Pregame, Game 1 - 10/8/2011

I don't anticipate doing a pregame for every single game, but opening day calls for such a post. Most of my game recaps will have my pregame notes in them already.

As if this whole transition thing isn't awesome already, Howie freaking Rose pops up on my T.V. - It's like the Mets have personally told me this is the right thing to do. Lupe is blasting for the warmups which is getting me amped and right now, I'm trying to get acquainted with the pregame cast of characters. Network television sports have such an array of weird people and I'm excited to learn and get used to them all. I think if there's anything I'm learning from my friends and the pregame, it's this: apparently John Tavares is very good. And he's a forward. I"ll learn about that position too. Apparently Mark Streit is important and missed last season. Good to have you back, Mark...um, yeah.

So there are three goalies - Nadokov, DiPietro (who I understand has more than a contentious relationship with the fanbase) and Montoya, the guy who will be starting tonight. Dipietro just showed up on screen in a Mets hat and a really huge beard which endears me to him. Peter Ruttgaizer is on screen telling me about coach Jack Capuano, who looks and talks like every single Long Island dad I've ever seen yell at their kid at Little League. I love him already.

I also love the fact Hockey coaches wear suits. I think it's one of the coolest things in sports. Like the Knicks and Mets broadcasts though, the same five commercials are always in rotation and I'm beginning to prep myself for that.

I feel really over my head. There are so many players to learn, so much jargon to understand, so many rules to comprehend...I hope I learn soon. I want to love this sport and this is an honest attempt to get involved. It just dawned on me that I'm not just getting involved in a new team, but an entire league. There are many teams, many players and lots to learn. I hope I can convince myself long enough that this is an intellectual endeavor because I'm going to be spending LOTS of time on this.

I think one of the largest reasons I'm so desperate to love this sport is because I recognize this league and sport is unlike the others in that you have to be sick in the head to play this sport. It takes so much guts, so much passion, so much hustle. I get the feeling that these guys would play this sport for free. That isn't the case for baseball and it certainly isn't the case for basketball.

Whats with this dinosaur as the mascot? I'm beginning to realize something glaringly obvious: this team is so weird. I love it. See you at post game.