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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Smells like Team Spirit

It may come as a shock to some of you, Gentle Readers, but I am not the world's biggest hockey fan. "Puck" is a delightful Shakespeare character; "Face Off" is a game show in the Who-vian future; "Icing" is something you put on a cake, or maybe cinnamon buns.

So, when we were told some weeks ago, that we could wear jeans on game days for the play-offs, if we wore a Canucks shirt...I was all over the jeans. But I actually had to go out and buy the shirt. There was some joking about growing a "play-off beard" on my legs, but that was about it. The only reason I paid attention to the schedule & the outcomes of the games was to make sure I had clean jeans to wear at every possible opportunity - and to make sure I got out of downtown as soon as possible on home-game days. And wearing a t-shirt in that pretty blue was no hardship!

But then...something happened. As they won more games, advanced further...more people started coming out of the woodwork in their team colours on game days. It became a conversation staple with my favourite baristas, as the wall behind the espresso bar was slowly covered in photos of the players from the newspapers. People in t-shirts and jerseys making their way through the downtown core started making eye contact with each other - not done! - and even smiling in friendly acknowledgement. Canucks shirts, hats, jerseys, and scarves have slowly overtaken business suits, jackets, skirts and slacks for work attire across the city. It's a pretty interesting phenomenon to watch.

Last night I realized I was in over my head when I:
  •  knew where to find a live webcast of the game
  • could accurately estimate which period they'd be in when I went to the site
  •  knew what time the game started
  •  watched a whole period without diverting my attention elsewhere
  •  couldn't knit during the tense moments
  •  cheered out loud at more than one goal
  • convinced Mr.Q that it might actually be fun to go watch a game at our local sports pub one night next week 
I think I've been replaced by a pod person! Send help! 

(But...not till after the play-offs?)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's a virus and some get it earlier than others...hold strong tho and you will heal!

Anonymous said...

I'm not going to tell Cragg until you are all better