my friend doctor jay treated me to a late bithday present yesterday: tickets to the hockey game between the san jose sharks and the detroit red wings, complete with a bus trip, alcohol on the bus and at the game, and a buffet table just behind our box seats. the bus trip was organized by the local sports pub in his neighborhood. we were told that the bus would leave for the shark tank at three in the afternoon, so we arrived at the pub half an hour early. inside, we found a sea of san francisco transplants in red hats and jerseys.
hockey fans are a particularly rowdy bunch in general, but fans of the detroit red wings easily add several deep notches to the measuring stick. the red army, as they are known, can consume alcohol like pros, and they are famous for displaying the effects of said consumption in a highly visual manner. jay is a tried and true philadelphia flyers fan. he's usually a fairly reserved guy, and he maintained his decency at the match between detroit and san jose. had the flyers been playing, i probably would have seen him yell, jump up and down, kick over chairs, and taunt small children.
we boarded the bus to the shark tank and promptly started in on the bucket full of bottles of molson canadian. our bus driver (who bore a striking resemblance to ex-san francisco mayor wille brown — hat and all) took the aging bus south as we all got to know one another. i met a red wings fan who has been on every bus trip the pub has ever organized, as well as several first timers like myself. as the canadian lagers flowed, the taunting between the red army and the detroit non-believers became more intense. in an hour, we were in san jose, nicely tipsy, and definitely ready for a hockey game.
the whole first period was a bit of a blur for me. i was more concerned with finding a seat, grabbing some food, and filling my cup than i was with any of the action on the ice. hockey games aren't as big of a part of my life as they were when i was living in toronto as a pre-teen, but i try to watch as many as i can on the television. of course, the live experience is something else entirely because the ambience is totally mental.
right in the center of the ice, hanging from the arena rafters next to the scoreboard, is a giant shark's head. the eyes light up (red) and pulse with the rhythm of the organist's music. when san jose scores a goal, the shark roars as smoke pours out of its open mouth. this effect, meant to be intimidating and menacing, has all of the power of a monster from a 1950s b-movie. it makes you want to kind of laugh, hold your beer in the air, and yell "fierce!" or something. also, when the sharks go into a power play, the theme from jaws gets pumped through the speakers and all of those sharks fans really get going. in between periods, they hold tricycle races on the ice for prizes while a thirty-foot remote-controlled inflatable shark ominously swims around the arena dropping t-shirts on the people below. i used to really want to be the guy who drives the zamboni, but now i totally want to be the guy who flies the shark. even if it means that i have to work in san jose.
during the second and third periods, the red army in our section succeeded in leading a few hundred detroit fans at the game in a cheer of "let's go red wings!" they were promply drowned out by booing from the sharks fans, but it was a noble effort. san jose scored twice, the shark roared, the smoke poured, and the red army sighed. there were no fights, no big hits on the boards, and a lot of sloppy passing between red wings players. the sharks dominated the game from start to finish and they deserved their 2 to 1 win. i was rooting for detroit, not only because they are one of my favorite teams, but also because i just can't bring myself to support a hockey team in a city where there is no naturally occuring ice. call me old fashioned.
after the game, we all gathered around the busses for our ride back to the bar. doctor jay didn't have too much room left in his stomach for beer (or anything else), so we spent most of the time sipping on water and talking. the mood was somewhat deflated by detroit's loss, but the kids at the back of the bus kept things lively with a rowdy game of dice. as doctor jay and i got back to his house shortly before nine at night, i realized that i certainly wouldn't mind hanging out with those hosers again and taking in a game or two at the shark tank. next time, maybe philadelphia will be playing. then i can see jay's dark side, that mister hyde that only comes out when the flyers need one to win and they've got a player in the box... probably roenick.
Posted by snackfight at January 20, 2004 05:13 PM