Published: Monday, June 15, 2009 11:49 PM EDT
Whoever trademarked “Hockeytown” should file a change of address form with the post office.Eleven Stanley Cups, Gordie Howe, Stevie Y, blah blah blah, ... none of that tripe makes much difference in light of the behavior on display during and after this past Friday’s Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.The Detroit crowd quit when the Penguins led 2-0. The Pittsburgh fans in attendance outshouted the Red Wings not-so-faithful for most of the game, cleverly responding to “Let’s Go Red Wings” with “Let’s Go Pens” just a breath after. It was well-timed and impossible to drown out.The PA announcer didn’t even play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” in the third period. Maybe because the home fans had stopped believin’.Then, when the Stanley Cup was presented to Sidney Crosby, I was shocked by the avalanche of boos. It was classless, and I don’t recall it happening when Detroit picked up the Cup at Mellon Arena last year. In fact, I recall respectful applause from a heartbroken crowd.Detroit had no inkling that the Red Wings could lose. Didn’t even consider the possibility. Arrogance disguised as complacence.The Penguins fans in attendance further distinguished themselves afterward by sticking around for the lengthy on-ice media scrum/team celebration that followed. Sheer joy all around. I was lucky enough to be on the ice for most of it, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.Then Red Wings forward Kris Draper complained because Crosby didn’t shake Nicklas Lidstrom’s hand after.Well, boo hoo.Crosby got to the handshake line late because he was doing interviews on network television. Was Crosby supposed to ditch live TV, sprint over on his bad wheel and grab Lidstrom’s hand to placate Draper?Notice Lidstrom didn’t complain. Just the has-been forward that piggybacked his way to a fistful of rings. Crosby didn’t complain when Draper inexplicably stole his spot on Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Canadians, however, complained when their low-octane team lost in the quarterfinals.Detroit Coach Mike Babcock cited injuries. But what finalist hasn’t sustained injuries over the demanding two-month post-season grind? And didn’t a hobbled Crosby play just one shift in the third period of Game 7?Detroit fans have compiled lists of borderline calls that allegedly affected the series outcome. But when Johan Franzen hurt Crosby by ramming him into the boards, it was textbook interference. No complaints. I’ve been waiting for the NHL rulebook to be applied properly and consistently since Bill McCreary was teething on pucks in his crib. It’s not going to happen.It brings me back to my favorite sports truism: What could have happened, did.It goes back to Original Six conceit. When the Penguins led 2-0 in the third period, I thought the traditionalists on press row were going to weep. When Detroit cut the lead in half, hope sprang eternal.Then Marc-Andre Fleury slammed the door shut. It’s a shame it wasn’t on a Toronto hockey writer’s hand.Everyone who traveled from Pittsburgh to Detroit for Game 7 showed up ready to compete. Ohio State hockey player Sergio Somma, a Plum native, was in a Joe Louis Arena men’s room when an inebriated Wings fan, noting Somma’s Penguins jersey, drunkenly sloshed into him.Somma didn’t back down, nor did he overreact. “You check like Zetterberg,” he sneered.Pittsburgh beats Detroit again
Whoever trademarked “Hockeytown” should file a change of address form with the post office.Eleven Stanley Cups, Gordie Howe, Stevie Y, blah blah blah, ... none of that tripe makes much difference in light of the behavior on display during and after this past Friday’s Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.The Detroit crowd quit when the Penguins led 2-0. The Pittsburgh fans in attendance outshouted the Red Wings not-so-faithful for most of the game, cleverly responding to “Let’s Go Red Wings” with “Let’s Go Pens” just a breath after. It was well-timed and impossible to drown out.The PA announcer didn’t even play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” in the third period. Maybe because the home fans had stopped believin’.Then, when the Stanley Cup was presented to Sidney Crosby, I was shocked by the avalanche of boos. It was classless, and I don’t recall it happening when Detroit picked up the Cup at Mellon Arena last year. In fact, I recall respectful applause from a heartbroken crowd.Detroit had no inkling that the Red Wings could lose. Didn’t even consider the possibility. Arrogance disguised as complacence.The Penguins fans in attendance further distinguished themselves afterward by sticking around for the lengthy on-ice media scrum/team celebration that followed. Sheer joy all around. I was lucky enough to be on the ice for most of it, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.Then Red Wings forward Kris Draper complained because Crosby didn’t shake Nicklas Lidstrom’s hand after.Well, boo hoo.Crosby got to the handshake line late because he was doing interviews on network television. Was Crosby supposed to ditch live TV, sprint over on his bad wheel and grab Lidstrom’s hand to placate Draper?Notice Lidstrom didn’t complain. Just the has-been forward that piggybacked his way to a fistful of rings. Crosby didn’t complain when Draper inexplicably stole his spot on Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Canadians, however, complained when their low-octane team lost in the quarterfinals.Detroit Coach Mike Babcock cited injuries. But what finalist hasn’t sustained injuries over the demanding two-month post-season grind? And didn’t a hobbled Crosby play just one shift in the third period of Game 7?Detroit fans have compiled lists of borderline calls that allegedly affected the series outcome. But when Johan Franzen hurt Crosby by ramming him into the boards, it was textbook interference. No complaints. I’ve been waiting for the NHL rulebook to be applied properly and consistently since Bill McCreary was teething on pucks in his crib. It’s not going to happen.It brings me back to my favorite sports truism: What could have happened, did.It goes back to Original Six conceit. When the Penguins led 2-0 in the third period, I thought the traditionalists on press row were going to weep. When Detroit cut the lead in half, hope sprang eternal.Then Marc-Andre Fleury slammed the door shut. It’s a shame it wasn’t on a Toronto hockey writer’s hand.Everyone who traveled from Pittsburgh to Detroit for Game 7 showed up ready to compete. Ohio State hockey player Sergio Somma, a Plum native, was in a Joe Louis Arena men’s room when an inebriated Wings fan, noting Somma’s Penguins jersey, drunkenly sloshed into him.Somma didn’t back down, nor did he overreact. “You check like Zetterberg,” he sneered.Pittsburgh beats Detroit again
No comments:
Post a Comment