.:Dreams and Swords:.

The Ducks, 10 Bucks

I come from a long line of hockey fans. Don't get me wrong, we love baseball just as much as the next guys (Go Angels!), but hockey is where the veins in the forehead get prominent play during the year. We take it seriously (kind of), maybe me more so than many folks. There's just something about the speed, the movement, the intensity, that seems to get to me and thousands of our Americans, Canadians, Swedes, Russians...

My team, if you haven't figured it out already, is the Anaheim Ducks. They play with strength (sometimes too much), speed, and luck - my kind of team. I feel the Ducks truly came around after they lost the "Mighty" in their name, making them someone to look out for with the other big contenders like Chicago, San Jose, Michigan, the Rangers, and such. It takes a lot to overcome a freakin' movie franchise.

The best thing about the team though is their current line of players. I can't say enough about the unity amongst the team. The Niedermayer Brothers, Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, George Parros, Bobby Ryan, Jean-Sebastien (Jiggy) Giguere, Jonas Hiller, and my personal favorite - Teemu Selanne. When these guys get on the ice, they are a sight to see with connectivity and movement. They are not the best scoring team in the world, but they make up for it in defense and strength.

I am proud to be a Ducks fan. (insert quacking here)

However, my family doesn't necessarily feel the same way. We all have teams we love, which often conflicts with others. For example, my father is a hopeless Los Angeles Kings fan. The Kings, in all of their glory, have not once won the Stanley Cup since their inception in 1967. The closest they have come to winning was in 1992-1993 season where they lost to Montreal. Still, his faith is steadfast that one of these days the Kings will perhaps qualify beyond the post season.

But the biggest conflict between family members though is between me and my mom. My mother hails from the Great Lakes state of Michigan, and has been an avid Red Wings fan for decades. We once went to a Ducks vs. Red Wings game up in Anaheim a couple of years back. In our respective jerseys, we happen to get seats in the Red Wings section where a bunch of Michiganers had made a pilgrimage to watch them play. Within seconds her accent was back as they were talking about back home and how the Wings were playing that year, their large signs at the ready for when the puck hit the ice. On principle, they wouldn't even speak to me - she wouldn't even speak to me - because I was the enemy! The Ducks kicked their booties all over the ice that night - go me!

So, a friendly, familial rivalry has continued ever since. Each time the Ducks and Wings play a series together we put 10 bucks up for grabs to see who wins. I have never lost a game we've wagered on. And there's a space in my pocket just waiting for the new ten dollar bill to fill.

BTW, Ducks are winning 2-1 in the Semi-Finals! {e:evilcackle}