Sports are the Greatest

As the Staples Center crowd counted down the final five seconds of Game 6, you could feel the energy and excitement in your bones.  The Kings Stanley Cup win was transcendent as history was made with the first Cup win in the franchises 44 year existence.  The entire playoff run was indeed fit for Hollywood, and ended with a high on home ice in front of a raucous crowd and friends and family.  Every hockey player dreams of putting that Cup above their head.  Watching the players unleash their unbridled joy as they raised the Cup was awe inspiring.  It was surreal.  It was the greatest thing I have ever had the opportunity to be around.  The adjectives are endless. 

Alec Martinez celebrates with the Stanley Cup after a 6-1
drubbing of the New Jersey Devils in Game 6

The face of Alec Martinez reflects every player on the ice, in the locker room, and at the post game celebration.  Every guy was elated as they celebrated the win.  I found myself smiling and laughing uncontrollably with excitement as the Cup was raised again and again.  Captain, Dustin Brown, carried it around like it was his fourth child as two of his boys were draped from him all night.  Parents hugged their boys as any proud mother or father would.  The emotions ran high, and in the best way possible. 

The grind of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is well documented.  It takes true on ice warriors to win 16 games and get your name forever imprinted on the Cup.  Defenseman, Rob Scuderi, embodied this in the final game as he took a vicious hit from behind leaving him bloody on the ice behind the King's goal.  He missed the rest of the period and was stitched on his nose and mouth.  He was clearly shaken from the hit, but made his way back to the bench and played meaningful minutes on the penalty kill as Kings pushed towards the victory. 

Winning the Cup takes true family and loyalty from the entire organization. After the Scuderi hit, the Kings responded the right way, emphatically scoring 3 goals on the five minute power play and essentially ending all hope for the Devils.  The organization is classy and takes care of their own.  They have believed in players when they have seemed to hit a wall in their career (Jeff Carter, Dustin Penner, Simon Gagne).  They have put their trust in young guys to step up and make every play required of them on a nightly basis (Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick, Jordan Nolan, Dwight King, Alec Martinez, Trevor Lewis).  They have locked down proven performers that have led the team on and off the ice (Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty).  Ownership has put their trust in their hockey operations management and involved the most popular King, Luc Robitaille.  They do it the right way and have been rewarded in the best way.

The locker room, post game, was an amazing site.  Champagne was of course everywhere as the celebration was on for the Champs.  What is always special is seeing grown men hug each other and share smiles and tears as they begin to realize what they have accomplished.  Some just sat in their stalls taking in everything around them, their face showing the unbelievable feelings they were clearly experiencing in this life changing moment.  Others led the way filling the Cup with bubbly and attempting to drink from the chalice while mostly just getting swamped in champagne.  No matter where you stood in that room, you saw ecstatic joy and of course adult beverages sprayed in your face.  There was no holding back, and why would there be?  The Kings won the Cup!

Winning the Cup is why sports are the greatest.  It is not the truest form of reality TV; it is REALITY.  Real human beings like you and me, going through unscripted ups and downs and dealing with it all minus any outside help.  There is no relying on anyone except for the people inside the four walls of the locker room.  Losing truly depresses people and forces them to reevaluate their drive and become more determined to get to the top.  Winning creates euphoria that is immortalized with your name on a trophy that every player dreams of raising.  The best season in sports has come to an end and as usual it did not disappoint.  Thanks Tino.

mf