Monday, October 4, 2010

Season's Greetings!

With the start of the 2010 Boston Bruins season rapidly approaching, it's about time I get moving on this venture. Procrastination does have its limits, after all.


What, precisely, constitutes this particular effort?


Well, I've always wanted to do a blog where I cover going to Bruins games.  Not necessarily the game action; There are plenty of other outlets for that.  Rather, I'd like to convey a sense of the experience of going to a game as I see and feel it: Who was the opponent?  Was there a noticable buzz in the crowd?  Was there a storyline leading up to the game?

So, there's that.  Of course, me being me, there's always more to offer in the details: What sweater did I wear and why?  What did I have at the Four's before (and/or after) the game?  How bad was the Green Line and North Station?  Did I see any wicked cool hockey sweaters in the crowd?

That said, here's how I think I'm going to lay out game posts here:

Just the Facts, Jack (Edwards)

Here's where I set the scene: Date, Game Time, Opponent, Weather (Causeway Street can be a slushy bitch, after all).

John Blue Plate Special

Not just an homage to the greatest Bruins goalie to ever come out of Huntington Beach, CA, this is where I'll share what constituted the finest in pregame feasts of food and drink.

The Couture Corner

Look, it's a hockey game. Hockey sweaters are de rigueur here (see, I got all fancy there), so smoke (wear) 'em if you got 'em.  And I've got em': 12 Bruins sweaters at last count, plus assorted others (USA, NHL All Star & UMass Lowell ones). 

Here's where I'll tell you which one I picked out and why.  Trust me, there's a definite method to my madness when it comes to choosing gameday attire.

The Row 12 Rundown

Direct from the frontline, here's the skinny from my seat in the balcony:  Who was there from the section 307 family? Who was noticably absent? Did we see any fights?  Did we (personally) get involved in any fisticuffs?  Did anyone show up in seat 10?  Which schmucks did the guy in front of us sell his tickets to?  You'll get all the scoop and more here.

Doosh of the Day

It's going to happen at any sporting event in Boston; Some douchebag will get a seat near you.

Fortunately, I'm blessed to have a plethora of long time season ticket holders who fall under the 'diehard' category and tend to show up for many, if not all games.  Even better, I consider them good friends and part of an extended family.  If they have to miss one game, they make sure their tickets go to someone who meets our rigorous standards of being a fan. Unfortunately, there's a number of absentee STHs who tend to exclusively resell their tickets for every game.  These tickets usually end up in the hands of one of the following groups:
  • High school students
  • College students
  • Young professionals
  • Fans of the opponent
Most of the time, alcohol only fuels their studipidity. They tend to have minimal hockey knowledge and have a complete lack of hockey etiquette or respect for other fans.  Standing up during the game, chatting on their cell phones, taking tens of pictures of themselves, wearing skimply clothing - they run the gamut of annoying.  This is where I pick out one standout dumbass who excels at defining the genre.

That's Entertainment

Well, sometimes it is.  Did the kids in '3 Minutes of Fame' during intermission do anything memorable?  Did they end up in a full out donnybrook (don't laugh - it happened once)?  Did the Garden organist break out anything extraordinary in his reppertoire?  I'll let you know if anything of note went down here.

The Clothes Line

There's always someone at a game wearing a sweater of distinction - It could be a sweet Canucks 'flying V' throwback, a long forgotten Bruins player (ie: Vladimir Ruzicka), a random Rimouslki QMJHL shirt or a German Elite League one with enough sponsor patches to rival anything running in the Nationwide Series.

If I see one, I'll share it with you here.  Might even include a pic or two as well.

The Home End

Here's where I go all retrospecive and stuff.  What was the final score?  How did the Bruins play?  How did this game measure on the joy/pain scale?  Was there a fracas of note?  What was the storyline coming in and was there a new one on the way out?  Even more, was anyone tossed from our section.  Did anyone in 307 win copious amounts of schwag?

That's about all I've got right now.  It's a long season and I'm going to allow for this blog to be a bit flexible.  I won't make it to all 41 home games (I've never come close, sadly - such is life), but for the ones I do, I hope to share the experience with you in my usual thorough, but offbeat style.

2 comments:

  1. Wait, you're complaining about skimpy clothing? So puritanical...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good job. I like it. Looking forward to seeing how the season works out

    ReplyDelete