So as I mentioned, I am a Tampa Bay Lightning fan. I didn’t care much for hockey until I moved to the Tampa Bay area 20 years ago. over the years I have grown to love the game, the speed, the action, and the belief that Hockey players are some of the best conditioned athletes in professional sports. imagine if you will, skating a full speed for 2-3 minutes at a time, not slowing down, not stopping.. then you go back to the bench for 5 minutes and then get back on the ice and do it all over again. That’s cardiovascular superhero shit right there, and I am in awe how well these professional athletes do it. I remember being outside the Amalie Arena (It was The Ice Palace back then) in 2004 when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup, it was one of the greatest feelings in my life, I had only ever felt close to that euphoria when the Bucs won the Super Bowl. The Lightning was different, I was more invested with the Lightning because they were the only hockey franchise I ever followed. they say that a team based in the Southern US is not really viable, but the Lightning sell out each and every home game, 20,000 screaming fans root this team on each and every night, the Bucs could only dream of such loyalty. To attend a game at the arena is like entering another world, and that is what has caused me to be such a rabid fan over the last 20 years. I love this team, from the era of Vinny and Marty, to now with Stamkos and Hedman, I love this team, and I love the game of Hockey. With all of that being said, the #Bolts are in the fight of their lives right now with the Capitals. they lose the first two games at home, and in dominating fashion. I watched both games and had given them up for dead. I decided not to watch the games in DC, and so they won both, bringing the series back to Tampa tied 2-2. so with that being said, I won’t be watching tonight, instead I will keep track of the game through twitter and the #GoBolts hashtag. I am not normally a superstitions person, but in this regard I cant help myself. All I will say is #GoBolts, beat the Caps and move on to getting that second Cup.
