03 October 2007

The season starts tonight?

This should tell everyone how busy I've been: I had no idea that the 2007-2008 season opened tonight.

Who's up tonight:

Montreal at Carolina
Anaheim at Detroit
Ottawa at Toronto (this should be good)
Dallas at Colorado

The only two I'd really care to see are Montreal and Ottawa, and since CBC is neglecting both of them, I'm screwed (since the season opens for the Pens on Friday, that's the date I'm marking on the calender anyhow). It would be nice to see how they both come out in the beginning, especially since the Pens are going to have a bit of bad blood for both teams (Montreal a bit more deeply, which is looking like a nice up and coming rivalry).

Will I be doing a season preview? No. If you haven't seen it already, nhl.com has a cookie-cutter look at the Pens, but the best one so far has to be courtesy of the Pensblog. It captures a bit of what it's like to be a Pens fan: the nausea, the heart break, the wracking sobs, the trips to the ER after beating yourself unconscious with an empty pizza box after watching particularly stroke-inducing games. It's interesting to think about what a difference a year makes: this time last October the only news you read about the Penguins were tentative hopes about Malkin's recovery, and a recap of the dismal season past, if you could find anything at all on them. Now, Sidney, and the reported 'Big Five' (who comes up with this stuff?) in the form of Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney, and Fleury, are splashed everywhere alongside words like 'contenders' and 'Stanley Cup'...not something fans have been treated to reading since the 90's (not unless it was followed by 'lacking' and 'not again for 20 years'). Someone even mentioned 'dynasty'. While I am thrilled that there is so much attention being paid to such a wonderful and deserving team, isn't that a bit premature? Let's make it past the first round of the playoffs and we'll see. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that this team is going to be something to watch in the ensuing years (and just imagine Crosby in 5 years, hell, in 2 years....if that. Screw it, imagine him now, here in this season. Euphoric), just no bragging. Yet.

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On a slightly different vein, I have scrapped my giant women's' rights in hockey rant that has been sitting on my computer for a week and a half in an effort to stop beating a slightly wobbly, if not dead, horse, but I'd still like to just say a few quick words on the Penguins upcoming 'Hockey in Heels' event scheduled for female fans.

I'm trying to keep an open mind, and the activities for the event, which range from a sitting with the author of that book, Lisa Ovens, seems genuinely interesting, and I wouldn't mind a full encompassing tour of the Igloo, but I fear it may be sending the wrong message to both male and female fans. The Capitals did something very similar earlier, and as well as tour they gave a Q and A session with a few players, a nice touch, but after that was a 'hockey 101' lecture about what icing and off-side calls mean, and then an on-ice lesson in hockey. Oh, did I mention the door prize of a cosmetic bag? It's nice that they are trying to reach out to more fans with internal genitalia, but doing so in this way seems insulting and degrading for women fans and is possibly geared more towards the stereotypical female hockey fan of today = a woman with little to no hockey knowledge that is more interested in players stretching than a play on the ice. Would you include a talk on what the neutral zone is to a room full of male hockey fans? No. If you did, I'd bet money that they would find it insulting, why should women fans feel any different? We don't need our hands held through games, thank you.

I know I'm generalizing a bit, but why assume that women would want a cosmetics bag at a hockey arena? Besides, I've seen women in heels at hockey games: they fall down. Give us more of the Q and A sessions, a look at how plays are reviewed and come up with, players and trainers routines for getting in shape or how they choose their equipment (styles, companies, that sort of thing). How do they train? What do they work on to become the top-quality players they are today? Hell, let us talk to the Zamboni driver about ice quality and thickness! But please, remember that while we do view sports in general a bit differently, that doesn't mean we don't have the ability to understand it's intricacies as men do.

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Now that I've gotten that off my chest, there is but one thing to say:

Go Pens.

8 comments:

Marie said...

Would you include a talk on what the neutral zone is to a room full of male hockey fans? No. If you did, I'd bet money that they would find it insulting,

AMEN to that!

However, I admit it, I wear heels (usually boots because it's cold in the arena) to games. Mainly because I can't see when everyone stands up! I need as much help vertically as I can get. Was the cosmetics bag filled with makeup from Sephora? Oh good Lord, I'm such a girl! Alright, bring on the hate, ladies...

Teebz said...

Maybe that cosmetics bag contains that Penguins garter? :o)

Seriously, that is insulting, and I'm surprised that the Penguins and/or the NHL is allowing themselves to stereotype women as fans who "know little" about the game. Yes, there are women that are just getting to know the game, but they should really have a "beginner's class" and an "advanced class". Otherwise, the women like yourself (who think the class is insulting due to its material) won't attend, and the women who think it might be too advanced for them won't attend either.

Elly said...

kms2: Gasp! Heels at a hockey game! Whatever shall we do with you? :)

Naw, seriously, does it really matter what you wear as long as you love the game? It's just always seemed impractical to me to dress up (which is something I've always considered heels to be) to go to a sporting event. It's more of the stereotype, I guess, than the actual few women who do and are fans...does that make sense? :) I wear heels too...just not to cold, frozen ice rinks, hehe. I hope you don't fall! And about the makeup, I'm not sure, sorry!

Teebz: Ha! I think I'd probably laugh myself right off my seat if I opened a bag given to me by Penguins Co and found a garter belt.

Having two classes is a good idea, and substantially less insulting. It still has the context, unfortunately, but at least it gives ladies the option, which most would be honest about their knowledge level.

Anonymous said...

"Teka, what time is it?"

"Elly, it's PENS TIME."


(that will never get old to me. I heart this strange watch-like old hockey puck bracelet.)

Kirsten said...

I wore heels and a dress to a game once, but that's cause I skipped out of a wedding reception to go. I just threw a hockey sweater on and went to the game with four guys also in evening clothes. It was really entertaining seeing the looks people were giving us.

Elly said...

Teka: It's always Pens time. Whoo!

Kirsten: Ah, see, but you didn't dress up for the game, did you? And your poor feet! I can't imagine doing that in heels, I'd freeze to death or break an ankle.

Kirsten said...

That's a good point. I'm pretty sure my feet don't feel cold any more,though. I like to wear flip flops year round, even in Minnesota winters. I also don't really seem to feel cold in my hands. I'm still not sure how I managed to run up and down all those stairs without killing myself or someone else.

Kirsten said...

That's a good point. I'm pretty sure my feet don't feel cold any more,though. I like to wear flip flops year round, even in Minnesota winters. I also don't really seem to feel cold in my hands. I'm still not sure how I managed to run up and down all those stairs without killing myself or someone else.