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Last week, my company handed myself and a coworker two tickets to game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Philadelphia. I'm not a big hockey fan, but a chance to see playoff hockey live was something I had to see.
First of all, I rarely watch hockey on television. The game is exciting, but it's one of the sports that I would rather see live because so much of the action is away from the puck. And since Philadelphia is such a great hockey town, I needed to be in that atmosphere. I grew up a Penguins fan, watching Mario Lemiux and Jaromir Jagr win two Stanley Cups. I loved the Pens, and listened to them every chanceI had when they were on the radio. After Lemiux retired and the Pens drifted down into the bottom of the league, my hockey enthusiasm went with them. I never really paid much attention until the Pens drafted Sidney Crosby. At first, I thought I would like him right away, but his reputation for being mouthy and shouting obscenities on the ice made me hate him. Coupled with the fact that other teams won't touch him, I'd have to say that I can't stand him. I never watched a game on television just because of what other people said about him. So, living near Philadelphia for the past 5 years has made me at least pay a little attention to the Flyers. Last year, 2007, they were the WORST team in the league. This year, they're in the conference finals. So, the homer in me came out and I started pulling for the Flyers. First off, I have to say that the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia can be one of the loudest arenas in all of sports. And when they showed a tribute to a recent fallen officer of the Philadelphia Police Force, the building was shaking.
 I knew that Flyers fans were intense, since I'd been to a few games before Game 3, but playoff hockey takes the intensity to a new level. I've been to a lot of sporting events in my life, and I'm sure I've never heard anything louder than that night. The intensity was there, but the talent wasn't. The Pens are back on top of the league again, behind some good young players and a few bruisers. Plus, the Flyers had two of their top defensemen out. I can say for certain now that I can't stand Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Maybe once Sid the Kid learns to grow up a little, I'll be corrected.
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