I don't think that you could call me a hockey fanatic and be correct. I like the game and had much more passion for it in the 80's than I do now. There was something about seeing a game at the Arena and watching it from around the rafters. The Arena was built with seats that hung over each other rather than a bleacher style. When you were in the upper deck, it felt like you were leaning over the ice from three stories up. I saw the Monday Night Miracle there. I really did like watching the games from high up in the stands. You could see the plays either take form and work or disappate within a few seconds. The Blues at one time were a huge draw in St. Louis, constantly filling the old Arena and the new Kiel..er uh...Savvis..er uh Scottrade Center. Hockey hasn't been very good for awhile, here. The strike comes along and then the Blues owner sells or trades away the heart and soul of the team. Chris Pronger was dealt and the team stripped. In walk David Checketts and John Davidson (a play by play guy who is now the team President). They manipulate good draft choices, add some veterans and for the first time in a bunch of years, the Blues find themselves in the freakin playoffs as the 6th seed. 29 sell outs this year and from the GM to the public address announcer, they have rejuvenized the team and the city with style and class. To be where they were and to now be where they are, it's nothing short of a great sports story. Good guys who have drafted good players who give back to the community and actually meet and greet the fans. I met Andy Maurray a couple of times in the halls of KMOX and he has been nothing short of what he and the team preach. Be a professional. Let's Go Blues indeed. They may be one and done this year but nothing can take away from what they have accomplished.
2 comments:
I heartily agree and am sooo glad to see Da Blooz back in the show after such a long absence. I also agree it was so much better at the old building--I saw my first in-person Blues game there against Montreal just a month or so before the Monday Night Miracle in '86 and the atmosphere was truly electric then. The new arena is nice and all, but it has no soul. Still, it's nice to see people showing up for games again.
I'm rooting for the Blues, but watch out for my beloved New Jersey Devils in the playoffs...
The Checkerdome! I saw the U.S. Olympic hockey team against one of the Soviet Red Army teams at the Checkerdome in late 1979 or early 1980 just before the 1980 Winter Olympics. The U.S. lost and looked bad doing it. On a whim, my college roommate and I drove from Champaign to St. Louis for the game. We must have gotten the last two seats in the building. Balcony, last row, behind the net, so high up you couldn't see the other end of the ice without crouching down. We also did a "home and home" Blackhawks and Blues trip seeing the two teams play once at the Checkerdome and once at Chicago Stadium on the same weekend. One of the GREAT hockey arenas and some memorable moments from my youth. tony b.
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