At the end of July it would have been twelve years since I last saw the Stanley Cup in person. But I never made it to that twelve year anniversary. The Cup came to my neighborhood tonight. Pittsburgh Penguins Equipment Manager Dana Heinze got his day with the Cup and decided to share it with the neighborhood. As a runner, my "hood" is typically larger than most people think. Still, the Heinze's live about 1 1/4 miles away and when I heard that the Cup was that close I couldn't resist. So I drove up the street after I finished installing my exterior lighting and was lucky enough to have someone snap the shot you see here. In 1997 I went to Toronto a few months before I married Becky on sort of a "honeymoon" before the wedding. In reality, we went to London, Ontario for a hockey camp and on the way home decided to detour to Toronto. It was well worth the trip to be able to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and to get our picture taken with the Stanley Cup. This time, however, it just felt different. Being that close to home with an employee of the team I live and die for and the fact that they won it less than a month ago made this experience all the more worth it. In a way, it kind of puts closure on the season for me. I had been in a state of withdrawal since the season ended on June 12, but now I feel complete. Team employees, players and executives each get a day with the Cup. As a die-hard fan, I got my 30 seconds with the Cup. I am thankful to Dana for sharing it with the neighborhood, just as he did several years ago when he won a Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I didn't get to see it then. I really wasn't sure I wanted to see it then. But this time it was a no-brainer. The chalice that travels the world was literally right in my backyard. What a season and what a feeling. My only regret? When I went up there, I had every intention of kissing the holy grail. But because I was only able to get one shot and the line moving along so quickly, I forgot. Oh, well. There's always next year...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Getting My 30 Seconds...
At the end of July it would have been twelve years since I last saw the Stanley Cup in person. But I never made it to that twelve year anniversary. The Cup came to my neighborhood tonight. Pittsburgh Penguins Equipment Manager Dana Heinze got his day with the Cup and decided to share it with the neighborhood. As a runner, my "hood" is typically larger than most people think. Still, the Heinze's live about 1 1/4 miles away and when I heard that the Cup was that close I couldn't resist. So I drove up the street after I finished installing my exterior lighting and was lucky enough to have someone snap the shot you see here. In 1997 I went to Toronto a few months before I married Becky on sort of a "honeymoon" before the wedding. In reality, we went to London, Ontario for a hockey camp and on the way home decided to detour to Toronto. It was well worth the trip to be able to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and to get our picture taken with the Stanley Cup. This time, however, it just felt different. Being that close to home with an employee of the team I live and die for and the fact that they won it less than a month ago made this experience all the more worth it. In a way, it kind of puts closure on the season for me. I had been in a state of withdrawal since the season ended on June 12, but now I feel complete. Team employees, players and executives each get a day with the Cup. As a die-hard fan, I got my 30 seconds with the Cup. I am thankful to Dana for sharing it with the neighborhood, just as he did several years ago when he won a Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I didn't get to see it then. I really wasn't sure I wanted to see it then. But this time it was a no-brainer. The chalice that travels the world was literally right in my backyard. What a season and what a feeling. My only regret? When I went up there, I had every intention of kissing the holy grail. But because I was only able to get one shot and the line moving along so quickly, I forgot. Oh, well. There's always next year...
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