HockeyTown, USA

The Rangers finally won one in their playoff series against the Sabres yesterday. It only took 2 overtimes, but they did it. They kind of blew it in games 1 and 2 - most especially in 2 - and I was beginning to despair. Now that there's no chance they'll be swept, I can watch the remainder of the series with some degree of detachment.

My mother and my sister have been getting on my case about rooting for the Rangers over the Sabres. They understand that the Rangers have been my team for over 10 years now, and they think that's super great. But they insist that my loyalties should lie with Buffalo in this series because, and I quote:

"Buffalo could really use a win."

And they don't mean the team, they mean the city of Buffalo, NY.

And they're not alone in that opinion. Sports Illustrated referred to Buffalo as the "losingest city" in this recent article about Chris Drury. The article doesn't tiptoe around Buffalo's heartbreaking sports team history - on the contrary - the author asserts that the Bills' epic four Superbowl losses in a row coupled with the Sabres being robbed of the Stanley Cup in 1999 (up yours, Hull) are symbolic of Buffalo's decline as a city. There's even a quote from the Mayor of Buffalo:

"We think, and many people think, that the town needs to win a major sports championship," says Mayor Byron Brown. "To correct the inferiority complex in the psyche in the community."

That's from the Mayor himself.

It makes me a little sad to read this. Sure, Buffalo's had it's fair share of problems over the last few decades...and Lord knows I make fun of my hometown more than most. But Buffalo's got a lot of great things to offer as well. You like chicken wings? Yeah, well thank Buffalo for perfecting the recipe. You like drive-in movie theatres? Buffalo's got two of 'em. (Though the word on the street is that one will be closing soon. But let's not split hairs) Buffalo also has at least 4 major shopping malls, bars that are open until 4am, and the ever-present opportunity to cross into Canada right quick and wave your American money over your head and finally benefit from an exchange rate. And of course, the Buffalo export people in every other city and town love the most: people from Buffalo who talk about the weather "they've been through". Come on, your winter wouldn't be half as fun without some transplant from Buffalo going on and on about the snowfalls and windchills they've seen, and how people everywhere need to be thankful they haven't suffered the kind of lake-effect snow Buffalo gets hit with every goddamned year.

I'm proud to be from Buffalo. It's a town with a lot of heart, and a town that's been through more than it's fair share of grandiose sports tragedies. And that's just in the last 20 years. So that's why if the Sabres were to win this series against the Rangers, and continue on to some very deserved success en route to the Cup, I can't see myself being too devastated. Instead, I think I'd be really happy for the hometown team.

Let's go, Buff-a-lo!!!!


(No, Shannon. That does not mean I'm moving back home.)