So it is.....Stanley Cup Finals!!! Man it was sweet to knock the Rangers out and silence their arrogant fans. It was a pretty competitive series, certainly more than the Flyers series, and will admit to being quite nervous in OT game 6. Boy, if I had to listen to one more reference to 1994 I was going to vomit....about ten times. So what, I understand that it was the ECF and all, but really, I did not get all of the comparisons. How funny though, after listening to Sam Rosen's "Matteau Matteau" for years and years, what a twist of fate for them to now hear "Henrique Henrique". Ha!
I loved how the Rangers sent their "goons" out late in game 4 with that turncoat Rupp sucker-punching Marty in the throat. I seriously wanted to climb through my TV and get a piece of him! I thought it was a little embarrassing that there was no real revenge and a very timid response to all of that crap, but whatever. I'd rather have the series win than be the toughest team on the block.
So after listening to the media call for the Devils to lose to the Panthers, get mauled by the Flyers, and lose in Game 7 again to the Rangers, we now have to hear about how tough the ....*cough cough, eight-seeded Kings will be. Certainly, they rolled over their Western opponents in convincing fashion and they are hot, but maybe their short layoff will cool their jets.
Unless I was high this weekend, I totally missed out on any ticket opportunities. When the hell was that limited window to buy?!? I checked Saturday morning and saw nothing, then returned home from a BBQ to hear "SOLD OUT". Damn!! ... Oh well, I will equally enjoy a cup from the comfort of my living room.
....and S T I L L .....not a Devils fan to be seen in South Jersey....
Let's go Devils!!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
ROCK The Rangers!
Ahhh.....hell yeah. Last time we left, the Rangers/Caps had yet to be decided, but here we are. Tied 1-1 heading back home to Newark. I'm so happy we stole one at MSG, as that is always a boost to the home team and crowd. Going back home 2-0 would have been a little deflating, to say the least. After getting shut out in the first game, the fear of "King Henrik" and the "amazing"' shot-blocking talents of the Blueskirts blue line was starting to play into my psyche. Kovy's goal in game 2 was just what the doctor ordered.
Now about 30 minutes from game time, I'll be planted in my living room hoping for the best. I really hope there is a sea of red to support the home team. The Ranger invasion is fierce during the regular season, as these arenas sit a stone's throw away from each other and linked by the PATH train. But I'm hoping for a different story here in the playoffs. More buzz about the Devils this year, season ticket holders gobbling up playoff tickets, and most of the tickets should have been sold long before the Rangers' fans even knew of their fate. Still, you know they will infiltrate like a blue disease and they will be loud. We must give them NOTHING to cheer about.
Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more......and let's go Devils!!
JERSEY'S TEAM!!
PS-- I saw some clown in his orange Jagr jersey this morning. Okay....number one, if your team is out of the playoffs, why would you wear a long-sleeved hockey jersey on an 80 degree day?!?!
Now about 30 minutes from game time, I'll be planted in my living room hoping for the best. I really hope there is a sea of red to support the home team. The Ranger invasion is fierce during the regular season, as these arenas sit a stone's throw away from each other and linked by the PATH train. But I'm hoping for a different story here in the playoffs. More buzz about the Devils this year, season ticket holders gobbling up playoff tickets, and most of the tickets should have been sold long before the Rangers' fans even knew of their fate. Still, you know they will infiltrate like a blue disease and they will be loud. We must give them NOTHING to cheer about.
Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more......and let's go Devils!!
JERSEY'S TEAM!!
PS-- I saw some clown in his orange Jagr jersey this morning. Okay....number one, if your team is out of the playoffs, why would you wear a long-sleeved hockey jersey on an 80 degree day?!?!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Eastern Conference Finals
Wow...moving on!! Big win and solid series with the Flyers. This is not your father's Devils team. They are deeper than the damn trap that they are consistently accused of. The forwards were swarming on the forecheck like nasty killer bees. The Flyers were so incredibly confused and frustrated in this series, which was evident. Oh and how sweet is was for Marty to win on his birthday.
I do wonder, however, how good a few days off is for the boys. I like being the hot team and staying hot moving right along to the next. Of course, the Rangers are needing a 7th game to get through the Caps and who knows who will win. A Hudson River series would be wild and I'm sure the NY media is salivating at the thought. Personally, I wouldn't mind if the Rangers lose game 7 and we don't even have to deal with them or their blueshirt invasion. ...and how about those Kings out west??
All of this is great for a team struggling financially so it will be interesting to see what the off-season news is like. Hopefully, we can keep Zach around, but that's for the summer. Bring on the Caps/Rags.
STILL....not a Devils fan in sight around here, but at least, the orange shirts and jerseys will go into hiding until next year!
I do wonder, however, how good a few days off is for the boys. I like being the hot team and staying hot moving right along to the next. Of course, the Rangers are needing a 7th game to get through the Caps and who knows who will win. A Hudson River series would be wild and I'm sure the NY media is salivating at the thought. Personally, I wouldn't mind if the Rangers lose game 7 and we don't even have to deal with them or their blueshirt invasion. ...and how about those Kings out west??
All of this is great for a team struggling financially so it will be interesting to see what the off-season news is like. Hopefully, we can keep Zach around, but that's for the summer. Bring on the Caps/Rags.
STILL....not a Devils fan in sight around here, but at least, the orange shirts and jerseys will go into hiding until next year!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Devils-Flyers
Every year, I just know it. Inevitably, it always ends up as some kind of major playoff altercation between my wife's Giants and the Eagles or my Devils and the Flyers. Last time around, it did not go so well for my Devils. But this is a different season and a different team. Up 2-1 in the series, I am cautiously optimistic and fully expecting a war until the end. Game 4 tomorrow at the Rock should be another good one. Each game takes me closer to that heart attack. I changed my diaper twice in overtime in Game 3 with that BS boarding call and Salvador's puck over the boards. Let's hope for less penalty kills and more power plays, especially with the game on the line.
In lighter news, it's almost comical to see all of the locals change their shirts from the currently sad red Phillies to the bandwagon inviting Orange Flyers. Not that support is ever lacking around here for the Flyers, but when the playoffs are here, especially against the across-the-river rival, that bandwagon is chock full of fire. I still have yet to witness an actual Devils fan in South Jersey other than myself, though I hear they are out there.
Until this series is over, I'll continue to bite my nails ferociously and continue to pass on my Orange juice in the morning.
Light that goal horn ablaze tomorrow!
In lighter news, it's almost comical to see all of the locals change their shirts from the currently sad red Phillies to the bandwagon inviting Orange Flyers. Not that support is ever lacking around here for the Flyers, but when the playoffs are here, especially against the across-the-river rival, that bandwagon is chock full of fire. I still have yet to witness an actual Devils fan in South Jersey other than myself, though I hear they are out there.
Until this series is over, I'll continue to bite my nails ferociously and continue to pass on my Orange juice in the morning.
Light that goal horn ablaze tomorrow!
The Devil IS in South Jersey
Eight years ago, I thought I had found the promised land. After one year of marriage and two long years of searching for homes in Passaic County, we had given up. We thought that a nice affordable home was a hopeless case. We were outbid, defeated, and broken by our poor budget, termites, radon, you name it. I know!-- we'll move to another market....and so we considered the Philadelphia suburbs. I did not know much about this area, but assumed that it was like NYC suburbs, just on a smaller scale. Boy was I a fool! We started looking at homes in the Cherry Hill area and immediately fell in love with the quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods, over-abundance of all of the comforts we enjoyed up north, and oh yeah....those affordable prices! After finding our "dream" starter home, we thought the price was too good to be true. Like fools, we overpaid, but got a steal by North Jersey market standards. And so it began...
It didn't take long to realize that our love of our new idyllic hometown and area had one major flaw.....the sports. I had always known that Philadelphia was a big sports town and I knew some of the folklore about their fans, but I/we never really anticipated all of the hatred and scorn that came along with moving from North Jersey. The accents were funny, but Sundays in the fall, not so much! Before long, we experienced some strange looks, comments, and odd occurrences at our home. Perhaps it was the "Giants suck" comment thrown in my pregnant wife's face at the Cherry Hill mall (for the record, I am a Jets fan), the bitter comments thrown by a ravenous Eagles fan in her 60s, the brainwashing handed down from the local media daily, or just the lack of pride in anything New Jersey. Eight years later, we question our move here.
As a Devils/Jets fan, things are not always easy. Though the Jets association does not invite much backlash, certainly my wife's Giants association does. The Devils are another sad story. My fellow locals REALLY believe they are not living in New Jersey. The love Philadelphia like it is some golden utopia, they worship their Philly friends who in turn, do nothing but put them down, and they fall in line and for the sake of being accepted and loved, tow the Philly sports line. Yes, this is life in South Jersey, PA, or so they wish.
This blog is meant to document and hopefully laugh about some of my experiences here, as a stranger in a strange land. The people are nice as long as you don't mention your sports allegiances. Well, that is a major problem. So here we go.... Perhaps there are more of you out there. Let's hope...
In many ways, I am the Devil in South Jersey.
It didn't take long to realize that our love of our new idyllic hometown and area had one major flaw.....the sports. I had always known that Philadelphia was a big sports town and I knew some of the folklore about their fans, but I/we never really anticipated all of the hatred and scorn that came along with moving from North Jersey. The accents were funny, but Sundays in the fall, not so much! Before long, we experienced some strange looks, comments, and odd occurrences at our home. Perhaps it was the "Giants suck" comment thrown in my pregnant wife's face at the Cherry Hill mall (for the record, I am a Jets fan), the bitter comments thrown by a ravenous Eagles fan in her 60s, the brainwashing handed down from the local media daily, or just the lack of pride in anything New Jersey. Eight years later, we question our move here.
As a Devils/Jets fan, things are not always easy. Though the Jets association does not invite much backlash, certainly my wife's Giants association does. The Devils are another sad story. My fellow locals REALLY believe they are not living in New Jersey. The love Philadelphia like it is some golden utopia, they worship their Philly friends who in turn, do nothing but put them down, and they fall in line and for the sake of being accepted and loved, tow the Philly sports line. Yes, this is life in South Jersey, PA, or so they wish.
This blog is meant to document and hopefully laugh about some of my experiences here, as a stranger in a strange land. The people are nice as long as you don't mention your sports allegiances. Well, that is a major problem. So here we go.... Perhaps there are more of you out there. Let's hope...
In many ways, I am the Devil in South Jersey.
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