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Evolution of a Sharks
fan
and other musings
7/5/06 - By
Paul Krill
So another season has come and gone, with the Sharks again falling
short of expectations and fans again hopeful for a better season in October.
For me, though, I am finding that changing life circumstances have forced a
reprioritization. Although I'm still a bit of a fanatic, other things have
bumped the Sharks to the back seat of life for me. Or maybe even to the trunk.
When I started following the Sharks, I was a bachelor living in a half-bedroom
apartment. It was no big deal to drive 40 miles to the Cow Palace 40 times a
year to watch one of the worst teams in league history.
These days, things are different. I am married with two small children, and all
that has to take precedence. This means watching many games on TV that I might
otherwise have attended in person.
I'm not complaining about all this. But that's just the way it is.
Sure, I've taken my young son to a few exhibition games, which turns into a
good aerobic workout because he needs to go to the potty several times before
the first period ends. That means descending from my seats 13 rows up in the
upper bowl down to the restroom each time. It seems that a pre-schooler and
sitting in a seat for three hours with limited movement is not a good combo.
FWIW, I'm still probably what would be defined as a bigger fan than most people
at the games. I don't head for the exits with two minutes left in a one-goal
game just to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
But for now, I have to give top billing to the new developments in my life,
even if, as I said, that means putting Sharks hockey in the trunk for the time
being.
Of course, people can keep some pretty neat and important stuff in the trunk.
…Penalty Shots…
Am I the only one shocked that Joe Thornton actually won the Hart Trophy as the
league's most valuable player, despite being up against a player in New York
City (Jaromir Jagr)?...The Oilers' loss in the finals continues in an
interesting phenomena in which no team has ever knocked the Sharks out of the
playoffs enroute to winning the Stanley Cup in the same season. Look it
up…The Hurricanes' victory over Edmonton continues another interesting
phenomena in which teams from undeserving locales get to win the Stanley Cup.
I'm not knocking hockey fanatics in places like Raleigh, N.C. and New Jersey,
but these are places that have had a history of trouble selling tickets.
Meanwhile, loyal Sharks fans follow one of the few teams to never even make it
to the Stanley Cup Finals. Oh, well. Nobody ever said life was fair…The
New Jersey Devils' new arena saga is quite fascinating. Approved by the
previous mayor and council in Newark, the arena is now under the jurisdiction
of the Devils and the city, which is now presided over by a new mayor that has
opposed the new building. There's even been talk of actually stopping the
project, but that seems unlikely given all the work that's already been done
and all the money already spent…
Contact Paul at at pjkrillsharks@yahoo.com
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