This is strange to consider. The only winning franchise currently in Los Angeles is the LA Kings.
The LA Kings!
Who woulda thunk it?
Heck, that fact was the only saving grace (for me, that is) for the Dodger early exit in the NLDS. I could now focus all of my attention to their defense of the Stanley Cup, and it began last week with the raising of their second Stanley Cup banner in three years.
As always, I was seated in my usual nosebleed seats at Staples Center to experience the moment. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a photo-taker during games, so I'll steal Jacob Surly's pic on twitter since he happens to be my seat neighbor. See that above. As you can see, we had a good view of the banner. You can watch a shortened version of the ceremony in the video below.
Video Link:
The rest of the evening did not go as planned. The Kings looked very lackluster and out of synch, as they lost to their upstate rival San Jose Sharks in a shutout. Who can blame them, though? With the pomp and circumstance of the evening very fresh in their minds I can certainly forgive them for being distracted.
BTW, one thing I've noticed recently about 'us fans' is how patient we all seem to be now. It wasn't too long ago when a poor start to the season (they won their first game last night) would have lead to complaints from the peanut gallery about needing drastic changes to the club now. It appears that a spate of recent championships has almost made us sanguine about direction of the club. After decades of suffering we can actually say that we absolutely trust management. I couldn't imagine ever saying this about the Dodgers. Of course, if things look bleak closer to the playoffs that view may change.
Oh... And below is my photo with the most beautiful trophy in sports. Don't you love that shine? That luster? That glow? I almost reached out and gave it a big sloppy kiss. Oh... Who am I kidding? I did give it a smooch, a big hug and then I tried to grab it and run. If it wasn't for Kings mascot Bailey giving me a Drew Doughty hip-check, I would have gotten away. Damn you Bailey (with my hand clenched in a fist and waving it above my head)!
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