Proud Papa

In case you missed this, I played fantasy hockey this season, for the first time. I finished second in the league, losing in the championship game. It doesn't really matter that I would have lost badly to my buddy Matt in any of the playoff games, and thus (in his mind) had the third-best team. It's the playoffs, and all that matters is how you progress through your part of the bracket. Take care of business, and move on.

At the beginning of the NHL playoffs, a group of us that love hockey and played in the Black Storm hockey fantasy league were talking about how there would be moments of pride throughout the playoffs as you saw guys on your fantasy team making significant contributions for their real-life teams. I want to take a moment and sing the praises of my fantasy child- Jaroslav Halak.


I'd love to say that Halak was a biological child (that is, that I drafted him), but he wasn't. I didn't bring him into the family until late in the season- in fact, he was my last pick-up, on February 1st, just a couple weeks before the Olympics. At the time, I was just trying to find a decent third goalie. Kind of like adopting a child to have someone to help out with the chores- you aren't really expecting too much, and if they do some dishes and mow the lawn and keep their nose clean, then you're happy.

But then you look at your adopted child one day, and you realize that he's not merely useful, but he's actually fun to be around. All he's wanted was for you to know that he was on your team, and probably actually worthy of being a second or even a first string son.

Halak has been simply clutch throughout these playoffs. While I can't take full credit for his success- like a parent who needs to make sure their kids play with other good kids, Halak has needed timely efforts from his friends who play defense, the fact is that a hot goalie can steal a playoff series. And Halak is a hot goalie right now.

I apologize right now if I start getting emotional. After all, this guy was on my fantasy team, and I just need everyone to know that.

Trailing 3-1 in the first round against the top seed (and heavily favored) Washington Capitals, Halak stoned the Caps for three straight huge wins- facing 132 shots and turning away 129 of them. Most importantly, he came up huge in a game 7 win IN Washington to help Les Habitants to advance to the 2nd round, where they faced off against God Crosby and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

'Listen, I know Russia doesn't have very many golf courses- but neither does Pittsburgh. And I'd love to come over and watch Jaroslav Halak march through the rest of the playoffs. I just have to ask my owner/dad if it's okay.'
'You are such baby'.

Let me pause here to remind you that I'm not a big fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's not just because they beat the Red Wings last season in the Stanley Cup finals (although I'm willing to concede that there is at least some subconscious hostility because of that). I'm just don't like how our society anoints certain players as deities, especially in team sports. I understand that in the information age that there is a need for sensationalism in order to try and stand out from the crowd- but then everybody has to amp it up in order to stand out and before you know it, we're participating in daily worship services for LeBron James and Alex Rodriguez (and Sidney Crosby).

So it takes on special meaning when a rag tag group of underdogs, led by (sniff) my fantasy goalie, take on the rich snobby kids from up the way and send them packing. So long rich snobby kids-have fun watching us on television while we get to keep playing! And look- that's my (fantasy) son in goal!

Anyways, I'm really pumped right now because my boy Halak just won the new biggest game of his life, defeating the Penguins 5-2 in game 7 (on the road, again) to send the Penguins to the golf course for a few months. I'm so proud of him right now, that I would probably draft him first overall in a fantasy draft. Regardless, he has a spot on the Arabian Arabian Knights as long as he wants to (or as long as someone else doesn't pull a douche bag move and pick him before I do).

GO HABS!

PIC- Halak- http://tenderslounge.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jaroslav_halak.jpg
Crosby/Ovechkin- http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0905/nhl.playoffs.crosby.ovechkin.rivalry/images/sidney-crosby-alex-ovechkin-game-7.jpg

Heart of a champion part 2

Well, it's over. Congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They came into Joe Louis Arena and beat the Red Wings in a do-or-die game 7 to win the Stanley Cup. I was 50% on my predictors for a Pens win...I believe Malkin had 1 assist, Crosby missed most of the game, but Fleury did play out of his mind. That last save was the stuff of legend.

As I alluded to before, this was a very bitter defeat for me. I actually forced myself to watch this series the way I never really had before. I think it taught me a lot.

In some ways it is silly to get wrapped up so much in a game. I mean, I'm not even the one playing, or doing any of the work, how can I think that watching these 7 games was in any way going to allow me to partake in any sort of victory? That's what sports is about though. It's a way for us to get involved in some much bigger concepts than merely statistics and scores. It's about sacrifice, it's about discipline, it's about teamwork. It's about groups of people working together for a common goal.

Hockey is the embodiment of this. I actually might chew on shaving some sports out of my watching docket. Basketball is too individual. Football? I'm sure once training camps start, I'll be hooked back in. Baseball has always been a seasonal pastime for me, filling in the gaps between sports that I like to watch. But I've realized that it's the camaraderie in hockey that makes it so appealing. It's the idea that someone would willingly throw themselves into a dense piece of rubber traveling at speeds of up to 100 mph in order to achieve victory. It is the defense of the goalie. It's the way that the team celebrates goals. Even the whole two assist thing. Maybe this is why Americans don't like hockey. The NHL might try to market glitz and glam players and plays, but at its core, hockey is more communist than capitalist. It's about sacrificing self for the greater good.

That's why, as I write this the day after, I am starting to feel a sense of peace and calm about the whole thing. This was much more than a sporting event for me.

I was able to put myself out there, to become vulnerable. Did it pay off? Well...in a sense, it didn't. I was obviously hoping to be able to release unbridled excitement by being able to watch the Wings win another Stanley Cup (one that I actively participated in as much as I could). But I think some day, I'll be able to look back at this Cup final and probably point to it as one of my favorites.

I still believe that the Wings have the heart of a Champion. Some might say that they blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2. Maybe they were just able to stretch the Penguins to 7 games. That might sound defeatist, as though I am trying to take something away from the Penguins. And I'll be honest- in some ways, I don't feel like they deserve the Cup. I still think their stars are too immature to be considered champions (thinking back to Crosby and his slash of Zetterberg in game 5). I would have liked to have heard more Penguins tipping their hats to the Red Wings. Maybe I didn't pay attention to that stuff last year, but I know the Wings are a classy team. I expect champions to have some class...I didn't see enough of that coming out of the Penguins.

Gamewise, if Rob Scuderi (Pens defensemen) doesn't make a couple killer plays in game 6, then we're having a party in Pittsburgh again. Game 7, Osgood baits Talbot a little too much, gives up the dagger 2nd goal. Kronwall hits a crossbar late in the 3rd.

Yes, Pittsburgh had some bad bounces the first two games, so that is why I don't put too much stock in the close calls department. Those things tend to balance themselves out.

Anyways, back to my point. We started the series without Pavel Datsyuk. Jonathan Erickson had his appendix taken out at the end of the Chicago series. We had a couple days off before having to play back to back games to start the Finals. I'm not trying to make excuses here- those are all things that happened. What I am saying is that the Wings showed tremendous resolve to take those first two games, and to battle back and take game 5, and they gave it their all for games 6 and 7. We came up short, but I'm extremely proud of the way they battled.

Congrats again to the Penguins. And congrats to the Red Wings. They may not be the official 'champion', but to me, they have proven that they are indeed, champs.