Game 7! I Should Be More Interested....

Its game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals tomorrow, and I really haven't watched the playoffs at all this year. I have no horse in the race, no players that I cheer for, and my heart just isn't in it.

But with that said, it is GAME SEVEN! Nothing is better than a game 7. An entire season, all 1200+ games come down to just one, and its for all the marbles! ...And I am just not that into it.

I really wish I had a horse in the race this year. Both teams, for me, are hard to cheer for. Whether it is Crosby (WHAAA!) and Malkin (no heart russian), or Datsyuk (dude looks like ET) and Zetterberg (ok...I like watching him play), all of them are pretty ho-hum to me, even though they are 4 of the most talented players in the world.

I really hate the fans for both teams, too. Penguin fans are bandwagon'ish at best...Seems like everyone is pulling for them because of Sid the Kid, and/or Malkin. Red Wing fans have been there before, and love telling you about it. At least they are a respectable franchise, and the perfect design for how a franchise should be run.

Another big minus for this final is the fact that it is a re-match of last years final. I am a big fan of change, and love seeing NEW teams in the finals. Seeing the Cards in the Superbowl was GREAT. Having the Magic in the NBA final is awesome. Rematch of last year? Not so exciting....

Maybe I would be a little more excited about this if I got to watch the first moth of the playoffs. If I got to see Malkin and Crosby really light up the lesser teams on their way to said rematch.

But then again, on the other side of the coin, lets talk about 'game 7' again. This is the big one! This is why these players train all those hours! Its not for the chicks, or the cars, or the coke. Its for the chance to win the prize. For once in your life to say 'We are the best!' Its about wrapping your fingers around that cup...The STANLEY CUP! The greatest prize in professional sports, and lifting it above your head, and proclaiming to the world that this is your cup, and you cannot take it away from me! For at least 365 days, This is OURS TO DEFEND!!!

There is just something special about seeing a team skate around the ice with that cup! Afterall, hockey is the only sport that the prize is given directly to the team (captain), and not the owner. Its the only sport that has just ONE cup, and not a new one year after year. Lord Stanley has dents, chips, scrapes, and history. It's had a baby baptised in it, and had popcorn eaten out of it. It slept in the bottom of a pool, and in the same bed as some players. It's been the subject of curses, and has been lost on multiple occasions. Hell, the '47 Rangers even pissed into it. It's been all over the world, cruised across Canada multiple times...If I could live 1/2 the life this cup has, I would be a happy guy!

Its the Cup! That is why I love the Finals. That is why I love game 7's! That is why I will be watching.

As for a prediction, I think this will be a good game, but Detroit has owned the Series. And because its being played on their home ice, I can't see them losing this one. I think it's a 4-2 game, but OT would make my weekend!

Enjoy the last game for 4 1/2 months!

MB