Hockey makes living here in DC a never boring life. I am a die hard Penguins fan in the middle of Capitals country. It's always been fun. And now in the era of Crosby/Ovechkin, it has gotten to be very interesting. The difference when you go from football to hockey down here is amazing. As I stated in my blog post on Sept. 13, 2010 titled "Those annoying Steelers Fans" the Redskins fans don't hate the Steelers fans. They just find us annoying. Naturally, the majority of the Redskins fan base and the Capitals fan base are the same people. But when you start talking hockey, the feelings are very different. Capitals fans hate the Penguins with a passion. I would even use the word loath, especially when you mention Sidney Crosby. It's understandable. It's similar to the hatred the Browns fans have for the Steelers. The Capitals have suffered 7 defeats in 8 playoff appearances against the Penguins. The worst being a 6-3 defeat on May13th, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs. They then had to watch the Penguins go on to hoist the Stanley Cup. If you are a Capitals fan, that is a bitter pill to swallow. I imagine Steelers fans living in Cleveland experience the same loathing that I do here.
Since I live here, many of my friends are naturally Capitals fans. We go at it rather often about the Pens and Caps, or about Crosby and Ovechkin. It's nice that the Pens have 3 Stanley Cups and a winning playoff record against the Capitals. The Capitals have only been to one Stanley Cup, and lost. I like having an edge. However, one of the beauties of hockey is that it can make strange bedfellows. Most hockey fans love the game itself. And that is the case with three good friends of mine. Three lovely ladies whom I refer to as my Hockey Chicks. One of the unique aspects of the NHL is that 33% of it's fan base is female. And I have seen estimates as high as 50%. The fact that there are so many female fans makes being a hockey fan that much more fun for a guy. I have found that women who are into hockey tend to be rabid fans, and very knowledgeable of the game.
However, a word of warning. Don't call them Puck Bunnies. I was told this by one of my Hockey Chicks. "Really?" I asked. "You hate being called a Puck Bunny?" She replied that the term was degrading. Then I jokingly said, "How about Hockey Whores?". The response surprised me. "I would prefer Hockey Whore over Puck Bunny". Wow. You would rather be called a whore? Puck Bunny must really be bad. I actually find the name Puck Bunny kind of cute. But obviously, I am wrong. Some battles you just don't fight. So suffice it to say, I will stick with Hockey Chicks when referring to my three lovely ladies.
Because we watch a lot of sports together, I will mention my Hockey Chicks periodically in this blog. And since I do not want to use their real names, they will be forever referred to as: The Irish Girl, The Girl with the Curly Hair, and Darla.
The Irish Girl: I have known the Irish Girl the longest. She and I have been watching hockey together for years. We have spent many an evening in a pub or at her house watching games. Both of us are of Irish descent, so she loves a good pint as much as I do. She is a die hard Capitals fan, so she of course hates the Penguins. But she loves the game and respects good hockey when she sees it. Therefore I can watch a Pens game with her and receive minimal abuse.
The Girl with the Curly Hair: This one is both a Rangers and a Capitals fan. Which means double trouble for me. She naturally hates the Penguins, and don't even mention the name Sidney Crosby in front of her. She really loves hockey, and can spot a player walking down the street 200 yards away. The Girl with the Curly Hair is the one that tries to keep me in check, which is probably a good thing. I piss her off so often that I sometimes wonder why she hangs out with me. The funny part is, I don't even have to try. I am prone to offering brash and bold opinions during any sporting event. And if one of my statements is at the expense of the Capitals, she gets pissed. I don't even have to remember what I said, she has it all memorized. "You called Alex Ovechkin an ugly Russian figure skater on April 14th, 2008 at Indigo Landing. It was 9:30pm." Date, time, place; it's pretty impressive. One night at one of our local watering holes, she turned to me, phone in hand and said "Hey Timmy, I just googled Crosby and Cry Baby and got 350,000 hits!" "Really." I replied, "Try Ovechkin and Dirty Player." She did, 1,000,000 hits. I was then told I was a jerk.
Darla: Darla isn't this girls real name. Darla is the name of her alter ego. The other two girls gave her this nickname. Whenever she says or does anything even slightly ditsy, it is Darla's fault. This one is a real sweet heart. She is a Capitals and Canadians fan. However, she doesn't hate the Penguins. She doesn't hate period. Even if she tries to be mean, she fails miserably. When the Girl with the Curly Hair goes on one of her Sidney Crosby rants. Darla will lean over and whisper in my ear, "I think he's really good." Just like the other two, she really knows her hockey. She loves a good pint and it is very fun to watch a game with her. It was Darla who informed me not to use the term Puck Bunnies.
My suggestion to you, if you are not a hockey chick, is that you find some hockey chicks of your own. Girls who love hockey are nothing but fun. The female fans make hockey the great game it is. But remember, don't call them Puck Bunnies. You will pay the price if you do. You know who coined that term don't you. That's right. Evil Spock!!
Oh, and by the way, Go Pens!!!!
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