Gooooooo Gophers!!

Another fabulous present I got my Studly Hubby for his birthday was tickets to a U of M Gophers HOCKEY game (WHOOOOO!!). We went tonight after a fabulous dinner at Campus Pizza amongst hard-core hockey fans (all coupons valid any night but hockey night) and a quiet mint hot cocoa at my favorite coffee shop Espresso Royale (WHOOOOOO!!).

This was our first hockey game ever and we noticed a few things:

1. There are THREE (3) periods in a hockey game. If you get up to leave after the second period, people may look at you funny.

2. Hockey fans are HARD CORE. Their focus never wavers. They know all the players by their first names. They threaten the ref constantly and take everything personally. They are so completely riveted they may not notice when you get up to leave after the second period.

3. Goalies get worn out and like to lay down during breaks; often they stretch too. It's a little weird watching some guy covered from head to toe in pads lounging around and limbering up at the center of a stadium full of people.

4. "Tickets" to a hockey game mean general admission, standing room only. If we had known that, we could have gotten there early to secure prime spots standing at the rail. Instead, we hung out at the coffee shop a little too long and ended up on tiptoes trying to see over the people at the rail.

5. People who buy "season tickets" to the hockey games get burned out by the heavy schedule and often don't show up, leaving empty seats to be taken by anybody who bought general admission tickets. These freebie seats can be whereever you want, next to whomever you like, and may change if you get up to leave after the second period and then realize the game isn't over yet but don't want to walk all the way back around the stadium.

6. Hockey players aren't afraid to fight, play dirty, knock each other over, razz, choke, slam into or trip each other and they really aren't afraid of falling down. I think I would be a lot more brave too if I was all padded all over and wearing funny looking shorts like them. In fact, watching the game was very inspiring. I think I might go start a brawl right now, that might be fun. It sure looks fun.