On the Road...

December 5, 2008
I had the good fortune last weekend to follow the team to Syracuse and Cleveland to watch the Marlies play on the road with one of my fellow DDP members last weekend and get a sense of what it is like for the boys to travel between cities.

On Friday, we hopped in the car from Toronto and headed down the QEW and the interstate system to Syracuse to watch the Marlies play the Crunch.

In Syracuse, the boys lost 5-1 but not without some great play by the team. We don’t know what happened to Kyle Rogers, but he definitely has kicked it up a notch or 2! Dan LaCosta was just a hot goalie on a real streak and only Staffan Kronwall was able to put one past the line. Our real problem in Syracuse was keeping the puck out of our net (and getting it past theirs!). Toronto was only able to put one past the line with 43 shots, while 5 went in on our end on 27 shots. The Veteran’s Memorial definitely is a great venue with a hardcore fan base (who chose this game over the Orangemen!).

What struck me most during my trip to Syracuse was the passion that the Crunch fans had for the team. There were 5588 people in attendance (2 of them Marlies fans!) and the fans cheered their hearts out for the whole game. Last week, I spoke about the importance of the names on the backs of our jerseys and fans and players rallying around the team colours because we are part of a great hockey tradition. All one needs to do is look at what the Montreal Canadiens are doing this year to see the importance of tradition and why the jersey matters. Although the Crunch have been around for just 8 years, you can see that they genuinely care about the franchise. We were told by one fan that the organization is threatening to move the team if they do not install a new scoreboard, but I think that would be detrimental to the Crunch since the fans and the historic venue seem to be as much a part of the team as do the players.

The next day, we hopped in the car for the 5-hour trip from Syracuse, NY to Cleveland, OH to watch the second game in as many nights.

Lake Erie was definitely their best game of the road trip. With 3 penalties (1 Toronto, 2 Monsters) just 17 seconds into the game, it was definitely a raucous one! We really enjoyed Ondrus kicking the snot out of Durno 4 seconds in! It was a close game (3-2) but we just couldn’t pull out a W, despite great efforts by the boys.

The Monsters play in the cavernous Quicken Loans Arena. Home to the NBA’s Cavaliers and the Gladiators arena football franchises, it doesn’t have the same feel as a smaller venue and the fans aren’t nearly as vocal. What is impressive about the Monsters is their entrance at the start of the game. The Q Arena darkens, the “Monster” comes out, and they tell you the story of the Monsters. You can tell that the team has put great efforts into polishing their presentation!

Our road-trip weekend concluded on Sunday when we headed down the street to Cleveland Browns Stadium for the game vs. the Colts. It was rainy, cold (the only thing cooler than the temperature were our chicken wings) but it definately was a great day for football. We sat in row 2 of the Dawg Pound (Cleveland is home the original Dawg Pound in Cleveland Browns Stadium) and you definitely knew where you were. From the markings on the tickets, the dog masks, the barking, and the players coming up to the wall to pump up the fans. The Browns lost 10-6 and the fans were really disappointed, but it was fun just to be there and be part of the experience. It was my first NFL game but it definitely won’t be my last!

After the Browns game, we rushed back to our hotel room to listen to the Marlies game, where we won 4-3 in a shootout. The attendance was 3722 and it was the first time I’ve ever listened to a home game on the radio. Thank heavens for the Fan590!

This weekend will be the second of three, 3 games in 3 nights weekends in a row on the sked for the Marlies. The Duke’s Kids Long-Sleeve T-Shirt Jersey giveaway is on Saturday at the Ricoh vs. the Milwaukee Admirals, which is sandwiched between away games against Grand Rapids (Friday) and Hamilton (Sunday). We’re in the dog days of December and this is going to truly be a make-or-break month for the boys. Call 416-597-PUCK for tickets and come on out and help cheer on the boys back into race for the Pollock and the Calder!