Penguins Hockey, Emotional Fandom, and the Bandwagon

Ready for another online hockey personality? I bet you are! Truth be told, I don’t know how much I’ll write about the sport I love. The internet is rife with hockey writers with much more talent and expertise than little old me. I grew up on the Pensblog and have since made countless other outlets a daily part of the ol' mindless time killing web purge. Speaking of the Pens…

It was all fun and games for southwest PA sports fans in the early 1990s. The Steelers had only lost the division once between ‘92 and ’97, and the Pirates still had the perception of a pulse despite Sid Bream ripping out their sack in ’92. The Penguins were coming off back-to-back Stanley Cups in ’91 and ’92, robbed of a third in '93 by Glen Healy and the underdog Islanders in Game 7 overtime. The feeling of realizing what a funny son of a bitch he is on the Chiclets podcast was like meeting your mom's new boyfriend who runs a nonprofit puppy rescue.

Anyway, unfortunately most of those memories are lost on me. I can barely remember who my teachers were in high school, much less the highs of that era in Pittsburgh sports. By the time I reached an age where sports meant more than just a poster on the wall and whatever jersey Dad bought me, it was the late 90s. The Pirates stunk, the Steelers were milk toast, and the Penguins were spending Mario’s twilight years tanking (he actually acquired an ownership stake in ’99, saving the team from relocation, which is another story for another blog). Having grown up in a baseball/football crazed family I paid the standard required attention to the Steelers and Pirates because, well....Pittsburgh. The reality was my emotional connection to sports extended only so far as Notre Dame football (good call). I think they lost like 8 bowls in a row — suck it Bob Davie. [Quick aside - if my dad ever reads this, I still wouldn’t trade those trips to South Bend for the world man]. Bottom line: I LOVED sports, but didn’t really understand what it meant to have a genuine emotional connection to a Pittsburgh sports team for basically the entire duration of my childhood. Talk about real world problems.

That all changed around 2006 with the Penguins. I had tracked the insane story of Evgeni Malkin’s escape from Russia a couple years prior, Crosby’s draft the following year, and the ascension of both into super stardom despite the team’s overall early struggles. Around the same time, my friends and I were finishing up senior year and headed off to college. I took my awkward pizza face on a solo mission to Virginia Tech in the heart of Capitals country (side shoutout Acutane for saving my bacon). A handful of my high school friends were big hockey players/fans growing up, and every time we would talk, they would insist I start watching the games on a regular basis because the Pens had something special brewing. Luckily for me I took their advice, and sure enough the Pens found themselves in the finals vs. Big Bad Detroit in the spring of 2008. They lost that series in 6, won the thrilling rematch in 2009, and you know the rest.

The big problem you hear a lot about hockey is barriers to entry. The time and monetary capital required of parents to not only get their kids started but to keep playing is well documented and does not bear repeating. I’d say the same is uniquely true for fandom. Hockey, and probably the NHL by extension, has a weird way of not being able to turn kids into fans without significant engagement from parents. That’s probably a marketing/TV issue more than anything, but doesn’t stop there. The rules of the game and visibility of star players probably don’t help (the best are only on the ice 33% of the time), as does the simple logistical challenges of access to ice. It’s much easier, flexible, and cost-effective to sign your kid up for tee ball, basketball, or soccer. My dad wanted me to play all sports, but the thought of getting me into hockey never even occurred to him because he didn’t know how. 

So, I’m thankful I found my way to hockey and the Penguins, even if it was a little later than most and even if I’ve been spoiled since. Of course, people in my position will always have to deal with “bandwagon” chirps, which is somewhat fair. All I can say is I fell in love with the sport nearly 15 years ago and can probably count on two hands (ok, maybe four) the amount of Pens games I have missed since. Being emotionally connected to a hometown team is something I hadn’t fully experienced for the first 17 years of my life. Having the opportunity to get dick kicked every spring just for a small chance at a Cup celebration is one I'll never take for granted again. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have friends allow me to join their men’s league teams and made friends for life. I will play until they take away my skates. 

So here’s to:

• The Pens. From the bad times in 2006, the good times in 2009, to getting Halak’d in 2010, the Flyers shit show in 2012, back-to-back cup runs in ‘16/’17, like 8 million past and future showdowns with the Caps, and what will surely be dark days post Crosby/Malkin…I’m here for life. Maybe one day Columbus will show up to the party. 

• “Bandwagon” Fans: Just because you grew up having more crusty tube socks underneath the bed than posters above it doesn’t mean you can’t find your team later in life. Just be prepared to stick the fuck with them. Notre Dame & the Pirates still constantly embarrass me every year, but that's part of the fun.

• The Flyers. Here’s to the last 45 years and the next 45, you window-licking mongoloids. I look forward to post-corona so 87/71 can rip your throats out a couple more times before retirement. 

• Hockey: For being the greatest sport on the planet.