Confessions of A Hockey Bandwagon Jumper

5 years ago, I didn't know hockey.

I knew OF hockey - and that people drank a lot when they watched it.

I knew about the Maple Leafs because I grew up in Ontario.  I knew that they were awful and that the fans held on, every year, to a small glimmer of hope that their team would come back from a 463 year losing streak and win a giant shiny cup (that people drank out of).  To me, hockey was drinking - drinking was hockey.  Oh yah, and it was also hot guys with no teeth.

As the years went by I decided to stop being ignorant and learn something about the game.  With a little question here and there, like "Has a goalie ever scored on the other net form his net?", "why do they have to fight?"  and "ewww why do they spit so much where they have to walk?"

I picked up bits and pieces.  I watched the soap opera that went on behind the scenes, where the guys on Sportscentre talked about sweaty, injured men more then Entertainment Tonight talked about Brad & Angie.  I got to know the players by not just faces, but names! One time I was almost able to name off the entire roster of the Leafs! However, one issue continued to arise game after game.  As it turns out,

I don't like cheering for losing teams.

Bf was always so mad that I would cheer for a team during the regular season, drop them once I knew who was going to be in the Superbowl, and then drop that team again if they didn't make it to the final countdown.  Wait...what?

 I had no dedication to the actual sport and it drove him insane.

Since moving to Vancouver, I've been cheering for the Canucks - I have the t-shirt to prove it. It's been about 4 years now, and I hopped on that bandwagon like I was a rabbit out of hell.  Literally.  The Canucks team was WAY better looking then the Leafs, and in my world of hockey - this meant everything.  Wellwood was here too, so I felt like because he switched over - it was ok for me to switch too. Once I saw them interview Burrows -- that was it. I was sold. #14 had my heart, and I wanted to play ball hockey and share Montreal poutine with him.

Vancouver loves their team, but the city has something in common with me:

They don't like cheering for losing teams either.

I don't watch the games because I basically have too many reality TV show commitments, BUT I sure do watch the tweets.  Night after night, the Vancouver Canucks fans tweet of love, adoration, excitement, surprise, anger, hate, PURE RAGE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? KILL THE REF, DISOWNED - alllllllll the way full circle, back to a big ol' love fest.  I love watching it through their enthusiastic words, because the human emotion behind it is sometimes like being at the game itself.

At the beginning of this hockey season, I changed my facebook status to "I will not bandwagon jump this season.... unless the Canucks don't make the playoffs" and I am staying true to my words.

GO CANUCKS GO - because I want to live (and party in the streets again) in a city that wins the cup, but also because the city seems to come alive when they are winning.

OH - and please make sure there's always room in the wagon for me ;)

hiiiiiii