Hockey...

I know it seems odd, with all my talk of clothes, books and movies...but hockey was the first sport I fell in love with. I grew up in a sports crazy family, and most of the time I cared only because everyone else in my family cared (but not about golf. I have never understood its appeal-and my family LOVES it. Please-it's a good walk spoiled, to quote Mark Twain). But hockey...my Dad took me to my first MSU hockey game when when I was six or seven and I loved. Big people hitting each other! And it was okay! It was fast, exciting and sometimes violent- and it wasn't as confusing as football, except for the whole offsides thing, which I didn't I really understand for a very long time. We had season tickets for hockey as soon as the new ice arena opened, but before that we watched in an old fieldhouse which was general admission and cold as hell-you had to love hockey to see a game there. I grew up at those games and lived and died with the team-sometimes it was painful and sometimes not-when you tie your happiness to sports team, you have to take the good with the bad (see the 2006 Detroit Tigers for good AND bad). My sister has gotten hit with a puck at hockey game and my dad too-so i guess we actually HAVE bled for MSU hockey. But, what I'm trying to say is that while I may not be as emotionally invested in this team as I have been in days gone by...WE WON!! Yay!! It may not be like the days when I knew all the names and numbers of the players, but hockey was always my first love-how could I not be thrilled? The people who love hockey at MSU have always loved it, whether the team was good or bad-they were always there. We'll say "hi" to the people who showed up because the basketball and football teams weren't doing as well as in days gone by-but when they go back to basketball and football, the people who love hockey will still be at the ice rink, waiting for the puck to drop.