Excess

So we kicked off the 2012-2013 hockey season this afternoon by watching the El-Eh Kings Stanley Cup Championship banner-raising ceremony.  About which, the title to this post: excess.  I've watched a lot of banner-raising ceremonies in my time but NEVER have I ever seen one as wretched as this one.  First there was the usual, customary, and quite reasonable "tribute to the season" video on the jumbotron, and then things went off the rails.   By that I mean the Kings organization proceeded to introduce everyone on staff... including the equipment managers, bag-toters, trainers (every damned one of 'em), and the coaching staff... which would be akin to introducing the key grip and the caterers at the Oscar ceremony for Best Picture.  At least they didn't introduce the Zamboni drivers and the ice girls, for which I'm thankful, indeed.  Then the announcer introduced the team, which is pretty normal.  But in keeping with El-Eh glitter, Our Man introduced the team... by number... and had them skate out and receive their Stanley Cup rings from the owner's wife.  ALL of 'em, individually.  Then we had the ceremonial arrival of The Cup which is normal, once again, but this time El-Eh proceeded to introduce the team a SECOND time as they passed The Cup from player to player while skating it around the periphery of the arena.  I know people in El-Eh have short attention spans but they couldn't POSSIBLY have forgotten the players' names in that short period of time.

By this time I'm thinking "just raise the frickin' banner, already!"  But there was more.  The championship banner was hauled out by the mother, father, and eight year old brother of a victim of the Newtown shootings, the connection being the eight year old boy plays hockey.  Forgive me for this, Gentle Reader, but that was the point when I went "WTF?"  Seriously.  I could see the Bruins, or even the Rangers, doin' something like this because of a regional connection... but LA?  Over 3,000 miles away from Newtown?  That was just too damned maudlin and too damned much.  Sue me if you feel differently.

So, the banner was finally raised and the game got under way.  I said a small prayer to The Deity At Hand along the lines of "Please, Dear God... let them LOSE."  And the Deity, she answered my prayers... Chicago 5, El-Eh 2.  Just desserts.

A final thought, which also occurred to me during the ceremony:  For GOD'S sake, act as if you've been here before.  And then I remembered: they haven't been here before.  I suppose it's hard to get it right the first time.  Nonetheless: what a sad spectacle.