My blog n'at

Here is a memory from my first ever professional hockey game which was during the 87-88 season. I grew up in Erie so see hockey above the Erie Golden Blades level wasn’t much of an option. I was 12 and my brother was living in Pittsburgh working for the Pirates. He figured out with my parents that I would be able to come visit for the weekend and see a professional hockey game. I don’t recall the team they played and think I still have the ticket somewhere in my mom’s attic but the highlight was 2 fold. First it was the first time I ever saw troughs for bathrooms and also it was the night I met Jimmy Mann.

My brother and I got to our seats and right away I tried to follow the action. We were sitting up in the D level and that was higher than anything available at the Erie Civic Center. I’m the only member of my family who’s really been into hockey so I knew that asking typical kid questions about the sport weren’t going to be answered. That’s when they guy next to myself started chatting me up. He was explaining everything to me about icing, penalties, the slot, why the goalie comes out and other misc. things. At the end of the 1st intermission my bro left and came back with a few snacks. When he sat back down the guy said to us “Do you know who I am?”. We were both oblivious. My bro was a basketball and baseball guy and heck I was only 12. He said “I play for the Pens. I’m Jimmy Mann.” I thought “yeah right, buddy” but then again in 87/88 I only knew Mario because I read about him in Kids Sports Illustrated. From what I recall he was on the DL or some jazz like that but he showed me his picture in either the program or heck he probably kept articles about himself in his pocket since he did only get 9 games in a Pens uniform.

As bad luck would have it I excused myself and ended up falling ill to arena food for the 2nd period. I returned to my seat in the 3rd and found out that Jimmy had left. My bro told me that Jimmy sends his wishes that I’d feel better and would send me an autographed stick. While I waited for this stick that summer Jimmy managed to hit up my bro on multiple occasions for free tickets to the Pirates games.

Months turned into years and a heartbroken 12yr old realized he was never going to get the stick. Thankfully it didn’t turn into a grudge that all pro athletes were jagoffs until I met jerk pack Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. I did keep a soft spot for hockey though.

Over the years the story turned into a joke between my brother and I. “You have a better chance to get that Jimmy Mann stick than to <insert ANYTHING>.” Currently it’s “You have a better chance to get that Jimmy Mann stick than the Pirates do reaching .500!” In fact anytime we crack jokes a “f’n jimmy mann” gets thrown in there.

I have a son now and I tell him stories of going to the arena and early hockey days. Granted he’s 13 months old but its never too early to start them, right? I’m sure when he gets a little older and he starts understanding the sport more that the Jimmy Mann story will come up.

Right now as I’m shopping for our first house I would like nothing more than to mount that stick with pride in my future residence along side a picture of me with Jimmy but for now it’ll end like this…

Here we are, 22 years later, and I’m still waiting for that stick.

Be Sociable, Share!

•