminded me that even though hockey fans have different allegiances to teams, it is a bit of a brotherhood. It's the least popular of the big four pro sports leagues here in America. It's kind of the punk rock of the sports world to the NFL's Top 40 charts. You meet a hockey fan, you meet a friend. Last night reinforced that when fans of the opposing team were cheering for Dwayne Roloson's saves or when a Lightning player would have a good shot or play.

Three home games over the coming week, so I'm sure to have more to write about. Hopefully it will be more geared towards Lightning victories.

Redemption Song

Photo by Linda Hamilton. Used with permission.

Two frustrating losses for the Bolts in the past two nights. Losses to Philadelphia and Boston, two of the teams they are fighting with for position at the top of the Eastern Conference. Games you never want to see your team lose, especially in games where the offense has seemingly dried up. The team is beaten up and bruised and broken down with injuries. It's tough going, that's for sure.

This isn't going to be one of those updates though. There was a bright spot in tonight's game against the Bruins. The play of one Mr. Mike Smith. Smitty had not played an NHL game since early December and he showed some brilliance on many of his saves this evening. It was only one game, but his trip to the AHL seems to have been a powerful motivator.

During an interview showed in the first period, Mike mentioned that he never thought he would play in a Lightning sweater again after he was placed on waivers. The hockey gods have seen fit to give him another chance. I think Smitty has all of the tools to be a very successful goaltender, things have just not fallen into place during his time in Tampa. He's a good guy and I really hope this late season redemption will set him on a better path. For the Lightning's sake in the standings and for his own future in the league.

This Month's "Shut Your Yap"

Photo by Linda Hamilton. Used with permission

It's been a while since our last "Shut your yap", but I am in the mood to channel the spirit of former Lightning coach John Tortorella and go to town. So here we go...

Difference of opinions are at the heart of sports fandom. Red Sox vs. Yankees, Lightning vs. Caps, Habs vs. Bruins. There are a lot of people out there in the world who don't agree with you, no matter your team affiliation. Hell, there are a lot of people who are fans of my teams that I don't agree with as well. Everyone has opinions and chances are there are a lot of people out there who think you're full of crap. I bring this up today because someone defriended me on Facebook because they were terribly offended by my saying I don't think the Lightning should try to bring Brad Richards back to town in the off season. Yes, you read that correctly. I was unfriended for speaking my mind.

Unless your name is Steve Yzerman or Theo Epstein, none of our opinions or ideas have any bearing on what our teams will actually do in the real world. On the fan level, it's purely a discussion. It's nothing personal, it's just what I think and would prefer that my team does this summer. The Lightning's coach and I might share a last name, but no one from the Forum is calling and asking my take on anything. The same as you. We like to fancy ourselves as being tuned in to what's going on with our teams, especially when we have technology like we do. The fact of the matter is we don't know everything. No matter how knowledgeable or how many people we know in the organization.

Sports are about competition but they are also a lot about arguments. As a fan, we have to be able to step back and not let our hearts be involved in every single comment or word spoken about our teams or our favorite players. If I allowed myself to be wounded by every negative thing fellow members of Red Sox Nation have said about Jason Varitek's play in the last few years, I wouldn't talk to any one about baseball. I value the words and thoughts of my RSN brethren too much to walk away. While we might not always agree, it never hurts to share thoughts.

I guess it comes down to this. We can be sensitive when it comes to our sports loyalties but at the end of the day it's just words. If you allow words to cut you that deeply, maybe you should find a less strenuous hobby.

Happy Birthday!

At 6:22 am this morning, I became an aunt. My sister and her husband have welcomed a healthy, beautiful baby boy into the world. It was so exciting to finally meet him. He is really tiny and very sleepy. And super cute.

I wore a Red Sox t shirt to the hospital this morning when we were seeing him for the first time. Between that and the Wally toy waiting for him at home, I am doing my part to set him on the right path. I plan on giving him the same freedom my dad gave me when it comes to baseball. You can root for whoever you want. Except the Yankees. There might be some gentle cajoling towards the boys in red socks, not going to lie.

But now? Sleep.

The Duke of Flatbush

The Brooklyn Dodgers are revered in the house I grew up in. Especially the World Series winning 1955 team. My father grew up a Dodgers fan in Brooklyn at that time. As a result, I grew up hearing his stories about that team and that time in the city. The Dodgers have become a part of my own baseball traditions. I always re-read "The Boys of Summer" by Roger Kahn before the start of Spring Training. I wear a #42 pin on my favorite jacket, surrounded by the pins for all of my favorite bands.

That reverence is one of the reasons I was so sad to learn of Duke Snider's passing today at the age of 84. The last of the regular starting Boys of Summer is gone. He goes to join Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Junior Gilliam, Billy Cox, Carl Furillo, and Jackie Robinson in baseball heaven.

I think it speaks of the timelessness of baseball and the men that play the game between generations. I never saw the Duke play a single game, but the news of his death brought tears to my eyes. In that way, baseball is eternal and its legends never really die. And that immortality is rather comforting.

Rest in peace, Mr. Snider. There's plenty of spectacular center field catches to be made in the hereafter.

Going The Distance

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I missed out on the Lightning's 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils last night because I needed a good night's sleep. For the first time ever, I was participating in a race. As part of pirate season here in Tampa, the Gasparilla Distance Classic is held over a weekend. There are several races and I did one this morning.

Ok, so just a 5k. And I walked the whole thing. But I walked fast and I never stopped once. I received a medal for finishing. After the race I got to thinking. It's the first "prize" I have ever received for an athletic event. I received trophies for dance recitals and things like that, but never a race. I wore my Lightning St. Patrick's Day hat and hauled my butt 3.1 miles along Bayshore Boulevard. I am tired, have some blisters, but very proud that I finished.

Next plan? Keep walking. Keep moving. I want to do the Warrior Dash in Lake Wales early next year. Now.. Zzzzz...

Thrice As Nice

Photo by AP Photos. Used without permission.

I was more than a little concerned for the Lightning going into last night's game against Phoenix. The long home stand seemed to be taking it's toll, especially in late losses to Philly and Florida. Let's not even talk about the absolute beating at the hands of the Red Wings. The Coyotes were riding an eight game winning streak as they came into town. I was ready to settle in for a bit of a battle. And then Teddy Purcell scored his first of the night just shy of two minutes into the game.

And the goals kept right on coming. 5 in the first period alone. Teddy ended up scoring his first career NHL hat trick. Marty St. Louis scored two goals and Steve Stamkos scored one to break their goalless stretch. Vincent Lecavalier came out of nowhere and had a five point night. They looked amazing. And it was great to have that kind of dominance on display again.

A night removed from the game, I can't help but tell myself that Phoenix had just played a game the night before in Philly. That Jason Labarbera had only played 8 minutes of game action for quite some time. I'm trying not to get too excited, especially with the re-surging Devils in town for a contest tomorrow night. I'm trying to be levelheaded. But then I say screw it. Last night was great. It was just what the Lightning and myself needed.

The NHL trade market is heading up ahead of Monday's deadline. It will be interesting to see what Stevie Y has in store before then. Now could be the time when the Bolts get that missing piece to really help them in a run for the Cup.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Today is the 31st anniversary if the USA Hockey team's defeat of the Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. I have developed a bit of a tradition every February 22nd. I watch "Miracle" and the HBO sports documentary on that team and the gold medal run. It might seem odd that something that happened before I was born has such huge meaning for me. I look at it this way. It was a moment in time where the sport of ice hockey, always the perennial after thought in American sports culture, meant so much to the entire nation. So much so that it has been voted the biggest sports moment of the 20th century.

It's definitely a moment that will never be duplicated in the Olympics, especially as long as professional athletes participate in the ice hockey tournament. I got a bit of a glimpse of what it might have been like during Team USA's 2010 run at the Vancouver games. Canada was the big red monster then. Stocked with household name talent. Team USA might have had NHL'ers, but none of the name recognition of Sidney Crosby or Brodeur or Toews. I had people coming out of the woodwork to talk hockey with me. Gold medal game didn't go the same way as 1980, but it was inspirational and hopeful to me as an American hockey fan nonetheless.

But today, the recognition has to go to those 20 guys and the coach who made it possible 31 years ago today. Without them, USA's national hockey program would look very different. That game will forever serve as a reminder that the impossible can happen. And we should always believe in miracles.

The Heritage Classic

Photo by Getty Images. Used without permission.

It seems kind of odd that Hockey Day in America culminated with an outdoor game being played in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Odd until you really start to think about the sport itself. The roots of the game are in Canada, that will never change. Seeing the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadians playing on an outdoor rink was amazing. You know more than one guy on both benches was flashing back to their youth spent on the pond learning the game. It's nostalgic and romantic, that's for sure. The Heritage Classic was amazing. It's always great to see such love and respect for a sport that is close to my own heart.

One of the most interesting things about the coverage of Hockey Day in America was seeing all of the different and varied places that were celebrating. Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, Florida. Hockey might be Canada's game, but that game is growing in the USA and in some very unexpected places. It will be interesting to see how the NHL changes as a result in the years to come.

I would like to see the NHL continue with the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic as annual outdoor events. It's unconventional and has always come off really well. This year's Winter Classic might have been doused with rain and today's Heritage Classic might have been so cold that the ice was fragile, but I was glued to the television. I was by the TV most of the day, actually. Note to the NHL: If the NFL has a lost season due to collective bargaining issues, do Hockey Days in America more often. It was fantastic. Promote, promote, promote.

Love Is Our Resistance

Photo by AP Photos. Used without permission

"You may glory in a team triumphant,... But you fall in love with a team in defeat."

Roger Kahn wrote the above about the Brooklyn Dodgers in his amazing book "The Boys of Summer". When spring training rolls around, I always pull that book out and re-read it. To get ready for the summer and baseball and the Dodgers that my dad grew up with. The quote I used has always stuck out to me because it really is true. It's easy to be a fan of a team that wins all the time. That has dozens of championships or rings or trophies. It's easy because your loyalty is never tested.

Following a team that has a history of loss and defeat and disappointment can make you very bitter. But it also makes you resilient and makes it very difficult for you to give up on your teams. The Red Sox & Lightning have taught me that over the years. The Jaguars have taught me that. FSU has taught me that.

The Lightning may have been crushed by the Red Wings on Thursday night, but I'll be back in the stands for tonight's game. Wearing my gear and cheering my heart out. The Shawshank Redemption been on tv and in the hearts if a lot of my Red Sox brethren lately. It's definitely what I need to remember going into hockey's stretch run to the playoffs. Hope is a good thing. As long as we have that, anything is possible.

And I'll Find Strength In Pain

Photo by Linda Hamilton. "The Faces of Lightning Hockey"

Tonight was the most depressing experience I have had at a Lightning game in a very long time. Not since OK Hockey and Brian Lawton and having 40+ defensemen suiting up for the team in a single season. The Red Wings were in town, the media was hyping things out of control since it was Stevie Y versus his former team. And it felt like I was in Detroit. There were that many red jerseys in the stands. There were that many people cheering each Red Wing goal. There were three octopi thrown onto TAMPA ice. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach.

I understand that the Lightning will never have as many fans as an Original Six team. There's too much history there. It's complicated further by the fact that so many people who live in Florida are from somewhere else originally. They might locate and adopt local teams, but they keep their allegiances to the teams they grew up with. I can't point fingers there, I'm from somewhere else originally. I live in Tampa but maintain my loyalty to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Boston Red Sox. It's just frustrating. Really really frustrating.

This is when we have to take the advice of the coaches and players. Forget about this game and move on to the next one. Tomorrow is another day to regroup and move forward. Another day for the guys on the injured list to get a little bit healthier. There's another game on Saturday. And I'm pretty sure I won't be surrounded by a sea of Panthers jerseys then.