That Priceless Feeling

A lot has happened since my last post, all those 18 days ago. When I posed the question "Buyers or Sellers", the Isles were a mere 2 games into their eventual 7 game losing streak. Each loss that followed only served to make my question less relevant. I was ready to SELL, SELL, SELL! A bag of pucks for Comrie? Sold! New t-shirt guns for Sillinger? Done and done.

I'll admit, I was ready to write-off the season. A big contributor to that feeling was the Giants victory in Super Bowl XLII. What does one have to do with the other, you ask? Well, neck-and-neck with my love for Long Island's hockey team is my devotion to NJ's Big Blue. I didn't miss one snap from the Giants 2007 season, and only a handful over the past several years. And while I'd always take a Stanley Cup over a Super Bowl win, I was in a state of constant euphoria ever since Eli hit Plaxico with the go-ahead TD. I barely noticed that the Isles kept on losing, as I spent all my free time watching Super Bowl highlights and reliving that amazing game in my mind.

Finally, by last weekend I made my way back to reality and what I found was depressing. Not only the losing streak. The Giants reminded me of what it can feel like to be a fan of a winner. As crazy as I got watching the Giants win it all, I can only imagine the feeling if (and hopefully when) the Isles bring the Cup back to LI. Facing the dim truth that we are realistically a long way from experiencing that feeling made me...sad. There's no other word for it.

I was 7 years old when we last won the Cup. I have memories of those days, but was far too young to have any real appreciation for it. The Super Bowl reminded me that, for a die-hard fan, you can't put a price on a championship. As much as the Giants' win took my short-term focus away from hockey, it's now increased my appetite for the Stanley Cup.

So even though we've rebounded a bit with three wins in a row, including a dominating performance against Atlanta, I'm still ready to sell. I'm willing sacrifice the next few seasons if it's clear we are moving in the right direction towards building a winner. I don't want to waste too may of DPs prime years, but I don't want to continue to cheer for a team where a first round playoff exit is considered successful. As a fan, all I can do is hope the Snow/Wang/Nolan braintrust has a plan. I can hope that Wang is not only interested in getting the Lighthouse project done, and that he really is committed to building a winner on Long Island. I can hope that I will get to re-live the euphoria I felt two weeks ago, as our Captain of the future lifts the Stanley Cup over his head in front of my disbelieving eyes.