Many years ago, before I was married, I had season tickets to the Los Angeles Kings. This was when they were still playing at the Forum. "Back in the day" I was a die hard fan of all teams Southern California - the Lakers, the Dodgers, the Angels , the Rams (yes, they used to have an NFL team) and, of course, the Kings. The Kings are now one game away from winning the Stanley Cup for the very first time, and I got to thinking about the good old days. Of driving to the Forum in Inglewood for every single home game (some might not think driving through Inglewood late at night was especially smart, but there were lots of us, so it was okay). Getting there 2 hours early just to watch pregame stuff - - and watching the zamboni get the ice perfectly smooth and glossy! Heaven!
And the time I almost got my head taken off by a puck. Ah, yes. The good old days. My seats were behind the goal. Up about 15 rows. If you've never held a puck before, then maybe you don't know that it is solid rubber. And it is hard. Very very hard. Before the game the players line up and practice their shots into the goal. If you've never seen a slapshot before, then you probably don't know that the puck travels at about 100 mph. If you've never seen a puck coming straight toward your forehead with no time to duck, then you are lucky.
All I can say is thank you to the thin metal bar that went across our row, at just about the right height, to deflect that solid rubber puck coming at me at 100 mph. Otherwise, I'd either be dead or have a puck halfway through my forehead.
Ah, yes. The good old days.
Do you think your bangs would have hidden it?
ReplyDeleteROFL! - EVIL! :D
DeleteWhen I lived in NYC, I worked with someone who was crazy for hockey. I couldn't believe how LONG the season lasted and how loyal the fans were. This dude even took me to a Rangers game sure that I would LOVE it after I saw it live. I was impressed certainly. Lots of action. After seeing that, I am really glad that you didn't that puck in the head. Pretty sure the bangs wouldn't have been much help. Ouchers.
ReplyDeleteHockey is a cold sport. Brr. I'd rather watch basketball (and I'm not so crazy about that either. LOL)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're alive and not walking around with a puck in your forehead. :)
I've only been to one hockey game in m life. My brother took me, and kept making fun of me for using all the wrong terms, like quarters instead of periods, and field instead of rink. You know. Silly shit like that, LOL!
ReplyDeleteVery, very happy that you're not a puck-head!
Uh... I'm thankful for that metal bar too ..
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it out well!!
ReplyDeleteSorry they didn't clinch it in Game 4, but maybe Saturday!
Pucks have injured and killed people before. Were you also a fan of the Raiders when they were in LA?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you lived to tell the tale.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Fabulous L. A. Forum a dozen times at least but never to see a sporting event. I saw Three-Dog Night, Grass Roots, Stepenwulf, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Bob Dylan and the Band. I bled Dodger Blue, until I moved to NorCal in 1974, where I started to listen to our arch-enemies, The Giants, simply because I could no longer access the Dodgers on the radio. There was no internet in 1974. The rest is history and the Dodgers will provide some entertainment this year, until "we" crush them. lol
ReplyDeleteJudy , you would be my husbands dream wife. I strongly dislike watching sports. My hubby would be thrilled if I enjoyed it. He took me to a few hockey games when we lived in NY and everytime I would pray to not get knocked out by the puck! He thought I was crazy. Now I know I wasn't so crazy. But those hockey players are cute!
ReplyDeleteYeah -- I don't really do sports (as in watch). The last time i went to a SF Giants game, I spent most of the time in the bar watching the game b/c it was too cold out there!
ReplyDeleteI had a friend that got hit with a hockey puck one time at a game and for the life of me I can't remember what the team was called but it was based out of San Diego (this would have been back late 1970s). He ended up dying a bit after he got hit, long story but the hit had a bit to do with his passing. I would be the person that would get hit by a puck or a baseball because I'm never watching what is going on at games but am people watching instead. That's why its better if I don't have season tickets ;)
ReplyDeleteLakers was my mom's basketball team; she'd listened to their games on the radio if they weren't on the TV, when we lived in the Temecula area they were featured more on the news than they are now that we're in the San Diego area so I haven't been really following them this year.
tomorrow is Friday; enjoy the weekend!
betty
More leverage to use against my husband for my anti-hockey crusade. Much obliged. And I'm glad you're still alive.
ReplyDeleteVeddy interesting ... so you have issues about NYC being a nest of vipers and murderers but you like hockey? I give up.
ReplyDeleteAnd ghosts.
DeleteI went to my first hockey game this winter and I loved it! I said it was better than watching Roller Derby, and in this Roller Derby fanatic family, that was sacrilegious, but luckily, my family decided they could forgive those words!
ReplyDeletePS I still like watching hockey better than Roller Derby!
i glad i hadn't thought about the possibility of this happening all those years ago, when my husband and i used to go all the time---wow brings back kinda good memories!
ReplyDeletewhat made you think of this now, Judy?
ReplyDeleteOh wow! How scary!
ReplyDeleteWOW. Somebody "up there" likes you! - No protective plastic wall thingy back then?
ReplyDelete