Friday, June 16, 2006
Heartland of Hockey
The Oilers will skate in their last game either tomorrow or on Monday but the memories will keep playing forever.
It has been a Cinderella story, as unexpected as a love affair between a prince and a commoner. I didn’t attend any games nor buy any memorabilia save a solitary flag fluttering on my car’s window. Heck, I didn’t even party on Whyte Avenue breaking lampposts or starting sky-high bonfires or smashing windows or climbing trees but still played as major a role as any fan, religiously glued to the TV before every game singing the Canadian national anthem in chorus with 18,000 others.
The few times I had the chance to watch it at a public place, I still felt at home. Strangers standing shoulder to shoulder, counting down the seconds, tied in the brotherhood that brought us all close. We jumped and clapped and hollered and ran around like maniacs – people of all ages, class, and backgrounds. We’d met for only five minutes but shared the common ancestry of the great Oilers’ dynasty.
I believed when we lost the first game and I still believe when we’re one game away from elimination not only from the Stanley Cup but the very dream that has kept the entire city running like a highly addictive drug.
Make no mistake; I’m no bandwagon fan though they are more than welcome to join the party. No matter what happens over the next few days, we are and will remain the City of Champions and the Heartland of Hockey.
It has been a Cinderella story, as unexpected as a love affair between a prince and a commoner. I didn’t attend any games nor buy any memorabilia save a solitary flag fluttering on my car’s window. Heck, I didn’t even party on Whyte Avenue breaking lampposts or starting sky-high bonfires or smashing windows or climbing trees but still played as major a role as any fan, religiously glued to the TV before every game singing the Canadian national anthem in chorus with 18,000 others.
The few times I had the chance to watch it at a public place, I still felt at home. Strangers standing shoulder to shoulder, counting down the seconds, tied in the brotherhood that brought us all close. We jumped and clapped and hollered and ran around like maniacs – people of all ages, class, and backgrounds. We’d met for only five minutes but shared the common ancestry of the great Oilers’ dynasty.
I believed when we lost the first game and I still believe when we’re one game away from elimination not only from the Stanley Cup but the very dream that has kept the entire city running like a highly addictive drug.
Make no mistake; I’m no bandwagon fan though they are more than welcome to join the party. No matter what happens over the next few days, we are and will remain the City of Champions and the Heartland of Hockey.
Faraz Ahmed 8:55 a.m.