Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
And so it begins
With the Ducks victory in Game One over the Ottawa Senators, I knew what to expect heading into today.
Being a die-hard Kings fan, I understand I am going to reap what I've sown over the past 14 years. Since the Ducks entered the league back in 1993, I have firmly stood on the side of the Kings. Nearly everyone who knows me on a personal level knows that I'm a hockey fan and my team is the Kings. I was one of the lucky fans to be selected for those custom "Kings Rule" decals decals for the back window of my car when the league came back from lockout. I have been to more Kings/Ducks games than any other series combined. I have "invaded the Pond" and hung a duck from the Wild Wing statue
at the Arena after a Kings victory. I have taught my daughter that "Kings Rule" and that ducks are meant to be eaten. I have even toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo, but have decided against it, since I'm such a nancy boy.
However, now that the Ducks are in the Stanley Cup Finals, it's going to be a long two weeks. The day started for me when they opened the Ch. 5 Morning News talking about the Ducks opening game win. As I drove my daughter to school, it was the talk on all the sports talk stations. The biggest offender was KLAC, whose tagline "So L.A., It's In Our Name" and actually claims to be the "home" of Kings hockey. They even have a Kings logo on their homepage. Today, they unveiled that not only are they "so L.A." but apparently they are all about Orange County! They even added a flash opening to their home page with "Orange County" splashed across the page!
When I went to go get coffee at It's A Grind, I was asked by the barista behind the counter: "How About Them Ducks?" Afraid he might hock a loogie in my drink, I just shrugged and waited for my drink. Another barista joined in, asking if I was rooting for the Ducks. I just shot him a look and said flatly "No." I got my drink and walked calmly out. In the newstand was a newspaper rack with several rack cards pronouncing other newspaper's coverage of the Ducks.
I know exactly what to expect when I head into work today as well. Joe, our fearless internet techie dude, is a huge Ducks fan. He even had season tickets to the Ducks last season. (He had to give them up "regretably" when he started working the night shift this season.) We have had a friendly rivalry going ever since we found out we are "mortal enemies." Over the past two years, he has found his Ducks ball cap mysteriously turned inside out in his cubicle, and I've found a Mighty Ducks wallpaper on my computer when I got back from vacation. I'm sure Joe will make it a point to come over and gloat a bit tonight.
I also get no love from the Sports Department either, especially on the copy desk. My long-time friend, Fausto, has decided to start rooting for the Ducks, like many fair weather fans, at the start of the playoffs. Keep in mind that he actually asked where he could buy a Kings jersey LAST SEASON. But now, he's all about the Black, Orange and Gold. I won't forget, Fausto. Mark my words...
Even some of my close personal friends have called me to bask in their team's good fortunes. My friend Joey called me when the Ducks advanced, to give me a little ribbing about my squad and how there's plenty of room on the Ducks' bandwagon. Stinging words when they come from Joey.
You see, a long time ago, I had bet Joey that the Kings would return to the Stanley Cup Finals before the Ducks ever did. Keep in mind that the bet was made right after the 1993 Finals, and the future was still bright. The bet was if the Ducks ever made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, I would shave my head bald. I had every reason to believe the Kings would return. Needless to say in 2003, I held up my part of the bargain and sheared off my precious locks. I held solace in two things: 1) My hairstyle resembled Bruce Wills in Die Hard and 2) The Ducks lost to the Devils in seven.
I expect I'll receive more good-natured ribbing and snide comments from people, and I really don't care. The Kings are building for a brighter future, and I fully expect them to do two things next season: 1) They will beat the Ducks in London to kick-off next season and 2) They will return to the playoffs. Anything that happens before that is just prologue.
