8:54 a.m. - 2004-05-05
much to no one's surprise...
The leafs lost. The leafs LOST. The LEAFS lost. I�just�can�t�.talk about it. The wound is still too fresh.
As for the trip to Philly to see game 5, I can without a doubt say that it was an adventure. Despite the horrible loss that we suffered, the humiliating, terrible, spirit-crushing loss that we suffered, Karen and I had an awesome time. It should be mentioned that beer was a big factor in that fact.
And can I say that Philly fans are some of the most hostile people I�ve ever met in my life. During the 4 or so hours we spent at the Wachovia centre, we were booed at, jeered at, chanted at, told to go home, insulted and just generally not made to feel welcome. It wasn�t a big surprise, I suppose, we were warned about it and had many a parent worry about us over it, but it still rattles you when you actually get there and people just hate you for the fact that you�re wearing a jersey they don�t like very much.
We fought back, though, in the most Canadian way possible: with pure, unadulterated politeness. When someone booed, we wished them a nice day. When someone told us to go home, we said �thanks, but we�ll wait until the game�s over�. When the fans laughed at us as we left the game, we smiled and thanked them for their hospitality. I have to admit, however, it was all Karen�s idea. I�m not, by nature, a mild-mannered girl, but her strategy made sense and, for the most part, it worked. When you greet open hostility with politeness, there really isn�t anywhere for the offending party to go. It�s a great feeling to deflate some asshole�s ego with a smile.
Which isn�t to say that there weren�t some really nice people at the game. In fact, by the end of it, most of the guys around us were really impressed. I think they liked the fact that we were having a good time despite everything else. I reiterate, beer had a helping hand in that. After the flyers scored in the first five minutes of the game, Karen and I made the wise decision to get drunk. Trust me, it helped a lot. The two next to us complimented us on our spirit and wished us a safe ride home. It was a rewarding, and inebriated, experience.
After the game, we went for beers with a few other leafs� fans that we chanced to meet, and then headed home. Well, we headed home eventually�we waited over an hour to grab a cab back to the hotel. If I can offer you any advice, do NOT rely on the Philadelphia cab system � any company that will quote you a wait of 15 minutes to 2 hours for a taxi is not, in my humble opinion, on the ball.
On the way home the next day, we took a little detour to New York City and spent a couple of hours seeing the sites. I�ve never been before, so it was quite exciting for me. It�s funny, though, I never thought that I would be able to drive through downtown Manhattan and not have a seizure trying to get through the traffic. To my surprise, however, I think I was born for it. The motorists in New York city are an odd mix of terribly aggressive (I was in the right lane and two cars to the left of me made a right turn ride in front) and strangely polite (unlike in Toronto, when you want to change lanes, the guy behind you won�t speed up to cut you off). In the end, I got to see the Statue of Liberty in the distance and Broadway. Not a bad day, if you ask me.
After New York, and being caught in traffic jams for an hour and a half, we started back home. All in all, it was going pretty smoothly until I got stopped by the State Police at 2:30 in the morning. Turns out he only wanted to inform me that I had a headlight and taillight out (an electrical problem, I think) and sent me on my way. Didn�t much make up for the minor heart attack I had as he approached my car. Stupid police.
In the end, we arrived back home at about 5:30 in the morning. For my own part, I went to bed and slept until 2 the next afternoon.
It was quite a trip.
