Celebration and Withdrawl

Well today marks one week since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. There has been lots of celebration by the team to say the least and by the city. The Bruins have had some well publicized celebrations over the last few days, but they earned it. To play that intense brand of hockey for 25 extra games, wow! But it has been kind of cool seeing how accessible these guys have been and their willingness to share the mystique of the Stanley Cup. I for one am hooked and now I'm following @wheresthecup on twitter. I must say though that now the NHL playoffs are over I'm not sure what to do with myself. Anyone else feel that way?

After living here for almost 10 years and witnessing all the other teams championship runs I had never been downtown to one of the rolling rallies. Can you blame me? They were all in the middle of the week, and for the Patriots in the middle of winter. All that being said this time I made it downtown to the Bruins rolling rally. There were people everywhere! I've read that it was close to 1.5 million people. Yikes! My friends and I watched the rally in Copley square. It was a neat moment when the Duck Boat with Chara and the Cup came by. I got a picture not a great one but a picture nonetheless of the famed Stanley Cup. People were going crazy, one of the duck boats was blowing black and gold confetti everywhere, the players were all waving and trying to capture the moment on their camera's. Really cool! Getting out of the crush of people after it was over, is another story for another day.

In all honesty my favorite part of the celebration weekend was seeing the Bruins at the Red Sox game where they were honored the next day. I watched it on TV and it just seemed a like a really special moment in time for both teams. It was comical watching all the Bruins try to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to a row of Red Sox players. 

The team celebration happened after the rally on Saturday as the Bruins went to Foxwoods and left their wives and girlfriends at home. It sounded and looked like those guys had a grand time with the Cup, each other and lots of liquor. They had such a good time that they racked up 156K bill. Which was a little deceiving since the most expensive item on the bill was a 100,000 30 liter bottle of champagne that was according a Chara and Sean Thornton a gift. All I have to say is WOW! Go check out the receipt http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/gallery/bruins_bar_tab/.

Now that the playoffs are over I'm at a loss. I don't think I realized just how much time I spent watching the B's playoff run. Ooops. It was intense, stressful, maddening but worth it in the end. I'm so excited that they won! Now the NFL just needs to get it act together and give me back my first sports love.

Where is Lord Stanley?

Well its official the Boston Bruins are the 2010 -2011 NHL Stanley Cup Champions! Its been a fun ride! I was and am completely hooked. The emotional nature of the sport draws you in. Well me at least. I watched most of all the games of all 4 series. They played 25 extra games and in those series they went seven games 3 times. That has never been done. Again the maddening nature of the Bruins makes you shrug your shoulders and shout at the TV because they definitely could have and should won at least the final series in 5 games. 

The Stanley Cup finals had drama and more drama that I don't think even a Hollywood writer could come up with. Or maybe they could if they were immersed in hockey 24/7. First there was the Vancouver Cannucks player biting Patrice Bergeron. Is this the NHL or preschool? Then to add insult to injury that same guy scored the game winner in game 2 because the NHL wilted and chose to ignore clear evidence of the "Bite" and not suspend him,Then came the taunting from the Cannucks. I think the final straw for the B's was the all out late and awful hit on Nathan Horton in game 3. Bergeron admitted today in an interview that the Cannucks "poked the bear one to many times". I think it was after that I decided that the Cannucks could not win, I think the B's decided the same thing.

Anyway the Bruins showed more resiliency, character and heart than those, whining, flopping, yappping Cannucks. They won the Finals by beating the supposed best team. I guess I would have more respect of the Cannucks if they did not turn out to be this too small no heart dirty not tough team. I know they are peeps out there that would say the B's are a dirty team too but, but I believe there is a difference between physical and playing the game on the edge to actually going over the edge. But that's a different argument for a different day with those more knowledgeable about the game than I. 

Now all  all that brings us to the Stanley Cup, the awesome trophy that the NHL awards to the winner of the NHL championship . I was reading about the Cup and apparently the Cup has a "keeper" that goes with it everywhere. Each member of the team actually gets to take the cup for a day or two to wherever they please. I think that's kind of cool. So far the Cup has been to a few places in the North and South end here in Boston and to NYC for some media appearances.  I think that I read the Chara was pushing it in a baby carriage at one point during the day. Anyway its going to be funny following the chronicles of the Cup this summer. I'll probably try to keep you all updated.

Its been super fun to follow this team and this playoff run. I'm planning on learning more about hockey and I'll keep following the B's if not the entire NHL.