"The Definition of insanity..."
Hey guys, your fearless editor-in-chief back again to talk about sports. To this point, I've only really talked about football, in particular my love of the Patriots and that Washington football club. Today, as I am breathing a sigh of relief because of their victory last night, I am going to talk about my love for the Washington Capitals.
Ovi: "Hey Nicky! Mike says he loves us! HOORAY!!"
Nicky: "Pretty sweet."
I'm a DC guy, through and through. I'm used to my sports teams finding a way to implode and break my heart every single year. The Capitals in particular, are especially cruel. They try really hard, and they've had some great teams, but for some reason, if they get to the playoffs and the series includes either:
A - games that go to overtime
B - a seventh and decisive game
our lovely Caps will find some way to lose in the most horrific way possible. To this date, their greatest season was 2010, when they won more games than any other team in the NHL and were the top seed in the playoffs. They were set to go against the Montreal Canadiens. How could they lose? Well...They were up 3 games to 1 and proceeded to lose 3 games in a row, that game seven loss in front of their home crowd.
Going into last night's game with the New York Islanders, the Caps were, in their 40 year history, 3-9 in series that went to game 7. They just couldn't seem to figure it out. One game in particular, against those same New York Islanders, was the longest game 7 in NHL history, "the Easter Epic" that the Caps lost in the 4th overtime thanks to Pat LaFontaine.
You suck, Pat.
Of all the teams in DC, the Capitals are my favorite. I know them better. I root for them to succeed harder than any of the others. I've seen a Super Bowl from the football team, the Nationals are still new enough that it's not gut-wrenching when they don't succeed (but they're working on that one. Goodness gracious) and I'm not a huge basketball fan. I'd love to see the Wiz kids win a title, but the Caps are my darlings. It's the only sports team my brother and I can agree on...he hates baseball and likes the Buccaneers. Weirdo.
what kind of weirdo doesn't like baseball? The skinny kid in the passenger seat, that's who. :-D
My stomach was full of angry pygmies with torches ready to attack my guts as Game 7 started. It was painful to watch the score on my phone. I didn't even want to turn on the TV when I got home, I was that nervous. But I did anyways...and my awesome wife told me to shut up, that the Caps did better when I was quiet. I think she just wanted me to shut up, but it worked. :)
There's a trend you'll notice in most of my articles about sports; have faith in your team even after they've broken your heart countless times. If you've ever worked a job where there was some manager trying to "rally the troops" to get better results, they'll often give you a nonsensical rhetorical definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It's in the manager's handbook. They have to memorize it along with Zig Ziglar quotes (no, not the guy from Boogie Nights).
But that's what sports fans do. They believe and believe even when history has shown there is no hope. It seems insane. But then... there IS a different result! Your team wins! That faith in your team paid off! In last night's game it was this guy who took it to the bank:
His name is Evgeny Kuztensov and he scored the game winning/series winning goal. He had himself one heck of a series with 3 goals in 7 games, the last one the most important of them all. This season was his 1st full season in the NHL, and what a way to make his presence known.
The season is far from over. The Caps live to fight another series, this time against the OTHER New York hockey team: The Rangers. Washington has not fared well against the "Rags" in the playoffs in recent years but this year seems different. This year it's a different team! They won't lose in 7 like the last 2 times. Let's hope time proves I'm not insane.
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