Commercials

The best part about watching the national TV bozos (I don't live in the Pittsburgh area) was watching the Versus commercial about the Penguins" quest for the Cup.

I memorized the commercial, which showed a picture of Sidney Crosby and said, "He has been hailed as a prodigy and a legend of the game. Yet 19-year-old Sidney Crosby has not cracked under the pressure. Now the Pittsburgh Penguins begin their quest for the Cup, led by three young stars," and cue the pictures of Crosby, Malkin, and Staal, "in a world that has always separated the men from the boys." The commercial ended by urging me to log onto Versus and follow the Penguins' quest for the Cup.

I saved the Game 4 loss to the Senators that I taped. Not because I really desire to re-watch a playoff loss, but because I want to see that commercial--the children's first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs--recorded for posterity.

Next week, I'll reflect on everything I loved about this Pittsburgh season (and believe it or not, I'll include a playoff event, too), but four days after the Pens were eliminated, the fact that Versus had to pull the plug on that commercial still stings.

I'm going to let that sting linger for a little awhile. Perhaps, if and when Crsoby, Malkin, and Staal capture the Cup, I'll be able to insert that commercial advertising the kids' first postseason appearance and smile.

Even though that commercial wil probably always make me smile, right now the fact that I'm not going to be seeing it, or the 2006-07 Penguins, who exceeded all my expectations, again, does seriously sting.

(Present Day Note: Obviously, this post was written four days after the Sens bounced the Pens from the playoffs. Also obviously, I haven't yet written what I promised to write the next week: the best moments from the season. At some point this offseason, I plan to get around to that. Seriously. But I'm not promising it's going to be next week. Just sometimes this summer. Reasonable expectations, right?)