YAY!! So, the race for the most coveted and respected trophy in sports is oooooooon at 8pm tonight! FINALLY. I think if there was anymore time between the conference finals and the cup finals, people would've forgotten hockey altogether. Well, no one here knows hockey exists anyway. I had full proof of this when I wore my Jason Pominville shirt to my law school property final and some kid goes "Wow, thats a cool banana on your shirt! Is Pominville a kind of banana?" I shit you not. First of all kid, bananas dont have faces with red eyes. Nor horns. But, then I thought to myself, I dont know this kid, maybe he eats crazy things. I mean, lets face it, kiwis can look kinda strange. And Pominville could be like the cooler sounding chiquita (bear with me through this) and I bet Pominville likes bananas as maybe all the Sabres do so it could be that the kid was on to something. And then my final was over, and I returned to mental normalcy and went back to thinking that the kid was an absolute idiot.
Anyway, general stupidity aside, I will get back to hockey stupidity. As Scott Burnside was so quick to point out, the fight for the Stanley Cup is two very very different markets. Now, while I agree that hockey is a religion in Canada, I know having lived there during the lockout of all times, it is also because the hockey coverage is all over the place. Granted, there are intangibles involved with the cold weather etc etc but I'm only talking about coverage here. Hockey Night in Canada is the most watched and beloved TV programming in Canada -- a different take than sayyy oohhh, American Idol(which is GENIUS!)? Not to mention, that they have several sports stations up there so they are not limited by what one major station gives them no choice but to view (COUGH ESPN COUGH). I'm not going to get into this debate about versus again, but Mr. Burnside, let me inform you and your ignorant about Canadian sports self, that Canada actually does have other sports teams that they watch and love so conflicting coverage is in all markets NOT just Anaheim. Hockey is just Canada's pastime so of course the entire country is behind it. If any American baseball team was playing the Blue Jays in the World Series, I bet Americans would be all about it too.
My hockey hero John Buccigross himself went for Ottawa to win this series for the same reasons I mentioned that Anaheim would win. Both teams are creepily similar to each other but I honestly do think that Anaheim has more depth that the Sens. But, so did the Sabres. But, the Sabres were a struggling team when they played Ottawa, never looking at all like their regular season, President's Cup winning self in every respect other than goaltending. Anaheim has been sharp throughout the series with the Red Wings and beat the best defenseman in the league today. Hell, maybe ever.
Anaheim's goaltending is also a step above the Sens. Emery is -- well, hes Emery. The media obviously loves him for something I call the "Barry Zito Complex" or BZC. BZC is defined as excessive media attention just because one does not fit the mold that one should while playing professional sports. Few athletes fit into this mold and have therefore been overestimated talent wise because they have so much coverage about their personalities, it subconsciously makes others, people and GM's alike, that these people have playing talent as well as personality. With no offensive to the uniqueness of Ray Emery, I know plenty of people who have tattoos and wear all kinds of crazy crap. Me included. But then again, I dont play professional sports. But Emery does. So as a result, the media has found something they can market and take talent that is granted better than most but not the best and try to convince people that he is the best to ever play. They did this is Barry Zito, hence the name of said complex, and made him out to be some crazy who did yoga (ZOMGZ!) but woooooahhh look at his curveball!! This gave him a contract worth more than my entire life including but not limited to the person I will eventually marry (or all of my crazy cats, you know wherever fate takes me), subsequent children and grandchildren. Now, I remember distinctly, because it was THAT long ago, the last time the Ducks were in the finals and JS Giggy was everywhere. Maybe because he had THE most fantastic playoff beard of all time (unless some hockey player with BZC decides to groom a fu man chu for the finals --C'mon emery! Make yourself useful!) but also because he was personable and extremely talented. In following the Ducks this season, I was kind of shocked to see Giggy struggling and the media calling Giggy and Bryzgalof a team. Bryzgalof (aside from having a very annoying name to type) is just a backup compared to Giggy. Giggy is a clutch, big time performing goalie who does not crack under pressure. In this case, the Ducks will have him to thank for their first Stanley Cup victory.
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