Posted 1:41 PM by Mike
I have a lyrical soul……

This is what I found out the other day. I was watching “Fever Pitch” on HBO. This is the movie staring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore about an obsessed Boston Red Sox fan. In the movie, Jimmy Fallon’s character discloses to Drew Barrymore, whom he had been seeing for a couple of months, that he is very, very, VERY passionate about the Boston Red Sox and that they are a very big part of his life. He goes on the explain that he loves being a part of something bigger than him and likes to feel eleven years old all the time. Barrymore’s character goes on to say..”You are a hopeless romantic. You have a lyrical soul. You are able to love under the best and worst conditions.”

She was referring to his passion for the Red Sox. I started thinking about this……I’m kind of the same. Although I’m not as bad as Fallon’s character (I had to make sure my wife agreed with me…..luckily she did!), I do have a passion for the Pittsburgh Penguins. What about her quote made me think about this? “You are able to love under the best and worst conditions”. Never has this been more true than the last five years that the Penguins have missed the playoffs. Ever since the magical playoff run in 2001 coming off Mario triumphant return, the Penguins have become the worst team in hockey. Following the playoffs that year, Jaromir Jagr was traded for peanuts because of money. That was just the start of their freefall. Since then, Mario endured two separate hip surgeries, a heart ailment, and subsequently has put the Penguins up for sale due to a lack of cooperation from politicians in getting the Pens a new arena. Mario has since retired. Countless stars have come and gone from this team. Jagr, Kovalev, Lang, Straka, etc… have all gone because the team couldn’t afford them any longer. The lockout hurt everything.
When a favorable CBA was finally agreed upon, the Pens were finally able to sign a few big name free agents. Most of them were busts and Pens have again found themselves at the bottom of the standings. And through all of this, I still can’t help but watch them when they are on. Kristin can agree to this. Countless times this season, she has seen me turn the game off because the Penguins were getting killed, only to turn it back five minutes later to see if they have done anything. I can’t help it…. I love this team. It’s part of being a true fan. What kind of fan are you if you only follow your teams when they are winning? The Cubs, 49’ers, Penguins, FSU….all of them have struggled recently and I continue to cheer for them as if they were the best teams in the league. But there’s something special about the Penguins for me. It’s hard to explain.
Through all the bad the past five years, I strongly feel the future is very bright for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The past five years have enabled the Pens to draft their building blocks for the future with their 1st round draft picks.

2002: Defensemen Ryan Whitney (selected 5th overall) He has made his debut this season and shows a lot of potential to be a future all-star. Just lacks experience which he is getting

2003: Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (selected 1st overall) The Pens traded up in order to draft one of the best goalie prospects in decades. After a rough couple of years, he has entrenched himself as the #1 goaltender and will only improve as the defense in front of him improves

2004: Center Evgeni Malkin (selected 2nd overall) Initially, Penguins fans were outrages that we didn’t win the lottery that year in order to select the “other” Russian phenom, Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin has been one of the best players in the league this season and should win Rookie of the Year. But the Pens may have actually got the better player in that draft. Malkin was a star in the World Junior Championships (were he was named Best Forward) and for Team Russia in the 2006 Olympic games. In the Olympics he was widely regarded as Team Russia’s best player as a 19 year old playing with the likes of Ovechkin, Kovalev, etc… He plays an all-around game and his skating stride and reach remind people of another superstar Penguin….one Mario Lemieux. Baring any major setbacks, he should be in Pittsburgh for the start of next season.

2005: Center Sidney Crosby (selected 1st overall) What can’t be said about this kid that hasn’t been said already. He IS the Penguins. He came into the league with the hype that only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and maybe Eric Lindros have seen. All the hype had set him up for a possible let down. Wrong. This kid is among the league leaders in scoring as an 18 year old straight out of junior hockey. He is second to Ovechkin in rookie scoring, but his already one of the best passers in the league. With all the superstar vets gone from this team, he has carried this team on his back and they have made a lot of strides along the way. He will be this team’s leader for along time…..

2006 will see another high draft pick come this way. There are four really good players who have separated themselves from the rest in what is a very top heavy draft. Erik Johnson, Jordan Staal, Phil Kessel, and Jonathan Toews. Either one will fit right into the Pens plans.

If an arena deal is reached and the future of the Pens is cemented in Pittsburgh, this team will be competing for Cups very soon. And if not??? I’ll still be rooting for them anyway…………because as I learned.....I have a lyrical soul.