Everything about this picture makes me happy. It's hockey. It's the Bruins. It's Boston. It's FRAKING FENWAY....
Oh Lordy, you gotta love that. Well, okay, you don't. But I do. I'm originally from just outside of Boston. I was raised by a family that lists "Red Sox" as their religion on their Census forms. The best thing that happened to me when I had cancer was that I survived. The second best thing was that my favorite uncle took me to a Sox game at Fenway as a get well gift.
Tonight Fenway is hosting their second hockey game of the season. The first was the Bruins (who won) in the Winter Classic. Tonight is a BC-BU game. At least two of my cousins are going. I am seething with jealousy. You know how much Mama hates the cold, but if I lived in the Boston area, I'd be there looking like Randy from "A Christmas Story." The pain would be more than worth it. Fenway + hockey = harmonic convergence of awesomeness.
All this prompted me to start looking into local hockey. I started this morning on Twitter and found out that U of L does, indeed, have a hockey team. I had always assumed that Louisville had no hockey to speak of because if the city did have hockey, we'd all be talking about it. Right? We're a sports-lovin' city, and hockey is pretty much the best sport imaginable. Right?
Turns out the U of L hockey team has a very limited schedule-- only 8 local games listed on the schedule. They play at Alpine Arena. And they play HALF their local games at MIDNIGHT. I don't know what to make of that. Half of me thinks it's fabulous-- like Rocky Horror for sports fans. Half of me is totally bummed out. Where's our next gen of hockey players going to come from when we can't take our little dudes to hockey games? (And by "dudes" I mean that gender-free. Some of the coolest hockey players I've met have been women.)
My solution?
Dear Slugger Field,
Please take a gander at what Fenway is doing this winter. I know they're still not sold on making hockey a permanent part of their schedule, but everyone I know in the Boston area is madly in love with hockey at Fenway. And you, Slugger Field, are gorgeous and perfectly suited for outdoor hockey. And seriously, what else do you have going on during the winter? We need to generate some support for hockey in Louisville. And Louisville sports fans could really use something new to get excited about. It's a marriage made in sports heaven. (Usually) our winters are more mild than Boston's. Sure the wind whips off the river, but if Fenway fans can hack it, then we certainly can. Hell, we've got kids out sledding today, and it's negative eleventy-billion degrees out.
Slugger Field, Louisville Bats, Mayor Uncle Jerry, etc... what can I do to help you make this happen? Mayoral candidates-- what's your platform on outdoor hockey? I'm on a mission from God here. Or from Bobby Orr.
The next U of L hockey game is midnight on 1/22. Let's meet there to discuss how we can bring this kind of awesomeness to the winter of 2010-11.
Yours in the goal for the city,
Lou
4 comments:
College hockey is awesome! UK's team has always played their games at midnight. Used to go in the 90's with my high school chums and we had the biggest time, screaming our lungs out, yelling epithets at the opposing team. Games were always mobbed. Might see you there on the 22nd. Sounds like fun. And outdoor hockey would be even better!
What I'm bummed about -- besides missing my Terriers beat BC last night -- is the fact that Louisville has no broomball leagues.
If this is Possibility City, there should be broomball!
You have NO IDEA how excited my other half was about the Bruin's playing at Fenway. I think if he could have gotten tickets he would have WALKED to Beantown.
We had no idea that UofL had a hockey team until you tweeted it the other day. It literally made his night. Thanks!
I just can't wait until the time comes that Louisville gets another pro hockey team. ECHL, AHL, NHL, AAHL, CHL, I don't care as long as it is hockey. When the MWHL was forming, before they were absorbed by the AAHL, there were plans to have a minor league team in Louisville. Unfortunately the team was sold and moved to St. Louis long before anyone even knew there was a team forming.
Hopefully the new arena will entice at least and another AHL team to set up shop here.
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