The Streak Ends

Hubby and I have gone to a decent number of sporting events over the past 7 years. We've seen three Packers games at Lambeau. We've seen 2 or 3 Admirals games and LOTS of Brewers games here in Milwaukee. In Madison, we've been to a UW men's basketball game and a hockey game, as well as a Mallards game or two. We've been to UW-Whitewater (Hubby's alma mater) football games, too! And every game we've been to, the home team won...

Until last night.

The Brewers gave a valiant effort to rally at last night's game against the Cardinals, but they fell short in the end. 

We thought our streak was going to end with an Admirals game a few months ago. Ads were down by two goals with less than 2 minutes on the clock. But then they managed to tie it up and win in OT. That gave me hope last night when the Crew got within a run of the Cards. Maybe they could win this thing! But, alas, it was not to be.

I think it's good that our streak has ended, as a few good things have come of it:

1) I can talk about it now. Yes, I'm one of those silly superstitious sports fans, and talking about the stream out loud was forbidden. Now I can tell you all how amazing it was to be at all those victories! We watched the Crew's only win during the post-season in 2008, and we watched them clinch the division in 2011! We've seen crazy comebacks and absolute waffle-stompings, both equally exciting in their own ways. It's been a great run!

2) I know that a loss isn't the end of the world. I mean, I've seen PLENTY on TV, but this was the first (in a long time, anyway) that I'd seen in person. And you know what? We still had fun! We cheered on our team and played along with the games in between innings, just like we would during a win. The only thing that was really different was the lack of energy from the crowd, and even that picked back up when we got close! 

3) No more pressure. It sounds silly, but I felt this sort of pressure when I went to games, like it depended on us being there. (It's not just me; check out this Cracked.com article... We love to think we have a hand in the outcome of a game!) Now I can go and whatever happens just happens. 

So it was definitely a bummer to lose last night. But as we walked out, they reminded us not to worry, "Cause every little thing gonna be alright..." There's still a lot of baseball left this season... Let's go, Crew!

Keep Both Eyes on the Puck

It's for your own safety.

Last night, Hubby and I went to a Milwaukee Admirals game.  (For those unfamiliar with the Ads, this is our local AHL team.)

Now, I will be the first to admit that I don't know dick about hockey.  Here's the extent of my knowledge:

People hit a puck with a stick and try to get it into the other team's goal.  

OK, I know a few other things, too, I suppose.  Like, it's OK to slam someone into the wall (in fact, checking seems to be encouraged, at least by the crowd), but if you do something too naughty (hooking, slashing, tripping...), you get sent to the penalty box (which means power play for the other team).  

Anywhoozles, I don't care.  Without knowing anything about it, hockey is damn fun to watch.  It's fast-paced, semi-violent, and exciting.  What else do you need?

Well, going to an Ads game reminds me of going to a minor league baseball game (Mallards, anyone?).  Any time there's a small break, there's some kind of contest or trivia going on.  And between periods, we get to watch random fans do ridiculous things to win a prize.  Also, Zambonis.  Need I say more? 

Last night was pickle night (apparently today is pickle day?), so most things were pickle-related.  There was a pickle-eating contest, pickle trivia, and even pickle relay races on the ice.  Hubby got to wear a paper pickle hat, which made my whole night.  And I learned things!  Like, Cleopatra apparently attributed her beauty to eating pickles.  Who knew?  

My favorite part of any Ads game is the mini-blimp that putters around before the game and between periods.  I always want to find the guy/gal who controls it and ask if I can give it a whirl.  It just looks like fun!  Plus, it drops coupons on people.  What's not to love?  Add a pirate ship to the mix and you've got one heck of a show, my friends.

The game was a close one, and it came down to 4-on-4 sudden death OT.  With mere seconds left on the clock (the main clock said 3.1, but I've heard it was more like 4.5), the Ads scored for the win.  It was pretty insane, and a TON of fun to be there for!  If you want to check out any of the highlights, you can go to the Admirals TV page for videos.

Aside from the normal hockey related things, other items of interest included:

• A little girl in the bathroom whose mother wanted her to hurry up so they didn't miss the game.  "OK, the game's going to start!  Let's get going!"  Little girl pops out of the stall.  "Ta da!!"  I told Hubby about this, observing that small children are instantly 400 times funnier when they're in a public bathroom.  This prompted Hubby to ask, "What was that little girl's song?"  And thus I began singing, "I love potatoes!"
• A little boy (maybe about 5 or 6?) across the ice from us who was dancing up a storm all night!  He even busted out the sprinkler.  I was thoroughly impressed.
• An awesome older lady got to ride along on one of the Zambonis.  She spent the whole time waving to the crowd and smiling.  That woman is my new hero.
• One of the poor girls involved in a pickle race kept mooning the stands when she bent over for a pickle.  Not good.  I'm pretty sure that would be one of my worst nightmares come true.
• David Greuber was sling-shotted down the ice into giant boxes of Uncle Ben's.  If you're from Milwaukee, you know who David Greuber is.  "One call, that's all..."  I was glad he didn't win the contest.  That man annoys the piss out of me.

So, it was a fun night with the hubs, and we agreed that we definitely need to go watch more hockey games!  Maybe I'll learn something about it one of these days...