Playoffs?

Ok so I haven't posted since October. Busy? Yes. My excuse? I'm lazy. I realize what you're about to read is simply my thoughts on the NHL playoffs and not much about my life. I'll get to that later. I also realize my life should be how I'm breaking my blogging silence, not the playoffs. I'm sorry. If you are a man and don't understand the humor in my blog title, we need to talk.

As you probably know, I'm an avid Flyers fan and have been since 4th grade. I scream like an idiot every time they score and I've been growing a playoff beard since before I could grow effective facial hair. The Flyers are currently squaring off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. I've always had a healthy disdain for the Pens. They're a rival. I have always had respect for Mario Lemieux. I used to like Sydney Crosby. He's a young player bringing young fans into the game. But my desire has taken a turn over the past few weeks.

Even before the playoffs, the Flyers and Penguins were angry at each other. After watching game 3 last night, I've lost any respect I had for the Pens and for Sydney. First, Sydney took some hacks at Ilya B, the Flyers' goalie. Not cool. Then Aaron Asham cross checked Brayden Schenn in the face and then punched him in the back of the head. James Neal crushed Sean Courturier when he was not near the puck and then hit Claude Giroux in the head late in the game. Both Asham and Neal have hearings with the commissioner for those. With 4:00 left in the game, Craig Adams instigated a fight (which got him suspended and his coach fined) with Flyers' Scott Hartnell that ended up in him pulling Scottie's hair. Girls pull hair. Really? Sydney cries about calls and then acts like he wants to fight and always backs away. It's hockey. If you don't want to fight, don't step up. Don't rely on all your goons to fight your fights for you. I love a good, hard fought, physical hockey game. It's awesome. That's why I liked the Flyers in the first place. But when you are losing (badly) and you resort to cheap shots and pulling hair, that's classless. If I were a Penguins fan (and by the grace of God I'm not) I would be ashamed of my team. Not only for their inability to put pucks in the net, but also for their poor sportsmanship.

Game 4 Wednesday. I'll have my broom in the living room as the Flyers go for the sweep. What a great time of year.

And that, my friends, is my return to the blogosphere. Good to be back.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011030143&navid=DLNHLhome
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=628214&navid=DLNHLhome
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=628071