Theres nothing better/worse than waiting for your favorite team to play a playoff game. Its somewhat like Christmas eve when you're a kid, but throw in the possibility that, instead of getting that bike you so badly want, your dad might beat the shit out of you.
Tonight the Capitals play the Flyers in the first game of their first round match up. Its the first playoff game for Alex Ovechkin and its also the first game the Caps can afford to lose in about a month. After digging themselves a massive hole by going 6-15 (and 1) to start the year, the Caps spent the better part of the next four months attempting to climb back out. Suffice it to say that it came down to the last day. With the physical nature of hockey, it makes you wonder if the team could be thinking, collectively as teams do, "Whew! We made it... "
Don't get me wrong, this is already a successful season for the Caps, whether they win another game or not. The same could probably be said for the Flyers too, I'd imagine. Still, as a fan of a team that has not truly been embraced by a wider audience, I know you only get so many shots at cementing relevancy. This is one of those precious chances. Fans in DC are fired up, biz-itch. Watch the game tonight if you don't believe me. Continuing this type of fan excitement will be important to turning the Caps into not only a prosperous franchise, but to keeping them in Washington.
Nobody has mentioned moving the Caps that I've ever heard, but how many years can a team consistently rack up $20M losses without the topic being broached? What I'm saying is the team is fired up (we hope), the city is fired up, and theres a chance here to do for the Caps what 1967 did for the Red Sox.
You have to hope that the team has some idea of what is really at stake in this series. Now, I'm not saying that winning this series will make the Caps a profitable team, but I do think that it will help generate more excitement. This sort of reaction is sustainable (and profitable) only as long as a team is winning (unless that team plays in Atlanta, in which case it doesn't matter how much winning you do because nobody cares).
The mainstream press is jumping on the Caps bandwagon with coverage right and left. Bloggers are out in force, and the fans are showing up at the Phone Booth wearing the prescribed color, drinking lots of bad beer and yelling. All thats left is for the team to win.
Poop. (damn)
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2 comments:
Could ESPN have had a BIGGER picture of Ovechkin on the NHL page? Mike Wise is already at work on The Ovie Rules.
Shit, if it doesn't ooze out of your browser and down your pants, its not big enough.
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