This week for @bloghomework, @missy, @rambo, and @lyxzen asked us to discuss our favorite athlete or sports team....
Well! Let me tell you...
If you had asked me this question two years ago, I might have given you a blank stare, cocked my head from side to side, and walked away.
I played soccer ('merica) as a child for a year or two. I did dance for many years but nothing much past childhood.
My family wasn't into sports so it was never pushed upon me or in my presence much so, it just wasn't anything big in my life.
In enters my husband who is a Green Bay Packers fan and well, obviously a Detroit Red Wings fan. Honestly, for the first year of our relationship, I didn't even consider getting into his sports teams, nor did he try to get me to.
I would say out of all sports, hockey always kind of intrigued me. Yes, the fighting sounded fun to watch but I think I always admired the ice-skating part of it since I am total shit on skates of any kind. I mean, the speed and agility that those guys maneuver with on blades and hard ice. I have trouble walking on my own two feet sometimes! I could never have the moves they do.
So I began to gravitate towards the hockey. I bought us tickets to our first Red Wings game in January 2014 when they came to the West Coast to play the Ducks. I got seats in the very top, last row of the Honda center but the view was still great, we made friends with our seat neighbors and genuinely had a good time.
Our seats have gotten progressively better and better with each year and with my increasing interest, since I'm the one who pushes for it.
My first hockey sweater purchased Christmas 2014. I really didn't take it off for the two days following. I asked for the current captain, Henrik Zetterberg because well...he's handsome af but I am also more familiar with the current team. I didn't feel appropriate asking for a sweater of players that I had never watched before. I felt my allegiance was owed to the guys I'm watching and getting into hockey with.
Oh captain, my captain.
Anyways, 2nd game, we were 6 seats from the ice at the Honda Center. We even made new friends at the brewery we pre-gamed at and still talk to them to this day. These two gents drove all the way out from Las Vegas to see the Wings play. Perhaps we'll be driving out to Vegas to watch the Wings play once they announce they Vegas expansion team...
This past January, we went up to Staples Center to see them play the Kings. I had never been to Staples Center before and I consider the Kings to be my back up team. The Wings have had a nasty habit of having a first round exit in the play offs the last few years and when they lost to Boston a few years back, I watched the Kings during the play offs and that happened to be the year they won their second Cup. This time, we got seats 2 rows up from the glass. I had no idea who our seat neighbor would end up being...
I happened to be sitting right next to the back up goalie for the Wings, Petr Mrazek (so hot right now). Part of me wishes I had worn my Mrazek sweater that I had just received for Christmas so I could show him, but he wasn't in the net so I opted for my Captain's sweater.
These were seriously amazing seats because I enjoyed watching all the behind the scenes actions of what the players do while they're not on the ice.
This was a puck I snagged after it went out of play behind the Wings bench.
Now, I don't know how we are going to top our hockey adventure next year! My husband and I would really like to make it out to Detroit to see the Joe Louis Arena before it is torn down and the Wings move to their new, horribly named arena.
I've really enjoyed getting into the sport. It's something my husband and I follow together, watch together, talk about together, that we don't do with anyone else. It's really exciting to watch live and it's certainly fun to have something to look forward to watching at home during the season. It's really neat to find other fans out in the wild and converse with them on a subject we both love and feel passionate about. It's a really easy way to quickly connect with someone. The offseason is short compared to the regular season but it feels like a long time before October is going to get here!
Reasons to love the Wings:
They are an original 6 team, founded in 1926.
They have the most Stanley Cups for a US team at 11
They have the longest current consecutive post season play off streak at 25 years, the same number of years I've been alive on this planet. Coincidence? No.
Their mascot is Al the octopus. Octopuses are one of my power animals. In fact, my octopus on my right thigh was my first tattoo!
Overall, the Wings are a pretty classy time. They don't start a lot of unnecessary fights and you hardly hear of misconduct from their players. Current player and living legend, Pavel Datsyuk, is a 4 time Lady Byng winner for sportsmanship. Classy stuff!
So, until next season, hockey fans!
