My blog n'at

I wish I could say I was stunned but I’m not. I’m disappointed and realistic. The Pens team that came out against Montreal in game 7 was not a Stanley Cup caliber team. 2 Years in a row they played to the cup finals and beating most of the odds it was only a matter of time before they came up short.

Last night? Christ hey didn’t even show up! Down 4-0 in a game 7 shows that the towel was thrown in early. We knew at the 10 minute mark of the 3rd period it was over. You just had that feeling that no matter what happened next it wouldn’t be enough. People started to pose for pictures in the stands with each other. F-balcony was taking pics like it was the last day of highschool and by the time the final buzzer sounded we all stood and gave the Pens and the Igloo one final round of applause. Showing their gratitude to the fans the players rose their sticks to the sky and saluted the fans. The fans who sold out the place 165 consecutive times (including that night).

No one ripped signs down or started stealing anything that wasn’t tied down. You saw a tip of the hat or a pat on the back and fans graciously walking out. I admit I was a bit choked up. I walked around one last time, stopped at the Cathedral Prep jersey hanging on the wall, looked out at center ice and exited Gate 3 slapping the door on my way out.  This is the only home myself and all Pens fans have known and next year we move across the street. I was there for Three Rivers Stadium, the place I called home every summer from 84 until the mid 90′s,  on its last day and finally the  implosion

Last night was an emotional sendoff but a fitting one. Teaspoon will have questions for me on what it was like going to games there and I’ll be ready to tell them. How many professional places can you still piss into a trough anyways! Now I have my first summer free of sports and I’ll have to fill that void with moving. Yeah there is Pirates baseball but seriously… its the Pirates.

Right before everyone left the video above was played and the voice of Mike Lange said for one final time “Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building.”

end scene

Be Sociable, Share!

•