The Penguins- America's Team.

That title seems to be appropriate. I can't think of an American based hockey team with a more solid fan-base than the Penguins.
You have to look at Minnesota obviously as being up there as well and maybe a couple other knuckleheads too.
But what the Penguins have done to American hockey and hockey in the Pittsburgh area in the last couple years in simply remarkable. They have taken a sport that was dead in the water and turned it into the biggest story this town had seen in a couple years (Steelers XL run).

You fell in love with them. You watched the games for the first time in your life maybe. You learned how to pronounce names like Sykora, Ruutu, Laraque and Dupuis.

You used nicknames that are used between players, such as Sarge, Geno, Kid, Sykie, Gronk and Bugsy.

Let me make this clear, I love the Steelers. They are my pride and joy and if there were a Steelers game on and a Pens game on at the same time, I would watch the Steelers. (Well actually I would use PIP, but thats another story.)

But, the Penguins did something to me last year that I can't even begin to explain. My sports hurt was more severe than it has ever been after we lost Game 6 in the SCF.

But, when Sykora burried that goal in the 3rd OT in game 5, I realized why I love hockey and the Penguins... Addiction.

I began to be addicted to the Penguins. I spent HUNDREDS (nearly a thousand) of dollars to go to games 1 & 5 against the Rangers and games 2 & 4 against the Flyers. I drove nearly 6 hours to see the Penguins play. I bought a Laraque shirt. I bought a flag for my car.

Best of all, I spent around 14 hours making this:



And around 2 months growing one of these:

(This picture received one of the greatest facebook comments ever.)





The Pensblog began to thrive into (in my opinion, which is fact) the best blog on the web.

They were pulling down over 400 comments on posts. Huge. I go ape if I get one comment (see: my ESPY's review).


And here is another season, already. I still taste that bitter defeat and remember far too vividly how deep my head was burried in my friends couch when the clock hit zero's for the last time. But yet I want to put myself in a situation to experience that again.

Saturday can't come soon enough.


Let's Go Pens!