Penguins

Here's my official stance on the Penguins: I didn't miss hockey when it was gone and barely noticed that it had disappeared. When it came back, it barely showed up on my radar. Now that they're winning, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon. I'm following them a little bit closer, but nowhere near as close as I would follow the Steelers, Pirates, or Pitt (in that order) if they made a playoff run.

And, I caught the end of the Bruins game on Tuesday, got excited during the shootout and was very impressed by Sidney Crosby. I still don't know shit about hockey, get confused, lose the puck, and pretty much follow the action well enough that I know when to get scared and when to cheer. Other than that, I can't say as though hockey plays much of a role in my life.

As a result, I'm kinda disappointed that the new arena is getting built and that they're staying. I live in the city, so my income tax, sales tax, and property tax is probably going to go up. I follow baseball and football (well, duh on the the football) closely enough that I didn't mind the increase in taxes when the other two stadiums got built.

I don't really go to concerts, so the new arena doesn't have much appeal there. I'm really just going to get screwed for taxes on something that I don't need, utilize, or enjoy. Then again, my property taxes and most of the taxes I pay to the city on my income go to fund the public schools, so I guess it's really just a different sized dildo with different attachments and movements that I will be forced to accept.

My point is this: I can take or leave hockey. Since they're staying and I'm paying for it, I'll take it. If they left, I probably wouldn't notice.

All that having been said, I have been itching to grow a playoff beard for some time. If the Pens make it into the playoffs, I may have to start one.