If a sports team is going to be losers, they have to at least be lovable losers, like the Cubs, not downright pathetic laughingstocks like the Devil Rays (who might be getting Zimmer as a coach, by the way). And, since the Tampa Bay Lightning have never fallen into the lovable loser category, not having enough of a storied history of losing for that, they've fallen into the pathetic perpetual laughingstock category for most of their existance, with the exception of one losing playoff series back in the late '90s. Until last year that is, when they finally started to get their act together, and actually won their division. Granted, it was the worst division, but the won it none the less, which is more than can be said for any other Lightning team.
The nice thing is, unlike the last time they were in the playoffs, this year they don't appear to be sinking back into the dregs of the league, but instead are the only team in the NHL that still has a goose-egg in the loss column, and are at the top of ESPN's power rankings. It's so nice to get to root for a team that doesn't suck, particularly when you have been loyal when everybody made fun of you for being a fan.
Posted by kathryn at Octubre 31, 2003 02:20 PM | TrackBack