Among other pondering, the recent play of the NHL Kings [Really - a Fan of L.A. Sports Teams?] and the MLB Dodgers [It's Only Taken 30 Years - What's Next?] has me reflecting on my lifelong loyalty and preference to Detroit / Michigan sports teams. Three decades after removing to So. Cal. and roughly 35 years since I left my hometown Mad. Hts., I occasionally find myself actually rooting for these adopted home teams. However, this all takes place within a limited perspective. First and foremost, I'm a sports fan. Meaning that I enjoy viewing a good match regardless of game, team, or player. Second, my ongoing ranking of favored sporting events observation / participation is currently baseball, hockey, golf, with basketball and football in a 4th-place (not too interested) tie, and everything else trailing behind. In addition, this is all shaken up, (when I'm so inclined), with good doses of cynicism along the lines of "let guys who make an average of millions-of-dollars-per-year support these elitist athletes, etc. . . ."
That said, I recently recorded my preference for a Chicago vs. Los Angeles match-up in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The series came to be and it's been great sport. Last night's game in Chicago was one of the best exhibitions of hockey that I've witnessed recently. Also, kudos to the officials / linesmen who allowed the match to be played at its player-dictated tempo.
One of the aspects of hockey that I enjoy is the pace of play which can be breathtakingly fast. Compared to NBA play (particularly in the playoffs) where a final half-minute of action can take a half-hour to play out, I find hockey to be refreshingly entertaining and a lot more exciting.
From journalist Lisa Dillman: "Almost eight eye-catching minutes flew by — 7:56, to be precise — without a stoppage in play between the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks in the first overtime period at the United Center." And from Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, a former NHL defenseman. "That might have been the greatest overtime I've seen.'' From journalist Nicholas J. Cotsonika for 'Yahoo Sports' on May 29, 2014: "This is why we love hockey, and this is why we especially love the playoffs. They are full of surprises. The Kings still hold a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference final and can clinch on home ice Friday night. But who knows what’s going to happen? This is a matchup between the last two Stanley Cup champions – the Kings won in 2012, the Blackhawks last year – and there is no script, just skill and will and luck."
I'll be watching Friday night from the comfort zone of my wanna-be-man-cave in K-Town, and I'll be rooting for the Kings. It'd be good and easy to see Los Angeles beat New York in the Stanley Cup Finals. Now, if ever in my lifetime a given finals comes down to L.A. versus Detroit . . . . . I'll just have to wait and see.
