Every now and again, I like to watch hockey, and when I watch hockey, I like to watch the St. Louis Blues. I could try and talk about hockey as if I knew anything about the sport, but I don't, so I'll just say this:
When my father was a boy he lived in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. He's 53 now and been a fan of the Blues since their inception in 1967. He has fond memories of seeing Blues games at the St. Louis Arena when the team was first founded, and the franchise means more to him than just any other team because of the association that it has with such a formative and happy time in his life.
The St. Louis Blues are one of the most consistent NHL franchises in terms of making the playoffs, earning playoff berths for 25 consecutive years between 1980 and 2004. The Blues have made the playoffs almost every year in their existence, but despite all this regular season success, the team has never won a Stanley Cup.
People have weird reasons to root for particular teams, and for me, the reason I root for the St. Louis Blues is so that someday I can watch my Dad celebrate his favorite hockey team win their first championship. In a sense I live vicariously through him; his love for the Blues mimics mine with the Panthers, and just as much as I want to see Carolina win their first title, I want to see my Dad celebrate his St. Louis Blues winning theirs.
This week the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, and the Blues will face off against the division rival Minnesota Wild in the first round. When the puck drops on Thursday night, I will be watching and rooting for Blues, and rooting for my Dad.
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